Toy

Z'nah thrived on absence and reveled in the darkness that matched her skin. S'aen survived on what she had plenty, and his presence stayed covered with the white dust of the road.

His skin glowed  bright under the layer of soot and Z'nah squeezed her hands in delight. Indeed she had volumes, and only a little dripped between her dark fingers.

S'aen puffed his chest and pressed down the long winding road.

She squeezed and pulled then threw her arms up with glee. She reached again and caught  more in her hands. With so much still waiting for her, she could bestow a little more on S'aen.

Her favorite moment drew closer, when she'd see that special gleam in the eyes of whoever happened to be close by.

Z'nah invited the absence and descended on the winding path. She waited, giddy with anticipation as S'aen approached then rattled her hands. Drops splashed around, and his green eyes lit with hope. Then he looked about as searching for someone and Z'nah froze. S'aen shook his head and passed unruffled through her absence.

Z'nah opened her hands and what remained of the plentiful slid to the ground. She should be happy S'aen never noticed her and yet she couldn't erase from her mind the green of hope in his eyes.

Flowers sprung from the ground where the drops fell off her hands, and she reached for more in frustration. To her dismay, the ecstasy of play left her, and for the first time the absence didn't bring her joy.

She clawed for more, and in her grief  she forsook the absence. A dark presence shrouded in a  veil of gold stood now on the winded road.

Z'nah opened her hands and looked at the two balls of what was plentiful gathered in them. She took her face in her hands, and it smeared all over her cheeks then dripped down her neck and her chest.

She raised her hands to the sky, yet they remained empty. Oh there was plenty of it, she knew it well, but now her only chance remained the green of hope in S'aen's eyes.

She must reach him, but she didn't know how and S'aen's lithe body vanished in the distance. She caught her hands reaching  the sky for more and her mind willing to dissolve again in the source of all things.

There was no more for her to play with, and the thought hit her at the same time with the gust of wind that sent the thistle rolling around the path.

The absence could fade away and reach the farthest corners, but the presence could move, and she moved with the wind down the dusty path until she learned she could run fast or slow or even go against the gusts of the gale.

She twirled and turned then giggled playfully at the feel of the sun, the color of the forest and at the kindness in people's eyes.

She'd almost forgotten S'aen when she saw him atop of a hill, his eyes raised to the sky. Her thoughts whirled again, and the blast of wind hit her shortly. The thought and the wind came together, each time she grasped something new about the presence. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized S'aen searched for the source of her bounteous gift. She rubbed her eyes and felt the caked remains of what remained of it on her face.

She shook the white dust of the road from her golden veil, and it sparkled in the sun. S'aen eyes closed in pain then opened in wonder. She met them with hope only to discover the dull brown of despair instead.

The presence could twirl and dance, so she swayed with the wind under S'aen's eyes, filled now with the speckles of wonder. Perhaps wonder would turn to hope, and the green would bring the absence again.

Oh she never knew climbing a hill would be so hard, and she wiped the sweat trickling between layers of cake smeared on her neck.

Then she was close  to him and smiled with the satisfaction of achievement. She took two steps back at the darkness of horror that blasted her from his eyes.

The coldness under her feet made her turn and look down into a waving expanse of blue. She took again two steps back at the face caked with gray dirt and streaked with dark lines that looked at her from its depths.

She frowned, and the vision frowned back, then she waved her hands and danced. When the dusty shape, covered in a dull gold veil, answered the wind of understanding kicked her again.

She dipped her hand in the water then over her face and traces of what once was plentiful stained her fingers. She turned to S'aen and touched his streaked face with mournful fingers.

She took two steps back when the smears on her hands filled S'aen's ridged skin where it touched it.

He felt his face and the green of hope lit again in his eyes. Z'nah felt the absence engulf them and knew the bounty would flow anew for her.

Then S'aen's eyes dulled again to a dark brown as he whispered.
  'There's no more time.'

Z'nah looked at the wrinkles and ridges that covered S'aen's presence then pulled off the golden veil she needed no more.

The absence shone as dark as her skin and no traces of smears remained.

She raised her arms, to reach for what she knew  there was plenty and the thought of toying with it again thrilled her to the depth of her absence.

Yet she couldn't reach it, and she searched for any smear her hands might have missed.

There'd be enough later, and she'd squeeze and bend and pull it, but for now she watched helplessly as S'aen's wrinkled presence melted into the all-engulfing absence.

No wind hit her this time as it dawned on her.

She'd run out of time.