Chapter 4: Falling (Part 1)
Clark stood motionless, facing the field, when he heard Shelby bark. He moved back into the shadowed protection of the orchard trees, thinking that Shelby was barking at him when the bark was directed at the UFO.
He stayed hidden until Lois had called Shelby away from the tree. It seemed that she wasn't bothered by the thing. Clark suddenly realized that Lois wasn't annoyed when the golden retriever started playing with the magnificent woman that had filled his thoughts. Clark stood rooted, as he watched them with a smile on his face. He knew deep down she adored Shelby; this was proof.
Chloe subtly walked up to Clark. She was about to make her presence known when she noticed that her best friend's attention was focused on her cousin. A smile broke out on her flushed face. Instead of interrupting him, she decided to keep hidden. She slid behind a tree that was several feet to Clark's right. She tip-toed her way towards the hiding spot and watched as the events played out. Like Clark, she noticed that Lois wasn't sneezing around Shelby, like she usually did. She tucked that piece of information in the back of her mind for later as her attention refocused on the lady in the field.
Lois was rubbing Shelby's belly, with a smile across her face. After a several minutes Lois decided to send Shelby away, "alright, time to go find a toy to play with. I have things I need to do. And don't give me that look" she said while dismissing him with the flick of her hand.
Lois, gracefully, stood up and commenced her dancing. Both Chloe and Clark stood awe-stricken as Lois moved gracefully like a ballerina.
Chloe couldn't believe that Lois still remembered ballet. It had been over fifteen years since she had her last performance on stage. As the initial shock wore off, Chloe felt like she was three again, when they were both in ballet class together. At the age of three, Chloe's role model was Lois; everything that Lois wanted to do, Chloe wanted to also do. And to this day, Lois still was.
Lois closed her eyes as she let the music filling her mind overtake her. She let her pleasure, happiness and delights swallow her whole; this was to be a night of rejoicement and celebration, not one of worry.
Her eyes, like sparkling diamonds in the water, opened wide as she tilted her head towards the midnight sun. Her pearl white teeth shone brightly in the night sky when she laughed in delight or when a smile played across her picturesque face. She was an apparition of beauty, Clark concluded, as he watched her continue to move to the music that filled her mind.
She extended her straightened left leg behind her, with her right leg slightly bent, supporting her. She slowly moved her body towards the ground so that she was parallel to the green earth.
We get it almost every night
When that moon gets big and bright
It's supernatural delight
Everybody was dancin' in the moonlight
Her arms were raised, in front of her, so that she formed a line with her body that inclined downwards, starting with her raised back foot to her outstretched hands. She then started to lean forward and back again, creating a slow see-saw movement.
Everybody here is outta sight
They don't bark, and they don't bite
They keep things loose, they keep things light
Her quiet voice filled the brightly lit midnight sky,
"Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Dancing in the moonlight
Everybody's feelin' warm and right
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Her body came back to a full upright position before she continued on her rhythmic movement.
We like our fun and we never fight
You can't dance and stay uptight
It's supernatural delight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight
Her next move had her audience mesmerized.
She did a long horizontal jump forward, starting on her right leg and landing on the left. In the middle of the jump, she did a split in midair, creating the illusion that she was floating in air.
Dancin' in the moonlight
Everybody's feelin' warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight"
The beautiful dancer brought one foot sharply in as she sprung onto her toes, with her legs close together, while turning in air. Lois then made a bold sweep, bringing her leg round to the front before she swiveled round with her feet close together. She came to a slight stop as she reached the end of the movement.
Lois had been so enraptured with her dance that she didn't realize Shelby had returned with a Frisbee dangling in his mouth. Shelby watched his favorite person as she started spinning around in place, with arms wide open as if she was waiting for someone to embrace her.
The young woman stopped moving, only to find Shelby sitting ten feet away from her with a plats tic toy in his mouth. Lois smiled. He was so cute sitting there, waiting for her attention. It was times like these when she loved the golden mutt.
"How may I help you?" Lois asked the dog light heartedly, with a small smile gracing her face. Shelby responded by walking up to her and dropping the plastic toy by her bare feet. "You wanna play…here you go," she said picking up the toy and letting it fly out of her hand. It sailed over the orchard and landed the middle of the tall fruited plants. The golden retriever wagged his tail enthusiastically as he headed of in search of his toy. Lois softly chuckled as she watched the family pet run off into the distance.
Instead of resuming her activity, she simply stood there, waiting for Shelby to return. She didn't have to wait long before he came back with the toy in his mouth. She took the Frisbee and tossed it again. They went on playing for a period of time, all sense of time lost. Lois bent over and told Shelby "I'm going to throw this one last time, before I get back to what I was doing."
Shelby just stood there with his tongue out of his mouth and his tail wagging back and forth waiting for Lois to throw the piece of plastic.
Lois threw the Frisbee with great force, in hopes that it would travel further than the previous two times. She turned her head and followed its path. Disbelief washed over her; the Frisbee was gaining altitude with rapid succession. She muttered "oh great" as it finally came to a stop in a pear tree, which stood outside the fenced field. "Has that tree always been there?" she asked herself. "Well obviously" she muttered a reply.
She looked down at Shelby who had let out a quite whine because he couldn't get to his toy. He looked up at his favorite person and let out another whine.
"I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no" Lois firmly said.
He let out a loud whimper.
"I'm not going to get the toy. I have more important things to do than climb a tree and get you your toy."
The dog kept looking up at Lois with his sad eyes and let out his fifth whimper within the duration of a couple minutes.
She regarded the dog intently. She knew that he wouldn't stop whining until she got the toy. She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes for a moment. When she reopened them, she swore that the mutt was pouting.
"Fine!" she had caved. She shook her head, and made her way en route to the enormous pear tree with Shelby following her lead.
-TBC-
