It was just a scratch. The young girl had found it had done more damage than was normal. The doctor had said it would be fine if she stayed indoors, but she was tired of that. Her skin had gotten terribly pale. She just wanted to feel the sun on her face for the first time in what seemed like forever. She was going to be courted soon, and wanted that moment of freedom. It was just a scratch. It was just a...
Ethel awoke suddenly. She was lying on the wooden floor in a gown she wore under her usual dress. She tended to take it off when she slept, and so the light, gossamer remainder of her clothes were less of a burden and easier to sleep in. She glanced next to herself with tired eyes, catching the group of thick sheets Lotte had designated for her to sleep on. With a sigh, she recalled the dream. It wasn't a new thought, conjured up in her mind as a twisted nightmare. No, it was real. A flashback.
Ethel did not want to sleep anymore. She wanted to take a walk, to clear her head. So long as she stayed on school grounds, she would probably not be a danger to her and Lotte's bond. However, something irritated her. She wanted to be able to hear the crunch of the grass under her feet, the sound of her footsteps. She wanted to be caught by a student or a night guard, so be sent up with a warning to her dorm once more. She wanted to be human.
Standing, she loomed over Lotte, daring not to make a sound. Lotte could hear her, she always could. The girl was in golden colored silk pajamas, and in her sleep had rolled over the blankets. The pants of the pajamas looked a tad small, the bottom half of her legs and feet completely uncovered, and Ethel wondered if this was a fashion or trend in the modern times. She was still getting used to the present.
Suddenly, her hand seemed to move without her telling it to. It gingerly touched Lotte's shoulder, and Ethel whispered a few words.
"Bond;Switch"
Suddenly, Ethel's vision went black. Before she knew it, she had felt heavy again, and was lying on a bed. She looked next to her on the floor, and saw Lotte lying there. She was transparent, but still asleep.
Groggily getting up, Ethel limped over and checked the mirror. She was in Lotte's body. It had worked, and she was able to transfer her spirit. She wasn't even thinking, it seemed, but it would be fine. She'd switch back with Lotte before morning and no one would know. The girl put boots into her bare feet, not bothering to find socks, and hauled herself out of the door. It was getting easier to switch, and soon her limping became almost unnoticeable. She walked out of the Autumn dorms, the house, and into the outdoors. Strangely, there were no guards around.
The scarlet liquid had stained her dress. It wouldn't stop, she was getting dizzy. No, this couldn't be. She fought for consciousness, holding the small insignificant cut. She had scratched her finger as she tripped. She couldn't have lost that much blood....
The dizziness overwhelmed her and she faded to black...
Tears fell down "Ethel"'s face. She looked up at the sky, soft flakes of snow falling from it. It was March and this was unusual, but a flurry wasn't impossible. The flakes fell on her face, and she felt their coolness mingle with her tears. It was not fair. She had a life ahead of her, and it had been ended by a small scratch.
An insignificant fucking scratch. Ethel just stood there, captivated by the feeling of snow. By the feeling of the grass tickling her legs. By the feeling of cold. By the feeling of living.
