it's all a matter of perspective...

Image by antonandreas, as found on MorgueFiles
This is my participation in 1000words meme, prompt #18
combined with 3WW #CVIII [ache difference suffer]


"How can people like this season?" pondered Ryan as he shivered, hugging himself through the too-thin sweater. He was surrounded by death. Dead leaves on dying trees. Dead leaves on the muddy ground. Dead dead dead. It made no difference that they were orange, maroon, crimson, yellow, brown: they were all dead in his eyes. "Nora had better have a good reason for insisting on meeting me out here," he grumbled as he continued eyes down, watching left foot right foot left foot right foot propel him along the damp leaf-strewn shadowy path.

In the clearing up ahead, eyes closed, face up, hands out, palms open, Nora is oblivious to all else as she drinks in the warm goodness streaming down from the October sun. When Ryan rounds the bend and sees her, he can't help but let out a chuckle at the absurd sight. But he hasn't arrived yet, so Nora is still drinking in the autumnal energy, allowing it to spin her around, slowly at first, then picking up a bit more speed as she grins in unbridled joy of just being alive alive alive. Something long buried, from many lives ago, is awakened: "seasons turn, 'tis not death but sleep, rest, O Mother and come back anew next year" escape her lips as she not just spins but dances, intricate steps moving this way then that, buoyed by the energy she feels not just on her skin but in her, through her, banishing any ache pain worry concern she has ever had, for the first time (in this life, at least) feeling at one with the unive-

"What the? Waaahhhahahahahaaaa! Hey Nora, what ~are~ you doing?"

Nora (and it now was ~just~ Nora) cackled wildly, gave a loud whoop and continued to dance, twirling herself round and round as she moved closer to Ryan, arms flailing every which way in what to her was amazing freedom but to him was dangerous potential muscle-wrenching frenzy.

He grabbed her to stop her motion.
She grabbed him to join her motion.

They fell to the ground, all entangled.

She roared with laughter, making muddy leafy angels in the ground.
He grimaced, picking himself up, brushing off the mud and leaves.

"Hey Ryan. From here I see a bright blue sky and amazing foliage. What do ~you~ see?"

"You. Mud. Leaves. Dead leaves. Dirt. Whaaaa-? Oooomph!"

Nora grinned as Ryan landed on his derriere, the result of her skilfully executed leg sweep.

"NOW what do you see?"

His eyes were wide, drinking in the colors.

"You see," Nora whispered, "there's no need to suffer through autumn. It's all a matter of perspective."



= = = =


Other stuff:

I am really liking combining the 3WW and 100 words memes. I hope y'all do too, because I'm a-gonna be continuing with this combo until it stops working for me :)

I'll write tomorrow about my thoughts on the heroine journey, points of view, and other things related to my NaNo procrastination :)

Not forgotten the romance/chic lit piece, no worries.

And one last note: do go over and say hi to Sarah at Dreams and False Alarms; she and are are going to be doing some cross-pollination come November 9th. Stay tuned!