She absorbed the feeling of blue around her. The cloudless sky pressed down on her, infecting her cerulean eyes. Violets at her feet swayed in the wind. Her blistered hands rested in the back pockets of her tattered skinny jeans as she approached the brook. Slipping off her sandals, she dipped her toes in the cool, crystalline water, her mind relaxing instantly.
Smooth, grey stones guided her downriver. Her faded jacket rippled in the soft breeze and her thoughts withered away with it. A bolder ahead signaled the end of her wading journey. She paused and scanned her surroundings, ready to reverse course until she spotted a column of smoke rising between the trees. The hem of her jeans soaked with curiosity, she followed it.
Her sandals forgotten, she stepped into soft, brown mud. The ground hardened as she ventured into the trees. Bright eyes wandered upwards, searching gaps in the branches for any sign of the smoke. Thorn bushes scratched at her vulnerable feet, but she didn't notice, her eyes glued to the sky. A fuzzy woodland animal scurried across her path, too quickly for identification. She smiled as the plume of smoke grew larger and a bend in the trail revealed two young people and their camping gear. An adventure.
The new-found couple sat by the red hot fire they had proudly created themselves. Her approach startled them, but she greeted them as a friend. The man's eyes invited her to sit with them, and the woman's ruby lips tipped into a grin. Absentmindedly, the man poked at the fire, sending sparks into the atmosphere. The scarlet sun sunk between the trees as they talked.
The trees around them turned black, and they sipped at hot cocoa to keep away the evening chill. An everlasting ebony sky was broken only by the light of the fire. I should go, she told them, remembering the gentle lady, her guardian, that waited for her return. Her pupils dilated, spotting movement between the trees. No, stay, they replied, guiding her closer to the fire and away from the darkness. Shadows danced on the ground around them. She debated between venturing into the unknown and staying within the safety of the fire circle. Then, the woman grimaced again, and a veil was pulled over her eyes.
Oh my gosh, what a scary scenario at the end! I didn't see that coming. I love the way you did this and will likely use yours as an example if I try this in a future class. You worked the shades into each paragraph in such subtle, effective ways. This is my favorite line of all: "The hem of her jeans soaked with curiosity, she followed it."
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