I sit silently and demurely, watching as the sun sets over the desert,
grabbing every grain of sand; melting the vast expanse into an undulating
red and gold carpet. The colors shiver in the heat; glowing and throbbing-
if it is a carpet, it is painful to step on.
Gold it is, of course, for the magnificence of the kingdom. Red for. for blood. All of a sudden, the beautiful land seems transformed into a wellspring of blood, red liquid running, soaking, pooling, clotting, dripping and streaming from the sky in rivulets of light. As if the sun had been slashed violently, and was sinking for the last time to the underworld, but not without shedding rivers of blood above.
I shake my head to dispel the depressing thoughts creeping into my mind, and glance at my mirror.
Long, black hair streams down my back, touches of gold glistening here and there. Tendrils of hair float over my face as I walk towards the mirror.
My piercing crimson eyes are by far my most striking features; my golden brown skin by far my most beautiful; my equally piercing (and, I hope, beautiful) mind- although not seen, is by far my favorite aspect of myself. I believe that mindless people can be content, but never happy.
As I stare at myself in the mirror, my face seems to transform. I watch as I seem to grow older, older, and tears seem to fall from my bleary red eyes like the light from the setting sun over the desert. I watch as these tears begin to redden, and run like blood.
I shake myself from this self-induced trance, and draw my hands over my face, wiping away tears. I was crying?
A whistle pierces the air, and I run lightly to the window; peering hopefully out.
Strands of dark hair stick to my face, molding over the path my tears ran through. A second whistle pierces the air, and I swing myself through the window, into the waiting arms of my beloved.
*************
The girl hefted a large earthenware jug over her back. She was dressed in roughly woven pale brown robes, her long dark brown hair hidden by a veil. Smiling and humming to herself, she walked towards her houses' entryway.
I will bless the Lord at all times Praise shall be always in my mouth. My soul will glory in the lord That the poor may hear and be glad.
Shards of earthenware smashed across the floor as she tried to shield her soft eyes from the intense light shining throughout the room.
"Hail, favored one! The lord is with you."
Confused, the girl lowered her hands from her eyes, and squinted in the direction from which the voice came. He was draped in a very fine woven white cloth, and seemed to radiate light. Golden hair floated ethereally about his face, liquid blue eyes reflecting a mixture of joy and sorrow.
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for god has been most gracious to you; you shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus. He will be great; he will bear the title 'Son of the Most High'; the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David, and he will be king over Israel for ever; his reign shall never end."
*************
I slip out of his arms, dropping lightly to the ground; and spin around to place a kiss on his lips. We smile, and I feel as if I am going to explode from joy. Today I will become free, and I can live without fear and with him. Smiling again; this time to myself, I grab his hand and run to the awaiting horse, unaware of the penetrating red eyes that follow our movements, nor of the glint of gold catching the last gasp of sunlight.
A/N: This is a prologue, More character development- and longer chapters, hopefully- in future updates. R&R!!
Gold it is, of course, for the magnificence of the kingdom. Red for. for blood. All of a sudden, the beautiful land seems transformed into a wellspring of blood, red liquid running, soaking, pooling, clotting, dripping and streaming from the sky in rivulets of light. As if the sun had been slashed violently, and was sinking for the last time to the underworld, but not without shedding rivers of blood above.
I shake my head to dispel the depressing thoughts creeping into my mind, and glance at my mirror.
Long, black hair streams down my back, touches of gold glistening here and there. Tendrils of hair float over my face as I walk towards the mirror.
My piercing crimson eyes are by far my most striking features; my golden brown skin by far my most beautiful; my equally piercing (and, I hope, beautiful) mind- although not seen, is by far my favorite aspect of myself. I believe that mindless people can be content, but never happy.
As I stare at myself in the mirror, my face seems to transform. I watch as I seem to grow older, older, and tears seem to fall from my bleary red eyes like the light from the setting sun over the desert. I watch as these tears begin to redden, and run like blood.
I shake myself from this self-induced trance, and draw my hands over my face, wiping away tears. I was crying?
A whistle pierces the air, and I run lightly to the window; peering hopefully out.
Strands of dark hair stick to my face, molding over the path my tears ran through. A second whistle pierces the air, and I swing myself through the window, into the waiting arms of my beloved.
*************
The girl hefted a large earthenware jug over her back. She was dressed in roughly woven pale brown robes, her long dark brown hair hidden by a veil. Smiling and humming to herself, she walked towards her houses' entryway.
I will bless the Lord at all times Praise shall be always in my mouth. My soul will glory in the lord That the poor may hear and be glad.
Shards of earthenware smashed across the floor as she tried to shield her soft eyes from the intense light shining throughout the room.
"Hail, favored one! The lord is with you."
Confused, the girl lowered her hands from her eyes, and squinted in the direction from which the voice came. He was draped in a very fine woven white cloth, and seemed to radiate light. Golden hair floated ethereally about his face, liquid blue eyes reflecting a mixture of joy and sorrow.
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for god has been most gracious to you; you shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus. He will be great; he will bear the title 'Son of the Most High'; the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David, and he will be king over Israel for ever; his reign shall never end."
*************
I slip out of his arms, dropping lightly to the ground; and spin around to place a kiss on his lips. We smile, and I feel as if I am going to explode from joy. Today I will become free, and I can live without fear and with him. Smiling again; this time to myself, I grab his hand and run to the awaiting horse, unaware of the penetrating red eyes that follow our movements, nor of the glint of gold catching the last gasp of sunlight.
A/N: This is a prologue, More character development- and longer chapters, hopefully- in future updates. R&R!!