It had seemed like a great idea - frozen puddles, mirrors ect. But as she watched the tow truck pull up, Louis realized that she had to practical. She hated that word. It was one thing to plot and plan, but to be PRACTICAL. Ugh.
The mushrooms were delicious as she watched her silver sedan hoisted onto the back of the truck. Thank goodness her insurance drafted automatically form her account, she could never remember to pay it. She swung her thawing feet back and forth under the table, her thick leggings catching on her long blue peasant skirt. What would she do now? Transportation would be tiresome until she got her car back. Mirror jumping might just be the best way until her car was fixed. Too bad her experiment had failed. She would just have to let Hans know that cars were impractical to write in to the different worlds. Elise would be disappointed. Another bite of steaming mushrooms, and she went out to thank the driver.
Back in the diner's bathroom, Louis tied up her coarse mane of dirty blonde hair and double checked no one else was there. She squinted into the grimy surface, looking past her reflection as she perched on the edge of the counter. Crouched. And lept.
Ears popping, she landed in a puddle and stumbled. Ick, soggy skirt, soggy socks. A bird cawed in the distance and Louis decided to start out at a run, weaving around the willows in the bog she had landed in.
Making it to Absalom was probably the best plan for now since She would be alerted to Louis' presence.
Louis scanned the area for a cropped area. Had they moved? She knotted her skirt and jogged around the perimeter of the clearing. She was way too out of shape. Listening for sounds of pursuit, she made her way to the red topped forest. If they anticipated trouble, they would fall back as close to the dwarf perimeter as they could. Suddenly, her neck snapped back. Claws grasped at her hair and she felt herself being lifted and then dropped. Louis stumbled to the ground, her skirt tangling her legs. The raven swooped down and grabbed her shoulders and lifted her up, struggling furiously. He shook his wings and she went limp. Had this girl weighed more than 95 lbs the short trip might not have been so easy.
Louis' shoulders screamed in pain, her neck was stiff and sore, her mouth felt like cotton. A moist icy breeze coated her face as she peered down in the rocky crevices far beneath her. What had happened? Where was she? She couldn't move her head to look above her or twist her body at all. Her feet were numb, one of her canvas slip-ons was gone- exposing her bare foot and swollen toes.
The stench above her was unbearable. It smelled like an overripe, decaying banana mixed with other compost and something metallic. The complete blank whiteness as she was flown into another cloud, completely soaked her. Louis couldn't feel her fingers, and tried to remember what had happened. What had attacked her? Whatever it was, maybe it had also taken the caterpillars.
She tried opening her blue lips- dry skin cracking open at the effort. Got to get the blood flowing. If she didn't get her circulation back, escape was less than possible. Damn Reynaud's Syndrome. She began twitching her quads to get movement and blood flow to the next section- calves. The blood pooled in her toes' capillaries had to get in circulation before they landed.
The Raven kept up the breakneck pace through the night and into the misty morning. Heading cross country over the crags was a risk due to the altitude. He kept moving. After all, he had been created as a simple, single minded creature with one type of task for all time. Given Single purpose by Her. Her creations were never complex and never autonomous. She didn't need followers with independent thought or reasoning. Her mind was enough to control what She needed done without any argument- internal or external. No messiness that way. Everything in its place, with its unique purpose, to be put away when used and brought out when needed. Anyone and anything She needed had a purpose and place. Nothing was wasted. Her system benefited those who needed it most- Her.
Right now, She wanted information. So the Raven had been sent. Once this package gave up the knowledge- well, it would have served its purpose. The Raven had sensed its arrival on the edge of the Meadows, she wouldn't be able to use any other type of portal being an Exception. The ponds in the Meadows were the only pollution free freshwater in this once world of whimsy; the only place left she could reflect into and out of.
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