ritual no. 11

fate smiles at me with kind eyes, “have you gotten everything you asked for?”

my gaze slips from hers and draws to the flowers by her side, “and if i ask to stay here?”

her voice softens, “of course, if you’d like. but know that this entire garden is an offering. every blade of grass and each of their roots and the dirt around them and the stones beneath them are all my gifts to time. these flowers” as she reaches down and pulls on the stem, “are her favorite and i grew them for her.”

“as a price creating from nothing, everything time holds eventually dies.” her eyes now also on the flower she’s holding, “even i wouldn’t be able to escape it.” after a moment she looks back to me, “so even though all these things are timeless now, they have always been hers”