(Am I trying to post daily ? randomness of life gave me a good headhache to stuck me to a couch, so maybe) This is a prize made for @fjarill_feilaecan that, back on last inktober, managed to pronounce one of the daily poems of the little tale Artefact. thats only weeks ago that I finally mailed her the original, and at last, the draw appears here ! It's so good to see these character back... ❤️❤️ #contestprize #prize #fantasyillustration #fairytale #cutecharacters #fantasyanimals #inktober #inktoberentry #storybook #illustratedbook #littlestory #poemstory #poem #rimes #alcoholpenart #traditionnalart #cardgame #twinmarkers #artefact #aquamarkers #characterart #artcomposition #alcoholmarkers #illustrationart (à Artefact) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRit_piDMoq/?utm_medium=tumblr
While he delivered each and every single package.. she went outside.. took a minute and a deep breath.. being proud of what they had accomplished..
together..
again.
She loved this one moment.. being all by herself.. feeling the warmth from inside.. the orange lights wandering over the thick slumbering snow carpet..
hearing the folks chattering in joy and jollity from inside.
As she spend her time in the cold night.. watching her breath climbing the sky.. everything was fine.. everything was right.
She took another.. deep.. breath and went back inside.
You stand in front of the dumpster for a second longer, before squatting down, and looking at the gap beneath it.
“H-Hey… uh… Little skeleton dude…?” You call.
Low voices whisper back and forth under the dumpster, before two pinpricks of red surface from within the gap.
“I thought I told’ja ta beat it, dumb ass…” The little skeleton growls. His sockets catch you cupping your injured hand, and he grins proudly. “‘Less yer interested in another hands on experience with me…” He snickers.
“Ah… no…” You answer, moving your hand further away from him. “It’s just… I knocked your food over earlier… right? So you’re still hungry?”
The little skeleton glares back. “I ain’t gonna be all warm n’ buddy buddy wit’cha! I told’ja I didn’t want’cher help, n’ then ya fucken’ manhandled me! If ya think I’m gonna suddenly n’ wanna come inside n’ be yer cute fuckin’ pet, then yer a bigger dumb ass than I thought.”
“No… um… I was thinking more like… What if I bring out some food for you instead. It was my fault it got knocked over, and I live in the apartments here, so I can bring it out pretty quickly.”
“I already told’ja I don’t need’jer help!” The little skeleton snarls back.
He no sooner states his refusal for your offer, than his stomach area gives a loud growl. Red blossoms across his face, and you have to hide your smirk as he tries to cover the sound with his own animistic growl.
“Are you sure…?” You ask. “It’ll be warm and fresh. Not some half frozen moldy leftovers.”
“I already said no!” He snarls.
“Do I hear someone refuse-ing free food?” Another low voice calls, and a moment later a pair of white pinpricks slide up in the darkness beside the red ones. “Cause that sounds like an offer we shouldn’t throw away lightly…”
The red skeleton’s eyelights dart toward the new voice. “I thought I told’ja ta stay back.” He attempts to whisper, moving to block him from your view.
“We need the food.” The other skeleton whispers back, before coughing heavily and shaking a little as he struggles to take in air.
“This dumpster’s practically overflowin’ with shit! I’ll find more food once they leave!” The red eyed skeleton snaps.
You smirk, bending over as you prepare your offer. “It’s leftover pizza.” You say temptingly.
“Oh god…” The second skeleton murmurs.
“And I can microwave it for you so it’s hot.”
“OH GOD!” He says louder, and the red eyed skeleton looks away, struggling to make eye contact.
“It’s delicious, and extra greasy.”
“You’re meeting all my standards!” The white eyed skeleton moans, before going into a coughing fit once again.
“D-Don’t fall fer that, stupid!” The other skeleton growls back, but you can already tell you’ve won. His usual frown has morphed into a relaxed grin, and he stares off in a daze just thinking about your words.
“Wait right here and I’ll be right back with it.”
“I… wh-what!... I told’ja I ain’t-” He stutters.
“It’s pizza, Edgy!” The other skeleton cuts in, leaning against the other skeleton. “And we need a pizza it!”
You go back inside and find the leftover pizza sitting in a box in your fridge. You’re not sure how much those little skeletons eat, they’re pretty small, but they’re also starving. You decide to heat the entire leftover half pizza and let them have as much as they want.
While you wait for the pizza to heat the microwave, you run your throbbing hand under warm water, inspecting the fresh circular mark of raised flesh. That little skeleton bit you pretty hard, and you’ve drawn blood on both your palm, and the top of your hand. You take a moment to grab a box of medical wraps from a first aid kit, and bandage yourself as best you can. As you’re walking back out to the kitchen, you get another idea, and dodge into a closet to grab a large fluffy blanket.
“I brought the pizza.” You say once you’ve made it back into the freezing air in front of the dumpster.
