The Clearing

Chapter Three

**From his view after leaving the parking lot**

As he slowly drove out of the parking lot, he noticed the headlights of her car switch off. He wondered whether or not he should turn around and see what had happened, but by the time he was turning onto the highway he had missed the chance.

The highway was empty, the only movement from the occasional tractor trailer and the late night commuter on the way back home. The routes and exits seemed to go on forever, as did the thoughts of her still swimming around in his mind. In his mind he was still in the clearing feeling light and happy, the stars above popping out and forming constellations. The red lights of airplanes peppered the sky and the stars seemed to be moving with them. She was still staring breathlessly at the moon and plane lights flying by. There was no reason for them to leave this dream and sink into reality now. She had her plane lights above her and he had her hand.

Finally back on his own street he slowed down and leaned forward on the steering wheel. He wondered why the stars were invisible to his eyes now. The city does terrible things to nature. The smoke from cars chased the stars away, and the planes were always blocked by large gray clouds. The clearing had no clouds. The clearing was the best place to go to look at what should be everywhere.

His house was the smallest on the block, but the most well kept. The neighborhood was full of elders watching over the lawns that once were fresh-cut and bright green, now knee length and browning. His house stood at the very end of the street, lights off yet happy looking. His parents and younger sister had retired to bed, lost in dreams that would be so cruelly interrupted by the everyday norm once more.

He parked his fathers borrowed car in the driveway and went into the warm house, still smelling of the dinner that had just been eaten. A  scribbled note by his father sat on the counter. It read:

Hey kid, remember to roll up the car windows if you haven't already. Thunderstorms tonight.

-Dad

After double checking the car windows he retreated to his bedroom and prepared for school the next day, followed by a much wanted rest.

In the darkness he lay on his side, staring at the emptiness beside him. Sure enough, thunder claps had sounded outside and rain started to tap on his window, begging to enter the room. The sounds around him got quieter and quieter until it was a muffle, and now laughter. The sweet laughter of a girl he had seen just a few hours ago. Her eyes the color of bursting sun, her hair the color of amber tied up with loose ends blowing in a breeze scented of wild flowers.

Her eyes were on him and she was smiling, he could see himself smiling back. Both smiles almost connected, but he was quickly woken by the buzzing of his phone next his head. He wanted to throw the thing for interrupting the moment that was about to be portrayed before his eyes, but checked what caused the phone to go off.

A new message from her was displayed on the screen.

Are you asleep?

He smiled and was glad her message woke him up despite the longing to see what his dream had in store for him.

No, but I was dreaming.

Dreaming but not sleeping. Interesting :)

It's a lovely feeling. Aren't you tired at all?

Exhausted. I'll try to sleep. I just wanted to say goodnight to you.

Good night Sailor, and happy dreaming.

Good night, Astro.

Grinning to himself, he switched off the phone and remembered when she had first called him "Astro," back when he had just joined astronomy club. He had always called her "Sailor" because of her constant wish of sailing across the sea and visiting everywhere in the world. She told him that she secretly saved money to buy herself a boat to glide across the waters of the Atlantic, then the Pacific.

He would buy her a boat if he could. He would buy her a whole fleet of ships and yachts. As his eyes became more heavy and fuzzy warmth wrapped around him he realized: he would buy her the sea.