The prompt song was:
Dark Road, by Sarah Jarosz
Alicia stopped walking for a moment and closed her eyes
turning her face up to the sky, imagining the light falling on every inch of
her skin. When she opened them again, she smiled, looking out across the open land.
It was warm and welcoming, and she wanted to run into it. After years of
darkness, she felt light returning to her soul.
Her smile faltered a little as she thought about what she had left; the familiar sick feeling returning to her stomach. But she refused to allow it to pull her under and paralyse her. She was not responsible for his life; she was only responsible for her own. She could choose to put someone else’s desires before her own, or she could choose to follow her heart. He didn’t want to go with her, he wanted to stay, he’d told her that. But she wanted to move on and find more life to embrace.
She took a deep breath. The sick feeling subsided. He would work it out, and if he not, he could hate her, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t change it how he felt, she could only change herself, and she was more than ready to do that.
Alicia started walking. Her heels kicked up dust on the dirt track road, but it wasn’t far to the highway. Then she’d hitch a lift into a town and find a motel for the night. She’d be okay. For the first time in a long time she was sure of it.
When she reached the road there was plenty of cars, although they were slow in stopping for her. By the time she reached the motel on the outskirts of town the light was starting to fade. She was just in time to sit out back on the veranda and watch the sun go down. But she wasn’t alone.
He sat down a couple of seats away from her. She didn’t know if he was being polite and giving her space, or maybe he wanted to be alone, but it made her curious. The third time she glanced at him their eyes met.
“Hey.” He said, and smiled.
Alicia gave a small “Hey” back, grateful the darkness hid her blush.
“Hope I didn’t disturb you. I just wanted to take a moment.”
Alicia smiled. “We all need to take a moment sometimes.”
His smile broadened. He leaned over and put out his hand. “Craig.” She took it and said, “Alicia.”
“Where you headed, Alicia?” He took a sip from the bottle of beer in his hand.
“I don’t know yet.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Just letting the road take you?”
“Something like that.”
“Me too. I thought it was high time I saw some of this big country of ours, sick of sitting in the same place, doing the same thing every day.”
Alicia let out a little laugh. “That’s exactly what I thought. Sadly my other half didn’t feel the same way.”
“Mine either.” Craig’s smile faltered as he looked out at the darkening fields they faced. He sighed. “It’s the hardest part.”
“It sure is.” Alicia took a swig from her own bottle, looking out too. “But there’s light after darkness. We can look forward to that.”
Craig glanced at her with a smile. “We sure can.”
They drank in silence, Alicia not feeling uncomfortable for the first time in a long time. It didn’t matter that they didn’t speak; they weren’t in a relationship.
Then Craig stood up and said, “I’m going to turn in, but if I can give you a ride anywhere tomorrow, you just let me know, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll think on it.”
“See you at breakfast.”
“See you.” Alicia smiled and gave a wave of her hand as he disappeared into his room.
She looked up at the stars. Had she just been offered a new adventure, or would it be foolish to take such a risk? But she knew the answer. Life without risks was pretty boring, she knew that. She smiled, draining the last of the beer, a flutter of excitement in her belly starting up again.
Her smile faltered a little as she thought about what she had left; the familiar sick feeling returning to her stomach. But she refused to allow it to pull her under and paralyse her. She was not responsible for his life; she was only responsible for her own. She could choose to put someone else’s desires before her own, or she could choose to follow her heart. He didn’t want to go with her, he wanted to stay, he’d told her that. But she wanted to move on and find more life to embrace.
She took a deep breath. The sick feeling subsided. He would work it out, and if he not, he could hate her, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t change it how he felt, she could only change herself, and she was more than ready to do that.
Alicia started walking. Her heels kicked up dust on the dirt track road, but it wasn’t far to the highway. Then she’d hitch a lift into a town and find a motel for the night. She’d be okay. For the first time in a long time she was sure of it.
When she reached the road there was plenty of cars, although they were slow in stopping for her. By the time she reached the motel on the outskirts of town the light was starting to fade. She was just in time to sit out back on the veranda and watch the sun go down. But she wasn’t alone.
He sat down a couple of seats away from her. She didn’t know if he was being polite and giving her space, or maybe he wanted to be alone, but it made her curious. The third time she glanced at him their eyes met.
“Hey.” He said, and smiled.
Alicia gave a small “Hey” back, grateful the darkness hid her blush.
“Hope I didn’t disturb you. I just wanted to take a moment.”
Alicia smiled. “We all need to take a moment sometimes.”
His smile broadened. He leaned over and put out his hand. “Craig.” She took it and said, “Alicia.”
“Where you headed, Alicia?” He took a sip from the bottle of beer in his hand.
“I don’t know yet.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Just letting the road take you?”
“Something like that.”
“Me too. I thought it was high time I saw some of this big country of ours, sick of sitting in the same place, doing the same thing every day.”
Alicia let out a little laugh. “That’s exactly what I thought. Sadly my other half didn’t feel the same way.”
“Mine either.” Craig’s smile faltered as he looked out at the darkening fields they faced. He sighed. “It’s the hardest part.”
“It sure is.” Alicia took a swig from her own bottle, looking out too. “But there’s light after darkness. We can look forward to that.”
Craig glanced at her with a smile. “We sure can.”
They drank in silence, Alicia not feeling uncomfortable for the first time in a long time. It didn’t matter that they didn’t speak; they weren’t in a relationship.
Then Craig stood up and said, “I’m going to turn in, but if I can give you a ride anywhere tomorrow, you just let me know, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll think on it.”
“See you at breakfast.”
“See you.” Alicia smiled and gave a wave of her hand as he disappeared into his room.
She looked up at the stars. Had she just been offered a new adventure, or would it be foolish to take such a risk? But she knew the answer. Life without risks was pretty boring, she knew that. She smiled, draining the last of the beer, a flutter of excitement in her belly starting up again.
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