I absolutely love the idea of drabbles and short stories or one-shots. Often these little inspirations pop into our heads when we least expect it, or when we're working on other projects and they inevitably get stuck there and in the way.

This will be my outlet, as it were, for getting these ideas on to paper (or screen) and out of my head.

I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any.

Pairings can be anything from Klaroline to Carenzo to Steroline or Kennett. I'll give anything a shot and pairings do not have to be romantic in the slightest.

Happy Reading!

Spider and the Fly

"There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed that fly," Caroline smiled airily, her voice a melodious giggle. She tilted her head slightly to the left, beautiful blues bright and buoyant in her child-like happiness. "Perhaps she'll die."

Caroline twirled, her hands twisted outward as the sun beat down on her skin. The warm rays burned sweetly, their soft sizzle charring the beautiful porcelain of her doll-like facade.

"There was an old lady who swallowed a spider that wriggled and wiggled and tickled inside her," she sang, mindless to the pain as she watched the angry burn spread across her skin. "She swallowed the spider to catch the fly but I don't know why she swallowed that fly. Perhaps she'll die."

To die.

She wondered what it was like to die.

Would she die if she swallowed a fly?

Perhaps she'll try.

Caroline laughed gaily as strong arms pulled her harshly out of the sun.

"There was an old lady that swallowed a bird. How absurd, to swallow a bird!" she grinned, twirling in his arms, watching with morbid fascination as bits of her skin fell to the floor, blackened snowflakes that smelt like scorched meat. "She swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wriggled and wiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly but I don't know why she swallowed that fly."

Angry eyes met her careless blues and she giggled happily, leaning forward to press her seared lips to his soft plush ones. Caroline smiled merrily, skipping out of his embrace. She looked to the door, to the sunlight and tilted her head in contemplation.

"Perhaps she'll die," she sang, body dancing toward the rays.

His hands pulled her back, twirled her away and she laughed happily.

It was a game.

Their game.

She'd run and he would follow.

She'd cry and he would wallow.

She'd dance and twirl and sing, and he'd swallow her whole.

The spider to her fly.

Caroline giggled.

Perhaps she'll die.

Such a pretty game they played.

She liked games.

Not Augustine games – no, their games were mean and she didn't like them.

But this one – this one she liked.

"There was an old lady who swallowed a cat," her eyes danced merrily across his features. "Imagine that, she swallowed a cat! She swallowed the cat to catch the bird. She swallowed the bird to catch –"

"The spider that wriggled and wiggled and tickled inside her," his voice was low and calming, all she'd ever wanted to hear.

He got it.

He got her game.

"She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed that fly."

"She will not die," his voice sang softly, resolutely.

Caroline frowned, a childish puzzlement marring her features.

That wasn't how the song went.

His hand lifted to caress the side of her face, fingers curling around her loose hair, the golden strands tangled in their strength.

His hands were warm and hard as they forced her to look at him. She didn't like looking at him. It made her sad, for some reason, and she didn't like being sad.

Sad was bad.

"She will not die," he repeated softly.

Caroline frowned.

She will not die.

Her mouth opened, tears brimming in her eyes as she finally, finally saw him.

"Klaus," she breathed out, hands reaching for his arms. He looked so sad, so understandingly sweet and she hated it. "How long was I gone for?"

"Not long love."

A while then.

She hated this, hated that he had to take care of her like this. She'd been reduced to a child-like monster, uncomprehendingly insane, dancing back and forth between reality and the sweet dream-like world she'd created in her head.

They'd broken her.

Destroyed everything that she ever was.

It would have been better if she'd simply died.

Died.

Died.

Caroline giggled.

"There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed that fly..."

A tad morbid, I know. My goddaughter was singing the song and I just couldn't get it out of my head...