Everything glowed. Red and orange echoed along the walls, their warm light reverberating through the cave. Kiwi stood up wonderingly, eyes searching for a meaning. Stalagmites and stalactites grew from the ceilings and floors, and an endless sizzling filled the room, as the dripping water burned in the flames. Beads of sweat lined Kiwi’s forehead, and her mouth was parched and dry from the heat. Suddenly a soft hissing filled her ears. Menacingly it stretched from all directions, the sound of hissing snakes.

They appeared quickly, slithering from all sides. The warm light bounced oddly off their black scales, rebounding and shimmering around them. Kiwi backed away carefully as they came towards her, though there is no where to back away to when you’re surrounded. Their progress slowed, and they came to a stop some twenty feet from Kiwi. They coiled themselves up into tight rolls, and rested their majestic heads on the smooth floor. Watching the flames. Their eyes glinting hungrily. Their soft  voices burning holes in Kiwis mind. She dropped to her knees, but felt no fear. Just the endless wondering.

The hissing grew louder, a new voice among the snakes. The flames were falling down into blackness, spiraling into the scaly form of a huge serpent, sizzling as it twisted around and around.. Kiwis lip pulled up instinctively around pointed teeth, snarling a low tone of defiance. Her spine coiled upwards, her shoulders hunched forward. Her sharp nails dug furrows into the stone floor. She squinted her eyes threateningly, though her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she crouched in front of the massive body of the snake.

It wound around her, not touching her, but the closeness rose the hairs on Kiwis neck. The basilisk came to rest with his face in front of hers. His black tongue slide out, tasting her scent. She stood rigid. His black eyes burned into hers, reflecting only the flames behind her. It mesmerized her somehow. She swayed slowly, still crouching. She unfurling, the snake before its master, though she was more human than he. He hissed very softly, and then began to speak.

“do you know why you are here?” every word was laced with power, meaning making them sturdy. “I betrayed the ways of God..” Kiwi whispered, still swaying, bound to the snakes black gaze. Not even realizing what she was saying, for she wasn’t even sure what she believed. “there is no God,” the snake whispered, crooning softly, hissing furiously. “not here.” he wasn’t even speaking, not really. But Kiwi could understand.

“where am I?” Kiwi asked, somewhat snapping out of the trance, though she could feel it pulling at the edges of her mind. The snake squinted mockingly. “you already know.” and Kiwi did know, though she didn’t want to say it. Her gaze fell to the floor. “where is he? Where is Alex?” her voice broke into a whisper. “ha,” the snake barked, revealing sharp fangs. “if he were here, you wouldn’t truly be in hell, would you?” a stab of fire burned her being. “where is he!?” Kiwi hissed, taking a step forward.

The snake slithered back, mocking her movements. Enjoying her pain. “he is not here.” he crooned, almost singing. “he doesn’t belong here..” Kiwi felt her spine uncurl. There was no need for defense, she was already dead. But her teeth remained bared. “take me to him!” she hurled each word toward the snake, shrieking hysterically, wishing they would puncture him like knives.

He turned his gaze onto Kiwi, measuring her up. His black eyes glinted briefly with emotion. He shook his head, clearing it of thought. His eyes now squinting with malice. “there is no going back. There is no second chances. He is there, you are here. You will never see him again.” the devil chuckled very softly. His body throwing back the light. And very slowly, the fire burned. And the small black snakes uncurled their bodies, and slithered silently away, into the flames.

The cave sparkled strangely as the stars filled Kiwis eyes and poured down her face.






Pigeon stumbled weakly through the reflective maze. Trapped and walled in by mirrors. There was no escapes. The shadow followed her, matched her step for step. Why wouldn’t it just go away? Of course, it would never go away. She knew it deep down. But for now, the creature had gobbled up her own shadow, the one that reflected her onto the floor, and replaced it with its form. And now she would never be alone. Pigeon closed her eyes, still walking, and waited for sleep to come..

She failed to notice the shattered mirrors around her, reflecting broken light around the hallway. She failed to notice anything at all, until she stepped forward, through the pieces, as though stepping through the waves.





Kiwi sensed brightness and opened her eyes. She was laying deeply nestled in grass sparkling with dew, completely hidden to her surroundings. The cold wetness didn’t touch her, evaporating on contact with her skin. She sat up slowly, wondering how she escaped the cave, and wondering when she fell asleep. The grass waved silently.

Cool blades arched above her head,  framing Kiwi in a soft, green canopy. Securing her. Holding her back from the nightmare. A puzzled frown spread along her face. She was sure that she wasn’t dreaming.

