Li opened his eyes and squinted at the endless blue sky above him. Not a single cloud marred it; the sun beamed, his frail, thin skin practically sizzling with the heat of it. Salt pervaded his senses; his mouth tasted of it, it was all he could smell. The ground -- if he could call it that -- was jagged and rough, digging into the bare skin of his ( Read more... )

Li approached the small, desolate island, chest bubbling just as the water did underneath his nose. The water filled his lungs; his legs had long since fused together in a long, fish-like tail, propelling him forward as he swam towards the tiny patch of land. Its jagged cliff-side faced him, an old, withered tree standing at the edge of it, its ( Read more... )

Li stood at the threshold of his home, his long, thin nose wrinkling at the scent of iron filling the air. His heart thumped erratically against his ribs, his mouth going dry at the eerie stillness of the living room. Toys were scattered all over the floor, blocks lined in a row, just like Timmy would have done, except --

( Except it was past bedtime, and the toys were still /out/. )