Rumble, Crackle — Bang!

Do the clouds fiercely roar. It was truly a night to be feared.. The ambience of the droplets make things all the more eerily soothing.

"Mum, when will the rain go away?" Asked the frail young lady

"Honey, that I don't know. How about we let you sleep? I'll sing you a bedtime sing to help you calm down... How about it dear?"

"Mhmmm hmm... Okay Mummy"

And thus, morning came. The rain cleared out... All's left are damped leaves... The beautiful color of Autumn returned and it was another typical day for the little girl.

"Hey cupcake, c'mere, Daddy's got a surprise for you! I made you.... Ta da! A swing."

— There hang, the swing, her dearest dad, built... In the deciduous sturdy looking willow tree. Roughly a few meters far from their house.

Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak, the swing slides ever so continuously...

"Daddy, this is very fun!! Thank you!"

"Daddy's a capable man! enjoy my gift to my one and only daughter!... Well then, daddy's off to do some chores with Mommy, so have fun! Remember, don't wander off too far okay?"

"Okay, daddy! I love daddy!"

"Mhmm.. Sweet"

Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak

The girl swung, and swung, in the swing. Spending her day playing. Until it was noontime.

"Dear, come back to the house. It's already evening. You could play again tomorrow if you want."

"Okay daddy."

Brrzzzzzbrrzzzzbrrzzzzbrrzzzzz — The cicada's cries resonate deeply within the forest.

"Hi again, swing!"

Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak

"Hello..." A voice, as soft as cotton, despondent, devoid of life, spoke.

"Wow! Daddy's amazing! He made a talking swing!"

From behind the tree, appeared, a melancholic young girl appeared.

"No, I was not made, I was buried... Do you want to play? With me? Forever?"

"Mhmmmhmm. I wanna play! I wanna play! can you swing me?"

"I will..."

Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak

"Be careful dear. Don't swing up very high" Said, the ever so caring mother.

"Okay mommy! — Can you slowwie the swing?"

"No... Okay"

"Thank you! What is your name?"

"I am... my name, is..... My... Name.. What.... Name.... Ahahahaha! My name.... What... Was it... Kill.... Death... Forever... Friends..." With disorganized thoughts, from a melancholic-toned voice, to a haphazard, mysterious laugh, and back to a a sorrowed melody, she replied.

"What is Kill and Death?"

"..."

"Hmmmm... So you forgot your name? Forever, you said. Do you want to be my Best Friend Forever?"

"Forever... Yes.... Friends..."

"— Cupcake, it's already late, come back inside." Her dad, interrupting the conversation seemed to have made the young girl upset... Not in how a normal person gets upset with.

"Daddy is calling me, bye now BFF! I will come back again tomorrow!"

In the passing days, the young lady along with her friend, kept on conversing and that caught her parents' attention.

Approaching closely, her mom asked:

"Who are you talking to dear?"

"My BFF! She's right at your side mommy! She said she wants to be with me forever!"

"Mhmm, that's sweet! Can you introduce me to your friend then?"

"She said she has no name."

"Oh my, what an oddball. Then should we call her Kate?"

"Kate! She said she likes it!"

"Very well, Kate, please stay by my daughter's side forever, and protect her okay?" Softly did the mother instruct Kate as she figured Kate, was non-existent... Just something — A pigmentation of her daughter's wild imaginations.

"Mhmm!"

And so, the mom, left, assured...

"See? Mommy is so very kind right? You don't need to Hate mommy"

"They take... Take, Best friend..."

"No they don't I will be forever with you"

"Forever..."

Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak

"Higher! Yay!"

"Higher!"

"More Higher!"

Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak

"Ouch!" — Thud

"Dear!"

"Cupcake!"

Worried for life, her parents rushed right in to help her.

"Are you okay?"

"You're bleeding!"

"Let's go back to the house! Daddy, for now, take off the swing! We should let her rest!"

"Yeah, that I should do. Hang in there cupcake, we're gonna treat you in a bit."

Proceeding into the house, Kate was left alone... Alone... In solitude...

"Forever! They took her!" Ferocious like a wild animal, she rambled.

"They took her! Took her! Will pay!... Will Pay!"

Meanwhile, inside their house, the parents treating their child gently became very anxious.

"Dear... About the swing, I let daddy take it off. It's too dangerous for you."

"But mummy, my bestfriend, she will be alon—"

"— No buts!"

"But..."

"..."

"Okay..."

Disheartened, being left with no choice, the young lady was forced to stay away from the swing..

The following day, she sat all day, at their front porch... Staring at the willow tree... Deprived of the swing that she so loved dearly... There she saw...

"Kate! You're here!"

"Come back... Night..."

"At night? Night is scary... And Mum and Dad will scold me"

"Night... Not scary... Best friend protect..."

Thus, both conceded to the other's demands.

Screech — Coo-coo

...The night time whispers... Calmly...

"Kate! You made a swing!"

"Sit... I... Swing you" Ever said so in a light voice with a tint of grim joy.

Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak

"Higher! Higher! Higher!"

Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak—Creak

Whoosh—Bang—Thud

"Stay forever"

The frail child.... Awoke... Not in a Body of Flesh, but in a body... Devoid of life. Her parents, without any knowledge, had had their precious daughter lost... for all "Eternity".

"Am I gonna be with you forever?"

"Yes"

As the days... Weeks... Months... Years... Had passed, Both existences attracted unnatural occurrences. With the frail girl's death, her parents, fell into depression and mysteriously disappeared...

As many centuries walked by, unusual weather—Unusual eeriness—Unusual surroundings. One thing, led upon the other. The Willow tree, ever once so deciduously lively, grew ever taller —Taller than any other tree, one can normally imagine, and has turned into something so bleak and barren — Lifeless.

With the swing's wide seat, both sat on it perfectly well... Very high up... Covering each other, back to back. Their silhouettes — completely aligned. As if... An ambiguous figure. Neither facing forward, neither backwards. The willow tree where the swing hold on to — Its leaves... Like smooth hair, sways elegantly.

Both sang...

"Bigger does the Tree grow! Happy is our day! Kate and I, we will Play! In this never-ending place! We will never be unhappy and our life will never be.... Melancholic"

They sang, repeatedly. Suffering isolation... Eternally

— Melancholia