THE MOON CURSEDeath……She had no idea if it was just her, but Shirley could feel she could hear death's voice. Feel it hovering in the atmosphere, with its sharp claws and fangs looking for the next person to take along with her.She had felt it that night, a few weeks ago, minutes before her best friend died.Anita……She had not yet gotten over that. Shirley still heard her voices, distantly as if she was right there with her. In her dreams, she could still see her, beautiful as day, meek and gentle. Blazing blue eyes, her red hair flying and dancing erotically to the breeze, her smile as always illuminating the surrounding.She still remembered very vividly every single moment with Anita. Her childhood best friend.Her dances, her laughter, her jokes, even her tears.Shirley’s heart squeezed painfully and she didn’t try to brush off or ignore the pain. She embraced it. She needed it. She needed to remember what it felt like. The pain of losing a loved one. She needed to hold the pa

A hurricane of Jacarandas...Strangling figsHanging vinesPalma De Cera fills the air as I climb and I push through.Can I deliver us a River of Sundew?Shirley chuckled at that line.Sundews...yeah right.That had been Amara's favorite song. One she insisted they sang whenever they were picking flowers since she watched the movie Encanto.Oh memories.The warm sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled light onto the forest floor as Shirley walked among the towering oaks and rustling ferns. The scent of wildflowers and damp earth filled her nostrils, and as always they filled her with a sense of peace. The forest had always been her sanctuary, a place where she could escape the troubles of the world and simply be.As she wandered further into the woods, Shirley noticed a patch of vibrant wildflowers near a small clearing. She knelt down and began to gather a few, reveling in the beauty of nature.Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed the soft groaning sound at first. She pa