"Keep your eyes closed now," Eddie commanded her gently, wearing his smile like a jelly-stain on his lips.
"I'm trying!" Kate giggled, "but I keep bumping into everything!"
Just as these words left her mouth, Kate tripped over a small stone jutting out in the path. Eddie quickly was able to catch her and she soon regained her balance.
"Are you alright?" He asked immediantly.
"Yep," Kate grinned, "just a little anxious. Come on, Eddie, just let me open my eyes already!"
"But then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" Eddie reminded her.
"Well... I could still fake being surprised, then,"
"You're not good at faking things,"
"Oh really? Name a time I didn't fake something out well,"
"Alright," He agreed to her challenge, turning toward her as he edged her along by the elbow, leading her carefully down the path while her eyes were closed.
"For starters, you're pretending to be mad at me now, but I can totally see through that,"
Kate let out a laugh, "Ok, fine, maybe you're right, but I just really want to know what this surprise is, Eddie!"
"Don't worry; we're almost there," Eddie reassured her in a smooth voice, "I promise,"
Hearing his gentle voice float on the cool, calm breeze of the night was enough to lull Kate a little. She trusted and loved him with all her heart, and would never doubt him. Not even to the slightest degree. Sometimes, when she'd awake in the middle of the night from a nightmare of something terrible happening to her sister, or if she'd just awake to a sound made in the dark that she thought could be an intruder or a predator, just hearing his soft breathing beside her kept her strong. Merely that meant the world to her, because she knew then that she was not alone anymore, and through thick and thin, Eddie would always be there for her. No matter what.
"Oh, alright," Kate sighed, giving in, though the excitement still twisted and turned inside of her chest, "I trust you. I know you always keep your promises,"
She leaned up closer to him at this, and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked along.
Eddie winced mitely at these words as his mind rolled back to Crash. Hadn't he promised him something long ago? What was it again? All he could recollect was that he hadn't kept it - not yet, anyways. Oh, now, what did he promise him?! Eddie furrowed his brow and scrunched up his eyes, head tilted vertically as he tried with all his might to remember what the promise had been, but for the life of him, could not.
Kate blinked open her eyes and peered up at Eddie from his shoulder. Her gorgeous brown eyes were clear and calculating.
"What's wrong?" She questioned, pulling away, hoping everything was alright.
Eddie shook his head, as if to scramble away all that he had been previously thinking about.
"Oh, nothing," He replied a little too quickly.
When he glanced back at Kate however, he noted the serious expression she wore on her face, so, taking a breath, he continued,
"I was just thinking of something, that's all. Something I can't even remember. I was trying to remember what it was exactly, but couldn't. It seems to have happened so long ago,"
Kate's countenance brightened.
"Oh," She said surprised, "Well, is there anything I can do to help you remember, then? I have a rather good memory,"
Eddie flicked his arm out to the side as if he were waving the topic away.
"I know you do, but this is something you can't help me with; you weren't there,"
"Oh, sorry,"
Eddie turned to her,
"Sorry? No, don't be! It's not your fault. It was only driving me nuts for a moment there at not being able to conjure it, that's all,"
He stopped suddenly, his deep brown eyes glistening quietly in the moonlight as he faced her.
"But hey, let's not worry about any of this other stuff tonight. Because this night is special; it's all going to be about just you and me, alright? We'll drop our troubles here and just enjoy ourselves. It's like I said, the night belongs to us,"
He smiled sweetly, his eyes mild and content in the silver light as he looked into hers.
Kate couldn't help but allow her lips to break out in a small smile at seeing Eddie so at ease. She felt her eyes sparkle, reflecting the light of the shimmering stars above them.
"Alright then, my prince of the night, we are opossums after all, so let's get this night started, shall we?"
Eddie felt his smile increase across his face, letting out a chuckle as he agreed, taking her willing paw in his, "Yes, my princess, we shall. But first, you are forgetting to close your eyes again!"
He shook a finger at her and tut-tuted playfully.
Kate rolled her eyes, but a whimsical tone still danced on her tounge as she exclaimed, "Oh, not this again!"
Eddie laughed as he lead her down the silver-lit path once again. The trees and undergrowth that rustled and waved around them were dark, and seemed to whisper long-lost secrets to them as the wind whipped through them, prying the secrets loose. But the stars in the ink-black sky shinned brillantly; little dots of silver sprinkled here and there and then in clusters. They appeared to be like tiny lanterns, floating up in the sky; ships made of specks of light, sailing in a dim, pitch-back sea of the unknown. How the stars give wonder to us all! We are like childern to their vastness.
Eddie's stride came to another hault, and the wind brushed his fur coolly.
A smile of joy broke forth, and his eyes were full of life as he whispered excitedly,
"We're here!"
Kate peered around in the darkness. The trees rocked like great giants shaking their fists off in the distance, and the wind played with her silky long fur as well.
"I don't see anything,"
"You're not suppose to," Eddie grinned, eyes flashing, "Not yet anyways,"
He lept ahead of her, bounding forward.
"No peaking, now!" He called over his shoulder, arm extended back and pointing at her.
"Oh, alright," She soughed, laughter lingered in her voice though.
Eddie disappeared through a cover of leaves with one quick glance back at Kate. A moment later, he perked his head out, his voice traveling a top the night breeze that jostled the tree leaves delicately, as if to rock them asleep in a lullaby, "You may proceed,"
Kate grinned as she stepped forward, carefully feeling the ground with her feet to avoid any rocks or sticks that could lead her to ungraceful falls.
Her hands over her eyes to keep from sight, she mischievously began to peak her pretty brown eyes through her fingers, looking up at Eddie, daring him to correct her.
"Ah! No peaking!" Eddie teased her, wearing a smile.
Kate smirked and giggled; covering up her lusterous, bright eyes and flawless facial features once again with her hands.
Eddie watched, unblinking with great admiration as the young opossum weaved herself cautiously around small obstacles along the trail. He felt his heart melt within his chest and his eyes grow mellow. In this chemistry, that was how he reacted every time he gazed upon her. She may have called him the prince of the night, but he knew undoubtedly that she was an angel from heaven. Oh, and such a fine, radiant angel she was! How perfect! How grand! If he was to spend the rest of his life with anyone it would be her; she was funny, sweet, joyful, polite, and beautiful, and yet, when she needed to be, she could also be serious and brave. Oh, was he ever so grateful that they had heard her that one day, crying all alone in that hallow, dry and empty log. Who knows what could have become of her then?
