Falls

The dissapearence of her father shattered her world, severing ties to everything and everyone familiar. Her mother's inconsolable grief echoed through the night, a haunting lament that invaded her dreams. The extended network of family and friends, once a source of comfort, scattered in the aftermath. While some remained, others drifted away. Determined to forge her own path, she refused to be confined by her brother's authority. And so, she too, turned her back on the life she once knew.

The cool autumn night felt alien. The crescent moon cast a faint light on her path, and only the drone of grasshoppers and the soft calls of owls broke the silence. Her glacial blue eyes, fixed on the trail, registered little of the strangers around her. Her destination was the Falls, a place for a drink of water, a moment of quiet contemplation before she wandered again, wherever fate might lead.

The distant roar of the Falls grew steadily louder until finally, they burst into view. She stopped, momentarily captivated by the cascade, the silvery light catching in the spray. The pool below shimmered, a fractured reflection of the moon. She approached cautiously, bending her head to drink deeply. The sounds of the night soothed her, and as she lifted her head, water trickled from her chin back into the pool.

Looking down, she saw her reflection staring back: a grief-stricken girl with bloodshot eyes and a disheveled forelock – a perfect reflection of the chaos that had become her life.

The familiar lump rose in her throat, and fresh tears stung her eyes. With a sigh of utter weariness, she collapsed on the bank. Her body shook with sobs as memories of her father flooded her mind: his gentle nuzzles, the way he used to playfully ruffle her forelock, the joy on his face as he watched her search for yellow warblers.

Another sob escaped her.