FanStory.com - Lostby Lea Tonin1

Clouds draped their white blankets over the mountains and hills as if to warm the land with its cottony breath.

The river sighed as it released its heavy burden into the thirsty ocean.

Green fluidic arms mixed with white exposing the seas diamond belly to the smiling sun.

Bird's borrowed shelves of air as I gathered peace into my lap and held it there.

Take these moments of quiet. Life will not give them to you. You must seek it out.

I'm gazing up at the Rocky mountains. Here in the valley, we are surrounded in a ring of mountains on three sides. One side is the vast beautific pacific ocean.

We are nestled in the Valley. One large city, surrounded in several smaller ones, surrounded by the suburbs and finally rural country. The farmers grow corn right up to the mountain base.

We are in the great river delta which has many islands. One hundred and fifty kilometers east and we are out of the valley and climbing.

When our mountain highways washed out a couple winters ago, the entire valley filled with water. One immense lake!

Looking at the mountains now on a clear and sparkling day, I can almost imagine that the one mountain is a she and that her skirts are always flowing white. Occasionally she will lift them to expose her granite toes as if looking for a pedicure.

Then she throws her skirts back down again filling towns with white, unaware that her casual gesture has buried thousands.

The mountains look quiet today, all exposing their beauty to an amber sun set off in blue.

We have a job to do...can't be blubbering all day now can we?

Old faithful keeps blinking at me on top of the desk. We need go back there again.

We need to see how she's doing. Can't leave her lost in the dark with thick fog surrounding her.

So let's see if we can dry some of those tears and bring her out of the cold...

I couldn't hear his voice anymore. All I could hear was my footfalls on the cement road. I almost gave myself a knock off the side of a poplar tree so thick was the fog. I thought to myself,

"I don't dare wander any farther. I should stay put until the sun rises or the fog dissipates. I can figure out where I am." Satisfied with that train of thought, I chose a spot where I could lean against a tree and rest. I didn't want to think about where I was going to go. I must get my things but, that was just too much for the moment. I also realized that the sun can't be too far off since we arrived here late. It was just a matter of an hour or two. My feet ached from the stupid high heels she had me wear. Taking them off, I rubbed the bottom of my feet to alleviate the cramps. I sat there just calming my heart and listening to the night. After a while I could see lights piercing the fog drawing closer to me. I scooted myself farther behind the tree and watched.

As the car approached I realized it was a cab and as it drove by I could make out the profile of E. The cab passed just as the sun had illuminated the fog edges. I considered putting the high heels back on my feet again but, I knew I would not get very far like that. So I opted for bare feet, well nylon feet anyway. Once it was light enough. I continued down the road until I spied a main intersection. I could see now the street I was on and approximately how far I had to go to collect my items. I was just angry enough to go and collect them and make sure she stayed out of my way when I did. I'm pretty sure she wasn't going to let any of this business come into her mother's home more than it already had. Looking at the sign and considering I was starting to feel very hung over. I looked over my energy level, I was looking at the fact that it was about eleven kilometers to walk back to E's house. Then I realized that my energy level really doesn't matter. I have to get where I'm going period. I began the long walk back. The odd car honked as they went by. No wonder with the way I was dressed, or lack there of. The sun climbed as I walked dissipating the last of the fog. I watched it burn off with mixed feelings. Considering it had concealed me only a few hours ago, I was not sure I wanted it gone. Finally after a long walk I saw the street that lead to E's house. I knocked on the door. Nothing, I knocked again. Finally I saw E peaking out the window and then door opened.

"What the fuck!" E said. "Get in here fast." You know I had to do them both cuz of you!"

My rage flared up so fast it almost gave me whiplash! I grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her up against the wall.

I growled in her face. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't drop you like a fly."

"Hey man, I tried to help you." She said. Instantly I drew my arm across her neck and began to apply pressure while her faced turned red. "No you didn't. You tried to condemn me to hell!" Then I heard a voice in the hallway.

"E...what's going on in there?"

I'm thinking in that moment if her mother hadn't come up the hallway. I don't know, maybe I would have kept squeezing maybe not. I'm glad I didn't have to find out.