Faeryn pushed open the unlocked door of her childhood home. It was a dusty as the bar, but darker. As there were no open windows inthe house. The air was distinctly rife with the stench of mold and mildew. The smell of rot and decay. Out of pure driven habit she stomped her boots furiously on the mat to kick off the dirt.
Her footsteps seemed to echo right into her brain in here. She felt if she were to walk around too long she might drive herself insane. She sat down quietly at one of the dining room chairs. Her old house was a modest size when she lived there. Not too big, not too small. Nothing to brag about either. But all the same it was home.
Faeryn sat quietly. The sound of her breath was the only thing she heard. As she sat and stared at her mother's decorative plates, whichstill sat neatly on the shelf above the door, she could feel time slipping away. She could feel it slow down and stop now, time ceased to exist and nothing mattered. Not the dank smell of the house, nor the fading daylight, and especially not the travelers behind her. Nothing.
She let herself go, and really drift into the past now. She could almostfeel him again. Ryder.
It was a clear sunny day in mid-summer. The very improperly named town of The Valley was just beginning to awaken. The sun bearing down unforgivably on the small desert town. The morning already almost unbearably hot.Faeryn awoke to her mother cooking breakfast noisily in the kitchen. She cursed her under her breath and rolled sleepily back under her covers. Her 16 year old self desperately hated getting up in the morning, although it was summer which meant no school. She groaned loudly and flipped her bed sheet up before she could spare a second thought to it, for if she had she would likely still be under it.
She skipped down the stairs with the innocence only a young girl can hold. But she wouldn't hold on to that for much longer. Whatever her mom was cooking smelled good and wafted up to Faeryn. She hurried down on the drift of cooking smell. Breakfast was eggs and bacon (and quickly eaten and forgotten) and before any time had passed at all Faeryn was ready for the day and headed out the door to Dusty-Rae's house.
The Valley was a strange place; there were remnants of old times everywhere. Things that the more superstitious of the town wouldn't go near, let alone touch. So they lay where they fell a hundred or so years ago. There were the great hulking metal bodies of motor vehicles, some large and some small, some were rusted and broken beyond belief, some looked like there could be salvageable parts on them. But it was strictly against all good manners to go near them. They were so ingrained into the scenery that no one even really noted their existence anymore. Faeryn did though. Every day that shewalked by them, she grinned in awesome amazement. Oh, what it would be like to ride in a motor vehicle, no bumpy horse cart, no sore feet. She couldn't imagine.
She continued her way peaceably enough to Dusty's house. She didn't linger to look at the relics; she didn't want to attract negative attention. But it didn't stop her from imagining. The sun was bright and hot that day as she walked to meet her best friend. As she approached the relatively large house that Dusty called home, her friend ran out to meet her. She had probably been waiting for a while. Dusty was always ready to go.
Dusty ran out, her wild blond curls bounced and shone in the sunlight. She was wearing a pretty blue dress and slip on shoes. Shealways looked beautiful. Faeryn constantly found herself comparing herself to Dusty. Dusty with her big blue doe's eyes and golden hair, with her woman's body and her nice clothing. Her face was symmetrical and her smile was wide. The boys were always staring at her. Faeryn had hazel brown eyes and long straight black hair, her skin was fair, and she always thought that was her best feature. She was still on the skinny side of things, not quite womanly yet. She always felt she looked plain next to Dusty in her dresses. Faeryn was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a plaid work shirt with her work boots kicking up dust clouds under her.All the same, Faeryn waved enthusiastically to her best friend in the world. Dusty waved back just as happily. She ran up to Faeryn, holding up her dress as she did so. She reached her slightly out of breath."Hey Ryn!" she said in a whoosh of breath, using Faeryn's pet name (pronouncing it Rin)."Hey Rae, should we go to town. We might want a snack for later, I've saved my chore money.""Yeah, sounds good, I've been saving mine too."They had planned ongoing out to the river for the day. Now slightly off track and heading for town the girls walked down the road arm in arm. A contradicting pair if one had ever been seen.
