Falling

They say all of life is like a cat falling from a tree, and the task is simply to stay relaxed and fall gracefully. If you can. Certainly, Ruchi didn't fall gracefully into her bed, and her sleep wasn't relaxed either. Instead, she collapsed, a bloodied mess that was quickly swallowed by a frenzy of nightmares straight from the realm of dreams and visions. And shadows.

One dream was of spiders hatching under her fingernails. The nails popped off, and hundreds of onyx-black hatchlings started feasting on her. Another dream was of her being bathed in blood: allowed to breath, and then dunked into the thick crimson liquid again. Truly, the blood seemed to be a theme, as it occurred again and again. The heavy smell of iron entered her nostrils and stuck to her. But then, another smell entered her senses. And this one was rather pleasant, Ruchi had to admit.

"Zynrae? You're in my dreams." It was the faintest of whispers. Or rather, not even that. More of an afterthought.

And then she was the cat again, falling from a tall, darks-toned building. Tumbling, twisting, and falling. How fitting. Life is all about losing gracefully. Surrendering control to... well, her. If only she could. Her ego was far too strong. Except for a few hopeful moments.

"Oh, fuck."