Bathophobia

by Ice Star

Worry

"Cady it's alright, I'm sure that whatever dress you'll pick will be fine. Besides, I'm not supposed to see the bride in the dress before the wedding, it's bad luck."

don't think
about everything above
and the weight that crushes you

"I still can't believe that you don't like red velvet cake — it's the best kind! Hey, don't give me that look — I know you practically grew up in a kitchen, but gods, Cady can't you try a bit of this one, I promise it's good, I swear upon all of Twily's old book forts — no, hey c'mon don't you dare talk about how me liking pineapple on pizza is weird because it's not, I swear! Cady, please?"

as stone presses down from above
to pop your little air bubble tomb
and above you
stone knives dance on a ceiling you can't see
but they move
every time you close your eyes
and in your cold-bathed chest
thin heartbeats skip a little faster
and it goes on
for so long
sapping her strength
why she couldn't even move a pebble right now...
lying there alone
cold
and
waiting
for nothing

"Cady, what's wrong? Is it stress again? Hey, Cady, it's fine if you want to take a walk or something, I remember enough of these nobles to know which ones you thought were too pretentious in their music tastes to be cool. Just go take a breather, okay? Hm? What do you mean where? It isn't like I'm asking you to leave the city, Cady. Why not just go visit that hiking trail on one of the nearby mountains that opened up last month. C'mon, do it for me, please? You're far too absorbed in all the little details. The napkin colors aren't that important, I'll just take it from here."

and she thought she remembered
a green dream beneath her hooves
and mountain air tickling her throat
all alone looking out at the twilight
of a kingdom that couldn't be real
because the sky was not a sea of stone

but she also held
something like a little candle
of sunlight
in magic so pure and blue
that didn't falter

all it took was one pause
something like a blink
and—

"Don't worry so much, okay? Everything will be fine, and yes, Cady, I love you too. Have fun!"