I knock on the door.

"Come in," a calm voice calls.
I enter to find a neat room with chairs, cushions, bean bags and recliners. This is the 6th psychiatrist I've visited. There is a small flutter of hope in my heart, it brushes against my ribcage, hushing the anxiety ever so slightly. I give her my best smile but it doesn't ring true - there is a heavy fog in my existence and it makes everything ugly, distorted.
"Winter, is it? I'm Dr. Woods." She's young and plump with a monotone voice. "Why are you here, Winter?"
"I have a bipolar disorder," I glance away from her gaze, she makes me feel like an insect under a microscope.
"So says your file," she smiles thinly. "But why do you think you're here? Forget psychiatric analyses. Why are you here, Winter?"

Because I'm broken.

Her eyes flickered and she opened her winter blue eyes to search the ceiling. Someone was knocking on the door. She brushed her silver hair from her face and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Coming, mum!" she groaned. Winter had to make sure she was okay. Her mother was probably hungry. Winter shifted her legs so they rested on the floor. She looked up. A young boy with black hair and dark grey eyes was in the room. For a moment, she was disorientated and confused. What was he doing here? Then, she remembered everything, she remembered the boy.

Kajou.

"What happened?" she bit her lower lip, making it pinker than it already was. "How did I get here?" Seeing how worn he was, she realised she must have fainted and that he'd carried her all the way here. Her gaze softened, growing warm and kind like the oceans.

"Thank you for taking care of me," she paused. "I'm sorry for before." She still didn't believe it but he was so kind, she had to at least not be cruel and inconsiderate. Kajou might or might not be a part of her imagination, after all.

Getting out of bed, Winter carefully gave Kajou a hug. He was a little taller than her. "Thank you," she repeated. Winter hadn't hugged a person in years, she just wanted to stay here forever, even if Kajou might be a dream. The knocking was persistent. Winter pulled back and glanced briefly at the door. "You should probably get that."

I slammed the door behind me as I stormed into the house, my eyes hard set on the floor as I made a beeline for the stairway, tossing my bag off his shoulder at the bottom before I ascended up the steps. Hurried feet shuffled around somewhere downstairs but I was already in his room, door slammed shut and locked by the time my mother reached the top of the staircase. The knocking rang in my ears but the gentle yet worried voice fell short. I simply fell over on the bed and pulled his knees up against his chest, wrapping my arms around my legs and laying in this fetal position as I tried to ignore the bustle from the other side of the door.

"Kajou, what's wrong? Baby, you have mommy worrying, please open up!"

I closed his eyes and thought back on what brought this sudden shift of mood over me. It was just another day of school. People ignoring me as usual. Until a group of the 'popular kids' came over and began bothering me during lunch. Touching my hair and trying to get me to speak so they could make fun of that as well. One of them touched my face. I slapped their hand away. Before I even knew what was going on, I was face down on the cafeteria with the side of my face stinging painfully. A teacher came over and gave the boys a good talking to. I was sent to the nurse's office. Nothing but a bruise according to the nurse. But it hurt in more ways than that. I was just ten. It had been the first time someone had just hit me like that in public.

And it wouldn't be the last.

Kajou suddenly jump awake, pulling his head up as he realized that he must have dozed off for a moment. There was an unexplained pounding that didn't seem to leave him even when he was now awake. It took him a moment to register what the sound was: a knock of the door. As he tried to push himself up, he realized his legs were refusing to listen to him. They were still sore and aching from the day's work. Much more than Kajou himself had been expecting to do. As he tried again to get up, he stopped by something moving in the corner of his eye followed by a gentle voice.

"Coming, mum!"

The mysterious blue eyed girl had woken up and by the look she was giving Kajou, she was a little bit surprised. Not the same look of pure shock from earlier but a curious look like she was trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together. Kajou opened his mouth to say something but the look of understanding crossed her face before he had the chance to utter a since word. She asked how she had gotten here and Kajou felt his face grow warm as he looked down at the floorboards, muttering, "Well, I..." Unable to find words, he's met with immense relief when the girl speaks again.

"Thanks for taking care of me. I'm sorry for before."

Kajou pulled his head up and managed to try his best to look her in the eye. It was... strange. He couldn't find any better word for it. Her pale blue eyes were soft and kind. The look didn't seem forced in the very least. A tiny voice in the back of his head pointed out how it must look to her. Kajou had never been fond of the dull eyes he'd been born with and even if he tried, he doubted he could give back so much as a tenth of the warmth she was giving him. He wished he could do better.

As the girl began rising from the bed, he expected her to simply walk out and find someone who could help her more than he could. But she surprised him again. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around him. A hug. Nobody besides his parents had ever given him a hug. His face grew warmer still as he stared over her shoulder wide eyed. She was small, even smaller than scrawny little Kajou. She felt warm leaning into him and he smelled something off her that he could only describe as clean. When she whispered a thank you to him, it felt like hearing the voice of some angel he'd never had the chance to meet.

But either from exhaustion or some new fear that maybe he wasn't the real imaginary person in this situation, he couldn't bring himself to raise his arms and return the embrace. Perhaps for the best as the knock on the door rang through the house again and the girl pulled away from him. Kajou immediately hung his head and let his hair fall around his face to hide the redness flushing his cheeks. He only half heard her words as he pushed his himself up, using the wall as a support as he half wandered over to the door. He raised his head as he pulled the door open just a crack and stuck his head in sideways to see who it was, a few strands of hair getting in his eyes that he prayed would hide his face. The person who'd been knocking was a dark haired man who, unsurprisingly, Kajou didn't recognize. Trying his best to avoid eye contact, he stared at the man's chest as he half whispered through the crack in the doorway, "C-Can I help you, sir?"

