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Bars of white light filled the room through translucent drapes, and the stark paleness of space seemed almost blinding. All traces of decoration in the room were colorless, and there was absolutely no clutter - sterile, like a hospital. Neither welcoming or unwelcoming in decor, the distinct feeling of dread that lingered in the corners was not something that most people could ignore.

In the midst of it all, Alastar was curled loosely on top of his bed, with two thin arms shakily hugging the pillow on which he rested his head. His sunken eyes squinted against the sun in order to see what was outside, at what was little more than trees and squirrels with the black strip of road beyond the yard. It was the only thing he really cared to do on days like this - the days where he felt particularly weak and was confined to his bed to rest. It wasn't as if his mom didn't check in on him - she did, very frequently. Each time she'd peer around his doorframe, the worried lines across her forehead would deepen and she'd clasp her hands tightly to try and distract from her guilty conscience. Even though she checked in so many times, to wander to his bedside and speak comfort, or offer a small gift - it would never cure his illness, and they both knew it.

Her last visit hadn't been more than a few minutes before this point, so the isolation was beginning to weigh down on his body again. And so he continued to watch what happened outside his window, squinting harder to watch a car park and a neighbor stumble back into their house. The pair of brown squirrels that had taken some of his idle interest had chased each other up a tree, beyond the sight of his bedroom window. Alastar was about to roll onto his other side, to give up on watching for the time being, when something very different caught him at mid-turn; something in the form of a sleek white bird, which landed with a flutter on top of a branch that crossed directly in front of his window. Frozen in sudden worry that the visitor might leave, the angel stared closely back at the bird that seemed to do the same.

Part of him was eager to stay perfectly still, in hopes that doing so would keep it there for as long as possible. And yet, the other part of him urgently needed to stand up - to get closer and really see such an animal. And that won out, despite many mental protests and repeats of his mother's orders to stay in bed. The process of sitting up was painfully slow, and he let his fingers cling hard to the sheets on either side as the weight of his illness seemed to push him back down. His feet gently touched the floor, and he hesitantly glanced back up at the white creature outside his window, that watched him still. This incentive brought his legs up beneath him, and only two small steps were taken when it hit him.

The entire room seemed to lurch, spinning around his head as if it were malicious and alive, and he felt his body stricken with regret. It only took two steps before his legs gave out on him, and about ten more for a worried mother to rush in and find her child blacked out on the floor in front of his window.

The bird had flown away.

[The hand writing on the page is written in thin ink, with small letters that might have been elegant had they not been drawn so shakily]


My mother bought me this diary the other day. She left me alone with the house and the maid in the other room, but she didn't want to see me. She doesn't really like to play games. I think she's worried about getting sick. But my mom came home with Finn and she brought me this diary as a gift.

She says to write down my thoughts. I don't have much to talk about though, because I'm alone right now and it's very quiet. I don't feel very well today and my head hurts, and my hands are sweating, so it is hard to write sometimes. It's okay though, because I'll remember what I was trying to say if I look at this later.


[There's an empty space between paragraphs, which seemed to be written a few hours apart]


Mom and Finn aren't home yet, I think they're still out somewhere. They said they were going to do some shopping, and that they'd be home soon....but they are not here right now. I watched some other kids playing outside a little while ago, and I wanted to go out and see them, but I was told to stay in bed today. I will.

I hope they come home soon though, I would like to talk for a little while...