Charlie
I open my door and allow the cold morning air to kiss me as I break into a steady jog. The day is beautiful. Around the sun a clear blue sky lurks and the faint outline of the moon can still be seen. Once again I have beat the sun and most of the town to waking. As I run past the occasional curtain opens and sleepy faces look down on me under thatched roofs in their cosy homes. I inhale heavily. The wind whispers in my ear and runs through my sunburnt hair trying to keep up as I speed on forwards. Past the bakery. Past the school.
Several puddles lay at my feet. As I jump over them I catch my reflection looking back. Red strands are already frizzing out side my ponytail and my smile, though there looks kind of crooked. My grey clothes flap as I run, probably two sizes too large for me and dirt splashes up my legs. My eyes glare down in a constant look of shock, too big, too far apart and electric blue. I drag my eyes away as my face ripples and distorts with the splash.
The lined trees whisper to one another suspiciously as if they know a secret automatically making me feel self conscious. They are old, grand and twist in all the wrong places, looking out of natures laws. The way they move in the icy wind with reached out fingers and crooked spines looks animalistic giving each tree an individual character. I wonder if that was to do with the protection spell or if it is just my imagination. I see the twigs all entwining and reaching towards the light, their black silhouettes contrasting against the slash of pink and blue. They yearn and reach for the sun but stay planted on earth in darkness unable to move from their spot, trapped so they may live. they are all crooked and different, some have blemishes some are scared by our graffiti but these ones tend to be the most loved. Painted for their unusual structure, visited for the memories or climbed by young children. There differences make them unique and loved and although they are trapped in soil and mud in darkness they give humans life and watch us go on our way. It only makes sense that the trees hide and protect us from what's outside, enclose us like they are enclosed so we also may live. So why are the unusual humans not loved or is it just that we cannot see our value to those around us? Or is it just that we see things in a negative light?
Clanging of metal pulls me from my thoughts. It can be heard well before I approach the blacksmiths and I hit my feet on the cobbled path in time with the constant beat. As I pass a blackened face smiles at me under an old ratty hat. His clothes cling onto more dirt then skin and hang loosely over his shoulders. James is my dads best friend. I have known him all my life but an awkward silence and sense of dread always fills inside me when we are alone. I exchange our usual morning greeting: a slight nod of my head and go on my way.
Wind claws into my tender skin as i hurl on forwards forcing me to put on my luminous yellow jacket. My numb fingers fumble inside my pocket and finally my hands lay on something solid flat and round. My penny tumbles through the air into the wishing well. I hear it splash against the surface and get a glance of it being devoured by the misty blue; until all that's left is the ripples of the impact. I squeeze my eyes shut. My dad once told me the harder you wish, the harder you squeeze your eyes together; the more likely your dreams will come true. I hope he's right.
Miss Myers calls over to me hobbling over. Her wiry grey hair is twisted round pink rollers and purple fluff peeps out from the bottom of her trousers. The rattle of her keys slowly gets louder as she holds them out in her withered hand. Deep creases mark emotions permanently onto her face as if she is constantly laughing but dark shading under her eyes suggests otherwise. I slow down my pace so she is not intimidated by my youth and offer to help her open her grocery shop. In exchange she grabs me a bacon sandwich from behind the counter.
I run a little while longer, taking in the days beauty until I feel a strong force charge straight into me. All the air in my lungs seems to have escaped me as has my vision and comprehension. Faint buzzing silence rings out as if the air around me is settling and fizzing. I lay flat on my back eyes tightly shut waiting for me to gain the energy to open them. As I do my blinks hit each other noisily, out of time with my fierce heavy breathing.
"Gigues, I probably should of been looking where I was going. You alright?"
I look up and see a huge piercing green eyes with thick eyelashes surrounding them. He smiles slightly but mainly looks concerned and his giant figure towers over me as his firm hand reaches out from under a buttoned shirt. I haven't seen him before so he must be new.
"erm.. You wanna hand?"
With his help I scramble to my feet my face turning almost as red as my hair, which by now is frizzing outside of my once neat ponytail. My face drops down to my stopwatch and muttering quietly to myself I continue with my run. I probably should say something. I turn back to the new boy and shout thanks before tripping over a Kerb and landing flat onto the stony path again.
"I'm good."