Day 5 - Scene 2

He reached and passed the cider-house and walked, for the first time in many years, alone on an unfamiliar road. He'd never been here before, hadn't had any plans of coming this way. Yet here he was, exploring, breaking new ground, walking to meet the morning.

All things considered, walking with Bolvar didn't really count as being alone. He'd get a dog when he got back. He'd get a dog and a new apartment and he'd call Amanda and they'd go visit, he and his dog. He could stay with uncle Herb, he had a guest room. Maybe he'd bring his dog here next year.

The forest stood still and quiet around him, waiting for the sun to finally rise. The road wound its way up a long slow hillside. Not a hard walk, but steep enough that the pre-dawn light still hadn't fully pushed the night away.

Eventually, he reached the point where the road crested the hill and began its decent into the vale below. Here, he stopped. A great valley lay before him and beyond that another hill, dark against the brightening morning sky. To his sides the tops of the trees already peeked into sunlight and as he looked, the shadow of the distant hill crept further and further down. The sun would shine on him any second now.

And there she was: a blinding white pearl of fire at the horizon. Enar closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His first sunrise since leaving university and getting a job.

He filled with life and power. Every hair on his body stood on end and he shivered with pleasure and joy. His legs twitched and bounced, he went up on his toes, on one leg, and stretched his arms so wide. He hugged himself and spun around.

“Yes!” he said to himself. “Yes!”

With strong legs and arms pumping he set off down the path. He had places to be, people to see, and things to do. He was a man with a mission and he'd complete it with flying honors. The sun smiled at Enar and Enar smiled at the sun. Around him the forest came to life.

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Continued in Day 5 - Scene 2 - Part 2.

Back to Enar's Vacation.