The Descent

by Shecells

Dying. A concept I’ve been preparing for from the moment I felt myself reaching to break through the surface. Yet, as I await the end, I ponder if it was enough. We have all heard the whispers through the wind of how our short existence comes to a halt. We have all witnessed the final gust that befalls the others. It has been said that our death does not come quickly, that you have to fight until you are begging for that final moment. The lucky ones make it until the frost crawls through the branches, awaiting to fall along with the snow. Landing on the soft white blanket is a far cry from the bodies of the others.

Fortune is not on my side. Though the skies have grown darker each night, it will be many rotations until the first snowfall. I can feel the last few threads of my being struggling to hold on as the winds hasten. I could have given in long ago; I’ve already said goodbye to my closest companions as they severed themselves from our home. I envy their credence of our inevitable departure, but cannot find myself having the same willingness to concede. Will I have the strength when the time comes?

As I feel the frigid cold descend slowly upon me, a harsh wind billows through the Oak. I hear a deafening sound as a branch fractures from the powerful elemental. It is my branch that is one breath away from crashing down. I realize that this is it. I start to panic and try to muster the strength to stretch the last of my fibers as I feel the instability of the branch. Since the first time I awoke to the rays of the Provider, I’ve known my purpose. Expand. Draw in. Release. A whole life of servitude was given to the Oak, and now as I desperately cling to all I’ve ever known, I feel the unanswered questions begin to rise. I don’t have much time to let the thoughts evolve before I feel the branch bow and snap.

I attempt to elongate my membranes to slow the descent as the wind threatens to tear my paper skin. The effort was futile, and I feel the sharpness of the cold air pierce through me. A high pitched note sings across my being, I can focus on nothing else but that sound. When I finally force my attention back to the world around me, I try to take in the view. Whirring hues of color I’ve never seen before overwhelm my vision before I slam into something hard. I float towards the ground on my back as I gaze upon the dark expanse above me. The twinkles of light in the night sky blur together, until all goes black.