Kate felt the leaves as they brushed across her frame. She felt Eddie's firm, warm grip as he took her by the elbow and guided her in.
"That's it," He reassured her, "that's it. Now, there's a root over here so watch your step. There you go. ...,"
Kate could now feel soft, fertile ground beneath her paws and big, sturdy, hardy roots that seemed to be swelled up to twice their normal size. She felt their bumps and grooves with her feet as she carefully placed her balance and weight upon them, leaning gingerly on Eddie as she made her steps.
"Almost there... Don't be afraid to lean on me, I don't mind, just one more step... ,"
Kate held her breath as she took the final step, Eddie by her side. Her heart seemed to flutter within her, about to break free of her chest, for the suspense had awakened to full degree in her mind and rattled the chains at which it was held captive there. What could be this surprise Eddie kept refering to? What was it? How she wished to know!
Her heart hammered louder in excitement and skipped a beat has Eddie's voice arose and whispered behind her, "Okay, you can open your eyes now,"
She exhaled once more, her heart wild. She lowered her arms from her eyes slowly, and then blinked them open, her eyes glittered and her face glowed has she took everything in at once, gasping out of awe.
They had retreated under the security of an ancient, and reliable willow tree. It sat atop a small hill up in the woods, but its great, old roots weaved in and out of the ground like a staircase on the side of the slope. They twisted and curved themselves around rocks and stones, leading you up to its base where the couple now stood.
Kate's mouth was a-gap in disbelief at such a wonderous place has she reached out a paw to run down the side of the bark. She felt the centuries-old cracks and ruts in the rough trunk, and spied how knots had snaked up upon it, gathering mass in places where the branches split from each other.
A soft, warm breeze drifted through, and Kate's eyes immediantly tore from the details of the willow to marvel at the swift, flowing movement of its leaves, drizzled around them, like a circular curtain on all sides, guarding them it seemed. They hung limply like tassels, and when the wind gently whistled through, they danced about them a calm, flowing, peaceful dance, like an army of ghosts floating in formation. It was eerie, but playful at the same time, like some strange childhood memory, flickering briefly in the darkness.
The moonlight loomed over head and fell, dripping onto the earth in silance. The silver light sang quietly upon touching the little crystal-like coat of frosty dew on each of the willow's wilted leaves, making all glitter and gleam hauntingly in the shadows.
Kate took a breath with the wind has she heard it running its course; rustling the leaves all around her and smiled with peace in her heart.
She turned to Eddie, drenched white in the light of the moon, magic in her eyes as she whispered faintly, "Oh, Eddie, this place is beautiful!"
Eddie returned her bright gaze.
"Isn't it, though?" He breathed, lifting his head up to view the net-work of moon-splashed branches high above them, some still engulfed in dark shadows.
Kate fallowed his gaze before dropping her eyes back down on Eddie. A twinkle in them has she suddenly sprang up and over toward him, joy over-flowing her mind as she too stepped into the white light.
"Oh, Eddie! Thank you so much for sharing this with me!"
Eddie let out a little "oof!" sound has Kate, without warning, flung her arms around his body to give him a warm hug.
Soon he had recovered however, and found himself enjoying the tender moment between the two of them very much. Kate's eyes were closed lightly and a smile spread smoothly across her fine features like warm butter, as they rocked back and forth mitely together in the wind. She clung tightly to him in this embrace, her head resting once again on his shoulder, and Eddie felt the warm flames of a fire lick his heart hot inside, despite the chilly air around them.
He found he rather liked Kate this close to him, and let a smile of his own crawl across his lips and his almond eyes battered closed in pleasure.
For a moment, standing there, swaying in the breeze in each other's arms, they felt as though they breathed the same breathes together, the fingers of the wayfaring wind brushed against the same body. It felt as though they were in perfect union. No longer two, but one. Their hearts so close they could hear each other's beating; a drum sounding in exact rhythm to the harmony of the cricket orchestra arising around them. It was a sweet chorus, it was: the soft thump of a living, breathing creature's heart. And the small, black crickets kept on, playing their tender music on through the night.
Eddie's ears pricked up suddenly then and he snapped open his eyes at a thought that had just occured in his head.
Gently, he pried himself from Kate's arms. She looked up at him, her innocent smile still painted on her face.
"Hang on, if you think this is cool, just wait 'till you see what's next," He told her, his face a-light.
And with that, he lept over toward the edge of the willow leaves' flowing curtain raining down around them. Kate fallowed him.
Darting his gaze back from Kate to the leaves, Eddie then took an out-stretched arm and pulled away the dancing, swaying ghosts, as if to reveal the beauty behind a nightmare.
They rippled away smoothly, like water, and beyond them laid an obscure, glistening, silver lake. The stars reflected as little silver coins floating on its black surface, twinkling and trembling. As a cluster, they glittered high above, cold and far away against the smooth, ebony sky soaring high above. They were like little droplets of milk piercing the great cloak of night.
Misty gray and purple clouds hovered over head in the night sky. They sat around the great, white, full moon looming above all, pouring its pale light thoughtfully over the land of silver grass and glass trees below like water.
Kate's eyes widened and the corners of her mouth twitched farther up in joy. She whipped her head back to Eddie, who leaned lightly upon the heavy curtain of leaves, looking out into the night himself, admiring its sky.
At first, Kate was speechless, and all the words she had wanted to say she found she had forgotten. It was as if her very thoughts had fluttered away- like the wings of a butterfly.
But then, despite this, without having to dig down very deep, she found the words that were truest to her, and seemed right all over right then. And so she spoke these words of her heart instead.
"I love you, Eddie,"
Her voice was a soft rustle, chiming clearly in the wind.
"I love you too, Kate," Eddie whispered back in reply, feeling the cool wind take the words from his lips and off into the night as well.
He wrapped his arm once again around her, pulling her closer to him. She sighed and leaned up against his chest in response, as if lost in a trance.
All time seemed to stand still for a moment right then, has if holding just for them to soak in and share the moment with each other.
"Do you want to go up to the lake?" Eddie asked after a long moment.
Kate could hear his voice vibrate from his throat since her ear was at his chest.
"Okay," She agreed dreamily.
The two strolled up lovingly to the bank of the water just beyond the willow leaves-canopies' reach, hand in hand.
