got hurt. Unless you count the flowers.”
“The what?”
“I’m gonna change.” I move to the bedroom and open the little closet, flipping through the various outfits I’ve collected. It’s been a regrettably long and lazy time since I’ve done laundry. John will often take it upon himself to wash our clothes. He used to do it back when he was less of a guest and more of a prisoner in this house. I guess he was so bored back then, washing and hanging our clothes to dry in the bathroom was a welcome break from the monotony of hiding-for-his-life all day long.
I coax each foot into a long black boot and negotiate my hair into a white bird’s nest resting on my shoulders, then pull a silken thing the color of sapphires with blue-white wintry sleeves from the closet. It looks more like an ice witch costume than a dress, but Jasmine made it for me using a machine at Hilda’s shop—poor Hilda—and I figure it’d be a kind gesture to wear it to her party. Even if I look half a zombie princess.
“Ready?” I ask John, making for the door.
I don’t hear his response, but suddenly the bottle he was nursing is forgotten and he’s following me.
The crowd outside is oblivious to us. Every grouping seems caught in the middle of telling some hilarious joke or riveting story, no one paying mind.
Just as I’m pushing open the front door, a man on the porch grabs my arm, his voice wiggling with excitement, and he shouts, “I saw it, I saw it, the glow in the sky!”
“The what?”
“The glow! It isn’t a winter’s on its way, no, it’s a fire! The forests are burning and we’re next, we’re next!”
“Say what?”
And then Jasmine’s come between us, her wise eyes flashing. “Don’t mind the crazy Living on my porch. Even the other Humans pay him no mind.” She leans in and whispers, “ I didn’t invite him. Come inside!”
“Thanks,” I say, despite the crazy man’s continued pleading and imploring. “A fire, he was saying?” I ask to Jasmine when she’s shut the door behind us.
“My rabbit, you’re wearing the thing I made you!” She slaps a hand to her cheek, overjoyed for a moment. She doesn’t seem to know what to say. “You look … oh, who am I kidding? It’s not Halloween and you look ready to stir a cauldron full of children. I’m sorry.”
“I think it’s sexy,” I remark anyway, “in that, y’know, zombie princess sort of way.”
“Oh!” She laughs, puts a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Please, rabbit … don’t use that sort of language. There’s Humans around and you’ll give them a fright. Oh, look who’s here!”
I turn to find Marigold standing there. She looks no less cheery than when I last saw her, wearing a proud necklace that looks made of toes.
“Are we sure it’s not Halloween?” I ask tentatively.
“Good evening, John and Winter!” cries Marigold, her chin jiggling and her eyes glowing from the yellow makeup with which she’s decorated them. “I hear you three are due to set out on quite an adventure on the morrow! Such a shame I can’t join you. I’ve been ever so bored. Oh, that reminds me! In addition to my arm, I’ve made a project of my legs. The bones are made of steel now and the left one can fold out into a makeshift sword and emergency nail file. I’m calling it my Legsword! Or my Legfile, I haven’t decided. I’m still waiting on a response from the patent office. Just kidding, those don’t exist! Wanna see??”
She’s already hiking her dress halfway up her knees when I quickly grab her hands to stop her. “No, no, thank you, Marigold, thank you. Maybe you can, uh, pop your legs off for us another time, yeah?” I suggest.
She shrugs, seeming only slightly disappointed. “So boring with no new Raises,” she complains. “I really wanted to try attaching functional fingers to my forehead. You know, just for fun!” She picks at her nails excitedly.
“No new Raises?” The question comes from Jasmine, her eyebrows
“The what?”
“I’m gonna change.” I move to the bedroom and open the little closet, flipping through the various outfits I’ve collected. It’s been a regrettably long and lazy time since I’ve done laundry. John will often take it upon himself to wash our clothes. He used to do it back when he was less of a guest and more of a prisoner in this house. I guess he was so bored back then, washing and hanging our clothes to dry in the bathroom was a welcome break from the monotony of hiding-for-his-life all day long.
I coax each foot into a long black boot and negotiate my hair into a white bird’s nest resting on my shoulders, then pull a silken thing the color of sapphires with blue-white wintry sleeves from the closet. It looks more like an ice witch costume than a dress, but Jasmine made it for me using a machine at Hilda’s shop—poor Hilda—and I figure it’d be a kind gesture to wear it to her party. Even if I look half a zombie princess.
“Ready?” I ask John, making for the door.
I don’t hear his response, but suddenly the bottle he was nursing is forgotten and he’s following me.
The crowd outside is oblivious to us. Every grouping seems caught in the middle of telling some hilarious joke or riveting story, no one paying mind.
Just as I’m pushing open the front door, a man on the porch grabs my arm, his voice wiggling with excitement, and he shouts, “I saw it, I saw it, the glow in the sky!”
“The what?”
“The glow! It isn’t a winter’s on its way, no, it’s a fire! The forests are burning and we’re next, we’re next!”
“Say what?”
And then Jasmine’s come between us, her wise eyes flashing. “Don’t mind the crazy Living on my porch. Even the other Humans pay him no mind.” She leans in and whispers, “ I didn’t invite him. Come inside!”
“Thanks,” I say, despite the crazy man’s continued pleading and imploring. “A fire, he was saying?” I ask to Jasmine when she’s shut the door behind us.
“My rabbit, you’re wearing the thing I made you!” She slaps a hand to her cheek, overjoyed for a moment. She doesn’t seem to know what to say. “You look … oh, who am I kidding? It’s not Halloween and you look ready to stir a cauldron full of children. I’m sorry.”
“I think it’s sexy,” I remark anyway, “in that, y’know, zombie princess sort of way.”
“Oh!” She laughs, puts a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Please, rabbit … don’t use that sort of language. There’s Humans around and you’ll give them a fright. Oh, look who’s here!”
I turn to find Marigold standing there. She looks no less cheery than when I last saw her, wearing a proud necklace that looks made of toes.
“Are we sure it’s not Halloween?” I ask tentatively.
“Good evening, John and Winter!” cries Marigold, her chin jiggling and her eyes glowing from the yellow makeup with which she’s decorated them. “I hear you three are due to set out on quite an adventure on the morrow! Such a shame I can’t join you. I’ve been ever so bored. Oh, that reminds me! In addition to my arm, I’ve made a project of my legs. The bones are made of steel now and the left one can fold out into a makeshift sword and emergency nail file. I’m calling it my Legsword! Or my Legfile, I haven’t decided. I’m still waiting on a response from the patent office. Just kidding, those don’t exist! Wanna see??”
She’s already hiking her dress halfway up her knees when I quickly grab her hands to stop her. “No, no, thank you, Marigold, thank you. Maybe you can, uh, pop your legs off for us another time, yeah?” I suggest.
She shrugs, seeming only slightly disappointed. “So boring with no new Raises,” she complains. “I really wanted to try attaching functional fingers to my forehead. You know, just for fun!” She picks at her nails excitedly.
“No new Raises?” The question comes from Jasmine, her eyebrows
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