deja vu. –I am pulled out of black space. A vast field awaits outside the door, splashed in hues of gentle pink and lilac, the scent of citrus flourishing. It was your favorite color. Out in the open, the creature follows me, body doused in black ink and skin jagged. Like a shadow, its footsteps are silent in the rising sun. It speaks to me with its vacant obsidian eyes, and pushes me to move forward and away. Where are we supposed to go? The grass continues to tickle my bare feet, my companion—soundless space. The wind caresses my warm face, singing a lullaby that cusps raven strands into my ear, “It’s time for you to go home, little one.” But I have no other home other than the small, dark corner I kept myself in. When I peek behind the curtains, I almost stumble, as the heat of the orange sun sticks to our bodies. Liquid drips down and stains the soil, goo melting off of the creature’s blackened skin, as splotches of pastel replace the muddy color.
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WRITTEN BY HIRAYA VISUAL BY JULIANA MARIE G. CARPINTERO
