Don't look back in anger, I heard her say

another mind, another soul, another body to grow old. it's not complicated. Otem didn't know that the spirits had feelings ... nor that she could in anyway hurt those previously-thought-to-be-non-existent feelings. They were spirits after all, weren't they just meant to be angry and screechy and carry around chains and go on and on about christmases to come? As the filly's body came to a halt, Pandora landed lightly on her wither hooting gently. Mentally the owl seemed to mentally project the idea that if they were once alive, it stood to reason that they might keep some semblance of emotion. Otem shrugged. That did make sense. But if that were true, they should have known better about being mean. "You started it." Otem sulked childishly, turning her nose up slightly and sniffing indignantly. And then! Finally! The question! why can a nose be no longer than 12 inches? Otem visibly deflated. What sort of question was that? Eyes brows pushed together in a comical look of confusion, Otem opened her mouth to protest and then closed it. Wait ... it wasn't really a question. Not an honest sort of one anyways. It was a riddle! And riddles played on the double meaning of words ... so which words could have a double meaning? Nose, she thought instantly, and then something about length. No-longer-than? Was it some sort of relationship? Or did the 12 inches matter? "Twelve seems pretty specific.." Otem thought to herself as she began to nibble on her lip. "Twelve inches ... and noses... why can't noses be big ... something about scent? Scent and 12? No.." The girl snorted in frustration, narrowing her eyes and then opening them wide as if that would help illuminate the riddle. "12 inches ... length...12 inches is..a foot!" Otem's eyes opened with real illumination now as she turned to look at the spirits. "Because then it would be a foot!"

_{art by Chloe!}