Seven Reasons Not To Die

i | no capes here

Oddities are the beginnings of something beautiful. If anything could have hinted to Poppy that something big were to be happening on the seemingly average day of late June, it would have had to have been how she had awoken to the odd sound of something tapping against her window. Though overall it was the fact that nothing had been there when she pulled back her curtains, she sighed and ended up writing it off as a symptom of her drowsy mind. There was nothing out of the ordinary after that, she helped her mum clean up after breakfast, before she took to the shore lines of Metamora. This was where her summer days repeated, the feeling of heated sand between her toes. Her shoes long since forgotten, a hunt that would take long enough when the time arose to find them.

For now she relaxed, her legs being washed over with waves the sea threatening to dampen the flowing yellow plaits of her dress skirt. Though as water lapped at giggling toes, a wet dress was the last thing on the girl's mind. It was a wandering mind that kept such things in a world of unimportance, for why complain when there's something one can laugh about. Poppy Perkins' mind, to be exact, an extraordinary mind it was indeed. She did what made her happy, even if it fed into her mother's worries. Still no carefree thinking could lift the heavy weights that sat crushingly in her chest. Of course there was nothing she should have been worried about, no exams, and no reasons to head home during the early morning sun's greetings. Yet this small, undefined amount of nagging in the back of her mind, kept her from exploring to deep into a mindset she'd rather not be in. With an inability to keep her peace of mind, Poppy was glad she remembered to bring her old beat up bucket along with her.

The echoing chatter of families began to fill the beach, all seeming to share the idea to get to the beaches early to have a perfect seat by the water. Still, she sat a short distance away from the crowding grounds. No one paid mind to the girl in the yellow dress, locals knew who she was and they knew she'd be there long after they left. The tourists were just far to preoccupied with their own interests.

These were her days, carrying her cracked and discolored pail, perhaps it had once been blue, filling it with items that would otherwise be left for the sea to swallow once again. From pieces of bleached driftwood, to dried out clam shells Poppy's bucket became filled. Swinging happily at her side, Poppy's collection was sure to grow, an odd collection it was, but interesting just the same. Though her mother would be nothing more than agitated by the addition to the clutter of her daughters bedroom. The thought wasn't concerning to the dark haired girl, as she squinted against the morning sun.

The days hours blurred together, as decisions were made and her pail began to overflow. Along with a stop at a diner, with what bills she was sent away with after breakfast. By four, families began to return to their homes, but Poppy was just beginning her adventure of exploration. In a crowded beach, she would not have been able to travel the worn out path without someone questioning her motives. Her collection of shells hitting together within the bucket as she walked. The stories were concerning on their own, but her mind was never on the idea of becoming one of them. Though she had once known a soul that had become just that, a simple story, one that wasn't as important as it had once been. One week in the paper, and that was it, forgotten by anyone who had found it overwhelming.

Perhaps it was the reasoning behind these summer days, but she doubted herself in ever admitting that it was her urge to make the trip to Dover Peak. It was a claim she'd never make, at least for now it was something that would clearly stay between herself. The mysteries or lack of them, that kept Dover Peak as a dark infused place was for reasons most didn't wish to keep thinking about if they did not have to. Yet Poppy went for a different scene, the view kept her thinking and the lack of others allowed her to be one of herself. Though she couldn't miss the feeling that had been following her throughout the day.  It grew heavy, and still it's reasoning had yet to be shown.