The door was opened up and Ar'ther expected someone his size to have answered the door but when the door was opened he had to look down to see the person who had the door opened. Ar'ther knelt down to look the kid in the face. "Well are you not a trooper?" he somewhat asked but more said. "Carrying that girl all the way back here to your..." He paused a moment. "House?" he asked as he stood up straight and peered into the room. The kid that was in front of him was well to Ar'ther was shy or timid he didn't know how to take it.

"If it helps I am here to help." he stated. He was not going to enter the house without being invited in. Going in would just be rude; one of his policies he would always hold. "You could say that I have been here for a long time." He ran his hand through his hair and looked at the girl. "You feeling okay?" he asked and then looked back at the kid who opened the door. "Same goes for you." He said. Ar'ther was concerned for the two. He hoped that they were fine. He wishes he could remember the time he came into this place but he couldn't that was so long ago that he rather not think back that far. His face changed as he knelt back down to be eye level with the boy. He offer his hand.

"The name is Ar'ther. I have been here for a while, I started to call myself the wanderer because well I don't stop walking but I am starting to like this place." he paused "Back to what I was thinking. Are you two looking for some help or just someone to hang out with cause I know this awesome place down the road." He pointed behind him and was waiting in case the tow freaked out or something. He was hoping for the something option and not the freak out he was tired of that already today.

Kajou stared up at the man with wide eyes, trying his best not to shut the door in his face. There was something more alien to him than just the fact he'd never met him before. While he seemed kind and trying to be polite, he looked strangely dark. Many people that Limbo held wore much lighter colors, even the strange blue eye girl he'd just met. His clothes and even his hair were a little too dark for Kajou's liking. When the man knelt down, he almost swung the door in his face as he flinched violently. He didn't realize just how tall the man was until he had to make effort to move meet his eye level. As the dark haired man spoke, sometimes throwing words in the direction of the girl, Kajou didn't open the door one more crack despite his trembling hands. The man was saying a lot and the effort of keeping the door just ajar and standing in place was putting quite a toll on his body but he did all he could to stand his ground.

Some of his words didn't give Kajou the least bit of comfort. He gave his name and told him that he wasn't a newcomer but had someone been in Limbo for a long time. He claimed to have been from someplace besides the town. From what stories he had learned, Kajou knew that the only things from beyond the horizon in this world were horrible creatures and fantastic beings and this man fit neither description. As the man finally wrapped up what he had to say and explain, Kajou shook his head slowly as he was offered help and the invitation of leaving the house. "N-N-No thank you, sir. I-I would just like to stay inside." Kajou pulled his head out of the crack in the door to look over at the blue eyed girl standing by the bed. He knew he couldn't speak for her and if this man was really telling the truth, maybe he could help her more than Kajou ever could. He pulled himself back into view but kept his eyes on the man's feet as he half muttered. "B-But she can go if she wants to. She's new and scared... I-I think."

Winter looked at the dark haired man in the doorway with her eyes of clear water. The man had deep blue eyes and they reminded her of her mother's eyes. Winter'd always had very sad, the eyes of someone who'd seen too much and had given up one too many times. The eyes of someone who could see into the deepest depths of your soul. Looking at the man, Winter realised she was much too far gone. Hallucinating one boy was one thing, imagining an entire population was beyond insanity. She was gone.

"You feeling okay?"

No. I just realised I might be 130% psychotic or 100% dead or both. I'm crazy and dead and this must be hell.

Winter wanted darkness. An empty world away from the miseries in her head and the harshness in reality. At least I got the latter. Winter wished with all her might that the people in the real world would find a way to fix her or that her body would consume itself because she could never become sane again. Winter was too far gone.

Her long silver hair fell to her hips like a shining waterfall, her skin was pale, her eyes winter light and her dress a pure white. She stood out amongst everything. Winter was pure. She laughed, thinking her resemblance to light was a coping mechanism. I'm trying to convince myself I'm an innocent angel.

"The name is Ar'ther. I have been here for a while, I started to call myself the wanderer because well I don't stop walking but I am starting to like this place. Back to what I was thinking. Are you two looking for some help or just someone to hang out with cause I know this awesome place down the road."

Down the road? Great, she imagined an entire world. Winter was creative, that, she at least had to give herself. It required an amazing imagination to construct an entire fantasy world. An amazing imagination or an amazing psychosis. The man's name was Ar'ther. What a weird name.

"N-N-No thank you, sir. I-I would just like to stay inside. B-But she can go if she wants to. She's new and scared... I-I think."

New and scared? That sounded about right. This new level of manic was very new to her. The word scared reminded her of how she might just never leave this place. Then she really grew scared.

Winter walked slowly toward Kajou and pinched the back of his shirt in her fingers. "I'm going to try to find a loophole in my head." By now, she believed Kajou was the good part of her subconscious. The side that was trying to guide her through this new world in her mind. "Thanks for everything, Kajou. I'll umm... Call you later." Winter figured she'd be able to imagine him into being again later on, but Kajou, strangely, didn't seem to realise he wasn't real. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. Wait. What? He didn't have feelings. Kajou wasn't real but he seemed so real. Hallucinations always seem real.

