Trouvaille

Thursday (they/them) discovers a cosy clearing in the woods.

It was the middle of one of the hottest summers that year. Thursday hadn’t wanted to go outside, naturally being an indoor person, but Wednesday’s intermittent humming and strumming and Tuesday’s “fun facts” were beginning to irritate them. Not to mention, Anubis seemed particularly keen on bothering Thursday, and since Anubis didn’t want to be outside either, Thursday figured it was a safe place to be. Well, safe from those particular irritations. It was still very hot out. Thursday had at least been intelligent about clothing choice, opting for sandals, loose linen shorts, and a cotton t-shirt, with their powder blue hair pulled back into a loose bun. They wandered around near the edge of town, pondering whether they wanted to make the journey into the forest. It wasn’t that the forest was forbidden�"it wasn’t even all that foreboding. It was just that it wasn’t explicitly allowed, either. Finally, with a steeling nod of their head, Thursday decided that the comfort of shade was better than the possible consequences, and marched right past the boundary between the town of Pebble Creek and the woods of name unknown. Thursday almost laughed to theirself. “The Woods of Name Unknown” sounded like the name of an enchanted forest in some popular fantasy novel. They resolved to call it that, if only in their head, from now on. Shortly through their jaunt into the newly christened Woods of Name Unknown, Thursday discovered a small dirt trail that wound through the tall trees. They wondered if it started somewhere along the treeline and they’d simply not seen it while walking past, or if it originated somewhere inside the forest itself. (It did, in fact, start somewhere along the treeline, but not the part Thursday had walked along. But they would discover that later on.) Presently, Thursday was watching the path in front of him as it snaked through the trees. After a scant few minutes, Thursday saw a break in the trees ahead. As they got closer, they realised it to be a clearing in the midst of the woods. As they neared the clearing, they began to notice the babbling sound of running water, though it was quiet. It took Thursday less than five minutes to finish the short journey towards the clearing. When they arrived, they smiled despite the discomfort caused by the heat. A creek ran through the clearing, perpendicular to the trail Thursday had been travelling along. It wasn’t a very large creek, but there was a red brick bridge spanning it nonetheless. Thursday thought the bridge, secluded and quiet as it was, would be a wonderful place for studying, reading, and composing poetry in the future. They wished they’d brought along a notepad; a few verses were already putting themselves together in their head. Sunlight fell through the leaves and collected on the ground in bright pools like molten gold, dappling the long grass growing in the clearing. The light that fell on the water made it sparkle like silver flowing lazily through the creek bed. Deep purple, bright yellow, and brilliant red flowers poked up between tall blades of grass, waving in the warm breeze. Thursday sighed, brought momentarily back to reality by the overwhelming heat of the day, before losing theirself again in their marvelling at the clearing as two squirrels appeared to race over the bridge. Thursday laughed in delight. Thursday moved towards the bridge and sat on one of its short walls. They kicked their sandals onto the bridge and then turned around so their feet dangled over the creek, the tips of their toes just touching the cool water. They scooched forwards just enough that their feet dipped further into the water and their grin widened; the water was cold. Perhaps this day was not as bad as they thought. After all, they were certain neither Wednesday nor Tuesday had discovered anything so marvellous or enchanting as this small clearing near the edge of the woods. And to think, such loveliness had been only one decision and a few minutes out of reach. It was positively delightful. The little clearing was a windfall, an extremely lucky find. From now on, Thursday would have their own little spot away from everyone else. They didn’t think they’d share it with anyone. Not just anyone, anyhow. But the future is unwritten, and Thursday certainly didn’t wield the pen, so who knows what their future might hold?

~Fin.~