Veri hadn’t been lying. She wasn’t tired. She stared out the window beside her into the darkness and hoped her mother would go to bed quickly, though she knew no matter how long or short it took it wouldn’t be quick enough. And anyway, it wasn’t likely her mother would sleep anytime soon. She would sit up for hours making something in the dark kitchen, or maybe writing to Father, or more likely tonight working on whatever it was she had been knitting. Veri shook her head, frustrated. It wasn’t that she was really upset with her mother, just… impatient. Very impatient sometimes.

Oh well, she thought with a heavy sigh, at least I have my kitten to play with tonight. That’ll be better than having nothing to do.

“Kitty,” she whispered softly, bringing the animal up from the blankets. She set it on top of the thick quilt and fondled its tiny ears. The kitten still had its eyes closed as it had all day, and its black furry shape had a warm, glowing orange outline cast by the small glow of the fire.

“Kitty, are you ever going to let me see your eyes?” she whispered a little jokingly. “And are you going to do anything besides… l-lay… there…”

Veri found a black mist overtaking her thoughts, something that turned her cold and almost sick. She felt herself falling, falling out of bed, and she tried to grab onto the blankets to hold herself up, but they tumbled out of her grip as she began to fall faster into the darkness. Her mouth opened in an attempt to cry out for help, but nothing came – the blackness had come into her throat and was cold and choking.

All you can do is trust, a small voice mumbled into her thoughts. Trust, and fall.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to breathe, and she could feel the frigid wind that came from the speed of her fall cutting into her, melting her apart – she knew something terrible was happening – she could feel pain, but not her own pain––

Then the last bit of her melted away and she found, to her surprise, she was still falling. But now she could see dim shapes flying past her as she went down. Shapes she somehow vaguely recognized from long ago; but what they were, whatever she had thought about them before, she didn’t know that. All she knew was that she had to save herself from landing after her fall. And the shapes got in her way. She had to move them, or destroy them, do something so she wouldn’t hit any of them and break.

But how? her thoughts cried. I can’t even move!

Trust, the voice murmured again.

She gasped as an especially large form loomed ahead in the darkness and hurtled towards her. Apparently she could breathe again, but that didn’t matter now. Only that she could move again. She spread her arms wide and felt something even colder gathering at her chest. It scared her, but this time she could control it. She didn’t know exactly how to, but she knew she could. The shape grew closer and closer and—

She hit it, but the darkness around her protected her, and she didn’t feel anything as she passed through its form.

Now she was no longer afraid. She could go through anything.

She hurtled downwards, faster and faster, knowing that nothing could hurt her now. Faster, faster, faster. She hardly even noticed the blurred forms streaking past her sight. She could fall forever and not hit anything. She could go on and never stop.

Then there was something small far below her. A prick of light. She felt herself slowing as if the light was resisting her, pushing her back, but she forced herself to keep falling.

As she drew closer, she felt winds blowing in every direction, radiating out from the point of light. That must have been what was holding her back. She pushed on, though, even though a strange feeling crept over her form… as if she were becoming solid again… and it hurt. The pain angered her and she called up the darkness, so calm and cold and silent in contrast to the piercing, searing light, to cover her again so she could go through this too.

Nothing happened. Tattered shreds and tendrils of darkness swirled around her and she tried to pull them over herself, but they melted away as soon as she got anywhere close to succeeding. She wanted to go back.

I trust you! I trust you! she cried, shutting her eyes and turning her face away from the fiery pain. I trust you! Don’t let me touch it! Don’t! Don’t! I trust you! I—trust—you!!