The wind rushed out to greet them first has it blew off the lake and combed their faces and fur. It carried over a sweet scent in the air, which seemed to linger about, its ride on the cool wind coming to a stop.
Kate sniffed at this delightful fragrance, wondering where it could have come from. Then, she glanced over and saw a pink blossuming tree leaning over on the other side of the water. Its head seemed to dip down gracefully to touch the water, its branches low and long. The moonlight sparkled across the frost that coated the branches. Kate exaimined its frozen magnificence has the wind blew softly the pink pedals of its early spring blossums out and across the dark lake like it was blowing a kiss. The pedals skimmed and coasted across the water, some even floating over it for a few minutes before finally landing atop its cold, ebony surface, meeting its reflection.
A whole blossum flower drifted over and landed neatly at Eddie's feet. Carefully, he bent over to pick up the fragile thing, when he did, he placed it gently in Kate's hair, tucking it at an angle just behind her right ear so it would stay.
"There," He stepped back, smiling, "Now you look gorgeous,"
He stared down into the depths of her coco brown eyes contently; a ray of light and life seemed to erect itself from those very eyes.
Kate giggled, humor in her voice has she teased playfully, "You mean I wasn't already gorgeous before?"
They laughed softly, their breath warm.
"No, what I meant to say was that now you look even MORE gorgeous," Eddie corrected himself, now serious, "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met. You're like an angel of heaven to me, Kate,"
He held her paw tightly up in his has he said this.
Kate fell silent and merely blushed, her eyes bashful.
"Well, thanks... But I don't really think I'm quite has pretty has an angel... ,"
"Nonsense!"
"Oh, come on, Eddie! Don't you think that's going a little over-board?"
"No," He answered her with a straight face, "not at all,"
Kate could only blink, smile, and blush shyly for a moment.
"Do you want to go dip our feet in the water?" Eddie asked then, finding new words of his own.
Kate perked back up from her silence in a snap.
"I'd love to!" She pipped, feeling the breeze take the red from her face.
They sat then together, at the edge of the water on the soft, silver grass, splashing their feet quietly in the trickling of water dripping from their toes as the wind carried their words away in a polite, gentle, hushed whisper.
But Crash could have cared less about all that.
He lingered, noiseless and alone, drowning in the shadows high in the willow tree where the curtain of leaves was not an obstacle. He lay on his stomach, eyeing up his victiums from above, and bit his tounge within his mouth until it bled.
How dare Kate sit beside his brother like that! How dare she! That was his spot right next to Eddie, not hers!
Crash could feel his anger boiling up inside of him, greater now more than ever. His heart pounded loudly, churning and turning it seemed within his chest, trying to break free of the rib cage, or was that envy's chilly, ruthless, long fingers, trying to rip the very living thing out of his chest?
Shades of darkness danced across his face has he with-drew in deeper behind the cover of the leaves, keeping himself hidden until the right moment. The further down the out-stretched branch he crept, the more the darkness shallowed him up, like the hungry waters of some vast ocean, pulling him under. And finally, the shadows rose over his head, and he was lost in the pitch-darkness, save for his eyes, which shinned an ill, icy, electric blue color, sharp against the ravenous black.
A menicing sneer smeared ominously over his face with a heartless snicker, and he could feel the blood hammering through his veins, rushing to his arms and legs and through-out his entire body. Thundering, faster and faster, and soon, it seemed all he could hear was that; the blood, running to his head, thrusting itself to power his brain, banging, echoing, haunting, taunting, and then banging again, like a gun going off inside his head on full blast. But that was not, in fact, all he could hear, for he heard Kate- Kate, speaking to Eddie. Eddie, speaking to Kate. He felt evil twitch at his finger tips.
Crash's eyes narrowed has he drew back even farther into the tree from the streaming moonlight. In the dark, tucked away between two branches, lay his weapon, which he extended a paw over to examine one last time.
It was an old, sphere-shaped molding about the size of a good fist. It was made of mostly mud, rocks and leaves, and a series of clumps of moss with worms still snaking and poking in and out of it. Crash knew that while it may not appear very threatening, if he aimed it just right, it could cause someone to be knocked down, face-first in the mud. And only the lowest scum of the ice age belonged in the mud.
Besides, it was the best he could come up with on such short notice.
Taking his prize with him, Crash scrambled back up to a shady and grey area of the tree where two branches seperated out in a "Y" shape. Taking an old strand of dry, crumpled, dead vine he had snapped off from another plant with his teeth, Crash held his mud and moss ball in his tail while he tied the brown, fragile vine to either branch, twisting and jerking it with all his might, gritting his teeth has he willed it to stay.
His piercing eyes gleamed in the moonlight, like shards of ice, has he crept up to take a final peek at his victims. They were just as he had left them before.
A sick smile slithered over Crash's face and his heart began to pound hard again, the coursing blood roaring in his ears. He was bracing himself for something- for action. But what kind of action? What sort of results would come from that action? He didn't know, and he didn't care. He just wanted it. He felt the adrenaline rush through his veins has he slid back down into his own position, just before the two branches parting from each other, white as bone in the moonlight.
Crash flicked his amo from his tail to his hands in one, striking, coiling movement.
Carefully, he placed the mud-ball in the center of the failing vine and pulled it back taunt, like a sling-shot. Closing one eye, he aimed his weapon. When he believed it was measured correctly, he closed both of his eyes and took a deep breath. When he let it out, he snapped back open his eyes and aimed with a clear, sharp vision. Placing his feet up onto the branches to gain more power, he pulled back hard. He gritted his teeth and grunted has he felt the muscles in his arms straining. Arching his back and keeping his legs as sturdy as iron, he leaned back, stretching his sling-shot farther and farther. He could feel the power of the shot building, running through his body; ready to fire.
Crash squinted his cold eyes for a final time to adjust his aim, and then, with one last groan of effort, indicating that the strength was begining to wear from his body, Crash let go.
As soon as he did, he felt his body grow limp in weariness, for all the energy he had strained to muster up had all at once rattled through his frame and was released rawly, straight from his body. It felt as if something lodged deep within his insides had just been torn quite suddenly and abruptly from him, like an arctic, shivery knife being plunged rapidly in and then back out of his chest that he hardly had anytime to comprehend what was actually happening; and it knocked the wind out of him! Helplessly, he felt the breath fade from his lungs as he collasped languidly forward onto the skeletal branches. His arms and legs dangled from either side of him as he lay on his stomach; like some exhausted sleeper or drunk.
