Two

The woman in black staggered on, trekking through the forest that seemed to go on forever. Her skin was sticky, the fabric clinging to the sweat that secreted off her red, irritated skin. The black colors of her clothes absorbed the light, making her even hotter than she would normally be. The pink had turned to greens, yellows and limes, and the once beautiful flowers that stood up tall were now beginning to droop, lacking the water they preciously needed. The woman in black was also lacking this important necessity.

Her trekking became slower and slower until she stopped, too tired and too hot to go on. She felt like giving up, there’s no use in continuing if the stars are to continue to break her down until she crumples down to nothing, chunks of her fried flesh sitting out as a snack for the wild animals that could survive in the heat. She lay there, breathing in and out, in and out, her throat stinging with every exhale.

Until a leaf, crippled and decaying like her, fell slowly onto her nose.