“Did I hurt you when I left?”
They were sprawled on the grass in the pasture that overlooked the house, the barn that held the first cut of hay. She stroked the baby’s dark hair as she nursed.
“Yup. Hurt a lot.”
“I’ve always been a bolter. It’s like I can’t help it after a while.”
“Uh.”
The baby sighed and fell asleep against her. “I never was scared before though.”
“You were scared?”
“Afraid I’d gone too far. That I wouldn’t be able to come back. To you.”
His arm around her was strong, gentle. “I’m always here.”
***
He stood on the porch, watching the storm rolling over the mountain, trees bowing before it, excited leaves anxiously twisting and turning on their stems, murmuring at the rumbles of thunder. Soon it would rain.
The Highlands would be fine. The calves were healthy, feeding well, the new mothers patient and fiercely protective.
Quietly, he went back inside where she had fallen asleep on the couch. He sat before the sleeping baby in the bassinet, still awestruck. Would that feeling ever go away?
Would she ever leave again?
“Hey”, she whispered. “How’s Hope?”
“She’s a light in the storm.”
***
Written for Carrot Ranch, July 6, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write about a beacon. It can be from a lighthouse or other source. Use the word literally or figuratively and go where the prompt leads you.
I doubled up. These continue the Highlander and Return stories written earlier.
Fue una mañana muy extraña
Llena de reflejos y empañada
Captaba los murmullos del torrentoso arroyo y las silenciosas llamadas de la ambigua estructura que a lo lejos delineaba mi pronto futuro como una intermitente luz en el borde del abismo
Pero sin dudar me enfrenté a ti y en el fuego del dragón, me consumí.
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Um, thanks? That’s a fetching flashy response mi amiga.
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The story these characters bring is haunting, as if it were wisps of their love and the land, and how I see old barns dilapidated and think, “That was once someone’s dream.” A dream has caught you and asks to tell the tale.
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I commented on carrot Ranch. So love the way you captured the intimate aspects of the relationship, the backstory, and the characters in these short pieces. The imagery and symbolism of the natural world is provocative, and the language simple but powerful. Lovely.
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I truly do appreciate you coming by here and leaving your encouraging words.
I seem to get myself into serials with the different flash prompts, which gets tricky as there is no real plan or destination. It’s true that the first one was just twisting that longhorn prompt, me refusing to leave the Green Mountain state, but then the characters emerged strong enough to answer to other prompts. Can’t wait to see what Friday brings.
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