Allowing a weak moan to issue out from his lips, Crash soon regained his strength and, though his arms were still shakey, he used them to lift the upper-body in order to peer more clearly through the willow leaves. Dragging himself over to the edge of the branch he had temporarily resided on, Crash tilted his head downward and narrowed his fatigued eyes down in order to stare down upon the couple which he had aimed for. They sat just as they had been before.
Has the seconds wore on, Crash began to fear with an urgent sense of dread that he had aimed in-accurately, and all had been done in vain. Then, however, glancing slightly upward, against the night's bleak darkness, Crash caught a brief glimsp of his mud-ball, just descending down through the air. It must have been released with such force that only now had its energy began to wane, causing it to descend, unraveling, spiraling down from the sky.
Down it hurtled against the black, faster and faster and faster, like a heavy stone sinking down into the deepest floor of a river.
Its velocity only seemed to gather has it dropped toward the two figures by the lake. Ceaseless, and great with speed it fell, and sooner, sooner than precieved, it made its mark upon the young opossums.
SMACK!!
It struck Eddie hard in the back of the head, and out of surprise, he let out a frightened yelp, as the momentuem caused him to fall, face first, straight into the pool of water before him. In a clumsy splash, the cool water grew cloudy from the mud stirred from the bottom. Upon seeing this, hearing the splash, and a startled cry from Kate, Crash felt a triumphet smile soar onto his lips and punched a quiet victory fist into the air.
"Yes!" He whispered with satisfaction.
His amo had gone exactly where he had wanted it to go.
He watched as Eddie emerged from the murky water, now only up to his knees, as he stood before Kate not only transfixed and confused, but covered in mud!
Ribbons of black and a gross green seaweed dangled from his arms and tail, while a large strip clung to his nose and swung with every minor movement. His palms and face were splattered with cold, wet, slime, slick and glistening in the moon's sick light. And then, there was the mud. It streaked and smeared itself all over Eddie's body; dull and brown, it shinned evilly against him, like an evil snicker.
Crash himself felt a smirk slide onto his own face. He had done it! He had made Eddie plunge straight, and deep into, the muddy banks of the water! Now, he stood a disgusting, deformed creature before Kate! Surely now, she'll never except him. Surely now, she'll see what he really is and that they were never destined to be after all. Surely now, if she had any sense...
He saw Eddie's face grow a bright red shade in embarrassment, it was noticeable even undeer all that mud. He opened his mouth a gap to speak, but couldn't seem to find the words. His eyes turned soft and pleading as they settled on Kate. He was praying that even now, she'd see the true figure underneath all the muck and still love him.
"How pathetic," Crash hissed quietly to himself in the dark.
Kate appeared to be a little shocked about exactly all that had happened herself, and merely stood there blinking and staring for a few long seconds, still trying to re-comprehend the whole situation.
"Look at him; he's just a clumst idiot. Come on, you don't love him, you don't love him. Just say it to his face already, come on!" Crash chanted just barely above a whisper, still hidden up in the great tree.
Slowly then, Kate's features seemed to soften from her previous startled freeze as her eyes searched Eddie's.
Crash was so ready to hear her tell Eddie that she didn't want him anymore. He was so ready to hear her rant and rave and tell him that he looked terrible and that from now on, she wouldn't want to be caught dead with him. Any moment now, thought Crash, that's what would certainly happen. And only then, feeling heart-broken, crushed, and unwanted, would Eddie return to him for healing and friendship; where he will not be rejected by his own sibling has Crash had, and he will see who his true friend was all along. All Kate had to do was say what she felt and lash him out with a harsh tounge. That was it. That's all it depended on. And in any moment now, Crash was positive, that's what would happen.
So it did not surprise him the least bit when Kate straightened her posture rigidly, and with out a word, turned and stode away, leaving Eddie to himself in his puddle of filth.
Crash began to laugh, laugh out of joy and triumph. His plan had worked! He had succeeded after all! Victory was his!! Kate never loved Eddie after all, but surely now, Eddie would see that he did. After all, some of the harshest lessons, no matter how cruel, are done out of love.
His laugh grew louder as the seconds dragged by and started to echo through the trees; but it sounded more like a mad man's cackle from someplace distant and far away than an elated victor's cry, despite Crash having believed himself to be over-run with joy.
Too far below to hear his brother rejoicing above him and coated and smeared with the cool hands of mud, Eddie felt large, wet tears begin to well up over his brown eyes. Soon, they were very noticably glassy, and he could taste the salt on his lips as the tears began to roll down his cheeks. His heart felt heavier than a river stone, which seemed to sink down, down, and far below its normal position as he watched Kate disappear into the dark cover of the trees.
This couldn't be the end. He knew she really loved him... Didn't she?
"Kate, wait," He croaked, voice hardly audiable has it cracked and split, "I need you,"
But he knew she was already gone, and so he hung his head long and low in disgrace and shame.
"Ha! You never needed her, you fool!" Crash cackled gently to himself, "Heck, I need you!"
There was a moment of pause, in which only the crickets could be heard, now playing a mournful tune. Suddenly, however, their music grew louder, and once again, jubilant. Like a chorus of happy violins, exclaiming and proclaiming loudly together a new hope.
Eddie lifted his sad eyes, and Crash's became shadowed in confusion as he turned to see Kate, once again and down below, returning to the scene. Except this time, she wasn't walking, she was running.
Her speed increased the closer she came toward Eddie, bounding faster and faster and faster the nearer she drew to him and the lake. It did not take long before she found herself sprinting straight for Eddie at full speed.
Eddie immediantly pulled to the side to give her space, as she lept with full force out over the water, silky fur flowing, eyes sparkling angelically in the moonlight for one second as her delicate figure flew over the black water. And just as soon, she whirled herself into a summer-salt in mid air, as she cannon balled with a great, crashing splash into the icy water herself.
"NOOOO!" Crash shrieked in despair.
But Eddie's face a lit with pure delight as he swam over to her and she re-surfaced, sea weed tangled in her hair, and mud splattered across her face and body too.
They smelled of the earth and mucky pond water as they grasped each other's paws and raised them dripping from the water, now up to their waistes in the deeper depth.
Eddie found himself speechless, staring into the eyes of this brave heart, but Kate told all in just one, secretive smile.
"Are... Are you nuts?" Eddie asked sincerly, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth, "Now you're all muddy!"
"I know," Kate shrugged simply.
