He could feel the warmth emanating from her skin. It was soft to the touch and was blanketed with a thin layer of perspiration, droplets of water that would have been imperceptible to anyone not of his diminutive stature and proximity to her. Laying prone against her chest, he could feel his body rising and falling along with hers as she gently breathed in and out. He was a ship on the ocean of her body. She was breathing slowly and with his ear against her, he could even hear the air rushing in and out of the twin caverns of her lungs below. His body reverberated in the rhythm provided by Susanna's massive heart that was pounding against him, beating as steadily as the pendulum of a clock.

He had been checking on her periodically. Though she was lying very still and had been for quite some time, he knew that she was going to be fine. She was much calmer compared to before, and now she was just resting in sleep.

He stood up, relieved.

He was a little worried when she first took her fall. She had been standing right before him, her face taking up the entirety of his field of vision. He could tell by her furrowed brow and bewildered eyes that she was very confused by his question. She had every right to be, of course, and looking back he assumed some blame with his very forward approach. He had rehearsed this moment in his mind for a very long time, practicing with various woodland creatures (who could never quite emote with the right reactions that he had envisioned). Of course, he had not envision her fainting...

She appeared to be responding, but before he could fully process what was happening to her, the great mountain of a woman was collapsing to the ground, which was hundreds of feet below him but only a relative few for Susanna. Her fall was miraculously graceful, softened by a thick bed of grass.

When he realized that she had fainted, he allowed himself to plummet through the air, as if he had stepped off his imaginary platform. A few seconds went by before he slowed his descent and landed upon her forehead. Her long cinnamon hair was cast about her head, a few strands from her widow's peak arching over and resting along the side of her face. With determination in his eyes, he grabbed the lock of hair in his hands and raced across her forehead, leaping from her temple with force. As he fell, he could feel her velvety hair slide through his small but steady hands until he held it tightly, which guided his descent until he landed upon her left ear.

"Susanna!" he said with an alarmed cry, though not a yell. Despite his size, his voice carried surprisingly well; besides, he was right next to her ear and she would be able to hear him just fine. "Susanna, are you okay?" She did not stir.

Despite his initial question, he knew this to be her. It had to be! He had seen her face in his dreams...

Kneeling to the ground, he quickly bounded into the air, leaping to a distance many times his height before somersaulting like an acrobatic and landing gently upon Susanna's slender nose. He hopped off down one side and stood before her twin nostrils, feeling the powerful gusts of air rushing to and fro, ruffling the fabric of his pants. Her nose stood up to his waist, so he was in no danger of being caught by her inhalations, though they did cause him to teeter around before assuming a stronger stance and gaining a solid footing.

He turned around and faced Susanna's slightly parted lips. Her mouth was as wide as he was tall, a thought which caused his heart to skip a beat at first. He could feel the humid air arising from within, escaping from the narrow space between her lips. Her lips were a light shade of red, a little darker than pink. He knelt down and touched them ever so slightly. They were even softer than the skin of her face and his hand sank into the flesh as he pressed down upon it. This inadvertently caused him to tumbled over and he had to catch himself. He considered it fortunate that her mouth was closed, but his heart still raced as he realized that his upper body was resting on the solid surface of one of her incisors. It, along with its sister, was as long as his torso. It was a creamy white and glistened with moisture. His hand was a little damp after he pushed off of the tooth and righted himself.

The small young man's mind was clouded with wonder, especially considering that each of her features matched perfectly with those of his Susanna. However, he regathered his focus and reminded himself of the situation at hand.

Taking a leap off the mound that was her chin, he slid carefully along her throat which just so happened to be swallowing as he guided himself along. It was a very unsettling feeling knowing that on the other side of this flesh, just inches behind him, a pool of saliva had instinctively been swallowed and was making its way down her gullet. He was glad to be on the outside.

Leaving the area of her neck, he ran to her chest where he proceeded to check her vitals.

Susanna. He whispered her name. He closed his eyes.

Susanna continued to sleep peacefully in the same place where she had fainted, but the miniature man had taken flight into the birch trees that surrounded the glade. Sitting upon a small branch that would have been a twig to Susanna's eyes, he kept a silent vigil upon her. In the meantime, his mind raced.

There was much to do before she awoke.

There is a domain to which all creatures great and small withdraw and retreat, though very seldom are they aware of it and far more seldom do they remember it. They occupy this realm and call it home for the briefest of moments in their lives, but those moments are among the most emotionally moving and compelling in their existence, demonstrating a powerful sway upon one's being. All must leave, but all long to return.

Its name is hypnopompia: the waking state.

It is the time between when one sleeps and wakes. It is the transition between dreams and reality, where the distinction between the two is blurred and they coexist in euphoric harmony; and they dance an ethereal tango.

It was here that he first saw Susanna.