24 Chapter 24: Shattered Possibilities, Part 3

We rose, silent. The world was blue again. We retraced our footsteps towards the clearing. Every once in a while our hands would brush against each other. We said nothing. I glimpsed her out of the corner of my eye. I had never noticed how sad she looked before. It was as if a spring inside of her was winding down, and would soon creak to a rusting halt.

"Stop that," Flowers said. "Don't look at me, I don't like being looked - " Her voice broke off.

The smallest of the crystal spiders squatted before us. It reared on its needle legs, its head lolling back and forth on its shoulders. I could see the forest through its body, distorted and refracted.

"The poor thing," Flowers said. "It's just a baby."

"That's no baby," I said. "Remember what happened at the clearing?"

Flowers ignored me. She took a few small steps and crouched, her right hand extended. "Hey, little guy," she said, "did you lose your mommy?"