She laughed and the townspeople followed along. Mirth spread across the lands and through the Low Countries, townspeople and villagers alike knowing the truth of joy–the truth in joy–for the first time in their lives. She laughed and the wild bears of the forest danced in a circle while snakes ensnared themselves in a giant heart. She laughed as she lit the fuse, the flowers and trees swaying in glee. She laughed and nobody could hear my screams over the sounds of their bliss, the flames finally reaching the hilltop pyre.
Keegan Shepherd 