[025]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver is sitting by a tree somewhere in the midst of the forest. He is soaked to the bone and looks tired, ragged, and shaky]

I just... [stops, swallows, and tries again, keeping his voice as steady as possible, but his fear is evident] I just wanted to say that... [trails off again, his voice growing very soft and tight] I saw it...it's

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[venussigil]

[Grimaces.] You shouldn't worry about that. We're all dead anyway.

[oliverplus]

What? Lulu, we're not dead!

[venussigil]

I know how to tell the unsent, and we are among them.

[oliverplus]

Unsent? What are those?

[venussigil]

The dead who have not been guided to their final destination.

[oliverplus]

Lulu, we're not dead. Honestly!

[venussigil]

[Shakes her head; she's tired of explaining this to everyone around her, who can't see the obvious conclusion.]

We must all be in denial. This certainly isn't a place where we can live.

[oliverplus]

Why not? Other planets aren't impossible, you know.

[venussigil]

It's not that... [She takes a deep breath and tries to explain better]

This whole place smells and feels like death. I... I don't know how anything could be living here.

[oliverplus]

Lulu...how long has it smelt like death? Because you never said that before.

[venussigil]

Something's been... not quite right since I've been here...

But it hasn't gotten really strong until recently, and then I've started seeing Pyreflies...

[oliverplus]

No, you're right; something's wrong here. But it isn't death. It's something else...

[venussigil]

[She's getting totally frustrated]

Everyone has been saying that, and absolutely no one will say exactly what it is. Just tell me.

[oliverplus]

I wish I knew. Honestly, Lulu, if I did, I'd tell you. All I know is that I saw something--something that can't be here. Like...my worst nightmare coming true...

[venussigil]

What did you see, that can't be here?

[oliverplus]

A monster. A monster that died. [voice starts to grow a little frantic as his carefully-controlled desire to panic slips a bit] I saw it die! It...it can't be back.