April

“Childhood is a time of curiosity and peril, and nobody comes out of it unscarred.”
― Liz Phair, Horror Stories: A Memoir

“Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!"

A cold voice answered: 'Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."

A sword rang as it was drawn. "Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may."

"Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"

Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. "But no living man am I!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

“There was nothing to say in reply; the silence of grief, of love's bitter failures, fell upon them all.”
― Ellen Douglas, Black Cloud, White Cloud

“It is terrible to be alive. But it is worse to be dead to ourselves.”
― Kat Dunn, Hungerstone