Available to be published
Part 4
Part 3
Part 2
Her sadness disappeared immediately after the
first mile as the sun was coming up. Helen turned off the radio; it
seemed to disturb the morning’s quiet. She had left behind the
melancholy that enveloped her each time she was leaving home, even
for a short time.
She had gone for a week off, and she had chosen to go away early in the morning. Such an unusual hour gave her a pleasant feeling of secrecy—an almost prohibited escape. No one would find her upon awakening. She crossed the still-deserted streets of her own city, and spied the lights from the windows light up slowly, calling people to their work. She smiled, imagining the faces of sleeping people who refused to leave the bed, caught in the shock of the first impact with the day.
She had thought long and hard before making the decision to go away for a week’s vacation, a response to the doubts that were plaguing her since last spring. She had gone against everyone’s advice, even her own. She was driven by a strong urge to find out the truth. The goal was not a resort or a quiet mountain inn where she could relax her mind and regenerate it from stress. She was heading for a hard week, alone among mountain walks and long, lonely days. She would camp wherever she could, sleeping in a tent.
Helen, at this time of vacation, has been asking for an answer to many of the doubts in her mind since last spring.
* * *
It took only a few minutes’ time, after passing a few corners and a long street, to get to the next village—to see other people do the same thing. She drove a few miles before entering the highway. She had to wait for a moment before occupying the right-hand lane.
She let a big van speed away quickly after it had warned her repeatedly with its flashing headlights. After the van passed, she checked in the rearview mirror that no other vehicle had priority in her lane. She relaxed her body and turned up the music to drown out the engine noise.
She had one hour of highway driving. The traffic was not intense, and Helen let herself be carried away by her thoughts. She began to wonder how it was possible to be here now in the early morning, heading in an unusual direction. Her thoughts took her back to a few months ago.
It all started one evening when Helen was preparing dinner. Her brother Alex had invited himself and was sitting on the couch waiting silently for the appropriate time to talk. Helen could imagine the reason why. It was about the extorted promise on the day he obtained the flying license: at the end of the first thousand operating hours, they would have to celebrate it on a solo flight.
Alex kept looking at her without talking.
“All right.” Helen finally exclaimed, extending her arms. “I’ll keep the deal.”
She had gone for a week off, and she had chosen to go away early in the morning. Such an unusual hour gave her a pleasant feeling of secrecy—an almost prohibited escape. No one would find her upon awakening. She crossed the still-deserted streets of her own city, and spied the lights from the windows light up slowly, calling people to their work. She smiled, imagining the faces of sleeping people who refused to leave the bed, caught in the shock of the first impact with the day.
She had thought long and hard before making the decision to go away for a week’s vacation, a response to the doubts that were plaguing her since last spring. She had gone against everyone’s advice, even her own. She was driven by a strong urge to find out the truth. The goal was not a resort or a quiet mountain inn where she could relax her mind and regenerate it from stress. She was heading for a hard week, alone among mountain walks and long, lonely days. She would camp wherever she could, sleeping in a tent.
Helen, at this time of vacation, has been asking for an answer to many of the doubts in her mind since last spring.
* * *
It took only a few minutes’ time, after passing a few corners and a long street, to get to the next village—to see other people do the same thing. She drove a few miles before entering the highway. She had to wait for a moment before occupying the right-hand lane.
She let a big van speed away quickly after it had warned her repeatedly with its flashing headlights. After the van passed, she checked in the rearview mirror that no other vehicle had priority in her lane. She relaxed her body and turned up the music to drown out the engine noise.
She had one hour of highway driving. The traffic was not intense, and Helen let herself be carried away by her thoughts. She began to wonder how it was possible to be here now in the early morning, heading in an unusual direction. Her thoughts took her back to a few months ago.
It all started one evening when Helen was preparing dinner. Her brother Alex had invited himself and was sitting on the couch waiting silently for the appropriate time to talk. Helen could imagine the reason why. It was about the extorted promise on the day he obtained the flying license: at the end of the first thousand operating hours, they would have to celebrate it on a solo flight.
Alex kept looking at her without talking.
“All right.” Helen finally exclaimed, extending her arms. “I’ll keep the deal.”
The Path - Incipit
Shiny Lake
Part 1
Fairy Tales
Poems
Novels
Shiny Lake