Winter glanced at Ar'ther, trying to will him away. It didn't work. Guess it doesn't work that way. Her brain would show her what it wanted to. "Excuse me," she whispered, her voice soft and feminine. Winter wiggled her way pass the tall man, he was very much taller than her. Winter was dainty, petite with small, bare feet. She raced out onto the streets and turned a corner. She reached a quiet alleyway.

Then, she let go.

She kicked a wall. Then she hit it. She kicked and hit and picked up a nearby barrel to crash into the wall. Winter reached for everything and destroyed it all. She screamed and screamed and she beat her hands against the hard surface. Shocks rocked her entire body, sending her dry heaving with the agony of it all. Winter smashed her fists against the cold stone walls over and over

until the pain in her body overwhelmed the one in her heart.

"N-N-No thank you, sir. I-I would just like to stay inside. B-But she can go if she wants to. She's new and scared... I-I think." The small boy had told him.

Ar'ther was about to say something when she walked past him and whispered "Excuse me." Ar'ther then turned to the boy. "You will be coming too. She is attracted to you in some way and we need to make sure she is okay." Then she started scream so he ran over to make sure she was alright.

Ar'ther just stood there and watched her do this not trying to stop her he just let her go about raging on the wall. "You know that only helps for a little while." He looked down at her. "I have been here for 578 years I learned to deal with what I did and I still have not moved on." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a watch. "I have had this and it has helped me through a lot."

He offered his hand to her. "Here lets go along with our other friend and find some way to deal with what has happened. If you need to know anything just ask me and I will answer it." He smiled trying to reassure her.

"You know that only helps for a little while."

Winter paused mid-strike, fists inches from the wall. "I have been here for 578 years I learned to deal with what I did and I still have not moved on." She dropped her hands and turned to give Ar'ther a weary stare. He was holding a watch. "Here lets go along with our other friend and find some way to deal with what has happened. If you need to know anything just ask me and I will answer it."

"How do you know?" she blurted. "How can it be 578 years when I've only been alive for 17? You're all in my head. Oh god, my delusions are delusional." Winter ran a hand through her silky silver hair. She hadn't thought of it in a while but her silver hair was a little supernatural. Who else had silver hair that grew out of their scalp? Old people. So either she was secretly 90 years old or supernatural things were real. Or I'm just abnormal.

"How am I supposed to believe that I'm in some weird, stupid afterlife? How is that even possible? How do you know?" Winter was a believer of science. Nothing supernatural ever helped her cope with her life. "Is this punishment for what I did? How am I supposed to believe this is real? What's the difference between my delusions and reality?" She was babbling now, pacing back and forth, running her elegant fingers through her soft pale hair. "Is this my bipolar disorder or is this real? What's real? Nothing's real. How did I survive that fall? Maybe I didn't and this is death and I shouldn't have killed myself if this was death. This can't be death."

Winter continued to mumble, mumble until it faded into a whisper, then silence. Winter stopped. She picked up a shard of splintered wood she'd destroyed and raked it through her arm. It bled. If I'm hallucinating, why can I feel pain? Why am I bleeding? Why hasn't anyone stopped me from moving around? I can feel it, so I'm not in a coma. Oh god oh god oh god this is real.

"Holy crap this is real," she stared at Kajou and Ar'ther like she was seeing them for the first time. "You're both real? Absolutely real? You are. We're in some Limbo. Is this it? Are we here forever? Are we going to hell? Do you go to hell if you've committed suicide? You're real?!"

"Yes we are real. And I don't know about the hell thing." he stated. "I am not sure why I have been here for a long time maybe it my purpose to help others." He stated. Ar'ther took out a small piece of cloth from his pocket and he knelt down and wrapped her arm. He then lifted her up. "Everything should be okay we just need to make you feel better and show you what it means to be happy." He smiled at her which was a little rare for him to do.

He was trying to be happy but with how long he has been here and just an illusion of happiness to make others better would have to do. He placed a finger under her chin. "Now talk your little friend into coming with us so that we can get everyone to be happy." His face turned back to the normal neutral. He adjusted his shoulders and looked at the boy. "Now you coming or shall we just go inside then?" he asked playfully. This kid seemed to have issues that he would have to help them work through and who knows maybe Ar'ther will get the help he needs.

Kajou heard the girl's footsteps as he he kept his eyes firmly planted to the ground. He couldn't help but jump when the noise suddenly stopped and there was a tug on the back of his shirt. Looking up, he saw that the it was the girl giving him a small, comforting smile.

"I'm going to try to find a loophole in my head. Thanks for everything, Kajou. I'll umm... Call you later."

Kajou could only stare at her as she walked past him and scooting past the man in the doorway. Loophole in her head? Is she really having such a hard time accepting that this was reality? A lot of new souls had a bit of shock, Kajou himself being one of them, but never denial to this extent as far as he'd seen. And why did she pause when she said she'd see him later? Was she lying? If the man took her to the hotel, then she'd be back and start living in the town herself. But what if he was going to take her off with him in his wander across Limbo? And yet despite all of these worries and questions, one thing stuck with him.

Thanks for everything, Kajou.

