Looking for the Daylight

The night had been rough for young Andy but she found comfort in the form of a ghost. It had not been her mother, who the lavender pup had sought to bring back, but the girl still found acceptance and love in the ethereal wolf named Zuriel. Out here, on the plains that the stars kiss, Andromeda had her the first restful night of sleep since her mother had left the family. Slumber had embraced her as if she was an old friend, swaddling her in sweet dreams of times past and happy moments that will never come.

Zuriel had said she would be with her as long as she could and, when a gentle voice stirs her mind into wakefulness, the pup’s first thought is of that sweet mother. A paw gently rubs her back and the girl lets out a soft purr of happiness as she stretches her back into the touch. With her eyes still firmly shut, the pup slurs out, “Zuriel?” Her mouth feels like it is stuffed with cotton and yet slimly and thick at the same time and her throat is sore from the sobs that that had ripped through her last night.

As she slowly makes her way out of dreamland, her deep slumber still trying to hold her down, Andromeda begins to try and stretch her limbs. Unintelligible noises leave her mouth as she moves, trying to press back into the gentle touch as works to open her eyes at the same time. Finally, two small slits of pale blue greet the dawning day and the girl blinks her bleary eyes while turning to see who has awoken her.

A blurry tan and turquoise form greets the girl and she immediately sucks in a breath, heart jumping into her throat as her first coherent thought of the day is, ‘My wish came true’. Weakly, voice crackling from exhaustion and thinly veiled hope, Andy calls out, “Mommy?” Quickly, she lifts a paw to swipe at the thick crusty bits that have formed in the corners of her eyes from all the tears that she had shed.

She wants to see her mom clearly and the purple pup fiercely scrubs at her eyes to rid them of any lingering blurriness before she turns her gaze up to the woman who has awoken her. Joy and excitement lift her features as her eyes roam up and find… her sister. All at once, her features melt, sadness pulling everything down as she realizes that, once again, her hope has led her to foolishly see her mother where she wants.

Big, round eyes look up to Briar, despair tugging the edges around them down as she softly asks, “Why did she have to leave us?” Whether Andy means Zuriel or Zee, the pup herself does not know. The sudden realization that she just wants someone to not leave her slams into the pup and her shoulders hunch under the pressure of loneliness.


"Andromeda Fatalis"