Kip had fallen through the wall. When he woke up, he knew that.
And yet, he was lying in a field.
The grass was knee high, almost translucent, tinted green. Shrubs erupted from odd points, sharing the transparency of the grass. The world looked like glass.
Kip reached a hand out, grabbed a piece of it. It felt like velvet.
The sky was a light purple, with blue clouds flitting back and forth.
And before he knew it, Kip was gently falling asleep, snuggling into the velvet grass, feeling the warmth of the purple sky bear down on his shoulders.
Something nagged at the back of his brain, but he let it go, let everything go, fell.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
It went on like that for a week; Kip murmuring, equipment beeping, Katrina stirring.
She only woke up once before she died. Her gray eyelids flitted open, and Kip uttered a soft moan when he saw what they were hiding. He knew she was dead the moment he saw how deep her eyes were.
She lazily looked around the room, then looked at Kip.
"Right in the face."
A smile snuck up her lips for a moment before fatigue stole it away.
"Take it easy," she said, and died looking at him.
She only woke up once before she died. Her gray eyelids flitted open, and Kip uttered a soft moan when he saw what they were hiding. He knew she was dead the moment he saw how deep her eyes were.
She lazily looked around the room, then looked at Kip.
"Right in the face."
A smile snuck up her lips for a moment before fatigue stole it away.
"Take it easy," she said, and died looking at him.
"Her vitals are strong," the doctor was saying, "but she's given up. We can't force her to fight her way out."
Kip sat down beside the bed.
Beep, said the equipment.
He curled a lock of Katrina's hair around his finger. Nearly black, like a river rock, he'd said, once. That was a long time ago. His hair was gray, now. His eyes were deep, now.
She stirred, but didn't wake.
"Please save her."
The doctor's lips tightened.
"Please."
She walked out of the room.
Kip pulled Katrina's hand to his mouth, kissed her fingers, mouthed around her fingertips,
it's not the end, it's just one tongue, it's such a shame it didn't last so long, it's not the end, it's just one tongue, just one tongue, just one tongue,
beep,
he knelt by the bed, still kissing her hand, murmuring, whimpering.
He wished his hair wasn't so gray, her arms weren't so deep.
Kip sat down beside the bed.
Beep, said the equipment.
He curled a lock of Katrina's hair around his finger. Nearly black, like a river rock, he'd said, once. That was a long time ago. His hair was gray, now. His eyes were deep, now.
She stirred, but didn't wake.
"Please save her."
The doctor's lips tightened.
"Please."
She walked out of the room.
Kip pulled Katrina's hand to his mouth, kissed her fingers, mouthed around her fingertips,
it's not the end, it's just one tongue, it's such a shame it didn't last so long, it's not the end, it's just one tongue, just one tongue, just one tongue,
beep,
he knelt by the bed, still kissing her hand, murmuring, whimpering.
He wished his hair wasn't so gray, her arms weren't so deep.
Kip woke up again.
The hospital was dark. Someone coughed around the corner.
He stood up. His clothes were on the table beside the bed. A doctor had come by earlier, and said he was fine, the wound should heal up, press on it if it starts bleeding, take it easy, take it easy, take it easy.
"Take it easy," she'd said.
He pulled on his pants, shirt, shoes. Heard the someone cough again.
Started walking towards the exit, felt dizzy, leaned against the wall. Fell through the wall. Kept falling.
It felt like an eternity before he hit the ground. Kip often felt that he'd never stopped falling, that it was all a dream, nothing was real but the fall.
"Take it easy," she'd said.
His head hit the ground with an exceedingly dull thud.
The hospital was dark. Someone coughed around the corner.
He stood up. His clothes were on the table beside the bed. A doctor had come by earlier, and said he was fine, the wound should heal up, press on it if it starts bleeding, take it easy, take it easy, take it easy.
"Take it easy," she'd said.
He pulled on his pants, shirt, shoes. Heard the someone cough again.
Started walking towards the exit, felt dizzy, leaned against the wall. Fell through the wall. Kept falling.
It felt like an eternity before he hit the ground. Kip often felt that he'd never stopped falling, that it was all a dream, nothing was real but the fall.
"Take it easy," she'd said.
His head hit the ground with an exceedingly dull thud.
For a long time after that, neither of them spoke.
She kept touching his hands, his arms, sometimes his face. He closed his eyes, and she kept squeezing his fingers, brushing her fingers down his cheeks.
Eyes open, he followed the fingers to Katrina.
"Who did that to you?" He gestured at her arms.
"I... I did."
"Why?"
She faltered. Bit her lip, looked up at the ceiling.
Kip still remembered their second date. She'd been so nervous during the movie that she'd bit clean through that same lip.
"I don't know."
Kip nodded. That made sense.
In some sick way, it made sense.
Katrina's eyes softened.
She kept touching his hands, his arms, sometimes his face. He closed his eyes, and she kept squeezing his fingers, brushing her fingers down his cheeks.
Eyes open, he followed the fingers to Katrina.
"Who did that to you?" He gestured at her arms.
"I... I did."
"Why?"
She faltered. Bit her lip, looked up at the ceiling.
Kip still remembered their second date. She'd been so nervous during the movie that she'd bit clean through that same lip.
"I don't know."
Kip nodded. That made sense.
In some sick way, it made sense.
Katrina's eyes softened.
"Katrina!"
Nothing.
"Katrina!"
A muffled yell from across the house.
Kip grumbled, stood up, shook out his hair, walked down the hall.
"Katrina?"
"What?" It was a grating noise, seesaw, sand in the joints.
"Have you seen my wallet?"
"No."
He walked into the bedroom. Katrina was looking at herself in the mirror. Kip was struck by how thin she was. It was like a bamboo stick had eaten his wife.
"Don't stare at yourself too long. The mirror'll get tired of it."
An awkwardly pregnant silence ensued.
Kip shuffled back down the hall, sat back down in his chair, clicked back on the TV. Falcons were playing the Eagles, today.
"War of the Birds!"
An overly enthusiastic sportscaster was down on the field, gesturing wildly at the teams on either side of the field, a mic stuck in his face, his voice booming across the stadium, the crowd booming back.
"Which Birds' are gonna wind up dead?"
The crowd cheered louder.
Nothing.
"Katrina!"
A muffled yell from across the house.
Kip grumbled, stood up, shook out his hair, walked down the hall.
"Katrina?"
"What?" It was a grating noise, seesaw, sand in the joints.
"Have you seen my wallet?"
"No."
He walked into the bedroom. Katrina was looking at herself in the mirror. Kip was struck by how thin she was. It was like a bamboo stick had eaten his wife.
"Don't stare at yourself too long. The mirror'll get tired of it."
An awkwardly pregnant silence ensued.
Kip shuffled back down the hall, sat back down in his chair, clicked back on the TV. Falcons were playing the Eagles, today.
"War of the Birds!"
An overly enthusiastic sportscaster was down on the field, gesturing wildly at the teams on either side of the field, a mic stuck in his face, his voice booming across the stadium, the crowd booming back.
"Which Birds' are gonna wind up dead?"
The crowd cheered louder.
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