Lauren--Part Three

Splog # 10

Three

    Lauren was torn between going straight home, which she knew she should do, and her curiosity to see what could be gleaming a little way down the hill. It wasn't really dark yet and her parents weren't all that strict about her being home the moment it got dark, so she figured just a touch of exploring would be ok. She started to move quickly but, as soon as she did, the sparkle disappeared. Her first thought was that she had only imagined it, but when she stopped, there it was again. It seemed to be coming from a clump of bushes not too far away. So she started walking slowly toward the bushes. There were trees here and there on the hillside but none between her and the spot she was approaching, so she could keep the mysterious sparkle right in front of her.

    When she got to the bushes, she bent to peer into their midst but, as soon as she touched them, the light went out. She wondered if she had cast some kind of shadow over whatever was in there. As she moved the small branches around, she heard a soft sound as something fell to the ground. She got on her knees and felt around under the bushes. Her hands encountered leaves and small branches and some pebbles and then she felt something that didn't seem to belong under a bush on a hillside. It was smooth and had sharp edges to it so she knew it wasn't a stone. She got a good grip on it and brought it out so she could see what it was. It was about the size of a quarter but, instead of being round, it had eight straight sides formed by angles. It was as thick as three quarters and was a bright red-orange like a flame. And it had a letter on it. A capital "C" in some kind of very ornate lettering. The "C" shone in a rich dark green and when Lauren turned the coin over there was another "C" in fancy letters, only this one was of a deep black that didn't shine at all.

    Lauren stood up and absent-mindedly brushed some dirt and leaves off her knees. She rubbed her hands on the sides of her shorts, one at a time, as she stared at whatever it was she had found. Was it a piece of jewelry? There were no holes to attach it to any kind of chain. There wasn't a pin so that it could be worn on a blouse or a dress or a coat. It wasn't like any kind of money that she had ever seen. But it was lovely to look at. The colors and the smoothness...and it felt good in her hand. There was a heaviness to it that was oddly reassuring, though she had no idea what there was to feel reassured about. But she wanted to know what the "C" pertained to. And why would the color of the "C" be different on either side when it looked the same in other respects?

 

   Lauren took the coin and held it by the edges between the thumb and forefinger of her left hand. She held it up at eye level to admire it. She brought her right thumb and forefinger up to join her left and make a frame for the coin. She was staring at the green "C" and the red-orange background almost seemed to be moving in the dim light like a real fire. She started to wonder what "C" might stand for. What began with "C" that was worthy of such a magnificent setting?

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[TLK]

Don't ask the reader a question they can't be bothered to answer.