The Circle

1 | New Beginnings

Trees. There were miles upon miles of trees in every direction, as far as my eyes could see.

My grandparents chatted between themselves as seventies music played softly on the stereo of their car. The majestic trees zoomed by on the highway, a shade of dark green under the sunlight. The crisp afternoon air ruffled my hair, pushing the strands into my eyes, so I tied it up so that the view wasn't obstructed.

Carlisle began to peak out from within the forest, the occasional lone estate emerging through the thick woods. Further into the road houses became more frequent, and the carefully cultivated lawns spoke about tales of the waning summer.

I glanced towards the sky, sticking my head outside the window. I used to spend hours cloud-watching in my childhood; all the changing colors made my head spin. Once I got older, my thoughts turned towards the stars instead. They shone every night even though their light might've been extinguished for millennia. We'd never know whether those tiny pinpricks of light were truly alive. Then again, there are many things on Earth that pretend they're still among the living. Sometimes I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was one of them, merely a passenger on this planet waiting for something else to come, something better.

I slumped my body against the leather car seats and sighed. The last week was a whirlwind of emotions and parting events. Leaving felt bittersweet, as the clousure of chapters of your life always do. My world had changed beyond recognition yet the skies visible in London appeared the same in Carlisle, in America. 

The car stopped with a jolt and I glanced around. Mum and Dad parked their new car just after ours, and then jumped outside. I grabbed my handbag from the floor and followed their queue, accidentally waking Alec up in the process.

"We're here!" Dad beamed and raised his arms in emphasis, palms facing the heavens as he showed the house behind him, "Welcome home."

The house was expansive and modern, clean angles and neutral colours everywhere. Most of the walls were made of glass and wood, allowing the nature surrounding the property to be seen and appreciated from the inside. 

"Lux, darling. Can you grab some boxes?" Mum opened the boot and started the long process of grabbing suitcases and all other possessions that were shipped to my grandparents' in advance.

I grabbed a cardboard box and made my way through the driveway whilst being extra careful not to trip. Our place in London was nothing like this. It was a traditional brick house in the heart of the city, and the monstrosity of a place in front of me was the polar opposite.

I gazed towards the woods surrounding the property. It looked like were were in the middle of nowhere, as if our house was the only one in miles. Then again, I didn't know much about Carlisle. I'd never been to my father's hometown before. Dad had only showed us a couple of pictures, and nothing else. Most photographs were of Dad and his parents in his youth. Gramps and Grandma insisted on going to London nearly every year to visit. That day was the first time I'd seen their house, the home my father grew up in. 

I stepped inside and my boots clicked rhythmically against the marble floor. Most of the furniture had arrived beforehand, and the house looked just about set up. The boxes in our cars contained our personal objects, the things of value in our rooms in London. I'd thought that we'd have to sleep on bare mattresses tonight but mom, as usual, was a step ahead of everyone with her meticulous planning.  

I placed the box on top of the kitchen island and leaned against its surfaceExhaustion finally caught up to me, and the tense knots on my shoulders beg for rest.