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"where there is life, there is hope"
in the darkness, it's the whisper he hears. wrapped in a blanket of null,
the words are deafening; cleaving the silence with a scythe of inquisition. a
creature stirs in his endless slumber, harboring dull thoughts and a cold heart.
where am i? who am i? what am i? a blinking star on a painting of black, he is
an empty shell of a withering butterfly, an illusion of beauty. his existence is
unneeded, it simply co-exists with the earth around him, and so he had slept in
a world of nothing.
had a dream sparked his fading existence?
his first breath is a painful one. the cooling air hacks through his throat, the
dissipating moonlight burns through his closed eyes. a world so harsh, a society
so cruel, this creature asked for little more than to sleep in oblivion for eternity.
but something had awoken him, a quiet plea, a silent scream for help. the stars
overlook mockingly from above, the trees whisper low. mildly intimidated, he
looks onward where a small mammal lay motionless in the dirt.
is this the one that called upon me?
shivering in the cold, the creature raises its head to try a look in his direction.
"little belldandy, have you come at last?" the small mammal breathes weakly, head
lolled to the side. laid on its shoulder, flowers blossom from a
wound down its stomach. the 'belldandy' approaches, eyes lidded
heavily with incomprehension. is there something this creature wanted
from him? is there a reason life had breathed him into existence?
"little belldandy" the wounded creature chokes, "would you be so kind
as to grant a dream?" a bushy tail and darkened fur reveals a chinchilla, suffering
under the moonlight. the belldandy stops centimeters from the animal.
he supposes he should feel pity, empathy; any emotion. he does not.
yet the creature continues to speak.
"kind belldandy, death will soon claim me. i can feel it; the cold seeping into my bones.
death saddens me, little one. death scares me. do you understand?"
no, he doesn't. existing was a curse, and death was bliss. he does not wish to roam
the earth, yet a dream so strong had triggered his existence.
"but little belldandy, oh sweet belldandy. im scared, so scared, but i have a dream
i have to fulfill. little one, could you help me?" the chinchilla twitches in the dirt, blood
a red seeping into the soft soil. the belldandy can see it; the reaper of death
lingering meters above the animals head. is there something it had done to deserve this?
or had fate carried its curse on wings of night, molding a cruel world? something nibbles
gently on his empty heart; an emotion. small and insignificant, it is ignored.
the belldee wonders how, even in death, this creature can feel such strong emotions, wherein
he felt nothing; simply a vessel attached to an oxygen tank. whispers spark in his heart,
audible but a whisper nonetheless. won't you help? won't you pity? won't you feel?
and maybe, he will try.
drawing closer, caution discarded, he places his snout on the chinchilla's cooling
forehead, dispelling the heavy cloud of death momentarily. but even he knows
that death is inevitable, and his natural gift of fortune can do little but delay the
mammal's painful end. did this world have to be so cruel? did mother nature have
to be so harsh? and did this creature, did it really deserve to die? no, yes, maybe.
"speak... i... i will try to help."
closing its eyes, the chinchilla heaves a sigh, lips twitching into a small smile.
"i can the see the kindness within you, little belldee. and as you have kindness,
i have hope. where there is life, there is hope, so i will ask you this. wont you
grant me an endless dream? death is a scary place, so won't you bless me with
sweet dreams, with happy memories, one last time? please, i beg you, this is
my dying wish, sweet belldandy."
can he really achieve this creature's one last wish? he-
he can't do it. panic, grief, disappointment draws a threatening wave over his
head and it's unusual, since it's the first time he's felt. he breathes
fast. bringing his snout to the chinchilla's temple, and concentrates hard. maybe it
won't work, and maybe this creature will be trapped in a cycle of
black and white, as he had before. but... maybe, he has the power.
and then his bell hung around his neck jingles loud in the silence of night. raising his
head, it is then he sees them. thousands of fireflies, blinking in the retreating
darkness, forcing the evil away. shimmering centimeters above the water's
surface, they float skyward, illuminating the cruel night sky in hundreds and thousands
of flashing lights. don't fear, but rest. now is the time for rest, little animal.
"... it's beautiful. kind belldandy, little belldandy, do you hear the voices? they tell
me to rest, to sleep, they tell me that ive fought bravely, and it's time to leave
it behind. don't you hear it, little one?"
he almost shakes his head.
"thank... you..."
the larger creature takes one final breath, indulging in a world which had
once whipped it, and it had learnt to love the world in all its
cruelty. the belldandy stands there for a while, snout nestled in the animal's fur,
before he pulls away, face downcast. the fireflies dance around him, comforting.
death, dear friend, the fireflies insist, is inevitable.
he knows this. as the fireflies buzz lightly around him, glowing a pale pink light,
he cries for the chinchilla. it's body would decay; weary bones seeping
into the dirt, flesh dissipating as animals come and go, yet perhaps, the
creature's blinding hope remained in the form of hundreds of fireflies.
i think i understand now, chinchilla.
[985 words]
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