FALLING

She reached up to grab the first moist branch. It was slippery but She managed to hoist herself up onto it. The wind was blowing rapidly and the tree was rocking back in forth but she didn't care. She could already feel the exhilaration as She started her dangerous journey.

The rain started up harder and she could feel the weight of just the few drops. She reached the part of the tree that had only a few branches and it was a challenge. She smiled at the thought of a challenge. She loved challenges. It was the only exciting part of life. Finally, she reached her destination. She looked to the north where the view of Aromas usually took her breath away; the land and hills were covered in light quilts of fog. All she could see was the soft sway of the old palm tree in her neighbors yard and she admired that for a few seconds.

She looked toward the west, which was the only other view from that angle, and it turned out to be the breathtaking one. Prunella is full of hills and as she looked out at the hills beyond, they looked beautiful. The lush foresty land was the only thing the sun was shining on. Through the thickets of the fog, the sun emerged and lit up the holy hills. The effect was so amazing that she stared at it for a few minutes before she realized her eyes were burning. This is the only thing to live for, she thought, natural beauty. Giant drops of cold rain fell onto her face and the wind made the tree sway but she held on. She took deep breaths and imagined that her life was perfect. Then, she thought about everything on her mind. She took deep considerations on some things and imagined things on others. She closed her eyes and imagined that she absorbed drops of rain and rays of sunlight.

"Why are you in a tree?"

She looked down and saw Daya. He looked curious and thoughtful. He usually looked humorous and lively. She never imagined that he had a sensitive side but when she saw his expression she felt that he might actually be similar to her. That amazed her because no one was like her. She didn't answer him. She just stared at the hills again.

"Why are you hugging the tree Shreya?" he asked. It was a stupid question because she was holding the tree but she didn't correct him.

"Maybe I'm scared of heights?" She answered sarcastically.

He laughed. It wasn't an obnoxious laugh but a sweet laugh. "You? Scared? You're not scared of anything. You're perfect."

She groaned. She was definitely not perfect. Everyone thought she was perfect just because that's what she appeared to be. She shook her head. "No one is perfect. Surely not me at least," She explained.

"So, what are you doing?" he asked getting serious again.

"Thinking, realizing, absorbing, changing" She replied.

"About what? Why did you climb the tree in this hard dangerous weather?" Asked Daya curiously.

She breathed deeply. "You must not fight the wind, but you must not let it push you off the branch. You just need to hold on and wait for the breeze to go away." She grabbed a dead stick and started breaking it into pieces. As a new piece formed, she threw it down near Daya. He just stared as she dropped each twig. "Has anyone ever gotten you mad?" He nodded uncomfortably. She then realized what he was thinking about. She wished she hadn't brought it up. "You cannot fight off that person. You cannot hold a grudge on that person. You cannot hurt that person back." She breathed again and continued. "But you cannot dwell on what that person did. You cannot let that person ruin your life. You cannot let that person hurt you." He nodded.

"What happens if you can't stop it from pushing you off?" he asked in a low voice.

"Then hopefully a friend is there to catch you" Said Shreya staring in his icy blue eyes that looked like two pools of water. "Do you understand?" She asked hopefully. She dropped the last piece of the stick. He took a step forward, reached his hands out and caught the tiny twig. He stared at the twig for a few seconds and then looked up at her.

"Yes, And that's why I'm here. Always. " That brought a smile on her face.

"Come, let's go." he said and headed to the house cradling the tiny stick. About a minute after he left, the storm cleared up and the sun shined brightly on her face. Her face shined brightly back to the sun.

****-THE END-****