Words spoken from the lips of the grey haired during dull nights. That was all August ever knew them to be. Tales meant to threaten children into a lifetime of servility disguised as respect. So, what was this?

It took no form, but it was there. Watching. Waiting for a reason, an excuse, to seize her. You could never see it, you could only feel it. And you would feel it. You would feel your heart quicken, trying it’s absolute best to warn you of it’s overshadowing presence. You would feel your mind tremble, urging to you to do something, anything, to survive. You would feel a torturous fear deafen your surroundings and paralyze you. You would feel exiled from reality.

August felt it. That was the only thing she could feel. Not the cold evening slowly alternating the calm afternoon. Not the restless breeze serenading the sky into a darker shade. Only it.

She forced herself to think.

It exists, so the stories must be true. And the only way to get rid of it was by…

Her shoulder suddenly felt heavier, it placed an arrogant hand there. She didn’t know how, but she could feel its smile. It was a cruel smile, one that seemed to say “Inevitable. Unpreventable”. A smile predators would reveal only when their claws were deep in the side of their prey. A smile that preceded death.

You see, these things were the pets of a mad god. And mad gods were infamously commanding. They would play out every evil born from their brutal minds, yet scorch every subject that did the same without their permission. It couldn’t slaughter her without a reason, or an excuse. And she knew if she made any attempt at defending herself, it would deem it an attack, and claim self defense when questioned by it’s owner about her unsanctioned murder. As long she did nothing, it would eventually leave her.

It waited.

She waited.

It grew impatient: she knew by the acceleration of her heart. It had a way of speaking to her heart, of controlling how fast it beat. It made her heart roar.

Soon enough, it turned to leave. She felt her heart slow down. With slow and regretful footsteps, it retreated. August clutched a smile from wherever fear had hidden it; she might live to tell the tale after all.

Till she saw her little sister, Lydia. Terror darkened her face, and she shivered. It.

Lydia had a weak heart. If it spoke to her heart like it always did, her heart would fail. If she tried to fight back, it would tear her apart. But every step away from her meant one towards Lydia.

August's heart quickened again, but it had nothing to do with it. This fear was hers, rendered by a different evil- Loss. Loss had seized everyone else from her, but inexplicably overlooked Lydia. So, in this savage world, all they had was themselves, and they swore not to forget it for even a moment.

August long discarded reason before deciding what to do. Survival had little use for reason. So did love.

“I love you”, She mouthed to Lydia as she leaped on where she believed it to be.

She hoped that she would give Lydia enough time to escape. To survive. To live.

But she never knew if she did, for the ground never received her after her leap.