Together Again

Chapter Five: Change is Coming

 Small pieces of the night sky remained a dark violet color when the sun began to peek up from behind the snow-capped mountains. Orange and red; pink and yellow; the colors shone as a vibrant sunrise. Mornings weren’t like this every day on Earth, but today must have been an extraordinary day.

As the fog formed in the forests that surrounded the village, Alison woke up. She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her tired-looking eyes. Normally, she enjoyed waking up early, but April’s abrupt departure made everything seem dull and monotonous. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and stood up; mentally preparing herself for the cold weather outside. She rolled her eyes; cold weather was the least of her problems. Without April, today was going to be a nightmare.

She walked over to the edge of her bed and slipped her jacket on over her nightgown. She sighed, but made sure that she remained quiet, knowing that she wasn’t allowed to be up at this hour. She stepped into her boots and walked over to her desk. There, she grabbed her old notebook (which she’d had ever since she was a little girl) and her pen, then jumped out the window. She landed softly on her feet, always making sure that no one would hear, and walked off into the woods.

Alison wandered a while through the thick, luscious forest. The birdsong, which normally filled the air, was conspicuously absent. Even the crickets were oddly silent. It seemed like the whole forest shared her loneliness, and acted appropriately. Her musings led her along the path until she stopped at a fast moving river. The water batted amongst the many stones that were submerged in it, and lapped the edges of the river bank. It was at this spot that she usually went to be alone, mostly because it was far enough in the forest that no one from the village dare enter. Being alone in the forest gave her an insecure feeling, but as usual, she just pushed the unwelcome feeling away. She sat on the river’s bank and rested on her back before opening her journal and beginning to write a small entry.

May 17, 2880

April is gone. She went back to her old village, apparently. Oh, I miss her so much. She was my best friend. I only wish that we had had more time to spend together; three days was hardly enough. All I have left is a memory and a promise, and I’m not even sure I have that much. How am I supposed to find happiness in this horrid world? How could she possibly be sure about my eminent success and love? I could never find what she promised me on Earth. The people here treat me like an outsider. I promised April I would stay positive though, and I will keep my faith in her.

Maybe there’s another world out there, one better than this, where April’s promise will be fulfilled. Maybe it will be like the Primitive Times on Earth, where towers reached the skies and machines flew in the air… I think that the life in those times must have been amazing. Maybe someday I’ll find my future in April’s promise, but until then, I can still dream.

When Alison was done with her writing she looked up at the sky, which was lighter than before, and closed her journal. She stood up and stretched before running back to her home. She moved swiftly through the many Lintrofur trees, their wide-spread limbs dropping their cottony pink fluff around her, making way for the budding flowers. She knew she had to get back to her room so no one would know she was gone. If they knew she was gone, they would question her. If she was questioned, she could be turned in to the authorities.

She climbed into her room from the window of her family’s hut with a soft thud that wasn’t very noticeable. She sighed in relief; she was glad that her parents had come in late last night and were still sleeping soundly. She changed into her dress, grabbed her books and paper, and left her room. Acting tired, like she had recently woken up instead of venturing into the woods, she sat down at the kitchen table. Her mother already had freshly picked fruit on the table. Alison grabbed an apple out of the bowl and took a bite from it.