Blood Supermoon

15. Literature

The head-rush from being by your side. Every day was exhilarating. Grasp tightly every single moment...

The next day around noon while Josandra was working the fields, she heard someone whistle. Her head shot up to see Lue waving down at her with a basket and a bike. When Josandra joined her at the top, she took off her hat.

"Where'd you find that?" Josandra asked.

"In the shed. Granny said I could use it," Lue replied.

"You got all this time on your hands to snoop around, why don't you help me with these trees?" Josandra said.

"Later, after we eat. I think there's a trail around here. Let's go check it out," Lue said.

Josandra grinned and nodded.

Lue dragged the bike out onto the road and got on. Josandra hopped on behind her. She started to reach out to hold onto Lue but hesitated. Then as gently as she could, she wrapped her arms around Lue's waist.

"Is this okay?" she asked.

"Yes," Lue nodded.

And they were off, with Lue speeding down the street. No one else was around, but trees and dirt and grass. The sun stood high in the sky like a ball of light, shining down on them. Josandra secured her fingers more firmly around Lue and smiled from ear to ear. After going down the long street, Lue turned right and hit a trail. They got off and continued walking. Out in the distance was a golden wheat field. They stuck to the path, coming to a tall, narrow staircase surrounded by more wheat grass and climbed up. After about ten minutes, they got to the top and Josandra gasped.

"It's Winnie," she said.

Lue nodded, "Bird's eye-view."

It was an abandoned plot of land. From here, they could see the town. The sunlight was resting over the various roofs and the houses where enveloped into the large trees. In the distance, she could hear the townspeople's voices. Lue tickled her elbow with a wheatgrass stem.

"Let's eat," she said.

There was a sitting area nearby. The bench was made with sturdy bamboo tree trunks. The umbrella was made with thinner bamboo strips. They sat down and began to eat, admiring the view.

"This is amazing. We need to come back here," Josandra said.

"Tomorrow," Lue agreed.

Josandra's eyes lit up with how soon they'd soon return.

"I'd love to draw the view from up here," she said.

"You should," Lue said.

"...do you have any special talents?" Josandra asked.

"In the arts?" Lue asked and Josandra nodded. "No."

"What about outside of it?" Josandra asked.

Lue thought for a second, "I'm good with swords, sword fighting."

She must've picked it up while training with that boy she spoke of, Josandra thought. She bit into her sandwich silently.

"But I'm not sure if that matters now. Sometimes, I don't feel real when I'm doing it. I feel like this fighting machine or something," Lue said.

"Don't say that. Your skills are useful to us out here. I don't think drawing is useful in the world we live in," Josandra said.

"...there are many soft layers to you," Lue said.

"Huh?"

"You like reading, writing...I think that's pretty necessary in the world we live in."

They held eyes for a moment as Josandra slowly smiled.