The words echoed in his ears as he watched her move from sight. The stab in his chest - his heart he finally realized - stung him again. He didn't want her to go. He didn't want to be alone again. He didn't want to have to meet these other perfect strangers when she had already been so kind to him. Kajou hung his head and clenched his fists as he closed his eyes to hold back bitter tears. Despite all that wanted, there were still fears. The fear of the outside. The fear of sudden and painful rejection. So much pain... and as if the pain couldn't be contained in his mind, there was suddenly a harsh scream in the air. Kajou pulled his head up as his eyes snapped open, a few rebellious tears finding their mark and dripping onto the floor. It was the girl again. But she wasn't screaming out of fear. She sounded angry. The man stepped out of the doorway after stating something... odd.

"You will be coming too. She is attracted to you in some way and we need to make sure she is okay."

Attracted to him? Maybe he had the fortune of finding her and helping her the best he could when she needed it but that hardly felt like some strange attraction like he made it out to be. But what if he meant it in another sense? And why did he state he was coming too? It wasn't an invitation or a question. It was like an order and even if he did end up going with him, ignoring how much the idea scared him, he didn't like the idea of this man making him. But as another scream split through the air, none of it mattered. Kajou ran out of the open door, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve as he ran, his bare feet eventually skidding to a stop at the entrance to an alley that the dark haired man stood by. The sight in the alley itself shocked him. While the man had apparently calmed her down, the blue eyed girl had thrown quite a fit. All the odds and ends kept here had been shattered and there were spots on the wall where red liquid was dripping down from. The same liquid covering the girl's knuckles. Blood. She was hurt.

Before he even was able to absorb everything he was seeing, Kajou was running back to the house. He went to the kitchen and threw a cupboard open, grabbing a handful of rags before he ran back outside and sprinted back to the alley, almost tripping over his own tired feet halfway there. He didn't lose his stride until he was back to the girl. Somehow she had gotten into even worse condition than when he left as he saw blood flowing out a new wound on her arm. He didn't wait for any objections or even for his breathe to catch up with him as he began typing the strips of cloth over her hands to stop the blood dripping out of the wounds on her knuckles. As his fingers fumbled with the knot of the first rough cloth strip, a weak string of words worked their way out his through. "P-Please don't hurt yourself anymore. Please."

"Yes we are real." That's exactly what a fake person would say. "And I don't know about the hell thing. I am not sure why I have been here for a long time maybe it my purpose to help others. Everything should be okay we just need to make you feel better and show you what it means to be happy."

Happy? What does happiness feel like?Ar'ther smiled at her and she had the distinct feeling he didn't do that very often and she should probably be honoured.

"Now talk your little friend into coming with us so that we can get everyone to be happy." He used the word again. Happy. It sounded like a nice word. Winter had zoned out for a moment and she noticed Kajou wrapping her wounds. He's so sweet, I want to squish him and put him in my pocket.

"P-Please don't hurt yourself anymore. Please." His words sent a pang through her. She'd always wanted someone to say that and if she'd met someone as kind as him or him himself when she was alive, she might not have thrown herself off that building. Too bad I'm dead now.

Ar'ther was saying something to the boy but Winter was feeling lethargic and didn't much process anything. I wonder if mental illnesses exist in Limbo.

"Thank you for being so kind and patient with me, Kajou," she said in a hushed tone, like it was a secret between her and him. "Do you want to go with the Ar'ther dude?" Winter felt like she was waking up from a 17 year long hibernation.

"Where are we going?" she stared Ar'ther straight in the eyes. She no longer had the look of fogginess and intense misery, her eyes were bright and intensely sky blue. She was dead. What did she have left to lose? Ar'ther could've been a serial killer in life and she wouldn't have cared.

"And I don't think I've yet introduced myself. Thank you for taking care of me." Her silver hair cascaded to her hips, falling over her snowy skin to rest on her white dress. She regarded them with icy blue eyes.

"I'm Winter."

The girl had finally introduced herself and he was happy that she did that. "Good well I guess we can start with some very simple things." He took a few steps out of the ally way. He opened his arms in the light and it felt great. The heat felt really good on his skin. "If you want ask some questions and I will answer them to the best of my abilities." He could not remember the last time he had escorted some people around he thought back it must have been hundreds of years.

He turned and walked back to the other two. "Now its your turn boy. What is your name?" he asked him. He was not trying to be scary. It kinda comes off like that sometimes but he does not mean it. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He smirked and got lost in his thoughts. He loved just walking around this beautiful place to see the world and just learn all sorts of new things. He opened his eyes up "It's nice to meet you Winter." He held out his hand hoping she would take it and shake his hand. He was going to make sure something would happen and hopefully the things turn out well and don't end up in another crossroads like the one he just witnessed. He did not want anyone to get hurt again after this he knew he wanted to help these two out no matter what was going to happen to him.

There was a sharp pain in Kajou's forehead. The smell of rust filled his nose no matter how long he held his breathe. The panic of seeing the girl had overpowered his dislike of the only thing he hated more than violence: blood. The eerie warmth, the dark color, the taste of iron on your tongue. He and most every other person stuck in Limbo were unbelievably glad that their bodies kept the shape of how they were before their death, not after. Otherwise Kajou would be crawling around like some deformed human crab and this girl... It suddenly struck him what he had muttered mere moments ago. It had been pure impulse, an action taken at that moment. But he turned the words over in his head a few times and remembered the frantic words the girl had been saying earlier. Even while panicked and scared out of her mind, she had been so sweet. What kind of life did she live to end up in Limbo like this?

