The Clearing

Chapter One

An airplanestrode through the clouds. The clouds around it parted as the airplane broke

through them until it disappeared behind a much larger form. The mass of cold

and wet seemed to swallow the plane; it never came out from behind it. The moon was visible

in the ever-closer sunset, and the blue of the sky was growing darker and

darker as the minutes passed.

Although the wind was blowing hard, hard enough to ruffle someone’s hair quite a bit, it was warm. One of the trees at

the center of the empty field had newly born leaves, lime green as compared to

the older, darker needles of the pines. The pines were more to the edges of the

grassy clearing, making the place empty except for the occasional brush here

and there. The strong breeze

carried the scent of wild flowers that had newly blossomed in the few days that

was now spring. The tiny dots of purple, blue, and yellow speckled the clearing

as if paint had dripped from the sky and stuck to the ends

of the grass blades. The wind that blew seemed to push these flowers to a dangerous

point, almost making them catch on the wind like a butterfly.

In that lone tree

sat a bird, chirping away, soon to leave for his nest as night grew nearer. It

ruffled its feathers and flew away as quick as it had come into the sea of dark

green, probably to its nest, probably to find food for the young inside of

it.  Where the bird was going was

anyone’s guess.

Under that tree sat two people. The hands of these two were tied together in a seemingly

inseparable knot of fingers and warmth. Together, their four eyes were on the

sky, tearing through the clouds in search of the plane that was ingested, never

to return.  As the stars started to

appear, the finger of girl pointed to them, gaping at the sight. A crescent

started to glow in the blackening sky and soon it illuminated the whole

clearing, sending dark shadows on the already gray ground. The clouds above were

thinning and the lights of the plane blinked against the ebony canvas behind

it. Soon it was gone again in the clouds that were late to fade, and soon the

stars were disappearing behind clouds that were moving in again.

She pulled her

hand out of his loose grip. He ripped his eyes off of the sky and placed them

on hers with curiosity as to why she let go of his hand. She stood up silently

and held her hand out to him so he could grab it and be pulled up. He took her

hand and she lifted him with ease as he pushed himself

up with his feet. There they stood in the dark and silence, forgetting why they

came to this clearing to begin with.

They hadn’t come for anything except to spend the

afternoon in the peaceful spring sunlight, rarely uttering

a word, only sitting hand in hand under the tree. There was something about the

calm breeze and occasional flutter of a small bird landing in the tree above them

that made their spines tingle and their eyes grow wider. It felt as if ivy was

crawling their backs and entwining between their bones just like the fingers of

the two entwined with each other.

Eyes locked on eyes, hands locked in hands, the pair still held their words. It seemed like

nothing could ruin the moment.  Not even

if the bright moon above them fell out of orbit and crashed into the very place

they stood would they every take their eyes off of each other.

Silently and gently she tugged him along the clearing and to the edge where a dirt path began and the grass thinned and ended. Every step took all the force they could muster.

The difficulty of leaving the moment of silence in the clearing was

unbelievable, but they both knew that it would have to end and reality would

have to break into their thoughts once again.

Cold. Cold was all they could feel when their soles hit the dirt road and the warm fuzzy

feeling and dream-like state they were once in died away. Slowly but surely the

two reached an almost empty parking lot containing the two vehicles that

transported them to each other.

Before departing to their own cars, they stood still and resumed the silent position they were in before: eyes on eyes and hands in hands. He placed a bent finger lightly

under her chin and brushed her cheek with his lips. She looked into his silver

eyes. They looked as if a million stars had exploded and turned into white

gold.

The departure was slow and growing ever colder as the seconds, now minutes, passed. Finally the car doors opened and closed. The headlights of each stared at one another as if

the cars themselves felt the connection between the occupants within them.  One pair, his pair, of bright golden eyes turned gradually out of the dirt parking lot and onto the paved and cracking street.