pre-mortem // arctic [blitz]

The crowd clears and the first person I'm looking for is Mitchell.

We survived.

But who knows how much longer until we're finally free.

Another year of this and the mood blankets the district like a heavy fog all over again. Everyone holds their tongues in this moment and are afraid to look at each other's faces, instead it's like how I always end up when I get too sad during my personal search for everyone's bright spirits.

We just exist.

Going back to work and making professional exchanges without our souls laced in our words, back to the mills and to the classrooms and it's like everyone's a stranger and they can't bring themselves to break the ice.

Always like this.

And it always comes and goes but it never ends, it's a rollercoaster of emotion and I want to get off this ride for good.

But will we ever?

They're gonna be even sadder than the usual today, for awhile, so all I know right now is that I want to be away from it before it keeps affecting me more than it already is.

And thankfully, this time, I have him to accompany.

I hope he at the very least doesn't mind that.

I spot his dark hair, and beard, and eyes and I raise my hand in greeting to him before walking over and taking his side as we step in unison. A silent wish for the girl and the boy who gave up his life for the one-handed Oak to have it be as painless as possible and to be able to rest in peace, my own gaze then goes to study his expression, windows to the soul and I want to see what his says before it suppresses itself with everybody else's in light of the occasion.

"How are you feeling?"

Like I want to sleep forever.