As they approached town square the usual smells and sounds rose up to greet them. The smell of baking bread and fresh flowers were among the more pleasant. Mixed among these smells were the unpleasant but all too familiar scents of horses and their leavings and dust and hay. So many things all mixed together at once. The sound of hooves and the clack of wagons rose up. They could hear the chatter of the town square ladies, who stood around and gossiped all day long. But that day there was something else.
A deep and hearty roar rose up through the usual noises, making everything else sound like a whisper. Faeryn and Dusty-Rae were now in the square itself, and with the introduction of that new sound almost everyone stopped what they were doing, or at least slowed their progress. Almost all the sound died down except for the roaring and the chatter of the ladies, probably speculating on the source of the sound. A few men drew weapons, and a few others looked up to the sky, either expecting a darkening sky and some freak storm, or maybe the apocalypse on its return trip.
The noise got closer and louder and Faeryn could swear she felt the ground vibrating beneath her boots. The noise changed, it swelled and settled, swelled again and hit a high whine, then settled. Everyone turned to the source of the sound just as it rounded the corner into town square.It was a young man. He was riding a machine. A motor bicycle. It roared deeply as he sped into the square. His shoulder length dark hair whipped out behind him, and he flashed a bright and amused grin at them all as they back up against the walls and away from him.
Dusty tugged crazily on Faeryn's arm as she herself backed up. Faeryn didn't move. She stood where she was, staring slack jawed at the handsome, crazy boy on the motor vehicle. She could feel her heart speed up as her body flooded with adrenaline. She couldn't move. He pulled the vehicle to a skidding stop beside her, still making the deep rumbling noise through the cloud of dust it kicked up.As the dust cleared, Faeryn saw the handsomest boy she had ever seen. His eyes were a deep green. She felt they were looking right through her. He was grinning. She shifted nervously, finally finding her motion again. She reached out one hand."Faeryn." She said, firmly."Ryder." He said shaking her hand. His hand was warm and callused."Can you point me to the Edge Of The World, Faeryn?
By Brittney Tracey
To be continued!
Her footsteps seemed to echo right into her brain in here. She felt if she were to walk around too long she might drive herself insane. She sat down quietly at one of the dining room chairs. Her old house was a modest size when she lived there. Not too big, not too small. Nothing to brag about either. But all the same it was home.
Faeryn sat quietly. The sound of her breath was the only thing she heard. As she sat and stared at her mother's decorative plates, whichstill sat neatly on the shelf above the door, she could feel time slipping away. She could feel it slow down and stop now, time ceased to exist and nothing mattered. Not the dank smell of the house, nor the fading daylight, and especially not the travelers behind her. Nothing.
She let herself go, and really drift into the past now. She could almostfeel him again. Ryder.
It was a clear sunny day in mid-summer. The very improperly named town of The Valley was just beginning to awaken. The sun bearing down unforgivably on the small desert town. The morning already almost unbearably hot.Faeryn awoke to her mother cooking breakfast noisily in the kitchen. She cursed her under her breath and rolled sleepily back under her covers. Her 16 year old self desperately hated getting up in the morning, although it was summer which meant no school. She groaned loudly and flipped her bed sheet up before she could spare a second thought to it, for if she had she would likely still be under it.
She skipped down the stairs with the innocence only a young girl can hold. But she wouldn't hold on to that for much longer. Whatever her mom was cooking smelled good and wafted up to Faeryn. She hurried down on the drift of cooking smell. Breakfast was eggs and bacon (and quickly eaten and forgotten) and before any time had passed at all Faeryn was ready for the day and headed out the door to Dusty-Rae's house.