"Thank you for being so kind and patient with me, Kajou,"

Kajou found relief in these words. Another thank you. He kept his head down as he started typing up the last of the cloth along the gash on her arm. He felt like the entire day had gone by with his face burning like it was now. As he feebly tied the last knot, the girl asked him a question, making him raise his head with wide eyed surprise.

"Do you want to go with the Ar'ther dude?"

No. Kajou was tired and cold and this strange Ar'ther man was still a total stranger to him. He didn't want to do anything but go home and lie down. But the words didn't come out. He didn't want to go but he also didn't want to leave the girl. Not all alone, not when she had no one else, not when she might still be in trouble. So Kajou just nodded his head once as he let go of the knot on her arm and folded his hands in front of him as his eyes wandered off to the side, praying that she couldn't read the doubt in his eyes. It didn't last long as the blue eyed girl suddenly gave a name to call herself. Winter. Kajou's eyes were immediately pulled back to her. It was a fighting name in some respects. Her silver hair, icy blue eyes and perfect skin made her look like the very spirit of snow. But it wasn't perfect. She wasn't cold or slow, the words he'd use to describe the season. For being Winter, she had so much warmth.

"Now its your turn boy. What is your name?"

Kajou jumped slightly, pulling his folding hands up to his chest as he turned to the man. He'd been a mere peg in his mind for the last few minutes and he hadn't said a word to him during that time, simply speaking over his head as he talked to Winter. Kajou looked up, trying too look him in the eye. Too dark. His vision fell to the man's feet in an instant as he spoke. "K-Kajou. Kajou Kuniumi."

Vacant eyes stared unseeingly at Winter. They were dark, lifeless but moving things. Strangely - or perhaps not so strangely, because somehow they reminded her of herself - they didn't frighten her. They moved slowly, handing her a menu. "Thank you," she said as she took it from their limp hands. They hardly responded, except tilting their heads in a minuscule action. The Empty Ones.

She stared at the menu of strange foods. Aura Bursts? Golden Grapes? Steamed gabber feet? Pink radish roast? River frog pudding? The Empty Ones stared at them expectantly but at the same time - not. They didn't look like they expected anything or were waiting for anything. Winter glanced at Ar'ther, he somehow reminded her of them. Strange, because he lacked the vacant emptiness. He just seemed - well, dark. He did say he'd been in Limbo for a long time.

"Could I please have a moonlight cocktail and a stone grass bruschetta?" she said, choosing the most edible-sounding things on the menu. The Empty Ones nodded and left, slipping through a small door. She caught a glimpse of small, jumpy and hunched Empty Ones - children. She wanted to gag.

"Is the food here good?" she asked tentatively, looking at the two men seated in front of her. "Is it even edible?" she whispered, not wanting to sound rude. She didn't want the Empty Ones to get offended.

"Do we even need food? What happens if we don't eat? Do we die?" she asked, hopeful.

Then Winter's eyes glazed over, she stared pass the two in front of her. She was still, unmoving and not there. Winter was gone.

There is a heaviness, a weight, a mountain, a troll, a planet, a bulldozer, a factory, a rope around my neck – and it bleeds on everything I love. It holds me down, falls on my head and grips its chains around my ankle and anchors me to the ocean – close enough to breathe but not enough to live.

"If you want to go, that's okay," they'd say. Maybe. Hopefully. One day. I wish someone would give me permission to die. Or at least forget me. I have people to live for – but I don't. The happiness doesn't outweigh the misery. It never does. And even if it did, it'd be hard to remember. To be.

We have no scars to show for happiness.

Ar'ther was kind enough though she couldn't believe him when he spoke of being past 20 years. Autumn knew better than to call an adult out but she thought lying wasn't well either. But she kept that to herself.
When Alex explained once again that this place they were at was not the world she was so used to it made Autumn feel dizzy. How could she be dead, yet be so alive at the same time. All these weird ways of living, with fresh grass and people being 100's of years old was just so hard to understand. It was not just yesterday that she had been playing on a swing set, sleeping in a warm bed listening to cars drive by. Had none of these people known about a life? If so then how can they be so understanding?
The train of thought was carried by the morning the car hit her, the feeling came back to her stomach. She remember her mother holding her hand and crying and then the last thing Autumn asked was if she was going to the castle with her mother reply of "yes".
How dumb her mother was to think this was a castle. But that just got Autumn thinking of all the things she was leaving behind if she truly did go see her father.
Autumn's eyes widen when she saw the man from the sky, he had been so kind to greet himself so formally it made her blush and cling onto Alex's arm. Alex explained that the man was not a man but a Story. It confused Autumn but she said nothing about it and just nodded and stared at the Story.
It wasn't until Alex had mentioned eating of soul that Autumn became afraid of Story. She could feel her legs shaking and her hands sweat. All of this fear did not help when a wild scream into the air echo'd.
Ar'ther left with just a few words. He had been so kind to allow Autumn to follow him, that she couldn't think of a proper way of saying goodbye and thank you before he ran off.

