~*Improviso Vir*~

Unexpected Hero

Lucas opened his eyes, struggling to his feet.

All around him, in great, unending waves of yellow and green, were sunflowers. They waved in the breeze, like the ocean, petals occasionally coming loose and flying away with the wind. The sweet scent swirled all around him, and Lucas found it strangely relaxing. The sky, cloudless and blue, blanketed the entire field. The sun cast down glittering bands of golden light.

Remembering his fall from the tower, he looked around, searching for signs of his friends. All he saw up ahead was Boney, and he struggled through the thick foliage to his dog.

It was so heavy with the big yellow flows and thick green stems that Lucas couldn't run; he was forced to do a slow trot as he threaded their expanse. Petals caressed his face as he passed, and he suddenly felt like this was a place of magic, wonder, and most importantly peace.

Lucas hadn't had peace in a long time. Not inner peace.

Boney barked excitedly, bounding away through the fields. Lucas followed him, when suddenly…

His breath caught, and for a moment he spied an ethereal form in an all-too-familiar red dress gliding through the mesh of sunflowers.

Then it was gone.

Rubbing his eyes and deciding the fall must have jarred him pretty badly, the boy set off again. Not long into the fields, he saw the figure again.

His throat ached, and his heart did too, and the poor boy could do nothing but stare as his mother turned to face him.

And smiled.

"Mom?" Lucas choked out. The ghost nodded, turning around silently and walking off again. Shoving past the thick green stems the poor boy cried out once again, "Mom!"

They had reached the edges of the sunflower ledge, where there was a patch of grass devoid of flora before the cliff fell steeply away and ended in a drop to the ground below. Lucas swallowed nervously, watching Boney whom was prancing around near the edges. The dog seemed to hear something, his ears pricked and swiveled forward sharply in surprise.

Suddenly, with a joyful bark, the dog sprang off the ledge. Lucas was too stunned to do anything, and then he looked up at his still silent mother, whom was standing in the clouds.

"Mom…I've missed you so much." Lucas felt tears in his eyes, but they had yet to shed. His mother just blinked sadly at him, just waiting for something. "Say something, please!"

"It's not yet your time, Lucas."

The boy's heart was thundering so loud he was certain it would burst from his chest and down the cliff like Boney had.

Despite everything, Lucas was so overcome with a desperate longing for his mother that he, too, mimicked Boney and leaped toward his mother.

For a moment he hung in the air, hand extended, and he felt the light, cool touch of his mother's hand on his. She seemed to be apologizing for something.

Afterwards, he fell straight down.

~***~

I'm sure everyone's done this part before.