Awful. Awful was the first word that Sally heard upon opening her eyes. It was a word that she would go on hearing many, many times a day. Awful was the word that echoed through her mind. Awful was what the strange faces called her. Awful. What was awful? Was it her that was awful? Why was she awful? Why wouldn’t these strange creatures leave her alone? Why couldn’t she go home? Why couldn’t she move her arms or legs? Where was Riley? What had happened? As the days passed by, Sally found herself in a silent swirling pool of questions.
The small room became her prison that kept her folded up and tucked away from all that went on outside. What had happened while she was lying here? What was going on way out in the world? What was she missing? But stuff began to change. Things became clearer and sharper. Sally discovered that the faces that surrounded her were not in fact the faces of monsters, but of people. They seemed faint and faraway, but they were familiar, friendly faces who drifted through the void along with her. Were they trapped down here like Sally? Or were they free creatures who came and went as they pleased? Would she ever get to leave?
Would Sally ever be free? Did she know the faces that came to greet her? They spoke to her with a soft, gentle voice and acted as if they knew her. She didn’t know how to feel about the things around her. Why couldn’t she just go back? Faint memories and blurry dreams were her only comfort now, in this place. There had once been something beyond this void of pain, right? Or had she just imagined that? It always began with the same soft, warm voice.
"Are you ready?" The voice was soft but felt sharp in the quiet of the garden. Sally laughed at herself before turning to face the voice's owner. It was just so easy to forget you weren't alone in a place as peaceful yet strange as this
"Gifts are meant to be enjoyed and used. I'm happy that you're happy. But I'd also be happy to begin when you are, Sally." Sally closed her eyes, taking in the world around her with all its green lushness and sweet little winds and heavenly smells. "Let me know whenever you're ready," said the lady. Sally opened her eyes.
"I'm ready."
"Alright." This was the part of the week Sally loved the most. It was a real shame that it only came around once a week. The lady slid the small brown box across the table to Sally. It was a beautiful box. Flowers and faces and leaves had been elegantly carved into the lid. Sally always smiled at the sight of it. She lifted the lid and reached inside.
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"What should I make?" Sally asked.
"Whatever comes to mind. Don't try to make anything in particular. Remember, Forma shape themselves. Humans shape the world around them. What makes you special is that you're able to do both. This is a unique ability that only you and your sister share," said the lady. Sally let her mind wander as the sand flew this way and that way. It spun into a million different shapes and took on a hundred different forms.
"This is fun," Sally sighed. "It's too bad Riley doesn't want to help you with this. She's missing out. But I guess she just got here and doesn't feel at home yet."
"I'm sure that'll change once she gets to know the place," said the lady.
"What she needs is to see the gardens!" Sally decided. That will make everything better! The lady laughed softly and nodded in agreement.
"Alright. Now, let's see what you made." The memory felt so warm and bright to Sally. Life was cold and dark now. She couldn't speak or move. Would it be like this forever? Why couldn't she go back? What had she done to deserve this? How she missed her old life. She missed everything that had come before this. These memories were all that she had. Sally clung to them with every fiber of her being. When panic filled her or the pain became too much to bear, she would think of the past
However, things did change as time went on and Sally slowly recovered. One of the blurry faces that leaned over her looked vaguely familiar. Was this someone whom she had seen before? Was it the lady that Sally so often dreamed about? But this face was smaller than the lady’s face had been. It was dusty and round, in the same way that Sally’s face was, though she herself didn’t know it. Every single time that she opened her eyes she seemed to find that face leaning over her. As time passed, she began to find it comforting. It was something that she could recognize right away. How she wished that there was some way for her to talk to the face or express something. But her mouth wouldn’t move when she tried to open it, and her body refused to do the things that she told it to do. Any time Sally told it to raise a hand in gentle greeting, she would find herself pushing back at the figure.
Then she would try to sit up and move closer to the friendly face, but instead she would end up lashing out. She would even attack the figure sometimes. Why? She couldn’t keep herself from fighting like this. Sally’s heart always seemed to be racing. It was as if her mind was at peace, but her body was deathly afraid of something. But no matter how much she thought about it she couldn’t think of any clear fear she had. She didn’t like this void, but there was nothing in it that had really ever tried to harm her. And she had not yet come across any negative memories.