Story

He stood before the girls with eyebrows raised, a tiny ghost of a smile on His lips. It wasn't everyday He was treated with such..bluntness, but Alex was a special case. She didn't fear Him, one thing He loved about the girl, but it was also one thing which irked Him slightly. She didn't always show the proper respect for beings as old as He and though He was able to take her actions in good fun, sometimes she was needed to be remind of her place. He feigned sadness as she introduced Him to the new soul, "Plants?" He asked dumbfounded, bringing a hand to his chest as if in pain, "I'm horrified by your accusations. You know I favour stalking your kind. So much more.." He looked down to the new girl as Alex released her, "lively."

His eyes returned once more to Alex as she further introduced Him. "He's not really anything actually.." She could've said anything else, but those words stung. Though, they weren't exactly friends, she had known Him long enough to know which buttons shouldn't be pushed. The truth was harsh and He couldn't go against His nature. Living was always such a touchy subject. He took a step back, caught of guard by the flick to the nose. He knew of Alex's games, but her comment put Him on edge and His anger made His actions quick. Fluidly, He grasped her retreating hand and drew her close to Him. Their faces were merely inches apart and knowing the human perception of 'personal space', He gave a knowing and devious smile. "Don't be mean, Alex," He accused, giving her hand a firm squeeze, "I meant no harm." Pulling the girl closer, he suddenly bowed and kissed the top of her hand. He didn't want hard feelings, she was one of His favourite souls afterall, but she needed to be shown her limits from time to time.

As if to add more tension to the meeting, a sudden scream penetrated the air. He stood sighing at the aggravating sound and released Alex's hand. To His disappointment, the newcomers fled before He could do anything. He frowned and slumped slightly. He hadn't even been able to properly introduce Himself yet. Here He was taking the time to welcome the new strays, yet all of Purgatory seemed too interested in screaming. /Honestly/, He wondered, pouting off into the distance, /Since when was screaming preferred over a nice talk?/

Alex blushed as Story kissed her hand. "Eh sorry...Sometimes I forget people still have emotions...Guess that's what makes you interesting..." She shyly pushed him away. Mostly because she was shy... And also because she was not use to being held. Not even her own parents held her really. They had literally taken the term of self soothing wayyyyy to far. "Now now no hard feelings Story." She smiled kindly and apologetically. She felt rather cruel for her words, but it was hard staying happy and kind when you had been alone so long. Even if she remained herself the bitterness still stayed.

At the scream and Autumn running off she raised an eye brow. "Probably just some new comer having trouble adjusting... Or finding out there dead and screaming..." Alex remembered where she first woke up on Limbo. She had probably the plainest reaction ever. Sitting up. Blinking and talking to everyone. Limbo was boring like that for her anyway. Maybe she never properly grieved over death...Maybe the fact she lacked a true life was her problem... But her wild spirit and strong soul made up for that in her own opinion.

Story

His smile quickly returned upon the contrast of Alex's directness and her redening face. Taking people out of their comfort zone was always amusing. Humans had such a wide variety of emotions. What He did to her could bring about a completely different reaction from someone else. It was always an interesting experience. "Trouble adjusting, hm?" The thought, though cruel, was rather amusing to Him, and He couldn't help but chuckle. He couldn't properly understand the 'difficulty' of 'adjusting' to this new world since He had no idea what it was like to be alive or even experience another world. He supposed it couldn't be that different from here, concidering this place evolved overtime from others' thoughts and memories, so what was so bad about it?

"Seems we're the only ones not at the party..should we make our appearance?" He nodded his head after the newcomers. True, he absolutely hated crybabies, but He was in an obnoxious mood. Whoever this was had taken all the attention and He was both curious and annoyed by it. It was His turn to deal a bit of harsh truths, that and He always loved introductions. You never knew who you were going to meet.

Ar'ther looked at the girl. Something seemed to be off about her. "Hey everything alright?" He asked her. He reached out and touched her shoulder. He was starting to worry for this girl. Things seemed to be bad and was slowly going down hill. He felt like he needed to help her and he had no idea what was going on. He looked at the boy. "What on earth is going on?" he could not do anything and her felt powerless to do anything. He could not think right and he was starting to panic. He took a few deep breathes waiting for something to happen to either her or the boy.

Winter fell.

Down, down, down until she was back in her non-existent body in Limbo. She blinked, Ar'ther seemed to be saying something. Confusion filled her. She recognised him but she couldn't remember who he was or how she got there. A dark creature placed strange food on her table. Right. Limbo. She smiled at the Empty One.

"Thank you." The soulless creature nodded vaguely. That was once a person like me. She wondered what it would be like to live an eternity with no ending or peace. She hoped the Empty Ones were truly empty, lost in an abyss without thought, sight nor action. She wouldn't mind being an Empty One if that was what being one meant. She doubted it, though.

The food she ordered glowed. The stone grass bruschetta was exactly that. Grass that looked like rocks on a pink piece of bread. The moonlight cocktail glowed with an eerie light the colour of her hair. She touched her lips to the glass and drank. The liquid was thick like honey and freezing cold. It felt like she was drinking liquid fairy dust. Moonlight. Winter liked it immediately. The strange bread-thing tasted a little weirder. The stone grass was crunchy and the bread had the texture of pudding. It was weird.

She ran her fingers down her silky pale hair - a habit she'd formed and inherited from her bipolar mother, she'd inherited it from her like everything else. Wintry eyes on Ar'ther and Kajou, she tilted her head to the side like a curious bird. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you two get here? I mean, how did you..." she was lost in her thoughts for a moment. "Die."

