The creature had spoken and Kat regained her senses. She stood on the other side of the hole again, with a long knife, made out of one of the ribs of the beast and a massive headache. She came to understand the meaning of the words the beast spoke. She had given her this knife. And had told her what to do with it.
Kat walked out of the cave, hoping the headache would at least weaken now. The Bloodstained Bride waited outside, just like she said, feet just floating above the ground. And in the shine of the veiny hearts that had bloomed upon her return, she saw it.
The girl was not mouthless, it was simply placed on the top of her head. Long thin teeth where inside it, guarding what the knife was supposed to cut out. The mouth could not smile, but it probably would have, if it could. The eyes of the woman revealed her feelings. She was happy to see Kat.
"You got it! You're the best!"
Kat wondered why the Bone SPider was so afraid of her. She was very nice, despite her frightening looks. And the Bone SPider had no right to judge her by those.
"You know, the Bone SPider makes the best knives. Her knives can not only cut, they can also un-cut!"
Kat didn't understand.
"Okay I made that word up. It means it can actually reattach things that have been cut off! It can even cut things off and reattach them in another place. Basically, that way we could trade... body parts. This is the trade I was speaking of."
Is she serious? No, Kat won't agree to that. She shook her head, which increased her migraine again and she stopped.
"Don't say no just yet. I only want your hair."
Her hair? Admittedly, she wouldn't mind it being gone. It was actually rather annoying here in the ocean. Yes, she would give it to her. She nodded once, that hopefully didn't seem too certain, because Kat was still kind of unsure about the whole thing.
"You know, I noticed... you can have it. I have nobody to talk to anyway..."
Kat understood what she meant. But refused. That would seem like an unfair trade to her. She didn't need it either, with the knife she could simple reattach her own again. Had she just taken it with her...
With no further thought she grabbed all of her hair and let the blade slice it off until there was nothing left on her head. Then she reached the knife and the bunch of hair to the bride. Almost trembling of joy she sliced the empty space between her skull and the hair and it was now her own.
"You have given me a wonderful gift today! And I don't even know your name. Please let me give you the ability to tell me!" Kat pointed to the knife and back to herself.
"As you wish then... but know that I owe you something and don't hesitate to ask me for anything."
The Bride gave the knife back and then hugged Kat tightly.
"Thank you!" she whispered.
~~~
The Bride guided Kat back out of the darkness. She stroked her new hair the whole time and expresses such heartwarming happiness. Maybe that's what the Bone SPider was afraid of. Not of something even scarier than her. Maybe she was afraid of things so much more wonderful than herself.
Kat felt even freer without her hair. She noticed how much the giant masses of it had restricted her. The heavy black cloud following her. She was glad it was gone.
Long arms wrapped around her chest from behind and she felt AbiGail's squishy skin on hers. AbiGail bubbled something but Kat couldn't read from that angle.
Kat freed herself from her friends grip to look at her.
"Where's your hair?" Abby asked.
Kat pointed into the darkness.
"They stole it?"
Kat shook her head and stretched her arms in front of her, with the palms facing upwards.
"You gave it to them?"
She nodded.
"Huh" "It's a look I" "need to get used to."
Kat smiled. Then pointed into her empty mouth and imitated a beak by holding her hands in front of her mouth. She then looked at AbiGail, hoping she understood.
"You want to go" "back to your room?"
She nodded.
"I can bring you there."
Kat took AbiGail's hand and the next moment dashed through the water.
~~~
Not much later they reached the metallic box in the sea. It looked very misplaced. Kat had never seen it from the outside before and was surprised it didn't connect to a larger structure. Strangely there was just a wall where the other side of the door should be. Kat went in through the scuttle and searched for the crows remains. Under her bed, the desk. Until there wasn't anything to hide under left. He was gone and her tongue with him.
Disheartened Kat sat on her old bed. The blanket floated at the top of the room, where there was still a little bit of air left. She looked at the knife in her lap. AbiGail hadn't questioned it further. She was more fixated on her bald head.
"The Crow's gone."
Kat didn't responded.
"I know where" "it could be though." "The AbYss of the Lost" "All lost things end" "up there."
Kat just looked at her.
"Wanna rest for a" "while though?"
Kat nodded. AbiGail's body curled around her several times until her head rested on her own belly and Kat's lap.
"I'm tired too."
Kat ran her fingers through AbiGail's hair until they both fell asleep.
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