they sat together on the grass. the clouds that hung above them in the sky cast odd shapes onto the ground until the light became obscured by one of the lumbering white masses.
she plucked blades of grass again, played with them, examined them, tossed them to the wind.
he said nothing. he only watched. what was there to say?
snap.
another blade fell victim to the fingers of the girl. she held it up before her.
without a sound it cleaved down the center, drooping away, halved.
"right in two," she murmured. the pieces fell from her fingers to rest among the brothers it had grown up with.
he looked out across the expanse of the field, to the edge of the forest. he tried to imagine what had once stood there. disgusting.
she raised a hand and pointed delicately to a patch of grass not far away.
"there's a snake over there. i can see it moving. i think i'm going to go play with--"
"Kill it."
she turned her head and tilted it slowly, blinking at him.
"do... what?"
"I said I want you to kill it." there was no compromise in his voice.
"why?" she did not understand.
"Why are you questioning me, pet?" he turned his gaze upon her - a little whimper passed from her throat.
"but it hasn't done anything..."
"Medli."
she cringed.
"how?"
he dropped his eyes to the torn grass in front of her.
"just like that."
"just... like that?"
"no more questions, pet. no more."
with another whimper she looked ahead again, watched the grass again. he watched her eyes track left and right. finally she paused.
she began to tremble. only slightly at first.
within a moment she shook fiercely.
he imagined he could hear the sound of something being torn apart.
she heaved out a pent-up breath and her muscles relaxed. she took a few deep breaths.
"good girl."
she turned to smile at him uneasily. he looked at her for only a moment before he looked away again.
she let her eyes fall to the ground again. she scooped the ripped blade of grass into one of her hands, staring at it, wide-eyed.
she whispered, "right in two..."