The Valley was a strange place; there were remnants of old times everywhere. Things that the more superstitious of the town wouldn't go near, let alone touch. So they lay where they fell a hundred or so years ago. There were the great hulking metal bodies of motor vehicles, some large and some small, some were rusted and broken beyond belief, some looked like there could be salvageable parts on them. But it was strictly against all good manners to go near them. They were so ingrained into the scenery that no one even really noted their existence anymore. Faeryn did though. Every day that shewalked by them, she grinned in awesome amazement. Oh, what it would be like to ride in a motor vehicle, no bumpy horse cart, no sore feet. She couldn't imagine.
She continued her way peaceably enough to Dusty's house. She didn't linger to look at the relics; she didn't want to attract negative attention. But it didn't stop her from imagining. The sun was bright and hot that day as she walked to meet her best friend. As she approached the relatively large house that Dusty called home, her friend ran out to meet her. She had probably been waiting for a while. Dusty was always ready to go.
Dusty ran out, her wild blond curls bounced and shone in the sunlight. She was wearing a pretty blue dress and slip on shoes. Shealways looked beautiful. Faeryn constantly found herself comparing herself to Dusty. Dusty with her big blue doe's eyes and golden hair, with her woman's body and her nice clothing. Her face was symmetrical and her smile was wide. The boys were always staring at her. Faeryn had hazel brown eyes and long straight black hair, her skin was fair, and she always thought that was her best feature. She was still on the skinny side of things, not quite womanly yet. She always felt she looked plain next to Dusty in her dresses. Faeryn was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a plaid work shirt with her work boots kicking up dust clouds under her.All the same, Faeryn waved enthusiastically to her best friend in the world. Dusty waved back just as happily. She ran up to Faeryn, holding up her dress as she did so. She reached her slightly out of breath."Hey Ryn!" she said in a whoosh of breath, using Faeryn's pet name (pronouncing it Rin)."Hey Rae, should we go to town. We might want a snack for later, I've saved my chore money.""Yeah, sounds good, I've been saving mine too."They had planned ongoing out to the river for the day. Now slightly off track and heading for town the girls walked down the road arm in arm. A contradicting pair if one had ever been seen.
As they approached town square the usual smells and sounds rose up to greet them. The smell of baking bread and fresh flowers were among the more pleasant. Mixed among these smells were the unpleasant but all too familiar scents of horses and their leavings and dust and hay. So many things all mixed together at once. The sound of hooves and the clack of wagons rose up. They could hear the chatter of the town square ladies, who stood around and gossiped all day long. But that day there was something else.
A deep and hearty roar rose up through the usual noises, making everything else sound like a whisper. Faeryn and Dusty-Rae were now in the square itself, and with the introduction of that new sound almost everyone stopped what they were doing, or at least slowed their progress. Almost all the sound died down except for the roaring and the chatter of the ladies, probably speculating on the source of the sound. A few men drew weapons, and a few others looked up to the sky, either expecting a darkening sky and some freak storm, or maybe the apocalypse on its return trip.
The noise got closer and louder and Faeryn could swear she felt the ground vibrating beneath her boots. The noise changed, it swelled and settled, swelled again and hit a high whine, then settled. Everyone turned to the source of the sound just as it rounded the corner into town square.It was a young man. He was riding a machine. A motor bicycle. It roared deeply as he sped into the square. His shoulder length dark hair whipped out behind him, and he flashed a bright and amused grin at them all as they back up against the walls and away from him.
Dusty tugged crazily on Faeryn's arm as she herself backed up. Faeryn didn't move. She stood where she was, staring slack jawed at the handsome, crazy boy on the motor vehicle. She could feel her heart speed up as her body flooded with adrenaline. She couldn't move. He pulled the vehicle to a skidding stop beside her, still making the deep rumbling noise through the cloud of dust it kicked up.As the dust cleared, Faeryn saw the handsomest boy she had ever seen. His eyes were a deep green. She felt they were looking right through her. He was grinning. She shifted nervously, finally finding her motion again. She reached out one hand."Faeryn." She said, firmly."Ryder." He said shaking her hand. His hand was warm and callused."Can you point me to the Edge Of The World, Faeryn?
By Brittney Tracey
To be continued!
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