Her radiant red eyes trace his pallid skin. He slumbers on a bed of white flowers. Albino serpents crawl alongside them. Her laughter strikes his chest. Voice ringing in his ears.
”It’s okay… You can open your eyes."
His fingers twitch. Muscles constrict. Eyelids flutter. Pupils dilate. A mirror idling above. His reflection staring back. Split down the middle. Eyes dark and cavernous.
He shudders. ”What is this?" Throat tight. "Who are you?"
She leans over. Hair spilling, tickling his cheeks and staining the white bed in red. A delighted gaze stretched from ear to ear. She balances his head on her thighs. ”I am your only friend." Spotless teeth. "You belong to me."
He stares. ”Friend?"
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Her eyes flicker. "I am your only friend.” She brushes a thumb over his cheek. "You belong to me.”
His eyelids lower. "I belong to you."
She sighs. "Good boy..." And brushes her hair from his face.
He sleeps.
Her red eyes watch his chest rise and fall. White serpent scales flake into speckled brown. Flowers twist and green spills out. She laughs. He jolts.
“It's okay… You can open your eyes.”
He gasps. A mirror cracks. His reflection looks away. He groans and rubs his eyes. ”What happened?"
She leans over, hair spilling and snakes hissing. “I am your only friend. You belong to me.”
He shifts. ”You’re my friend?"
She frowns. ”You belong to me."
He shudders. ”I belong to you?"
She nods. “You belong to me.”
His eyes close. “I belong to…”
He scrambles in a field of swaying green grass. A yellow sun burns through an endless horizon. Low looming clouds cast shadows across the field. She idles in the sunlight. Her brown hair flows through the wind, reaching back at him.
She breathes. “Zachariah…” Then turns and the sunlight blocks out her face. “You're awake.” Her slender arms wrap around his shoulders.
He freezes. “Mom?”
Her hold tightens. “To think you were gone so long. No end to what you missed—and what missed you."
