Huckleberry Jam Toast

The void is something that lives deep within the heart, creeping into the most vulnerable. It spreads throughout the body and takes over the brain with thoughts of drain and emptiness.

Making the victim see a distorted version of themselves, leaking the symptoms out like a fresh wound amongst others. A poisoned flesh being that doesn't know how to release the toxins inside, begging for help but not knowing how to receive it.

Their cries dry as rivers because the pain has been long lasting, excruciating and nothing has made it better. Seeking out validation from ones who don't care about them and bleeding out their heart for the sake of attention.

Buttermilk biscuits and Apple, Cider Mint Tea, are placed on a table with basil leaves as a thud hits the door.

The Witch goes to answer, her ears sharp as a bee, and something lies at the door, something that would make you want to flee.

"Leonard?" She wondered as a bushy pile of fur plopped on her doorstep, holding a basket between his teeth.

Eyes glanced down as a smile propped on her face, "Purple Huckleberries", she stated, taking the basket out from under his jaw. Liquid rubies spilled onto her hands as she gripped the basket tight, wide pupils at the sight.

"Blood?!" She turned back to the Wolf who had the appearance of a man now, with thin slits across his almond skin.

She rushed to his side, holding his head to her shoulder with shaking hands.

"What happened!? Why are you bleeding?!"

"Thorns." "Thorns did this?!" She exclaimed looking down toward his waist where a bigger gash lay.

...

An animal-like bite sat on the side of his stomach, with sharp teeth marks close together. The marks were bigger than the witch's hand and looked oddly strange—nothing she'd ever seen before. "What kind of thorns was this? It looks like an animal bite." "Metal Thorns," he muttered as she quickly pulled something from a pocket. 

"Metal Thorns?" She shook the liquid in hand, biting the stopper off and taking a deep breath, "This will sting a little so hold on." "Wait-" she poured the see-through liquid onto his skin and he flinched, balling his fists up tight. "Shit." "I said it would sting", she replied going over to the counter, and grabbing some wraps of cotton and crushed, coconut gel. 

"This should help with the pain a bit." She walked over to the wolf and took some huckleberries into her hand, crushing them. She mixed this with some of the coconut gel and smeared it onto his wounds, using the cloths to stop any leftover bleeding.

"Do you feel better now?" He nodded, and she smiled. "Good. I'm going to go clean up. Hold tight for a second." 

She stood up as the wolf lay down on her side, holding her tight before she could leave, "Thank you." 

She put her hand on his, "It's no problem, Leo, anytime, just be careful, please." He nodded, "I will, I just didn't want to disappoint you." "For some huckleberries?" She shook her head, "You could never disappoint me, not in the way you think at least." "Oh?" "As long as you care for me, I could never hate you, never Leo, that's why I need you to take care of yourself too. I'm glad you've been a huge help to me but if it means you get injured please refrain."

"I will." 

She sucked in her lips and tilted her head to the side, "Did something else happen? You're rather quiet."

"No, other than the humans plotting my demise I was just tired. That form wasn't originally mine so it wears out my body at times, damn near rips me apart when I try to hold back. I swear I try to do the right thing but ever since this happened to me, you've been the only one by my side. So as selfish as it is there is a part of me who would rather go through the pain, just to see you every day."

Something struck in her chest when she heard that, a quick jolt that made her lurch forward in surprise. She didn't expect him to say that or anyone for that matter, I mean why would someone want to go through pain just to see someone? Why would they have such desperation?

Her nails went to her mouth and she bit down on them, perplexed by what to do next, her sense of thinking completely shattered from her original action.

"Gigi, are you okay?"

The nickname caught her off and she made haste to the kitchen, making sure to take the basket of huckleberries with her. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her face flushed red, as she dumped a bunch of berries into a mortar, using the pestle to crush them into a fine juice. 

"I will find a way to save you mark my words, I will return you to what you once were."

The wolf smirked. "It's fine. I mean, I believe you can do it, but honestly—" "Don't say you're fine with being with me because I can't see you get hurt or the humans." She threw some mint leaves in the mortar and used the pestle to beat them into the mix. The wolf watched her carefully as her face scrunched up. 

"Don't get on their bad side", she threw some more berries into the mix, colors of blue and red making a vibrant purple. "I don't know even know if they have a good side sometimes. I mean I do all I can to make sure that they stay healthy, that they have medicine and access to so much knowledge." She banged her hand on the table, "Yet they seem like nothing is ever good enough like they could just turn on me at any second and I just have to hope that they don't."

Tears grace her eyes as she wanders the counter, picking a piece of the bread off bit by bit and setting some of it on fire with her magic.

"I think what surprises me each time is the fact that you don't come back because you want something, you come back for me."

She spreads her wicked masterpiece of berries onto the bread and takes a bite, tasting a sharp, refreshing tart taste with hints of sweetness. 

The wolf uses this as a chance to get up, rushing over to wipe the leftover tears even as cloths tugged at his damaged skin.

"Don't cry please, not when I'm here, and not when they don't deserve a single thing from you. Ungrateful bastards, I swear I will never make you feel like that as long as I'm conscious. I swear."