For a moment, there’s no response, and you become worried the bitties ran away during the short time you were gone. Then, from beneath the gap under the dumpster, two pinpricks of red surface once again and glare up at you.
“Tch… jus’ open the box’n leave it there.” He growls.
You hesitate. “I brought you a blanket as well.” You state. “It’s supposed to get really cold out tonight.”
“Heh… Don’t worry… The cold’l go right through us.” The other skeleton answers.
“Like we’re gonna stay under a filthy dumpster all night anyway!!!” The red eyed bitty growls.
“Oh…” You say, a little dejected. You’re worried about them walking around in the cold all night, and the coughing that keeps coming from the white eyed bitty doesn’t sound good at all. “Are you sure… we’re supposed to get over a foot of snow. It might get too deep for you to walk around in.”
The red eyed glares, before leaning out of the gap under the dumpster to watch the snow fall.
“How bout I just leave this here for you and you can decide...?” You say, finding a cardboard box, and pushing it against the other wall. You bunch the blanket into a nest like shape and push it into the box before setting the open pizza box on the ground next to everything.
The two pairs of eyelights watch you work, and once you’re finished, you stand for a moment looking at each other awkwardly. More coughing comes from under the dumpster.
“Goodnight, then…” You say, before walking off.
As you turn the corner to your apartment, you hear scuttles from the two bitties, and one long mouth filled moan as one of them takes their first bite of hot pizza.
--
The next day, you have class in the morning, and you come outside early, before the sun has yet to fully rise in the sky. It’s still snowing, and you squint your eyes looking for the box under the fresh blanket of snow.
You’re carrying a bowl of hot oatmeal you’d prepared this morning. If the bitties were still there, then they might appreciate another hot meal after a cold night outside.
You find the box still leaning against the wall covered with snow. The pizza box sits next to it, empty. Your somewhat surprised they ate all of it. that was a lot of pizza for someone so small. You brush the snow off the blanket, hoping they’re somewhere inside, when suddenly the blanket explodes sending snow flying everywhere.
“G-Get back asshole! R’ I’ll fuckin’ kill ya!” The red eyed bitty snarls, bearing his claws and teeth up at you. When he finally gets a good look at your face, recognition dawns on him, and he relaxes, settling into an icy cold glare.
“Oh… s’jus’ you…” He says, sitting back in the blanket. He wraps it around himself, his breath dancing in the cold morning air. “The fuck’s yer problem? Don’t go wakin’ me up like that, idiot!” He growls, before looking at your hands and grinning. “Or are ya lookin’ ta get some fresh frost bite first thing inna mornin’...?”
“I’ll pass...” You answer, squatting down and holding the steaming bowl out. “Um… I thought you’d like something to eat in the morning...”
The red eyed bitty looks at it bordly before ducking back under the blanket. “Hey… Get up lazybones, the idiot brought us more food.” You hear him say gruffly.
There’s a moment of silence as you wait, but nothing happens.
“Hey… I said there's more food.” He growls again.
Nothing moves from the blanket, and you hear him sigh.
“Why do peppers hate winter so much…?” He asks, waiting as though expecting an answer. More silence passes, before you hear his voice again. “H-Hey…” He says urgently, and this time he sounds worried. “Wake up!”
You place the bowl of oatmeal down in the snow, waiting as well. What’s going on under there?
“H-Hey…” The bitty says again, and this time his voice cracks.
You find your hand moving on it’s own, pushing the top of the blanket up and out of the way, before finding the red eyed bitty sitting distraught over his friend. For the first time, you get a good look at the other bitty’s face. His sockets are ringed with dark bags, and they’ve accumulated some kind of thick blue crust around the edges. Unlike the red eyed skeleton, his bones are grayed, and dull, like the life has been sucked out of him. He doesn’t wear any shoes, and his feet are marred with dark scratches, covered in more of that thick blue crust.
“S’ cause it makes them chilli…” The red eyed skeleton says, shaking the other bitty as he finishes the pun. “H-Hey… W-Wake up…?” He shakes the bitty harder. “Why are ya so cold? S’ supposed ta go through us… remember? Hey… Hey...”
“Um…” You say, watching as red tears form in the red eyed skeleton’s sockets.
“Go away!” He snarls, hugging the other bitty into himself. “Leave us alone... Jus’.... leave us alone...” He says quietly.
Leaving the bitties outside overnight may have been a bad idea. It must have been really cold last night.
As you kneel in front of the box with the two bitties, you try and think about what to do next. You don’t have a lot of options, and the red eyed bitty is still being stubborn about letting you near them.
1 (Comfort the red eyed bitty first) The slowest option, but you need to get him on your side before you make another move.
2 (Try and persuade the red eyed bitty to come inside) Spend a little time convincing him to work with you. If he agrees, it’ll be easier for you to get things done.