"Well.... Why... Why did you do it?" Eddie stuttered, searching her eyes.
They gleamed like little, inky-black orbs, as mysterious as the dark side of the moon.
"I... I saw how embarrassed you looked, and felt really sorry for you. You looked so sad. And so, I thought, what better way to prove to you that I still accept you, and will always love you... no matter how you look, than to join you."
Eddie stared at her.
"But, but now you are all muddy and wet!" Eddie stammered, not understanding.
Kate laughed her brilliant, chimming, fluent laugh.
"It is only a small sacrifice to pay," She said, waving her hand away, "for love. Love requires sacrifices, and if this is what I must do, then by all means, for you, I will do it,"
Eddie grinned at this, and then took kate up into his arms.
"Oh Kate, I love you,"
Kate rested her chin on his shoulder and snuggled in closer to him.
"I love you too, Eddie," She whispered in his ear.
And so, the two clung there, hugging in the water a few feet from shore near the great old willow tree, and although both were shivering and wet from the frigid water, it was still a warm embrace.
High above however, a completely different atmosphere was evolving in the boney, skeletal branches, white against the cloak of night above.
Crash's fur bristled and his teeth clenched together tight in frustration and disbelief. His smile wipped clean off his face, all what was left now was a dark and dirty shadow of boiling anger and hate. He felt it building, tighter and stronger than he had ever felt inside his heart, daring to rot it out with its poisonous strength. A hallow breeze swirled through the tree branches then, causing them to creak and groan like old, iron chains and Crash's ears flew back flat against his head as the groans reminded him of his own. All those times when Eddie was with Kate instead of when he was suppose to be with him. All those times when HE was left alone in the dust for Kate. All those hours he spent traveling lonely in the forest. All those nights he'd watch Eddie care for Kate by the fire while he was left to burn in a pit of his own hellish agony, devoured by the darkness of the night and left there to starve for love and companionship. All those times... Now brought back fresh to him from the darkest corners of his mind like a flood to remind him why he had been here, and why he had dared not to do what he just did: fail.
His heart pounded wildly, roaring like a lion in his ears was his pulse, as his pupils shrank as his eyes of cold, electrical steel narrowed down at the scene. And all along inside, Crash felt his feelings begin to crash and build and shift and collide inside of him, breaking his bones and working themselves up to his throat to choke him to death it seemed. He was at war with his own mind, seperated from his own heart, so when he went to relieve himself of this pain, this unbareable, treachorus pain, he didn't care who he hurt in the process, as long as he was free of this torment!
Giving into his emotions, the thunderstorm clashing and rolling, and striking within, Crash dropped, without a second thought, from the tree and onto the frosty ground below. Screaming, bellowing, shouting, at the top of his lungs the words that had been held back inside of him for too long, and so now, they had spoiled. Just like everything else he had been holding back. Like a great river, his words crashed and spit against it's course, breaking the dam that had held it back for so long, cracking it, splitting it in two, so that it was broken and the water's wrath could finally be unleashed. A sour, bitter taste was left at the tip of his tounge with each word he dared to utter.
"NO! STOP! IT WASN'T SUPPOSE TO END LIKE THIS!" Crash screamed, the words tearing up his throat, his fists raised to his chest in anger.
Eddie and Kate immediantly pulled from each other out of bewilderment as they stared back at the bank to see Crash.
Crash heard his chest rise and fall rapidly in his out-burst as a stillness seemed to settle about them. Even the crickets had hushed themselves into a chilly silence.
"C-Crash?" Eddie managed to cough up, "Wha- what are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? What am I doing here?!" Crash snorted, "What are YOU doing here, with HER!"
He pointed a quaking, accusing finger at Kate.
"We- we were just enjoying the nice night, that's all," Eddie confessed.
He gave a side-ways glance at Kate as if to ask for support. She returned it and gave a stiff nod in agreement, but after that, remained frozen.
"HA! Well, that's exactly the problem," Crash hissed, "You're always with her, always. Always doing this, always doing that, but whatever it is, its with her! Funny how, despite your promise to me, you always have time for her!"
Eddie opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. Slowly, he and Kate made their way up to the edge of the water where Crash was, sending ripples through the water's skin as they climbed out back onto the shore, just feet away from him now.
Eddie screwed up his eyes close together as he strode up to Crash, peering up and down at him.
He stopped, just before him, and asked aloud and honest, "Crash, what are you talking about?"
A pause issued between the two, and then, Crash let out a great series of nervous chuckles, laughing over and over again in the same tone aloud. Laughing louder and stronger each time, his eyes shinning illy in the shadows.
Kate and Eddie merely just stood there, appalled by this strange behavior.
After a minute had worn away, Crash's hearty laughter began to disperse, and ended entirely when he looked upon their serious expressions and his smile wanned immensly from his lips, soo to be replaced by a grave and grim cast.
"You, you really don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" He asked in a pitiful wheeze, as if it pained him to speak such truth.
Eddie shook his head.
Hurt and defeat in his eyes, Crash sighed.
"I just wanted us to be happy, like we use to, like we're suppose to," He gagged out.
Kate smiled briefly, coming up from behind Eddie.
"Crash, I don't really fully understand, but, we are happy. Eddie and I, we're fine. Don't worry about us," She tried to comfort him.
Crash's eyes shot up into hers with a powerful glare, and her smile vanished completely.
"You call this happy?" Crash challenged her, feeling the fur on his back rising and his ears pressing harder against the back of his head in disgust, "LOOK AT YOU! YOU'RE SOAKING WET AND DRENCHED IN MUD AND SLIME! HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY SAY THAT YOU ARE HAPPY?! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE TO HIS OWN MISERY? WHY?!"
"Why- Why would I?" Kate blinked, voice very quiet, "It's the right thing to do to-,"
"NO! NO, IT WASN'T!" Crash exploded, voice rising to a higher level of volume each time, "YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT HIM THERE, YOU DUMB GIRL!"
"But...I...I love him," Kate rasped.
"NO! NO YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T LOVE HIM! YOU DON'T LOVE HIM! YOU DON'T LOVE HIM! YOU DON'T! YOU CAN'T! BECAUSE HE'S MY BROTHER AND YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME!!!"
His screeching voice echoed all around them. It caused a pair of sleeping black birds to call and flutter out from a near by tree and for the surface of the black pond to shudder at such hate.
