The Singing Bones

She felt cold, gritty asphalt under her cheek and moved her head slightly to look around. She must have passed out. She was lying amongst bones, gleaming white in the moonlight. Some skeletons still had clinging tattered pieces of hair and skin. The odor wasn’t bad; faintly sweet and spicy. She wondered if it was safe to stand. Who brought her here? She stood up, and the first thing she noticed was she only had two legs. She lurched precariously, but caught herself before she tumbled. What happened to my legs? Her legs were hairless and she had human arms and hands instead of her forelegs. She touched her face and marveled at how flat and small it was. She felt she was missing huge chunks of herself, and she looked around warily for the missing pieces. How insignificant she felt. She touched her forehead and cried out. Her horn was gone! She looked more closely at the bones and recognized them; the large skulls and horns, familiar shapes of ribcages and legs. She narrowed her eyes and saw families running together on green waving prairie grass. The bones were humming, and she recognized the song. These were her ancestors. She felt so weak and frail. She had no weapon or clothes. She opened her mouth to whinny and only a soft sigh escaped her throat and was lost in the wind. She didn’t know if she could make anything work. Was she in the future or the past?

There was an acidic chemical scent in the wind, but everything was faint and muted to her senses. It was either nightfall or the sun had finally died, for all was darkness and shadows. Only a horned moon glowed faint light and was cold comfort. A red machine on wheels screeched to a halt outside the gate near her. It was then she realized two things: she was trapped, and she was helpless. Surrounding her were tall black iron bars with one rusty chained gate. She was imprisoned with only the unicorns’ bones for company. She scooped up a nearby pearlescent horn and instantly felt ten times bigger, stronger. Meanwhile, the red machine opened up and a man darted quickly towards the gate. He deftly snapped the chain with a shining tool, and pushed. The gate didn’t budge. She moved away from the man and the gate, stepping high over the bones, and trying not to stumble. She clutched the horn in her hands, and turned back towards the man. He was muttering something, and pushed again. This time the gate gave way. He leapt gracefully over the bones like a dancer, and she marveled how one could move so beautifully in such an ugly body. She raised the horn uncertainly and closed her eyes. Is this a dream?

No, and we must move quickly. We don’t have much time.

She opened her eyes wide in shock. He was covering her with a long white cloak, and had already moved her out of the gate and into the red machine.

It’s called a 'car.'

She gasped and sucked in too much air and started coughing. Her coughing soon became strange hitchings and wails she couldn’t seem to control and salty water poured from her eyes.

Calm down, he soothed. You are going to hurt yourself.

He never once uttered a sound, she ‘heard’ him in her mind. Sound or talking wasn’t necessary here it seemed.

We are….different, he said hesitantly. Not all can communicate as we are doing. I will explain everything.

But why am I here? She thought painfully.

He quickly glanced at her as he maneuvered the car down winding black paths with tall flat mountains on either side. Don’t you know?! He moved his face nearer, and touched her head. Red was on his fingertips. You must have hit your head, are you in pain?

This whole body is in pain. Yours isn’t?

He smiled and shook his head. You are from Before, and this world needs you to set some things right. He touched her horn spot, and she felt a tingle. The horn she held gave a high trill. These two men will try to kill you.

In her mind's eye, she saw an old man in a worn coat with mud or blood surrounding his mouth, she saw only the dark shadow of the other.

He shrugged. We can never get a good look at that one..But we think he will try a bomb or some sort of explosive device. The future is fuzzy, you know.

Is this the future then?

No, he laughed. This is always Now.

Unicorn Girl by Lilykoi-Designs