3 (Pick up the entire blanket with them both in it, and carry them inside) This is an emergency. Even if he doesn’t want you to, you’re taking them inside, now!
“Die, asshole!” The little skeleton growls, sinking his teeth deeper into your flesh. He almost seems to be smiling through his glare as he listens to the undignified noises coming from your mouth. Your hand has never felt pain this intense before, and it’s taking every ounce of self discipline you have to stop yourself from screaming.
Do not slam his tiny skeleton body against the dumpster! He’s just scared. You can keep still. You started this, and you’re going to finish it!
You suck in air, biting your lip as you bring your other hand slowly down to the little skeleton still glaring up at you. His eyelights slide away from your face, watching your hand as it descends toward him.
He bites down harder. “I’ll fuckin’ kill ya!” He snarls through his teeth. “D-Didn’t’cha hear me! STOP!”
You keep moving, ignoring his threats. He tries to struggle away from your approaching hand, but he’s still tangled in a few last wires, and he refuses to let go of his hold on you.
“S-Stop!” He squeaks, mashing his sockets shut when you make it to his shoulder. His body stiffens as though he’s expecting something to happen, but when he only feels you digging at the wire around his shoulder he slowly reopens them again, watching you work.
Something warm and wet lands on his skull, and he flinches, before lifting his free arm up to wipe at it. His bite lessens, and his growls slow to a soft pitch as he looks at the wetness held between his small phalanges.
“T-The hell are ya doin’!” He says as he watches another tear fall. “I warned ya, didn’t I? Stop tryin’ ta help me ya fuckin’ wimp!” A second tear lands on his skull, and he flinches again before wiping it away. “I said ta stop, dumbass!” He snarls again.
“C-Can’t!” You respond through clenched teeth. You’re trying to hold back the tears, but the pain is making your eyes water out of your control. “I said I’d get you out, so I can’t stop yet.”
You finish loosening the wire and remove it from his shoulder, bringing your hand back to work at the last collection around his chest.
“I-If yer gonna cry about it then don’t mess with me inna first place!!” He growls, his teeth loosening again. “I already told’ja I don’t need’jer help!”
“I’m not crying, my eyes are just watering cause it hurts!”
“It’s supposed ta hurt!!!” He growls back. “I fuckin’ warned ya!”
The last of the wires loosen from around his stomach, and you pull them away, feeling the small spikes catch at his clothes before finally flicking free.
“There…” You say, moving your free hand away. “You’re free…”
The small skeleton scowls at you, before narrowing his sockets. Then he suddenly unlatches his jaw from your hand, and slaps it away. He coughs, spitting something on the trash bag beneath him, before wiping at his mouth, leaving a dark stain on his already dirty and ripped jacket.
“Fuckin’ gross…” You hear him mumble as he gets to his feet, still wiping at his face. “The hell do they always gotta bleed everywhere for…?”
His eyelights travel back up to yours and he glares when he sees you still standing in front of the dumpster, cradling your bleeding hand.
“Tch...” He growls lightly. “I ain’t gonna say thanks’r nothing. I already told’ja I didn’t need’jer help. Hurry up’n beat it...”
Then he disappears.
You stand in place holding your throbbing hand as you stare at the now, little skeleton-less dumpster. Then you realize something’s happening at your feet. Small scuttling sounds come from beneath the dumpster, followed by low quiet voices.
These are bitties right? They can teleport… or something like that…? He must have gone to the other voice at your feet.
You rock back and forth for a moment, staring at the dark gap under the dumpster, and suddenly two red eyelights are glaring back at you.
“I said beat it!” The small skeleton snarls, before the eyelights disappear.
You take in the cold weather around you. The snow is still falling heavily, and your hands are so numb and cold you almost can’t feel the pain from the bite you received earlier… almost...
You don’t want to leave the bitties out here, but you already know one of them is set on having nothing to do with you to the point of self destruction.
What do you do?
1 Attempt to capture the bitties and bring them inside (sometimes a little force is necessary when two parties don’t see things the same way)
2 Attempt to bribe the bitties to come with you (A warm bath and a hot meal go a long way)
3 Let them stay outside and bring something warm for them instead (Trust is a path forged slowly)
You straighten up and take a deep breath, getting mentally prepared for what you’re about to do. The little skeleton growls louder when he senses you looking at him. You reach your hands out, and as they get close, he begins to snarl.
“Don’t touch me! D-Didn’t ya hear me earlier! I’ll kill ya!”
“I’m just gonna get you out.”
“Fuck off! I don’t need’jer help!”
You ignore his threats and pull the loosest wires away first, moving from the outside towards him.
“Stop! I’ll bite yer fuckin’ arm off! Go away!” He snarls, leaning away from your hand every time it comes close.