Crash could feel himself trembling, as he stood there, breathing hard. Heart full of rage, he realized he could not put the words he had just said back into his mouth, so he decieded to just keep going.
"I didn't like you all that much when I first met you, Kate," Crash blurted bluntly, "In fact, I didn't really care at all about what could happen to you if you continued to stay all alone in that log. But now, I utterly, stark HATE you, Kate. You stole my own brother from me and so now he hates me and loves you. You evil wretch! Eddie and I use to be the best together, until YOU showed up, that is. Now, all he cares about is YOU. YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU! Have you ever thought, for one, mesely little second of your tiny life how I felt? I've tried so hard to get you two apart, that you have no idea! All those lies I use to tell you about Eddie cheating on you--,"
"Lies of what?!" Eddie broke in, glancing in horror from Crash to Kate.
"How were you sure that he was lying? You weren't ever suspicious of me, were you?" Eddie asked Kate urgently, hoping to death that she knew he'd never do such a thing to her, not in a million years.
"No," Kate admitted, "I wasn't,"
"But how did you know for sure?"
"I just.... Knew," Kate shrugged honestly, "I knew you too well, I knew you'd never do that,"
A bright smile passed between the two, but soon faded as it was interupted by Crash.
"Aww, well isn't this cute," Crash's tounge sliced through the cool air, his voice dominated with sarcasm as his eyes flicked back from Kate to Eddie.
A breeze began to stir again, shifting, changing things around them, the leaves of near-by trees rattling in union like an army of dry bones.
Gray clouds from above began to swirl around the moon and the sky, threatening to clot out the light.
"But I have more important things to do than sit around and watch you two all day, because that's all that I've been doing these past few fortnights anyways!"
Eddie's face grew determined and dark, and he glared at his brother as he demanded, "Why, why did you do this? Why do you want us apart?"
Crash ignored Eddie and instead, only continued to rattle on, "WHY! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE, KATE?! I WOULD HAVE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF HIM. WHY MUST YOU MESS EVERYTHING UP?!!"
It was then that Crash strolled into the pallid light of the moon to pace from the shadows, and Eddie realized how frail his brother had become to look. He was very thin and scrawny. His fur was ruffled, it seemed, in all directions and even matted. His face was shallow and pale. It was as if his own anger had begun to eat him up alive, like some sort of pesticide. But his eyes, unlike all of his other physical features, still burned bright and hard through the darkness. They glowed, like the embers of a fire, chilling and electric as they cut through him and Kate like a sword each time he glared at them. Proving, that not only was he expierencing distress on the outside, but in the inside as well.
"He just slipped! It was an accident! Do you really think I'd leave him just because he accidently fell into a bit of mud? So what if I'm muddy now too because of it? Eddie's worth it,"
Kate fought back, finally firmly standing up for herself. She was getting tired of Crash's games.
"IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT!" Crash yelled out into the frosty night, "I catapulted a large ball of mud from that very tree to make him fall! Do not tell me that it was an accident! I planned it out myself! It was NOT an accident!!"
"So that's what hit me in the back of the head!" Eddie exclaimed, "Crash, why?! Why did you do all this? Why do you so desperately want Kate and I seperated? Why?! Please tell me, I've had enough, I'm begging you!"
Crash froze for a moment, and then, seeing the sincerity in Eddie's face, replied in a crooked voice, "I wanted us to be together again, Eddie. Just like we use to. I feared this would happen, even from the very begining, and I was right. You're my best friend, Eddie, I can't lose you. And yet, here we are. You spend all your time with Kate these days, Eddie, and I probably never even cross your mind for one second," He sighed, heartbeat calming now, "Truth is, I can see why: Kate's fun and pretty, and actually, not very dumb at all. But, I was afraid you'd forget about me, our brother time, and how much fun we had together. Don't you remember how much fun we had? I know I do. All I guess I'm asking is that you don't leave me all to myself, Eddie, because look what happens; I go nuts! I don't want those good times to end. I love you too much. You're my bro, bro,"
His true feelings exposed, Kate felt her gaze soften on the poor, weak figure of Crash, sorrow and regret in his eyes. All at once, she understood him; he only missed his sibling, much like she did herself at times.
"Oh, Crash, it's OK, I'm sorry, I didn't realize-,"
But Eddie cut her off, completely disgusted by Crash's behavior.
"You may be my bro, but you are no longer my friend," He stated, angry, "Never, ever, talk to Kate the way you did tonight again! You hear me? She's better than that. This is not her fault. Blame yourself, blame me, but never her. Understand? Besides, look at yourself, Crash; look at yourself! Sick with your own anger, betrayed by your own emotions, mad and moody and sulky all the time, do you really think I choose Kate over you to make you miserable? It's BECAUSE you're so miserable that I want to get away from you, Crash! I like her because she was a lot like you; funny, happy, a good, over-all friend, but now you've turned into this animal that I don't even know anymore, Crash. Maybe there's something wrong with you, Crash, not them. Maybe YOU'RE the one that's pushed them away. And what you've done tonight only proves it. If you really cared about me and my happiness, you would have just left things alone and been happy for Kate and I, but no, things had to be your way, didn't they? You selfish hypocrite! I have no desire, what-so-ever to hang out with you ever again, Crash! I just can't believe you! It's like I said, you may be my brother, but you are no longer my friend. So long, Crash!"
Eddie turned to leave, taking Kate with him, when Crash splurted, panic rising in his voice,
"But-- Eddie! WAIT! WHAT ABOUT YOUR PROMISE TO ME?! YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU'D FIND TIME TO BE WITH ME, REMEMBER? WHAT ABOUT THAT LOST TIME? DOESN'T THAT STILL MEAN ANYTHING?"
Crash's warm breath came out as a small gray cloud that swirled up into the night. His heart beat in panic and his eyes had began to, for the first time in months, steam-up with hot, pleading tears.
Eddie turned to him, cold as stone as he told him, "After the way you've acted, that promise was made to be broken,"
The words were like sharp poison darts, piercing deep into Crash's heart, stopping him where he stood, and inserting the venom slowly all through-out his body, killing him. All Crash could think was that he couldn't lose his brother, especially not like this.
"But Eddie-," He tried.
"No! You had your chance!" Eddie scowled at him, "now go! Before you ruin something else! I don't want to talk to you ever again, Crash!"
And with that, Crash fled.
He ran deep into the forest, far away from everything he knew, far way from everything he ever loved, far away from a broken promise that could never be repaired.
