My Angsty Ending to the 'Falling Into College' series

By Brother Grimace

Angelinhel's been bugging me on practicing how to be subtle, so...

-------------------------

"I now pronounce you man and wife," said the minister.

Daria and Michael turned to one another. Their lips moved close together-

The world suddenly became foggy for Daria; Michael's face became a blur, ringed with icy pin-sticks that seemed to move all about her field of vision, and about her head like a laurel of thorns as it slid upward and away from her field of vision...

She heard a squelched puff of sound that she'd recognize anywhere; the blurring haze that appeared in from of her could only be Jane.

"-ia, ho... ...er me, Daria? You're goin-"

Daria suddenly felt water pouring into her right ear; it felt unusual, warm, and in a slow stream that- no, it was dripping in, and-

[i]Those are my tears.

Why am I crying?

Oh, God... because I know I'm about to die.[/i]

The blurs grew fainter, but kept changing as Daria felt herself lifting upward; her hearing kept going out, pieces and snatches of word salad badly filtered through the slow, growing flood of coolness that was inching its way up her body.

Through it all, only one sensation kept Daria focused; the feel of a hand in her own, so familiar, so welcome...

It was suddenly as if someone had gently eased her down into a refreshingly cool pool after a hot day. The sensation around her head eased, eased to a feeling as if Bump was gently at her hairline, licking carefully with her raspy tongue. The pain was changing, easing even moreso -

There wasn't any light.

There was only the feeling of that hand in her own, that grasp that went beyond sensation, that now held her aloft, lingering over an abyss...

"I love you, amiga."

Daria suddenly found within her strength to speak-

"I love you, too, Jane."

She let go.

FINIS.

9 July 2007