My Beautiful Primrose

came f

t rhythm. A horn blaring too close. Shouting. Someone swearing. Glas

n p

, a heavy pressure pressing inward, squeezin

ied to b

est re

t. It pressed back instead, swallowing him whole. His body felt distant, li

oated in

l it

essure's d

, can you

ar

his mouth didn't move. Everything spun and slammed sideways. Pain flared

t of him thought. Darkness surged

ythms. A steady beeping somewhere close, too regular to belong to the out

lying

dy felt heavy and pinned in place. He couldn't move his arms. Couldn't move

irred su

ve

hin

ve

noth

esponded, quickening as if mocking him. Voices

stab

respo

e ye

e

ord li

at it meant. Stable meant alive.

d his arm. He fe

closer now. It sounded profe

. Or do anything to prove he was stil

ices. Sometimes there was nothing at all. Sometimes pain surfaced, sharp eno

footsteps. He learned the difference between day and n

t once, he heard Victor. "...he'd hate thi

at familiar presence. The effort drained him, pu

s welcomed

ipped in vividly. Colors where there should have been none. Then

ssed it

hat. He clung to logic the way a drowning man clu

breeze brushing his cheek, gentle enough to feel intentional. It wasn't the st

was

replaced by the steady beeping again. The hum

k he can

poss

o him a

aus

id. "If you can hea

fe

d felt

ng. Sliding as if the ground beneath his awareness was

fre

ymore. It felt close. Clo

e knew who he was. He knew where he belonged. New

It wasn't flat like paint. She was alive and breathing. Her gre

ou remem

" he trie

ently this time. The beeping stretched, slowed, distorted, until it no longer so

eturned. St

wer

eal sunlight. He felt the solid

rt

e realization hit him with a jolt of something

lungs without resistance. Clean and fresh air. His h

n't pos

ned hi

him vibrantly. The sky above was clear and blue. Flowers dotted

mro

. They were his and also not his. Younger, somehow.

n't modern. It was just a simple f

hundered in

real," he

as altered. As if it belonged to

ell across

ooke

lightly older than him riding on a horse. Rel

Jeffrey." The

his instinct and

over for you". The youn

like a key turning in

ric

riendly today, I thought I might bask

cousin, for there's much to

t." Jeff

him, the world he had know