Written to "Everything" by Lighthouse
Walking...walking...dark, lacy silhouettes of tree branches reaching toward the purple night sky. Starlight, cold and distant, like chips of sparkling ice. A good kind of cold.
Lucas wrapped arms about himself, shivering with cold but mostly excitement. He'd been walking with a thoughtful smile spread across his face, uncertain of how or why it 'd gotten there in the first place. No smile is more genuine then one given to oneself; it must be genuine, not politeness for sheer politeness sake.
Moonlight glinted off the slender form, deep blue light casting Lucas as the main character in the vast night panorama spread about. A role he seemed to be embracing as the hours fled.
Out here, he was king. Anything was possible.
He paused, dropping to his knees. There was so much mud decorating him, Lucas had stopped trying to avoid it. He gently eased himself past snagging thorns to tenderly gather the handful of overripe berries. Dried on the bush, but not bad. It was the best fruit he'd ever tasted.
Lie on his back, dry moss underneath, reached up-he almost touched the moon.
"It's been a while since the kid has eaten."
"There's food in the brush, if you have the brains to take it. Practically feed an army out there."
"I'm sorry, Dan, for appearing concerned about your lost son."
"Right." Dan Scott watched the man turn on his heel. Lucas had caused him quite a few embarrassing moments with this typical disappearing act. Seems every dad here thought it was time to rag about fatherly responsibilities. It was how they saved face, tried to act like Dan Scott wasn't in charge.
"Bunch of-"
"Dad?"
Nathan, earnest expression marring normally self complacent features. "Are we going to go or what?"
"Come on, Nathan, you really think we're going to find him in all this?"
Dan swept a hand wide.
"I don't know. You're the expert."
"Come on. You sound like one of these old women."
"I suppose that's because I'm slightly concerned. An emotion I'm sure you know nothing about."
"I've been worried. About you. In the past. You weren't the easiest kid to raise."
"Then Lucas should be fine, 'cause you didn't raise him at all."
Funny, at first he was so hungry his stomach hurt. And now, the berries almost made him sick, he'd eaten them so quickly.
Replete, nestled in the shallow earth between gnarled roots, dreams danced across his vision like the rippling patterns of moonlight till both blurred into slumber. Sleep, he did.
Nathan threw off his blanket, almost stifled in the close confines of the tent. He wished he'd stayed. Like Lucas. Or couldn't find a way back. Maybe Dan would be out there searching for him now, instead of stretched out before the dying fire. Looking peaceful against the pale red glow of the embers, unguarded and innocent. What an illusion.
Crawling past heavily slumbering team mates, Nathan sent a fervent message to the sky. "I'll find you, Luke."
Because I need you to find myself, I think.
Lucas shifted, an ache in his shoulder. Blinked wide eyed at the play of twinkling lights and a single, searing blaze as something ceased to be.
Supposed to make a wish...starlight, star-bright...no, you didn't wish on a falling star. Or did you?
Another mark of complete solitude. Talking to himself.
"Shut up and go to sleep."
Whatever caused this weird half-present dreaming state, Lucas abruptly realized it wasn't a good thing. He'd mistaken utter peace for something better than what it probably was: either starvation, exhaustion, the constant state of chill.
Though the land had woven a spell about him, it was also entangling and dangerous.
Time to keep aware, instead of this aimless wandering.
Squinting at the sunlight, unconsciously rubbing at countless insect bites, bruises, dried mud. When was the last time he'd drank?
When it rained...the night before. Yesterday he'd chewed juicy stemmed plants. There had to be water about. For all he knew, he was walking in great circles and he'd never encounter any.
On a hunch, Lucas flipped over several large rocks piled into one another. They were still wet with the night's damp. Dripping.
Rock didn't taste all that bad. Well, licking it, that is.
Whether the situation was as funny as it seemed to him or a result of the rising sun, he had no idea. But it helped.
The day melded into night and another dawn was staining the sky, not that Lucas could see the sunrise. Trees, trees, more trees. The tubers he'd eaten for supper were stringy and "squeaky" dry, but actually rather filling. By now, his brain commanded him to eat. Whatever appetite he'd had was long since gone.
Night shade was deadly; he knew enough to avoid the obvious poisonous plants.
Lucas stopped for another rest, drawing himself against protective trunk of an oak. Just a moment...no need to close his eyes...
In his dreams someone was there. In his dreams, he was found. He felt the arms. The strength and security, dreamt it over and over..