LUNA SUNFLOWER is a freak. The kind you whisper about on the streets or spare a few concerned glances at. But she is also a dreamer, the kind that'd dream up big adventures of fairies and mysterious assassins kidnapping mothers-her mother, to be spe...
"Water spirit, o' water spirit. Won't thee come out and play?"
–– Benjamin's "Testimony" (Published in the 19th cycle at Sunday Press, Wiwyn, Hyspany.)
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I pushed past the thorns and sharp twigs that tore through my dress and into my bare legs, the denim jacket the only thing protecting me from both the cold and the forest's violent grasps.
I gasped as I tripped over a crack in the earth, causing me to land heavily onto the mud-caked leaves and thick-rooted ground, filth covering my body and hair. I bit my lip hard and spat out a strand of hair.
Fuck!!!
Taking three deep breaths before counting to five, I pulled myself to my feet. I kept on running, the image of my ma's tired face engraved into my mind's eye while I skipped over obstacles the Broussailles presented me. I groaned in exasperation as I stumbled into a clearing and discovered that I had been running close to an old man-made path all along, which could have saved me all the trouble.
I squatted, massaging my pounding skull and screamed, upset that I was alone in my search and annoyed at my irrationality. Ma' was most probably fine and gettin' gussied up while I was out here, alone and as dumb as a bag of hammers.
Compose yourself! No amount of self-pity will get you out of this mess, Lu.
I sighed and rose to my feet, pulling strands of clamped hair behind my ears. I stood there in silence, my lids closed and focused on the faint sound of trickling water. Furrowing my brows, I wiped mud off my face with the sleeve of my jacket and stalked towards the sound of water crashing and rippling against rocks.
Leaving the small clearing, I was greeted by a large and beautiful lake, small boulders reaching over the waves, fighting the rushing current. The scream of the running lake echoed off trunks and rocks, making its presence known in the vast woods. Irritated and stressed, I hadn't noticed to odd way the moonlight bounced off the crashing waves, and how the satellite's reflection seemed to be amplified and doubled on the surface of the unnaturally crystalline water.
I fell onto my knees as I looked into the clear blue below, swirling and swishing as if they'd travelled the path hundreds of times before. I took a deep breath before the lake and dunked my tired face into its strong tides.
The water felt cold and fresh, almost comforting. Washing away the mud and gravel from small cuts that littered my cheeks and forehead. I leant deeper into the water's cool caress, letting the current wash through my muddy hair. The night was cold, but the water was colder. The frosty wind sent shivers up my spine as I shoved the thoughts of hypothermia to the back of my head. It probably wasn't wise to walk through the frigid night air with wet hair, but my anxieties had led me here and the feast was the last thing on my mind. Instead, the image of my ma's tired grin and intent eyes was the only thing keeping me grounded.
