Bittersweet Umbra

9.

It's daytime, the clear blue sky hidden by the amber leaves of the tall forest trees. Their shadows spread wide, only allowing for small patches of light on the long snaking road which disappears past a bend. Now and then an animal is spotted, whether it's a deer scampering across the road or a rabbit scurrying back into the safety of the bushes. The air is tranquil, the only sound being the purr of the car's engine.

Zee sits in the passenger seat, her arm in a sling, a slight aching reminding her of all that had happened only a few days ago. Rodney... She still gets unsettled by the thought of him. But more than that, she can't help but feel a strong sense of pity for his twisted soul. She can't imagine what it would be like to reach such depths of depravity; how dark and lonely such a place would be.

But then she feels a strong sense of relief.

Her head leaning against the window, she stares into the trees, watching as a bird takes off from a branch, the beating of its wings heard for a few seconds before it settles on another. Such peace. She wonders if the birds ever have to fear anything as they go about their lives. Or are they simply concerned with the mundane, building nests and feeding their young? She wishes things were that simple. After all, the Orange Moon still sits in the sky, as strange as ever and showing no sign of fatigue. However, it's precisely this strangeness that makes her wonder how much of a curse the Moon really is. Yes, it has brought about endless peril to an already perilous planet but, after all she's seen, she can't deny that it's brought beauty as well. Whether it's the orange hues of the grass and trees, the allure of the animals that now roam the earth more freely, no longer fearful of the scourge of man, or even how, when one looks up at the sky, despite all that's happened, it's easy to admit that there is an enchanting beauty to the glowing rock.

But, although she has some fear and reservations, none of this compares to how the Moon has changed her daughter. She looks at Tully who sits in the driver's seat, focused on the road. Those soft eyes, once innocent, blessed by ignorance, have now turned hard, behind them stories of terror and survival. But the orange hue of her iris tells of a strange yet magical tale, one of hope where hope was never to be found, one of light in the depths of darkness. This Moon, in all its terror and treachery, saved Tully's life. It gave her the strength to fend off possibly its most monstrous creation and, in the end, she was able to peer past Rodney's madness.

In many ways, the Moon gave her sight. She saw the world for what it is, what it was and what it could be. A certain glint in her eye suggests that there's a level of hope to the future; despite the danger, despite the uncertainty, despite the lack, two things persist in this hazardous realm - a bond unbreakable and a love so strange, so powerful, that even in the mouth of peril, in the depths of uncertainty, it still beckons a smile.

And Zee, a woman hardened by the harsh realities of these treacherous times, softens as Tully turns to her, peering into her mother's eyes, a warm smile spreading across her face.

Things might be okay.