My light is you (short story)

The Beginning and the End

Almira:

"I dream of the stars" Almira said, as she looked up to the cloudy dome that curved high above their heads, arching around them; enclosing them; keeping them out of sight from all's peering eyes. Slowly, she lowered her gaze down till her stone-colored eyes met those of her friend's ocean-colored ones. His face shaded in a deep shadow as the tree's canopy cast outwards above them. Callren's lips curled into a smile as she looked at him. The only thing he dreamt of was her; every night; every day; forever till eternity. Almira was his anchor; and he would never go without; he couldn't. Their sound moment came to an end when a motherly voice called out from the depths of the dark gray colored trees that surrounded the two. Ears perked up and heads turned, meeting the gaze of Almira's mother who had called for them to return to the cabin.

Almira pushed a sun-kissed hand against the ground as she lifted herself back up to her feet. Offering a calloused yet soft hand to her friend who had gladly accepted it. She gave his hand a good tug as he was lifted on to his feet.

"I'll race you to the cabin!" Almira said, digging her bare feet into the leaf covered ground. Her loose brunette curls swayed at every tug of her head; a freckled stained face was lightly illuminated by the dim rays of the moon that shone through the dome overhead. Callren cocked a smile in her direction; his feet dug further into the ground than hers as if bracing a full-fledged impact of his sheer force and speed that was about to be unleashed.

"The loser has to do the dishes after dinner!" Callren responded, and before Almira could even reach the count of two,he took off. His feet lifted and hit the ground once again at every step he ran, leaving nothing but a trail of leaves behind him. In her shock, Almira picked up her pace and charged after him. Pumping her arms and jumping over knocked over tree logs. The two children heaved at every step they took, keeping their eyes set on the near distant cabin that came closer into their view as they got closer. Almira rushed to Callren's side, the two were running at the same pace, both eager to make it to the cabin first. Straining: she urged her legs to run faster and faster! Her mother's face was finally in sight and the smiles given by the two children could light the whole misty dark forest by themselves. As they gazed to the side at one another; Callren pushed on; racing to the old wooden steps of the cabin's porch before Almira.

"Touchdown!" he said as he jumped the steps; landing at the top of them on the porch. Almira groaned as she threw down her arms and slowed down before reaching the steps; slugging herself up them till she reached Callren's side. Almira turned to see the face of her mother; whose smile grew wider at the sight of the two of them.

"That's no fair Callren! You cheated..." she said in a defeated tone.

"Don't be a sore loser Almira. He won fair and square" Her mother said with a chuckle. She was tall; dressed in a shawl and a long-aproned style dress. Her hair was a dark chestnut; bound together by a worn-down green ribbon that was clearly well aged. Almira responded with a whine and a heavy sigh as she no longer put up a fight about whether she had truly won the race. Yvonne steered her body in the direction of the cabins' door stalking up to it before clasping a hand around the cold handle and giving it a good tug. The door swung open and in ran Callren and Almira, making their way to their seats at the table. Yvonne had gone back into the kitchen kneeling in front of the open fireplace as she unhooked a pot of rabbit stew that hung over the fire; bringing it out to the table and set it down. She dished out three bowls and filled each with a full scoop of the stew.

Callren's face lit up at the sight of it, unable to contain his excitement.

"Thank you, Ms. Orli!" he said as he waited for Yvonne to sit down to begin eating.