--prompt from @flashfictionfridayofficial
I crawled out of the fallen concrete, with worms finding their way underneath my heels and dirt digging through my scarlet nails. Nothing remained as is was, much less the party I spun around in for hours at hand. The crystals stabbed the corpses who didn't make it through the turmoil, and only scratched those trying to gain some sunlight. Yet nobody grows just because they're exposed to rays, because they cannot taste what sunlight is like.
My dress slid down my shoulders and pearls dropped onto the street, with every pop making my hands jostle. Several hours passed since the first bits of gunfire made the rounds, but even skipping stones resembled bullets lodging out of a casing. A few shots, and they lay calm inside puddles.
I took in the smoky air and the orange sky, as if the gods decided to offer me a respite. I swallowed the light reflecting on what remained on the windows, before taking larger strides across the abandoned city.
After a step tangled in tulle, I tripped face-first and landed on a series of spikes.
Waving my hands for help, I eyed a girl walking her dog amongst the melted world we inhabited. The warm blood trickled onto my palms; I exhaled and thanked any form for not having the nails pierced my eyes. But when I heard the wild peals of that tiny creature, I froze. What if I had to navigate this place with only my ears?
"It's really lucky for us," a biting voice emerged from the distance, from which I struggled to identify its tenor. Dusting off the dirt from my skirt, I wobbled as I got up from the springs, only for the wires to bring me down again. "The weather is nice, the sun didn't explode, and woah, who could that be?"
I hinted at what it could be, but turned my mind on the gardenias I've left behind. They smelled nice, were as white as snow, and reminded me of home.
"Hello?" I cried out, "could I have a little bit of help here?"
"Oh, now I know what's there?" The dog's barking came closer; only when I shook my head did I get is hint of its tiny silhouette. Its ivory fur was now caked with ashes and sprinkles alike, but its eyes remained focused on my splayed body.
She sighed. "Alright," she muttered before plucking the wires out of the tulle. They sparkled from my vantage point, though with this stranger, she analyzed it as if it were a stray straw. Weaving through the mix of concrete and flesh, she unthreaded me, before grabbing her manicured hand and lifted me up.
And then she saw my face, pricked with scars that could've been from a blackberry bush.
"Of course i would find you in this state," she muttered, focusing more on her dog, barking for a way out. "You still owe me for the blood on your hands, do you remember?'
