Veiling the regrets we dismiss the repents of the past.
~Yaris
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Gloomy shrouds of melancholia adorned the skies, inking the cosmic glitters as they knew what they were to witness. The whispery winds susurated their concerns as she walked with her trembling legs. Every step ahead slashed her soul but her numb gut drunk in the pain. She had seen bitter things and this too would pass.

Pass the horizons but memories?

A simple smirk beneath her black mask smoothened the thoughts her mind played. She tucked her ebonic coat. Apart from winters that tickled her spine, she had to hide the reflections of the potentially wicked metal that smiled at her recent sin. Those red slimes they wore were cunning yet a win. A win that could graze her needs for some time.

It wasn't the first time.

"Neither would it be my last!" She frowned as her heart hurried.

Her sudden rage woke a stray dog that howled from nearby. Scared a bit, she whistled to get it inside the shadows. If not for them, she wouldn't be surviving. After tossing chunks of biscuits, her eyes studied the greedy eats. She lowered her mask to catch some breath and bent down to look at those quivering black eyes.

Flavor of hunger and seclusion.

A simple smile waved her lips as she ruffled its untouched dark sheathed furs.

Empathy wasn't your language.

Her eyes scrunched as she realized bitterness retires when emotions thrive. But she knew she must keep it veiled if it was time to meet the marked eyes. Those eyes that would beg mercy to her stoned heart that counted their final breaths. Silencing the commotions, she started to leave. But the abrupt whines from afar alarmed her.

"Hell, no! It can't be-"

Before she could realize it, her sharp ears recognized the screams of sirens.

How could it be possible?

She closed her eyes recalling what she had done minutes ago. She had wiped everything clean except for the crib that was cradling a little life.

Shit! The code was Andham.

She gathered herself and turned to leave. But her shaky legs were slow making the cleaned blades fall out of her jean pockets. In a moment, she stopped the echoes with her simple shoes. But the four-legged friend began to sniff it.

Such a fatuous loser.

"I'm not!" She muttered as she snatched the metals. But the furry tails curled her legs, not allowing her to step ahead. In a merry, it lollygagged her foot jumping to reach for her hands.

"No! Stay away. Don't!"

Its enthusiasm was innocent but they feasted on her frights.

Don't be stupid. Get away.

Her brain bubbled with a fury that kicked her muscles. She had to fight it, she couldn't be caught. Shuffling her feet she got to escape the space. Once she was out, she fastened her pace.

Leaving shreds of evidence for the police?

Her thoughts fidgeted.

They will trace you down with this hopeless dog.

"I will not listen to this stupidity!"

It knows the prey and the predator. You call this silly?

She had to analyze the words. Before her storms could be cleared, a sudden leap of the dog unnerved her. Even with her eyes closed, she was clear. Her hands had done it.

Again.

The heat of fresh blood pooling on the floor froze her. She had risked the life she had refuged.

Ridiculous habits.

Without a second thought, she grabbed the jute bag from the porch. She thanked the vendors for not cleaning it completely. The stinky marks of vegetable stains met the pungent odors of blood as she wrapped the oozing furs in it.

Drop it down and leave, you moron!

She could, but she wasn't ready. She cleared her hazy eyes only to realize that it was over.

It wasn't just a cut.

The cruel glisten of a used vial hiding in her coat answered her queries. With a pricked demeanor she crushed it down to pieces. Like every other night, this too turned grey. Dropping the departed soul covered in the robes for his final sleep, she ruffled him one last time. She pulled the drooping cloth to cover the sudden tears reddening her cheeks.

You chose this life. Don't play a victim.

She pushed her thoughts back as she ran down the lane. Her plan was to escape the red territory and she couldn't be ludicrous. As her sweat seeped, a sharp bolt of pain kicked her palms. She rubbed the skin to find a shallow scratched wound. The glory of a combat that she wasn't inclined for. She looked at the black-painted canvas as the winds howled.

"I deserted two lives." She declared as her lips smirked at the tied fates.

The clouds trudged as if they had neglected her. She strode forward, heavier than before. Dribbles of dews splattered on her face.

"Drizzles in wintery nights?"

She spied the skies that glanced at her through their shadows. Even before she could spot anything, a sharp streak of silver blinded her. She knelt covering her face between her palms.

"Huh. My eyes-"

Her breaths shallowed making her peel the mask off her nose. Her beats throbbed on her head.

"Wha- happen-"

Her parched throat splattered coughs disconnecting her thoughts. She rubbed her nape, to warm her throat. But she knew it was different when she felt something coil her core. The rumbling roars of the skies horrified her ears. As she tightened her lids, something caught her attention.

Naanal? Lawn of white ferns?

The blossoming view of white ferns dancing to the tunes of gentle winds soothed her momentary pain.

Is this my freedom?

Tears of untold pain blurred her vision, but the whites brightened, widening her smile. Silence swam through her vessels, making her glance at the skies. A pinch of serenity calmed her entire being. The drops of rain fell, washing her sins as her skin paled. She knew not what awaits. Only time can tell.

Terms:

• Andham = Closed Secret: A Tamil word meaning end. Here it serves as a code depicting only a few individuals or a specific group, keeping it hidden from others.

• Naanal or Darbai = White ferns: A type of grass seen in South India. Their stems are used for every ritual, sacred or elegiac.

Drop your quests and queries.

With riddles,
🧩..Yaris..🧩