She looked up hungrily, searching for the sun. She couldn’t see it, but the sky was bright. A monarch flew across it, orange standing out from the white, kissing the suns rays with its wings… Kiwi leapt up frantically, ready to rip the butterfly to shreds, but she saw her surroundings clearly for the first time and froze. She knew this place. She dreamt of it a thousand times, with grass bleached white by the sun.

How dare they? Kiwi was blinded by tears and anger. How dare they torment her with this place? She had never been here, and now she was. But now, she knew that she would never see Alex again. Everything was pointless without him. Kiwi curled up and rested her head on her knees, letting her hair fall over her face and black out the light. And for a moment, she let herself wallow in her misery.

Kiwi woke hours later. The sun was still straight up in the sky. She wasn’t angry anymore, though she couldn’t say she wasn’t sad. But more than anything, she was numb. Completely numb to her surroundings. She stood back up and walked gently through the waves of grass, going no where in particular. And as she walked, she felt as if she left a part of herself behind her. The sobbing, weeping girl was gone. Replaced by a stone, hard and cold and without emotion.

She continued steadily through the field, the grass tickling her legs and her hair flying in her face. A white dress flowed out behind her. She didn’t even notice. She didn’t want to. It would make everything hurt so much worse.

The sun brightened suddenly, blinding Kiwi. She squinted, her cat-eyes sensitive to the light. The sun was shaking slowly, a metronome in the sky. And then it fell. Shooting toward the meadow.

Kiwi leapt back, hissing under her breath, as the sun landed silently in the field. It wasn’t the sun, she was sure. But It was something not of earth. A star, a greater power, something more than light.

She crept forward stealthily on four legs, wariness showing in her limbs. She was used to this, for she had feline senses in times of danger. Thinking about it, she knew that’s what she had been in another life. The could feel it, and was sure she was right. She peered, eagerly now, through the grass. She wasn’t scared. She just knew that the light offered her safety. Her green eyes glowed with a new light.

The brightness was dimming, shedding off layers. Kiwi stared, wide eyed. Large, black wings unfurled, shining silky in the sunlight. The figure huddled on the ground, head down. But Kiwi knew him anywhere.

She ran to embrace him. “Alex.” she breathed softly in his ear. A low rumbling escaped her throat and she hugged him tighter. He was so warm. He hugged her back as though his life depended on it. For the third time that day, tears fell silently down Kiwis cheeks. She lifted Godzillas head and looked into his eyes, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck, her body still pressed against his. He raised a hand and placed it gently on her cheek. It burned pleasantly where it rested. Everything burned. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips softly to his, everything blurred. She was so dizzy.

She was the first to pull away, all she could do was stare at him. “I told you that I would follow you anywhere.” he said. His voice smooth and low, laced with happiness. “I’ve missed you so much.” Kiwi just stared, his voice melting her heart. “I’ve missed you too..” she whispered. Though it sounded so meaningless, it was true, and she wished he knew how much she meant it.

He laughed his booming laugh. “what?” Kiwi smiled. He always laughed for no apparent reason. He flexed his wings. Kiwi stroked one softly. She had forgotten that they were there. She looked back to his eyes and he stared back worriedly. “what??” she persisted, still smiling. The worry wiped off his face, replaced by a wide grin. “I’ve had a long flight.” Kiwi laughed. “um.. What’s up with the wings, anyway?” “I have no idea.” he said, smiling. “what’s up with the teeth?” Kiwi laughed again, and poked a pointed tooth with her tongue. “im not sure. They’re only this way sometimes. I think it happens when im hungry.” she poked him playfully in the ribs. This wasn’t the first time she realized he didn’t have a shirt on.

He laughed and rested his chin on her head, sighing softly. Kiwi pulled away and looked up at him. “how did you really get here?” she asked quietly. He looked at her wonderingly. “I don’t know.. I wanted to leave. They said I was in heaven, but I wasn’t. they wouldn’t let me see you.” Kiwi looked down, hiding a smile, mixed with a frown. “alex,” she said, almost sternly. “you didn’t have to leave because of me.”  he lifted her chin, staring into her eyes. “what kind of heaven would I be in if you weren’t there beside me?” Kiwi didn’t answer, she could only remember what it had been like for her. And it wasn’t heaven, it was hell.

She looked back to his wings, which were tucked to his back, shining a purple sheen in the bright light . He laughed again, and stood up, taking Kiwi with him. He stretched out his wings and wrapped his arms tightly around her. “Alex! Alex, don’t-” but it was to late, he flexed his legs and shot into the white sky. And they both soared straight up and out of sight, his booming laugh echoing pleasantly around the meadow.