Paradise Falls my voice has gone to hell

"Oh no no no..."

Her head shook side to side softly. As if it had been nothing more than a pity to guess such a thing.

Bullying would have been a fate far kinder. She would have still had a sister had someone only bullied instead of lost her. Instead of allowing her to wander out onto the ice and be thrust into the depths down below.

"They made her of the ocean. They made sure she would never leave the water ever again." It had been a lake, but the story was surrounded by oceanic themes. "The darkest of waters are her home now. Forever."

Atara wasn't liking the emotions Isla's voice was taking on as it all progressed. Perhaps she would have thought the teen talented were she herself older. Presently, she did not have maturity and experience to protect her from getting swept up in those tinted tones. Her ears sagged more, and she almost felt shame for her guess.

Of the ocean? Forever underwater? She blinked, jaw working a few times silently as the gears within her head churned. Maybe if it had been more lightly told, she would have anticipated some kind of magic at work, an unexpected boon to be found for poor Sephrina. Atara's gut told her otherwise, thanks to that dark delivery. And if there was nothing to save or protect the heroine, then...

"... they drowned her?"

Her voice was the softest of whispers, emerald sights beneath furrowed brows locking once more with Isla's pale eyes.

(This post was last modified: Mar 24, 2024, 11:55 PM by Atara.)

The girl was good for many things, it seemed. Sharp and quick to catch onto the stories details.

A whispered voice was all she needed to feel some kind of success. She might have found it fun to tell many wicked tales to this girl. Which made her wonder if the young Falls child would ever want to hear another one after this...

They did, Some somber pity hovered in her voice as she nodded her head. But she lives on like this. In stories. In us.

There lingered a distant look in her pale eyes for a moment before she blinked it away. Gaze fixed upon the young girl again.

Atara blinked back at her, features only pinching further. Drowned but alive, attached to this tale she'd so blithely waltzed into, attached to her now. She could feel it like a moisture-bloated breeze against her neck, cold and heavy without being tangible. Isla's gaze felt impossibly heavy, and Atty found herself looking away and taking a step back at the same time.

How had she gotten here? What had she been doing before the yearling fell across her path? Blinking, Atara looked around her, as though the answer could be found that way. Nothing, she'd been doing nothing really, but still it felt like she needed to get right back to it. Like she needed to get away from Isla and her ghosts.

Another step back, the girl torn between being polite and following her gut.

"... okay..."

She dared to meet the other's gaze again, a question held in her eyes: can I go, please?

She had done her job, in one way or another.

The Valle said no more. She only nodded her head softly. Muzzle swept towards the innards of the Falls, as if she had become an usher now that the show was over. Go on, would be her own silent answer.

She would stay perched here for some hours to come.