it began with a snake

a serpent coiled in the shape of a heart, lying still in her cold chest

when i went to massage her chilled skin in an effort to return a semblance of life to her blue lips

that’s when it struck

the venom coursing through my veins

pain and sheer pleasure swept across me body

a smile on her perfectly shaped mouth as i lay convulsing next to her

her frozen fingers drawing the warmth from mine as we both left

hand in hand, we journeyed into forever on the brown grass of the here and now