Redhawk Caldera the still earth

She laughed until her lungs burned from it, then let out a great whooshing sigh. A few giggles still rocked through her as she only now noticed Chickadee looking utterly beside herself. Ani reached out to touch her sister’s tear-streaked face. This time, her leg obeyed her and she cupped Chickadee’s face.

It’s okay, Chicky-D. I’m going to be okay, she said as she caught her breath and finally stilled… at least until the tremors resumed.

Her leg twitched away from the other girl’s face. Ani gave it a hard stare as it flopped about in the air. She willed it to drift down to rest on the slope of her side where she sprawled awkwardly in the snow. It had the good grace to do what she told it, more or less.

I think… I’m going to be different, from now on. But I’m still me and I’m still here and I’m still okay, she sighed into the air.

Doing her level best to ignore all the trembling, wobbling and complete lack of proper locomotion, Ani somehow managed to roll over onto her belly. Like a chicken, she pecked at the morsels of meat in the snow, missing them half the time. Nevertheless, she persisted.