Work Text:
The squirrel watched.
In the garden, there was a girl. Her blonde hair and long dress spread out on the grass. Although it wasn’t white, by the veil on her head and the sound of bells in the air, it was likely a wedding dress.
However, the girl didn’t look happy. There was certainly a smile on her face, but it was too calm, too serene, too practiced. The words spoken from her lips were sweet and loving, but sounded empty and devoid of spirit, as if she were reading off a script.
The squirrel made its way forward, leaping into the crook of her arm and standing on its hind-legs. It was right in front of her now, but the girl gave no sign that she acknowledged it. Her eyes were blank, looking, but not quite seeing. More like those of a doll than a living person.
The squirrel stares up at her, wanting to speak, provide comfort, but is unable to.
It is, in fact, a squirrel.
One day, its eyes seem to say. One day, somehow, somewhere. You will live a life free, and without pain.
The squirrel bows its head before bounding away, the scene behind it fading into the night.
***
Once again, the squirrel watched.
This time, the girl stood on a balcony. She wore the same dress but now, the one by her side was another girl, her hair long and dark.
There was laughter as the two spoke, cheerfully returning each other’s banter like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The squirrel stands on the railing of the balcony a little ways away, not wanting to intrude. Although neither girl notices its presence, too enamored in one another to see anything else. It sees a blush color the girl’s cheeks as her companion reaches for her hand and kneels to the ground. The kiss she leaves is soft and full of reverence, a pledge of eternal fealty.
And the smile it brings to the girl’s face could have rivaled the stars above.
She pulls the other girl to her feet, her eyes now bright and full of life, shining with genuine love. She brings her in close and they fit together perfectly. The next kiss they share is one of pure bliss and devotion.
The expression on the girl’s face is no longer the look of a captive being led to the gallows, of a sacrificial lamb being led to slaughter. Now, she looks ahead to a future of her own choosing, one where she is in control of her own destiny.
The squirrel nods, satisfied, then turns away, scampering along the rail and jumping onto a nearby tree.
What once may have been was no more. The chains of suffering that had once bound this world, were broken.
The squirrel disappears into the night, knowing that what it foresaw had come to pass.