Then a chill ran down her spine. It was warm and tingly and she didn't know whether she should be afraid or relieved. She felt like she recognised the presence, like she was a part of it. But at the same time, it was completely foreign.

Winter turned around and her silver-blue eyes met those of iridescent yellow.

(( OOC: >.O so apparently even though I replied 5 days ago the site did not register the fact that I did sooo let just do this again xD ))

Alex blinked up at Story. "I suppose I mean introductions aren't so much my cup of tea as it is yours but if it chills out the new comer and it ends the drama I see no harm in it..." She stuffed her hands in her pockets and sighed.

((OOC: That right... two word reply... I just wanna die I have so much writers block and head-ache-ness x.x *dies* when I feel inspired you guys will get a super descriptive post but until then... heres all you get...sorryyy...))

Story

Her response made Him smile and He was soon following the crowd. His feet never touched the ground, which made movement quick and easy. He seemingly slid atop the earth, catching the current of the air and using it to propel him onward. Though, unsettling to those who aren't used to Him, no one couldn't deny the grace in which He moved. Though, disjointed and snappy, He slid quickly from one movement to the next, almost as if in dance. His laughter carried as He made His way closer towards the settlements. Why people needed housing was beyond Him. What use was there for shelter if one was dead? Housing was merely another way to create barriers, to lock oneself inside or to lock others out. Though trapped in theis world, He always sought out freedom and walls, no matter how they came, were confining.

As He made His way into the settlement He could see tiny masses of darkness sneaking back and forth between the shadows of buildings. They weren't fully visable, merely darting masses of darkness, which caught Story's attention. They didn't want to be seen, they were antsy. Something had caught their attention and He was curious as to what. He stopped and slid over towards the dark corners of the buildings. Whoever this newcomer was could wait. If His dark friends were aggitated He needed to know why. As if in trance, He stepped into a shadow, it's darkness devouring everything but His yellow eyes. He felt out their agitation in the darkness. They were hungry and they seemed to have found something promising. Intrigued, He stepped out from the shadow a few dark blobs following after, their movement quick and flighty. "Show me," He stated, waving the dark masses ahead. The shadows took off, jumping from one dark spot to the next, Story following close behind. It had been a while since He had truely lived, perhaps today He would. Catching His Darkling's aniticaption He quickened His pace, arriving just in time to see a girl with pure white hair turn to meet one of His contrasting dark shadows. "Hello," He bowed, the dark masses beside Him slowly gathering up from the ground and solidifying into their more humanesque forms, "You may call me Story, please tell me, what is yours?" His hungry eyes smiled upon the trio before him.

My feet touch cement as I watch the cars rush below the 20 storey building. The ground blurs together until there is no world left to go back to. I force my eyes open because this will be the last thing I see. Terror is a shivering, bitter force shoving me in but I know things will be better when I am dead.

I watch the passing drivers and I imagine someone coming to rescue me.

I imagine a magical prince on a horse and I don't even care if he's a prince or that he has a horse as long as he saves me.

I imagine someone holding me and taking me away to a beautiful place without suffering.

I hold my arms out and I imagine shattering into a million stars. I imagine flying - to a place without suffering.
And I imagine that's where I'm going.

A beautiful place without despair.

He was the sun.

It was strange, how different Winter was from him. He glowed gold yet he appeared to be drenched in darkness. He had blonde hair and eerie yellow eyes as Winter regarded him carefully with her eyes of icy blue. She realised she had quite the wild imagination or maybe it was real.

Somehow she didn't quite believe in such a strange reality.

An afterlife with pain.

"Hello," the man said. He was beautiful - frightening - but beautiful, she had to give him that. "You may call me Story, please tell me, what is yours?"

Winter stood and walked towards him, her silver hair fluttering gently behind her. She reached out a pale finger and held a lock of Story's blonde hair. It felt real. Tilting her head to the side to reveal a slim, soft neck, she whispered -

"I'm Winter."

She let go of his hair. "Are you an Empty One, too?" she asked, gesturing towards the dark figures surrounding him. "Why are you so bright? Which part of my imagination are you?" she winced, correcting herself. "I mean, why are you here?"

Story

It was the girl who responded first, although her method of introduction was a bit..odd. His eyes remained locked upon her in interest as she edged closer. The way she moved, seemed so fragile, as if a simple breath could shatter her. He smirked, imagining a scene as such. He'd never seen someone shatter before. Tentatively, she offered up her hand which caused Him to freeze. It wasn't often someone went out of their way to make physical contact and truth be told, He wasn't sure how to handle it. It was as if He and this girl had switched spots. The only time He truly touched someone was to take on their essence, so to speak. The reaction of being so close to something or someone which held so much life was almost too much to handle as is. Now, to experience touch without devouring her on the spot was a difficult notion. Thankfully, the awkward situation was avoided, since she continued onward and instead took a lock of His hair.