He let his hot tears fall silently from his face and sink into the hungry dirt of the earth as he ran, he knew not where, but it was somewhere in the obscure darkness, for that seemed to be where he belonged, and where he was heading.
High above, the world grew dark; the clouds had swept away the brilliant silver moon and stars, taking the magic with it. It seemed for now, the shadows were the answer. For there, no one could see him cry.


When Kate and Eddie returned back to camp, they were surprised to find that Crash wasn't there. Eddie was still mad and deeply embarrassed about him with Kate of course, for she had seen them fight, but he'd thought all along that Crash had surely ran back to camp, if anywhere of all places, especially at this hour.
"What do you mean he's not here?" Eddie inquired, voice rising.
"I mean exactly what I said; he's not here," A sleepy Ellie whispered to them, "lower your voice now, before you wake Manny up and he tells you off for staying out so late."
Eddie lowered his voice and turned to Kate.
"Where could he have gone?"
Kate lifted her arms in a shrug; she had no idea.
Ellie looked at the two of them, inquisitively.
"Is something wrong? I always thought that he was with you two,"
Eddie's face grew dark suddenly.
"No, nothing's wrong. In fact, I don't care if I ever see that moron again," He spat hushingly before then storming off to his usual sleeping spot near the now, long-burned-out fire.
Ellie watched him go, and then turned her pretty green eyes back over to Kate.
"Did they have a fight?"
Kate sighed,
"Yeah, something like that. It was more of an arguement really, but it seemed to really take a toll on both of them...," She paused, and then added, "Especially Crash,"
Ellie made a "Mmm" sound from the back of her throat and then turned away, her eyes now set in the direction of the forest path that gave enterance into their camp, now swallowed by the dark cover of night, as if waiting for Crash to come traisping down it like he had so many nights before.
Kate stood there hesitantly, not knowing exactly what to do. She shifted her weight from one foot, and then the other, twisting her hands together. She hoped Crash was alright, even with how rude he had been to her, she still felt uneasy at the knowledge that her presence had aided to the breaking of his heart and friendship with Eddie. She knew there was nothing she could do now, but she prayed that he was alright, it was the least she could do.
"Uh, do you think he'll come back?" She asked Ellie in a fragile voice.
Ellie turned back to her, "I think he will, or else we'll have to send out a search party. In the morning, I'll have to talk to Eddie about it all, but for now, don't you worry about a thing, alright? You just get your sleep,"
She patted Kate on the back gently with her trunk.
Kate held Ellie's emerald gaze for a moment before giving in.
"Okay," She sighed, and walked over toward where Eddie laid.
After she had settled down, and believed Kate to be asleep, Ellie turned her eyes back to the trail and sighed, murmuring under her breath to the stars, "I knew something wasn't right... The way Crash had been acting.... Oh, I hope he's alright out there,"
After a long moment, Kate, lying on her side a few feet from an already fast asleep Eddie, heard Ellie settle back down into her previous sleeping position.
"You and I both," She mouthed very quietly, so that Ellie wouldn't hear it, but meant it just as much.
She was the last one to close her eyes that night at camp.


Despite the whole dispute between Eddie and Crash, Ellie was right, and Crash returned bright and early the next morning.
He dragged himself into camp with a heavy heart it seemed, and brought with him a tone of gloom and dreariness.
Dried tear stains ran down his cheeks in gritty salt trails, but no one had seen him weep, so they did not matter. He looked pale and weak, but worst of all hollow and hungry. He had been deprived of something for who knows how long; days, weeks, months; deprived of love. And that was the worst kind of starvation, you could see it in his eyes.
He came bent over and sullen, his thin arms crossed tightly before his chest and his eyes darted from side to side as if he was looking for trouble.
Manny, who was now bleakly informed of the situation, was the first to spot him creeping down the trail, and so, he was the first to address him.
"Well, look who's come to join us,"
Crash didn't even look up, it seemed his eyes were glued to the floor.
"Some acknowledgement would be nice," Manny commented.
Crash gave a long, cold, steelly glare to Eddie has he passed him on his way in, before throwing his eyes back down to the dirt.
Eddie returned the favor.
Kate stood motionlessly beside him, watching on with empathic eyes, but saying nothing. Her features were gentle in the early dawn light.
The tension was heavy between the herd, and the silence only walled it in to stay.
"Hey, where do you think you're going? We need to talk to you," Manny told Crash in a firm voice, fallowing him with his eyes.
"I don't want to talk to you, or anyone else here,"
Crash announced grimly as he sulked past Manny.
"No, you get back here right now, there's something going on and we need to hear about it. Crash, we're having this talk no matter what!" Manny hollered after him.
"Fine! Then go ahead and talk! I've learned not to hear!" Crash retorted.
"That's it, come back here right now!"
"No! Leave me alone," Crash ejaculated as he paused before a tree a few paces away from the campfire.
With one great leap, Crash stole up into it, disappearing under the cover of new, bright green spring leaves.
"Crash!" Manny bellowed, stamping his foot and making his way over to the tree, "If you don't-,"
Ellie ran up to Manny and put her trunk in front of him.
"Manny, wait," She told him.
He looked at her.
"Ellie, we can't just let this slide--,"
"Manny, I've talked to Eddie, and I know what it's about. This is something I think they need to work out themselves,"
Ellie's beautiful green eyes held his gaze for a moment, pleading.
"But what if...," Manny protested, but then his voice trailed off. Looking into his wife's eyes, he knew she was right.
"Oh, alright," He grumbled before lumbering off in defeat.
Ellie lowered her trunk and her watchful gaze fell upon the newly greened tree. She tried to peer through the rattling leaves in order to catch a glimsp of Crash, but failed.
"Come on, Ellie," She heard Manny call.
"Coming!" She threw the word over her shoulder back to him in reply.
She turned and strode over to the place where Kate and Eddie stood.
"Behave yourselves now. I know you're mad at him, but please just leave him alone right now. It's what's best for now I think,"
"Phsst! Don't worry about it, sister. After everything we've been through, I don't care if I ever see him again," Eddie reported.
Ellie closed her gorgeous eyes and sighed, "You don't really mean that,"
Eddie looked at her, very real, arms crossed, "You wanna bet?"
Ellie shook her head slowly, "It's only a minor disagreement. Remember how you guys use to play? You'll be just like that again one day. I'm sure of it,"
"I wouldn't count on it," Eddie replied flatly.
