As another cough raked through her she paused to catch her breath out of the window she looked as the snow began to drift softly caressing the earth like a lover’s touch weakly she stared on; at the tree far beyond as the snow fell on it and as the leaves began to wither and freeze she reached out to touch; to feel the snow longing for the touch on her face so she closed her eyes and dreamt, drifting far away As the sun rose and the dusk set in the darkness loomed, the gentle touch turned into a harsh one and the breeze blew harder. as she lay unfeelingly in suffering so also the tree stood in its suffering as life began to leave her in blood sputter so also the leaves began to fall off the tree On this cold night weakly she stared out lonely the tree stood outside in the biting cold one last leaf on it a smile curled on her lips as she felt her life slip away from her bones and as the last leaf clung to the tree for the last time lonely, she closed her eyes and dreamt holding on to its courage slowly, she opened her eyes the last leaf fell away sputtering in the wind before kissing the cold white earth as she took her last breathe she watched, staring on forever reaching for a place between life and death a place in the afterlife just as the tree awaits the sunlight, reaching. -

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