A Starless Earth

An Encounter with Nature

  A golden blanket fell upon an empty field as the sun dipped below the horizon. Though light was fleeting, Claire continued to weave blades of grass between her nimble fingers. Every now and again, she would pause to admire the deep purple hues hugging the edges of the sun. She couldn't remember the last time she had a moment this peaceful. Her heart yearned to capture this moment and hold it within her forever. As though a single sigh could encompass the calm familiar scent of summer.

She slowly slips into a meditative state as she continues to weave. As her thoughts bounce along, images of purple cats batting the surface of cream, rainbows that stretch for miles, and children dancing around a rotting tree flash before her eyes. Her mind decides to linger over the children, the blurred edges of the daydream come into focus as she becomes absorbed in the odd scene her mind created. Approaching the childen, a solemn tune floats along the breeze.

"Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockleshells and all pretty maids in a row."

After a few moments of droning, a blonde haired child notices Claire and breaks from his place in the circle, drifting towards her. Normally, she would begin to back away from the approaching figure, but the boy carried a sense of wonder Claire just simply had to investigate. His face was pale and expressionless and his clothes looked as though they had never seen a lick of soap. But then her eyes meet his— they're brown. The kind of warmness that a stuffed bear dons, stumbling puppies embrace, and most importantly the color John had.

"Hi Claire! My name's Finn."

Claire's eyes eagerly dart to other features of the stranger, desperately searching for more traces of John. Claire's imagination runs wild with what John would've looked like at this young age. Would his hair have been lighter like their mother's? Would his sharp cheekbones been softer? With every new question, the boy's face changed shape. After a few moments of thinking, the Finn finally turned into Claire's last memory of John's appearance. Her face immediately turned away. 

"I can't bear to look at you like this again," Claire yells into the abyss. 

"Hey it's okay! I've been through worse Claire bear!"

She steps back and Finn's face once again softens and dulls.

This is getting too weird ... even for me ...

A rumble of thunder in the distance shakes her from the day dream. The emerald masterpiece laid across her pale blue dress flapped in the wind, giving warning of an nearby storm. Nevertheless, she continued to work until the evening sky was split by flashes of lightning.

I really should get home to mama. She'll be worried.

Another bolt of lightning dances across the clouds, drawing her gaze away from her lap. Her chest jolts toward the sky, screaming for Claire to take her lanky feet and run home. The humble home is only a few miles away, and the promise of porridge pushes the young girl to keep bounding through the tough terrain until she reaches the end of the field. The sage grass grows into tall trees. Parched dirt slides into a small dribbling creek adorned with a haphazardly placed log that acts as a bridge for Claire to race across to the mouth of the forest.

"Oh c'mon. Not now!" she screamed, the momentum dragging her body forward.

She swiftly brought her gaze to the hole her foot had plunged into, trying to wiggle it from the wood.

Nothing.

With sweaty palms she pulls again, wincing at the pressure.

Nothing.

Taking a moment to pause, Claire examines the new prison wrapping around her calf. The jagged edges of the log bite at her skin complimenting the squeeze circling around the muscle. Looming clouds cast the scene into shadow, quickening her breath and making it almost impossible to think clearly.

I have to get out.

The sky above roars with laughter at Claire's pathetic attempts to free herself. Amused, it decided to give her a gift—the main component of storms she had been dreading most, a factor of the summer that is impossible to escape—rain. At first, the rain slowly slid down the waxy cover of the leaves tapping Claire's head, but soon buckets empty themselves with malicious intent.

Fantastic.

With the storm at full force, Claire begins to spastically pivot around her leg like a sail on a rough sea.

Think like mama. Think like mama.

Claire takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, the rose colored thoughts of her mother soothing her buzzing anxiety. Another round of thunder bellows from above, followed by a spout of silence that hugs Claire's shivering body, squeezing several deep breaths from her purple lips.

If I can't see, then I need to feel.

Claire slowly turns her ear toward the current of the river to discover the bubbling brook has swelled into a raging river.

There has to be some way out of this.

Once again, Claire tugs her slick leg with more vigor than she has ever put into anything before. A string of swears falls from her, carrying the extra ounce of adrenaline needed to release the pressure.

Yes!

Though free, her enthusiasm is short-lived as she turns to face the edge of the log. Within her bought of tossing and turning, she managed to break it loose from the mud encompassing it in place. Mouth agape, Claire can do nothing else but stare helplessly at the river bank whipping past her.

I'm absolutely fucked.

A/N:
Hi! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I really appreciate that you took the time to read it , and I would love to hear some feedback!

I will be posting a new chapter every Friday night, so stay tuned!