She walks barefoot through the forest
in her white slip dress,
ribbons streaming her hair,
staring up at the naked branches.
She doesn't know where she's going
and she can barely make sense of where she's been,
but she walks on
because she knows she can't walk back.
With every step she takes,
twigs snap under her feet
and her heart rattles in her chest.
She tries to walk slowly,
but she can't help but run.
Right now, she's making too much noise;
the wolves and wild animals can hear her.
She tries to look around her, but
she never looks behind her.
Then suddenly, she stumbles and
thorns snag the fabric of the dress.
When she is busy trying to free herself,
the wolves pounce on her.
They tear her from the thorns,
shredding her white slip as they drag her
through the mud and binge on her flesh
as she screams
until the only things that remain of her
are her frayed ribbons tangled in the trees.