You continue working, moving the cold sharp wires away gently, one at a time. Finally you finish getting rid of anything loose, and you hesitate a moment, watching the little skeleton who’s still wrapped tight in whatever’s left.
“Don’t you fuckin’ dare.” He growls, glaring up at you darkly.
“I’m getting you out.” You say stubbornly back.
“Not with all yer fingers intact.” He threatens back.
You have a momentary stare off, but it’s broken as more coughing comes from under the dumpster. The little skeleton’s eyelights flick towards the sound, and you take that moment to strike. Grabbing him by the hood of his small jacket, you pull it up and over his head, and hold him face down on a dumpster bag.
“I’ll fuckin’ kill ya!” He snarls.
You hold the hood in place as you work, feeling his skull thrash around, trying to get free of your hold and get to your hands. You like your hands. You like them with fingers. You keep the hood held firmly as you dig at the wires with one hand. His thrashing makes it difficult and some of the freezing wires cut into you painfully as you attempt to remove them.
You free one of his arms first, and he immediately tries to claw you with it.
“Don’t claw me!” You shout, increasing the pressure you have on his hood and working on his other arm next.
“Then let go!”
“I will when I’m done!”
“Fuck you!”
You manage to get your fingers under another wire, but as you attempt to remove it, you feel your grasp on his hood slip. The little skeleton’s managed to thrash his way out of your grip, and the next thing you know, there are rows of sharp serrated teeth sinking into the flesh of your hand, right between your thumb and index finger.
It hurts…
Oh god it hurts…
What do you do next?
1 try to get him to stop biting you before you lose something important.
2 this is your chance, take the pain and remove the rest of the wires while he’s distracted.
Eravamo a casa mia, tornati da una giornata in giro per le vie del paese per distrarci dal lavoro e dalla vita. Io seduto sul divano con un bicchiere di whisky in mano, e lui sdraiato con la testa sulle mie gambe mentre mi raccontava dei suoi colleghi di università. E io lo ascoltavo, non perché mi interessasse più di tanto di quei ragazzi, ma più perché mi piaceva sentire la sua voce, la sua risata, e mi piaceva vedere il suo sorriso. Mi piaceva renderlo felice.
E ricordo perfettamente cosa disse da un momento all'altro "ti ricordi la notte in cui ci siamo incontrati?". Certo che me la ricordavo, me la ricordo ancora. Ricordo come era vestito, cosa aveva ordinato al barista quando si era seduto accanto a me, la prima frase che mi aveva detto con quel sorriso che sarebbe in grado di sciogliere il cuore del male in persona. Ricordo ogni dettaglio, e forse ripensandoci adesso avrei preferito non soffermarmi su quegli occhi che se guardati con la luce giusta erano oro colato, avrei preferito non aver ascoltato quella voce dolce come miele, non averlo riaccompagnato a casa mentre gli tenevo la mano. Forse così non mi sarei innamorato, e non avrei perso un'altra persona nella mia vita. Però allo stesso tempo, non avrei scoperto cosa è la fatidica felicità di cui tutti parlano, e non avrei mai imparato che anche su un letto di ospedale puoi continuare a sorridere e portare luce nella vita delle persone, anche se ti stai per spegnere... Forse dovrei smettere di pensarci, è questo che vorrebbe lui: vorrebbe che andassi avanti con la mia vita. Ma non posso, per quanto ci provi non ci riesco. Lui era l'unico che mi aveva fatto capire che l'amore non è una cosa da cui scappare, e che anche io potevo provare sentimenti, era l'unico con cui riuscivo a sorridere, ed era l'unico che riusciva a superare quella mia corazza da uomo freddo e insensibile. Quindi forse non riuscirò più a vivere come prima sapendo che quelle cose le posso provare, ma non troverò mai più nessun altro con cui mi sentirò così. Lui era l'unica cosa che contava nella mia vita, ora è vuota, senza scopo. Perché dovrei continuare a vivere se non ho una ragione per farlo? Dovrei ricongiungermi con lui.
Seperti ada sesuatu yang hilang. Tapi aku tidak tahu itu. Mungkinkah ada jejak masa lalu yang kurindukan. Apakah tentang diriku, orang lain, atau sebuah peristiwa penting dalam hidupku, aku tidak tahu.
Aku merasakan gundah yang tak biasa. Barangkali aku perlu merenungkan lebih banyak tentang segala hal yang pernah aku lalui. Aku mungkin pernah salah, atau aku mungkin kini telah berubah tidak seperti dulu, atau mungkin karena seseorang.
Jika sudah begini, ini pasti sinyal dari Allah. Allah sedang menunggu taubatku. Aku yang sekarang harusnya lebih baik dari yang dulu, bukan malah sebaliknya.
Ternyata semakin menjauh, semakin sesak rasanya. Entah karena niatku yang salah atau apa. Aku mengira itu untuk kebaikan. Aku terlampau berharap.
