#misetos

         “...” A painful exhale was all that could be heard as an initial response to his question. She was trying so hard not to complain, not to make others worry. But things were hurting worse now than when they were before. Breathing was getting harder, shallower. She no longer felt the need for the needle in her arm, it was as if the liquid they were dripping into her was going to make her burst. Whatever it was, it made her feel full. Fuller than before, as if her body was no longer digesting whatever it was and it was just sitting there. There were no more attempts to get up, to sit up. And holding their hands was about as much effort as she could give.

          Even then, she wasn’t really holding their hands. They were holding her’s, and she was so cold. She just wanted to feel better, to feel warm again. To not have to struggle to breathe. Nanako just wanted it to stop. Slowly, oh so slowly, she finally brings her eyes to look over in Adachi’s general direction. Gaze slightly diluted, and for a moment, she looked as if she didn’t recognize him. Then, her gaze softened into that rather tired state and she smiled as much as she could. “I...can we? Can we...play in snow too...?”

“Ohoho tell ‘em.”

“What chya muttering to yourself about over there?”

“Uh-! N-nothing important... J-just... new puns! Yeah! Brainstorming!”

MACBETH.

the howl of wolves.  moonless nights.  dirt under fingernails.   stained silk.   chattering teeth.   voices hoarse and cracked.   rotting fruit.   echoing drums.   dry heaving.   hanging cobwebs.   stifling humidity. bloodshot eyes.  the roughness of rusted steel.   wild rosebushes.  muscle cramps.  the sound of splintering wood.

A MIDNIGHT SUMMER’S DREAM.

crackling fires.   ivy crawling on stone.   the faint music of running water.  petrichor.  dirty, bare feet.    tattered clothing.   thistledown.   wilted wildflower crowns.   late evening birdsong.   curling leaves.   a symphony of croaking frogs.   drifting feathers. the eerie sound of windchimes at night. humming bees.   beds of clover.

ROMEO & JULIET.

warm golden lamplight.  worn shoes.  crumbling brick walls.   whispered poetry.  embroidered satin.   cool, hazy mornings.   tousled hair.  rosewater.  flushed cheeks.   distant orchestras.   unfinished marble statues. cobblestone streets.  loose threads.   ink smudged on parchment.  tapping fingers.   dust illuminated by sunlight.   poison vials.

HAMLET.

shattered glass.  a cluster of fraying ribbons.   unanswered knocks on doors.   lingering dampness.  white noise.    inexplicable drafts.  migraines.   bleeding ears.   the taste of metal.   reflected mirrors.    dry, cracked lips.   the sound of tearing paper.   fogged windows.  memories of dreams.   tarnished silver.  protruding veins.

         “Ojisan! Yosuke-oniichan and Teddie gave me so much candy today! Look!” She’s showing off a whole little Junes bag full of candy. And sitting right in the middle of the floor, she dumps the bag out so both she and Adachi could see it all. Did Adachi get Halloween off? Nanako didn’t think Halloween to be a holiday like that. After all, she still had to go to school. And she’s pretty sure her dad was still at work right now.“--Do you want some? I have a lot, and they said it was okay for me to share it. So I wanna share with you!”