Tarnished

Softness caressing my skin; comforting, loving....
A buzzing under my belly; hungry, stimulating...
The ache in my groin growing, slow to cover the one in my chest.

Coldness fills my lungs; gasping, shuddering...
Momentum building up; grasping, slipping...
At the moment of ecstasy, my heart searches and finds nothing.

Wetness between my fingers; musky, cloying...
An aching behind my eyes; yearning, leaking...
My cheeks cool and my world fades; Sleep has come for me alone.

You never know

Neffydd gazed at her reflection and touched the spots on the side of her face. They were puffy and sore; reminders of the illness she didn't really want to deal with, yet. She didn't think she ever wanted to deal with it, but soon she would have to start getting things in order...

She blew her nose. Blood, again. That couldn't be good, either. Ugh. Her body ached, most of the time, now; so badly, at times, that she could barely walk, let alone fly. There was no food she could consume a great quantity of trying to eat more than a couple ounces at a time hurt, too.

She remembered a conversation with the physicker, who was overseeing her care. Fifteen years... Thirty if she took extra good care of herself. She might get to see her youngest graduate from higher learning. She tried to brush the painful thoughts away, but they came back; taunting her with the sound of Jedi's voice when her lover had told her that there was never any way to tell.

She knew he was right. It didn't stop the worry, though. It seemed like there was nothing but worry, now. She pushed the thoughts back again and walked out of the room.

"Hi, Mommy!" Her little one waved sticky fingers at her.

"Hey, baby." She kissed her daughter on the head and went for a cleaning rag. Life was still trudging forward... She might as well follow it.