He then turned to the trail leading out of camp and began to fallow it, calling out behind him, "Come on, Kate! Let's do something worth while,"
Kate faced Ellie with a simple look of apology for her hastened departure and expressed it in a single shrug.
"Don't worry, everything'll be alright," Ellie whispered to her.
"I hope so," Kate muttered back before scampering off to catch up with Eddie.
"It will be," Ellie murmured into the wind while she watched them go.
"So, where are we going?" Kate asked once she was evenly beside Eddie. A breeze arose around them and tugged at their fur, chilling their nose and ears.
Eddie gripped her paw tightly in his, "Somewhere far away from here for now," He told her.
The farther away they strolled from Crash, the wider a smile seemed to run on Eddie's face as he left him behind.
And although his ears twitched at their receeding footsteps and knew that they were leaving, not once, did Crash, high up and obscure in his tree, bother to turn around to watch them go.
All the while, Ellie stood there a long moment, in the middle of it all. Finally, she turned and sighed again, making her way sluggishly back to Manny's side.
The spring sky above them was as white as snow, covered in gray, empty clouds which hovered heavily above them, like a great, hollow eye. The sun itself was weak and wane, making all things below appear colorless and black and white.
And it didn't look like such weather would be departing anytime soon.


Days, and then weeks limped painfully by, and still, the situation had not changed much. Crash still spent most of his time wondering about the woods endlessly, this time, feeling utterly ashamed of himself and the absurd way he had behaved, wishing he could take it all back, or that Eddie would at least forgive him. Couldn't Eddie see he had done it for him, after all? Because he was afraid of loosing him? Because he loved him has a brother? Couldn't he recongize all that? What truly is the difference between fear and love? Do they both not make you do crazy, vigorious, stupid, senseless things? Yet at the same time, Crash figured he didn't exactly act with love himself, had he? No, greed was in his heart has well. And his pride! He was so certain his plan would work! SO sure. Oh, but his pride had only betrayed him as well, hadn't it? Now look where his plans lay: in broken shambles; scattered around his bleeding heart. For once, he felt out of choices, and therefore, remained stationed in these lonesome, regretful feelings of his. Chained to his worst enemy, and best friend; nostalgia.
Crash busied himself during the day mostly by collecting firewood with Ellie. His sister believed the physical task to be good for him, that it kept his mind away from all those misty, dark lanes it had been traveling down far too frequently, far too recently. But even then, everytime she'd go to talk with him, about even the most smallest of details, not even portaining to what had happened between Eddie and him, he'd answer only in short, quiet, and quick phrases. Sometimes he'd only nod, shake, or shrug. Other times, he wouldn't even say anything at all.
Ellie worried about both him and Eddie, but eased herself of this pain in attempts to convince herself that the whole dispute would eventually come to pass. Sibling arguements always did, didn't they?
Has for Kate, she continued to spend most of her time with Eddie. At first, she had been rather surprised at how high Eddie's temper could rise after his reaction with Crash, but, she figured, everyone looses their cool once in a while, even someone has sweet has Eddie, and after a few days, he seemed to have cooled down quite a bit from the incident. In fact, there wasn't even steam or smoke, indicating any sort of fire left in him. In fact, pretty soon he was back to his old, cheerful, funny, mischevious self again. Kate found herself enjoying every minute she spent with him, just like she use to-- if not more. They were back together in the beautiful, dreasm-like days in no time. It was on the fourth or fifth day of returning to this that Kate realized in addition to her previous thoughts, that most of Eddie's reason for becoming so upset with Crash that night was to defend HER. He was more angry about what insults Crash had spat and blustered with her, than he had been protecting her in a way, and had ensured Crash that such bussiness was between him and himself only, and demanded him to leave Kate out of the mix completely. Upon recongizing these factors, Kate's gratitude for this service of his increased, and thus, so did their love. It seemed after that slight delay, Kate and Eddie's love only continued to grow again. Everything looked as though it was back to normal.
But Kate knew it wasn't back to normal; Crash and Eddie remained seperate and held a firm disregarded of each other still, and she pondered if this factor would ever be back to normal. It simply just wasn't a subject Eddie and herself spoke of to each other, understandably. But, sometimes, when she wasn't with Eddie at the exact moment or he had went off to fetch her another surprise bouquet of flowers all of a sudden and told her to wait, despite the fact that they both knew she could tell what the surprise would be, she'd stroll around in the woods a little bit, calling softly for Crash. She would hope by sheer chance she'd just bump into him once. She wanted to let him know that she knew how he felt and understood his feelings, she had lost her sister, after all, and fill him with hope that he could still get back together with Eddie someday, for he hadn't completely left him all alone... Or worse; was possibly dead Her heart was heavy with empathy for poor Crash, regardless of what he had yelled at her.
However, she also wished when she whispered his name that he would not come at all; for her heart was split with her love for Eddie, and yet, at the same time, it understood Crash's sorrow, and if Eddie were to see her with Crash it may only make complications worse. But all was well, for Crash never appeared to Kate when she did this, and as a result it filled her half with sweet relief, and half with bitter symphony and longing.
However, that is not to say he didn't hear her.
Crash and Eddie seemed determined to remain apart until the end of time. They didn't breathe as much as a syllabol to each other, nor even look upon each other. When the other was near, both held their heads down only to stare at the dirt, as if that was more attractive or interesting. They never even mentioned each other's names! It was as if an oath of silence had been caste upon the two between each other, or has if they believed the other to be invisible. It seemed at last the bond between brothers had been yanked, and pulled, and stretched one too many times, and had finally broken; shattering into a million pieces scattered in the sand, impossible to gather or to mend. What was worse: no one was even trying to pick up the pieces. It was like they didn't want to be rescued; to be saved by brotherly love and loyalty. No, it seemed that both just wanted to sink deep into the murky, ink-black pools of their own swirling hate; swimming faster and faster, and deeper and deeper until they grew weary at such a tedious task and soon, find themselves struggling in the water, and finally, falling under it's icy, entombing surface. Drowned and drenched, dead by the hand of their own ignorance.
Blue and cold, silent and lifeless is hate.
But they were fools if they thought they could shun love completely. For somehow, even in the darkest, bleakest places, no matter how bleak, love finds a way to shine through. Warming and melting the frozen in its glorious embrace.
Because love never dies.

[TO BE CONTINUED....]