PROJECT MORTUUS : Love's End

Chapter 13: Glimmering in the Night

After leaving Maria's house, the two of them had been walking for a while. They crossed over Crater Hollow Bridge and proceeded down Longburg Lane into the woods. If Maria had been with any other man, she would have been scared out of her wits to be alone with him in the dark woods at night. Anyone could wander into the woods and scream at the top of their lungs, but nobody would hear a thing. The forest is renowned for its eerie way of muffling sounds because no matter where you stand, you can't be heard outside the trees.

Maria walked with Peter down the dark road, tall trees reaching the sky like the hands of nature grasping the clouds in their branch claws. They held each other, Peter's arm around her and her hair blowing gently in the wind as they walked. Truth be told, she was a little bit scared of walking in these woods at night; she was always afraid of Angus Woods but, especially at night.

The trees of Angus Woods were thick and plentiful, and the forest was a perfect setting for a horror movie, which it often was. Maybe it was the fact that lots of horror movies were filmed there that made Maria uneasy, or perhaps it was the way the wind would make an ominous howl as it passed through dead trees. It could also be the terrifying legends that surrounded the forest, like how it was said that the damned souls of settlers who discovered the town would wander the trees on nights like this one, wailing and crying out for help.

"I used to love going here with my dad. I just hope it's still here." Peter said with a smile as he reminisced about the good days with his father. He had always loved Angus Woods because his father used to camp there with him.

"I know you miss him, Red," Maria said, patting his back reassuringly as they turned off the road and onto a dirt path in the trees. It didn't seem like very many people were going down this path, and most probably had no idea it was there.

Peter and Maria padded along the lonely and all but forgotten path with a flashlight in hand, their hearts beating in unison. "Where are we going, Red?" Maria asked as they walked, the moonlight guiding them like a comforting mother in the sky.

Peter smirked, "Just a very special spot."

Peter grabbed hold of a thick branch and lifted it out of his way. He shone his flashlight through the branches, illuminating a small clearing. In the center of the clearing sat a large, sloping rock. It wasn't particularly grand or special-looking. The rock was about the size of a mailbox and had a few daisies surrounding it. There were a few patches of dirt around the rock, some with char from a fire.

Maria gazed at Peter in confusion. Why did he bring her here, of all places? They rested against a rock, surprisingly comfortable even though it had a rough surface. Maria turned to Peter with a gentle expression. "I thought you would show me the world, Petey."

Peter shook his head and turned the flashlight off. "I want to show you the universe, Vee." Maria looked up at the sky and fell silent with awe. The sight was so gorgeous she could only watch as the twinkling lights that danced across the sky like fireflies. She had lived her entire life in Crater Hollow, and yet she had never seen such winsomeness in all her years.

Peter cupped her cheek with one hand and spoke softly; a shooting star streaking across the sky was reflecting in his eyes. His eyes were glowing a radiant green hue from the stars' sparkle, "That feeling you have right now is how I feel when I look at you."

She blushed deeply and looked back up at the sky. The beauty of it was so captivating that it left her speechless. Maria had always had a fascination for the stars and everything outer space-related. And despite how many times she'd seen sights like this one in astronomy books or documents, those pictures paled in comparison to the real thing before her eyes.

The sky was a dark canvas sprinkled with flakes of silver and gold. Thick clouds of mysterious beauty glowed around a broad line of darkness. The center looked like that of a raging yet elegant river. It was a sight of indescribable beauty, and yet all you can do is try to express it. Each star was shining brilliantly, like diamonds in the sky, almost as if a great artist had painted the sky with their vision of heaven. Maria rested her head on Peter's chest as he played with her hair. Her eyes fixated on the gorgeous sight. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Peter asked.

Maria smiled, "Yeah... It really is." Her voice was relatively quiet as she spoke.

As they stared up at the sky, Maria hugged him tightly. His abs were rigid, something she often forgot. She could hear the soft pitter-patter of his heart, and she could tell that he was just as in love as her-a sound so soothing that she began to doze off.

The two lovers lay there under the stars, their hearts beating in rhythm. Peter looked at the Milky Way, "What star is your..." He stopped and smiled softly as he noticed Maria sleeping. Her hair blew gently in the wind as she shivered and moved closer to Peter for warmth.

He carefully pulled his jacket over him and Maria, trying not to wake her. "Sweet dreams, My Midnight Rose," He whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek softly.

Slowly, Peter nodded off, as well. He was in a place safer than the moon's gentle glow had ever made him feel. He was with his love-the stars above glimmered with hope while their dreams danced in unison to the music of the crickets chirp.