Theea
you lose yourself when the wind flows through your hair
you taste freedom as you fill your lungs with air
you taste freedom as you fill your lungs with air
The mist hugs the earth like a sigh still clinging to sleep. Dew beads in my hair and slicks the curls against my forehead, the air cool and dense with silence that feels alive. The woods are hushed—drenched in pale silver light that filters through the haze, turning every branch into soft charcoal sketches against the morning. My boots sink a little into the moss with each step, and the scent of damp bark, pine, and distant blossoms curls through the cold.
I’ve wandered aimlessly for hours, not really ready to head home. My nonna said she'd always loved it here, and I'm thinking of her, feeling closer to her, as I scan the underbrush. I promised I’d look, didn’t I? Even if the roses of Vi tend to show up when they want to be found, not when I go hunting for them. But something else catches my attention.
A hush-break of sound—delicate and constant. A waterfall.
I pause, blinking toward the trees ahead. Sure enough, a glimmer of light bounces off something beyond the trunks. Curious, I smile to myself and hike my backpack up higher on my shoulder. “Well hello there,” I murmur to the woods, as if they meant to show me this. I duck under low branches and follow the sound.
When I step out into the little clearing, I grin wide.
Gods, it’s stunning. The waterfall only trickles, more song than roar, but it’s enough to make the air shimmer. I kneel at the edge and reach to dip my fingers into the water, letting the chill sting pleasantly against my skin.
“Way better than last night’s melted ice,” I mutter to no one, unhooking my canteen. I dump out the lukewarm water and lean forward to refill it from the clear pool, humming a little as I do—some off-key melody stuck in my head from the party last night. My head bobs with the rhythm, my curls bouncing along, and I’m so absorbed in it that I don’t see her until I do.
She’s right there—an unmistakable silhouette against the rock, white hair, pale skin, and those eyes I’ve seen from across gathering halls and celebrations. And I—
—squeak.
“Ahhshit—”
I jerk back instinctively, lose my balance, and fall flat on my ass with a graceless oof. My newly filled canteen spills beside me, water soaking into the moss. “Oh, no—damnit,” I mutter, grabbing for it too late. My face burns as I scramble upright, brushing myself off.
“Sorry—! I didn’t mean to—uh, sneak up, or fall over, or—spill nature’s finest, apparently.” I rub the back of my neck. “Looks like we both got pulled in by the same waterfall,” I say. “It’s clearly got some tricks to attract at least two random strangers at once."
I glance at the spilled canteen, the wet patch spreading across my pant leg, and sigh. “Though if it's choosing favorites, pretty sure I just got voted least coordinated forest nymph.” I gather up the bottle and dunk it back in the water to fill again, eyes on the pale ancient. “I’m Theea.”
I’ve wandered aimlessly for hours, not really ready to head home. My nonna said she'd always loved it here, and I'm thinking of her, feeling closer to her, as I scan the underbrush. I promised I’d look, didn’t I? Even if the roses of Vi tend to show up when they want to be found, not when I go hunting for them. But something else catches my attention.
A hush-break of sound—delicate and constant. A waterfall.
I pause, blinking toward the trees ahead. Sure enough, a glimmer of light bounces off something beyond the trunks. Curious, I smile to myself and hike my backpack up higher on my shoulder. “Well hello there,” I murmur to the woods, as if they meant to show me this. I duck under low branches and follow the sound.
When I step out into the little clearing, I grin wide.
Gods, it’s stunning. The waterfall only trickles, more song than roar, but it’s enough to make the air shimmer. I kneel at the edge and reach to dip my fingers into the water, letting the chill sting pleasantly against my skin.
“Way better than last night’s melted ice,” I mutter to no one, unhooking my canteen. I dump out the lukewarm water and lean forward to refill it from the clear pool, humming a little as I do—some off-key melody stuck in my head from the party last night. My head bobs with the rhythm, my curls bouncing along, and I’m so absorbed in it that I don’t see her until I do.
She’s right there—an unmistakable silhouette against the rock, white hair, pale skin, and those eyes I’ve seen from across gathering halls and celebrations. And I—
—squeak.
“Ahhshit—”
I jerk back instinctively, lose my balance, and fall flat on my ass with a graceless oof. My newly filled canteen spills beside me, water soaking into the moss. “Oh, no—damnit,” I mutter, grabbing for it too late. My face burns as I scramble upright, brushing myself off.
“Sorry—! I didn’t mean to—uh, sneak up, or fall over, or—spill nature’s finest, apparently.” I rub the back of my neck. “Looks like we both got pulled in by the same waterfall,” I say. “It’s clearly got some tricks to attract at least two random strangers at once."
I glance at the spilled canteen, the wet patch spreading across my pant leg, and sigh. “Though if it's choosing favorites, pretty sure I just got voted least coordinated forest nymph.” I gather up the bottle and dunk it back in the water to fill again, eyes on the pale ancient. “I’m Theea.”
the time has stopped, your mind has set sail
the road is home, the stars will light the trail
the road is home, the stars will light the trail
