For days the rains fell, soaking the already saturated earth. Galena had gone off to gather fallen pine boughs when the flood waters broke loose. They crashed down the mountain side and in a mad panic she'd scrambled up the nearest pine tree. Moments later the force of the water crashed through the forest, she heard the tree she was clinging to crack and then it was like the world suddenly slowed. All she could think about was how this was impossible as she felt herself fall.

Galena hit the cold water, the force of the rapids pulling her under, debris swirling past her. She kept her eyes closed at first but then forced herself to open them as her legs flailed, trying to pull her to the surface or catch onto something, anything! She could see bubbles racing past. Was that from her? She really needed that air!

The force of the water carrying her made it nearly impossible to get to the surface. She could it pounding into her back as she tried to hold what little air she had left. She could feel herself starting to black out. Was this it? Was this really how it was going to end for her? So close to being able to strike out on her own?

Something snagged Galena's right arm, yanking it painfully up. The motion got her head above water and she coughed violently. Her arm was pinned in the crook of a large redwood tree, where a great branch met the trunk. Galena scrambled with the last bit of strength and lay her belly upon the branch, limbs draping over the sides as she coughed and shivered. Below her the water continued to race down along its path.

Dagrún didn't see it coming. She heard the sound of cracking branches as the rain fell harder and harder. She did her best to get out of the way but there simply wasn't enough time. A wave better place in the ocean than the shore struck her, forcing her down under the water. The evening sky was dark, obscured by clouds to the point she could barely tell which way was up.

Dag fought her way to the surface only for another waye to pummel her back down. She was tossed and turned, over and over. She knew she couldn't hold her breath forever, yet try as she might she just couldn't break the surface. When she was almost there, so close to fresh air, there was a loud crack and an explosion of pain through her head. Then only darkness.

——

It was quiet here, dark… peaceful compared to the beating of the waves that had occurred a moment before. She felt herself press up against something, like some sort of veil, before she slipped out of her body. Looking down she could see herself, caught between a crevice and a crooked pine tree as the water rushed around her, her head bobbing limply. So… she was dead. This wasn't at all how she wanted to go, but what could be done now? Dagrún found she wasn't terribly sad about it. She felt as if her senses were expanding. She could feel that she wasn't alone.

Out of the corner of her eye Dagrún a beautiful butterfly with turquoise wings fluttering through the storm as if completely unbothered by the winds that should have shredding it. It landed next to her head. Wings fluttering before it took to the air again and landed on her chest. It didn't speak though she understood what it seemed to imply. She had to go back into her body. Dagrún's face contorted. Back there? Surely not! The butterfly took off, flying next to her spiritual face and landing on her shoulder. She took it as a reassuring gesture and got the sense that she had some sort of purpose she was supposed to fulfill. Before she could ask anymore there was a shooting pain through her chest.

—-

Dag's eyes flashed open as filthy water poured out of her mouth. She coughed and spat, her ears ringing so loud she almost didn't ear the squeaking yells of the pup that was trying to scramble off of her.

Galena felt like it was ages before the water finally stopped flowing. It stilled, leaving forest debris scattered everywhere, the remnants of water slowly meandering down the rest of the way. Mud was smeared everywhere and she didn't see any sign of Tsuga. Galena whimpered, shivering on her branch as she called out in her raspy, squeaky voice. "Tsuga? TSUGAAAA!" Galena coughed at the cold air. The wind was moving through now making the cold worse and she knew she needed to get down out of this tree but she was still so petrified she couldn't quite bring herself to let go. Peering down into the dark a beam of moonlight fell on a rocky outcrop below the pine tree where she saw a woman laying there.

Galena's stomach flipped. Oh spirits, was it a body? Her ears flicked back and she swallowed hard. Galena shifted in the tree to get a better look but as she crept out beyond her branch it suddenly snapped. Galena screamed as she fell, landing on the woman's chest with a thud. Water burst out of the woman's mouth and she started to cough.

"Oh! Oh! I'm so sorry, I-I th-th-th the tree!" Galena wailed as she scrambled off the older woman, trying to get her words to come out in the right order.

Existence was pain, that was all that ran through her head as her lungs stretched to take in air before forcefully expelling the remaining water. There was a form on top of her but she barely registered what was happening let alone the voice that was squeaking at her. She didn't remember death supposing to be this painful. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember much at all.

Dagrún opened one emerald eye, blinking wearily at the world around her before her sight finally fixed on a pair of turquoise butterflies… wait… no… eyes, those were eyes. There was a girl staring fretfully down at her.

Dag tried to speak but her throat felt like it was cramping and a raspy noice was all that came out. Well, fuck that then. She closed her eye and instead focused on her breathing.