Time Becomes Meaningless [P]

[Dust]

CW: Minor Existentialism

[SEMI DECAY PERIOD]



A breath...

...Alive?

Another breath...

It was him... He was breathing... right? He was...

I am...

...

...

...

...

Frostflight...Frostfall? Right?

Icy eyes blinked open, suddenly and unexpectedly. Pale moonlight filtered through the swaying tree tops above, illuminating the terrain around the ghostly feline as he blinked away what felt like thousands of years of sleep. He must have been wandering. Unknowingly. On some sort of auto-pilot that years of dull peace had granted him. Was he at peace? Did he even know what peace felt like? This state brought back a whirlwind of long suppressed emotions - guilt over forgotten words... fear over forgotten faces and a longing for the comfort of a familiar touch. When was the last time he shared touch another feline? How lonely. How very lonely. Alone... He was alone, wasn't he? A movement from the corner of his eye caught his groggy attention, his limbs feeling heavy with exhaustion now. Probably from all the walking. Though, beside him... a smaller feline stood. Their appearance was far removed from his memory, aside from the overwhelmingly familiar scent of pine. He couldn't remember...

Do the dead dream?

Was it possible this was all just a dream?

"I..."

His mouth seemed to open wide, throat burning as he urged himself to speak for the first time in moons. What came out was hoarse. Weightless. And though he willed himself to finish his sentence, nothing else seemed to come out. How disappointing. What would he have said? Suddenly, like a feline possessed, his body crouched down against his will - his paws carrying him further into moon-lit - no... star-lit brush. Beside him, he could feel the presence of the cat. How he longed to stop and curl beside them - feel another, feel something real. But he pressed on, intent on heading somewhere unknown. It remained like this for what felt like eternity passing the same landscape. Over.. and over... and over again. He was searching. Searching for... for a memory. That was it. Lost in the deep reaches of his mind... Why was he searching for it though? Closure? ...Maybe he was finally forgetting. He had become so uninvolved in the daily lives of those he used to call kin and friends, whereas he once longed to join them after a regretful and unfulfilling death. Maybe he was traveling on the trail-end of life one final time, before it completely left him.

A final death of his spirit? Perhaps...

Not realizing his eyes had closed long ago, they quickly shot back open as a sudden auditory stimulation vibrated loud in his ears, bringing back the memory of sound and hearing. There was the snap of a twig. It reminded him of the forest at night, softly humming with palpable darkness. Silence. Safety. The ambience was only disturbed by the gentle trickle of running water echoing through trees. He turned his head. The small figure was behind him now, still shrouded in an oppressive mist - though for a moment, as he felt excitement course through his body, he could have sworn he saw their eyes light up with some sort of emotion. It caused his heart to beat fast in his chest. But it was... good? The phantom hadn't felt this in a long time - it was intoxicating. Though it was short lived as his head turned away and his limbs crept forward through some more thick bushes until another ethereal looking creature lumbered by. Its body shone with a bright light, with long legs and ears decorating its frame. Oh. A Deer. It refocused into frame now - the creature covered in darkness, with bursts of moonlight wavering across its pelt.

Oh. Fawn. Right! That's who was with him. And this? One of his happier moments in life. A good memory. One that had been buried deep down in a recess of his mind. How long ago had this been? The feeling of tears welling in his eyes surprised him - had Frostflight really cried in front of them at the time? Swallowing back the lump in his throat, his gaze turned back again to look at his traveling companion. Ah. There he was. The overwhelming feeling of happiness radiated throughout his body, bringing him back to a warmth that had been long forgotten. Frostflight remembered now. Rounded feature... soft brown fur and warm brown eyes. He remembered... Remembered what their friendship felt like before it had been tainted by Frostfall's consuming bitterness and decline in sanity. How cursed. He had been cursed from the start - a pawn in someone's own sick twisted game. What a... what a disappointment.

The light of this memory faded, soured by the burning feelings of regret.. of anger and spite. Instead, Frostfall found himself swirling in darkness for a moment, a silent scream pulling all the air from his lungs. Everywhere he looked, those same... piercing eyes looked on with disapproval. He would always remember them. Who did they belong to again? Frostfall couldn't remember... But, somehow he still wanted them to look at him. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. Pleaded for them to soften... to accept him. It burned. Burned so hot that he wanted to scream. This followed up with the sensation of his bones aching, watching as he pounded himself into the ground. The feeling of his pelt being pierced by thorns and the warm trickle of blood as he pulled himself free from strangling branches. It left him feeling hollow. Urged him to crawl for miles and miles just to reach his approval. Like a moth to the light. Wanting to beg for just one gentle look. Just one time. Please. The feeling was eating him alive. Hatred. Burning Hatred. Betrayal. Despair. But yet,



"I... Miss..." -you.



A single blink washed it all away - like it had never happened. Fully conscious now, a soft, drawn out sigh escaped his chest.
Can the dead dream? It felt like they had never left.