He relaxed and raised His eyebrows as she tilted her head. "I'm Winter." "Well," He spoke blatantly, remaining still as she held His hair, "Your name certainly doesn't suit you." From what He gathered, Winter was a harsh season. Cold. Unforgiving. He chuckled as He compared the name to the girl before him. She seemed too soft, too warm. Humans definitely have a way with irony. He crossed His arms when she released His hair and looked down at her, laughter escaping his lips. "Empty one?" He scoffed. If anything, the girl was amusing. Already, she had met the Darklings and seems completely unaffected by them. Then again, He assumed she was a recent arrival. Not many souls remained in a Darkling's presence, nor His for that matter. He slid around her, pulling up a chair and sat down into it. Using the table as a stool, he balances the chair upon the two back legs before noticing the plates of food. He frowns. Sad.. He found himself wondering, pushing the food with the tip of his toes, how some continue to torture themselves. Nonchalantly, He continued pushing the plate until it fell off the table. He stared at the pile of debris for a moment before looking to the girl. Better to cut to the chase. If this child thought she was dreaming, or hallucinating, or whatever, the quicker He broke that bubble the easier it would be."You're dead," He stated, his yellow eyes scanning over the girl and her companions. "Things like food?- they don't matter anymore. You have no need for nutrients. Don't torture yourself." He let his legs back upon the ground and stood with a theatrical bow, "Think of me as your 'Angel of Death'," He smirked at the name. Over-exaggerations were always fun, and humans were such a gullible and superstitious race, "I'm here to help you move on."

How do you move on when all you can do is hold still?

Winter regarded him with icy eyes - she didn't think it was possible but at that moment he looked even more lost than she was. She'd felt a spark of anger when he'd kicked the strange food from the table. It was disrespectful - however empty the Empty Ones were, she couldn't bring herself to think of them as soulless, uncaring creatures.

"You're dead," he'd said. So I've been told, she thought. "Don't torture yourself." She'd been torturing herself her entire life, it would be strange to give up now.

Story had looked at her curiously when he'd said her name didn't suit her. Winter felt otherwise. She was numb. Cold - and as volatile as a desert of snow.

Nudging Story's feet off the table, Winter embraced the blonde man. She wrapped her pale arms around him and pressed his head to her chest, letting her silver hair fall over his body. "Being the Angel of Death seems like a pretty lonely job, don't you think?" Her voice was soft, like cotton snowflakes. "You feel real," she mumbled.

A wave of despair washed over her - a heaviness that suffocated her very essence and choked her heart through her throat. She abruptly pulled back from the man with yellow eyes and doubled over, clutching herself as she knelt on the floor. You'd think bipolar disorders wouldn't exist in Limbo. That in afterlife, at the very least, she would not have pain. It was ironic how she jumped from the building to escape herself and her life, just to end up with an eternity of Winter and the never-ending spiral of memories from her life.

"I bet you cut yourself," he says and it takes all of me and more, and there is nothing to take. I laugh and cry a little inside. Die a little more and smile - "Of course not."

He looks at me and it's like one of those dreams where you're naked and I want to shove my guts in my mouth and burn in Heaven, rip my scalpel through my thigh, throw my skull at a window and let the pain in my body overwhelm the pain in my heart.

Winter's flawless arms are filled with scars - when she arrived in Limbo, it was as if she'd been made anew. Her body was not broken from the fall and the scars from her mother, from Kaiser, from herself - did not exist. As if thinking about it made it a reality, Winter bled - the cuts on her arms blooming red. She stared, shock keeping her still. I'm breaking.

Unknown to her, the scars and cuts that were hers when she was alive were all in her head. Perhaps others in Limbo could see them and perhaps they couldn't. But they were not real - because in Limbo she was pure. At least, her body was.

Winter was trapped. In a life that was now over, she was keeping herself from freedom. Winter did not want to let her past go, didn't want to let her mental illness go because she was afraid. If she was no longer the Broken Girl, what would she be?

Winter would not snow.

Story

The embrace was an unwanted surprise. No one hugged Him. They just didn't, thus her reaction towards Him was unprepared. His eyes grew wide as she pulled Him easily to her breast and suddenly it was as if a bomb had gone off in His head. It was too much. Everything He was fighting before became heightened: smell, hearing, taste, touch.. There was a reason He kept Himself at a distance. He could almost feel her very lifeforce ebbing over, wafting against His face like some cruel prank. "Being the Angel of Death seems like a pretty lonely job, don't you think?" His hands sprang up to her arms and He gripped them tightly as He resisted every instinct to just take her and everyone else out right there. It took every ounce of will to thrust her away and once He did, He stood instantly, enraged and terrified to become trapped in her arms again. He stumbled backwards as if drunk, knocking the chair and table over. His eyes were glowing matching the ferocity in His features.

It was a terrible confliction He was constantly under. He wanted to live. He wanted to escape this prison of a world, to make His own memories..to have an ending. He didn't want to live off others' essence. It was a difficult choice He made: to stay close, but not too close from the invaders who happened into His purgatory. It beat being alone, but not by much, especially when someone such as this girl pushed too far. Of course, playing 'Angel of Death' was lonely, His very existence was lonely, but people like her made it that much harder.. Darkness swept across the earth and gathered around Him, shadowing Him in a swirling cloud, which looked similar to ink in water. He thrust an accusing finger towards the girl as she sank to the ground, His body shaking as He still fought the urge to devour not only her, but everyone there. Darklings crawled out from every nook, every cranny which offered shadow and waited to see if they would be granted a new edition. "Don't..ever..touch me.." Story choked out, His rage, fear and desires conflicting within Himself.

His eyes pierced through the darkness surrounding Him as He stared upon each and every being there as if He couldn't tell friend from foe. With a violent shake of his head, he clenched His teeth and continued stepping backwards. He needed to be far away from living things for the moment and get Himself under control, thus He , along with His fellow Dark ones, disappeared within the shadows.