Phantom Hollow It's been a little cold and not outside

for @Mal

Everything had changed so much, and so many terrible things had happened. She didn't know how to process all of the emotions she had; it had all overwhelmed her so much that she had started to become numb. Numb and bored. So she had left the hollow to explore even though she knew her mother would be upset if she found her missing. Monarch didn't care. She didn't want to be in the mountains anymore; they were falling apart and there was too much pain there. Before she knew it, she had wandered much farther than she ever had before. Actually she had rarely wandered, especially recently, but the last few days, an unavoidable and growing restlessness had settled in her chest and she couldn't ignore it any more. She might return home eventually, but she wasn't sure when, and she didn't really care to think about it right now.

This hollow was very different from the one she had come from. It was dark and cold and way too quiet, but she wasn't afraid. At least that's what she kept telling herself. She padded softly over the dead leaves that lined the forest floor, noticing that the snow had fallen some here too. She wasn't quite as excited about it now, mostly because it just made things seem more creepy. The cold didn't bother her thanks to the thick coat she had inherited from her mother, but the creepy made her a little on edge, like something could jump out and attack her at any minute. With a deep breath, she shook off the feeling and kept walking, hoping to find the way back out of here.