After Darkness

I wake up and it’s still dark through the window. That’s what I need to see—Darkness. Because after darkness, something happens, something changes. The excitement of the eminent change causes me to literally jump from my bed and skid to a stop before my vanity. I quickly wash the remaining sleepiness away from my face and managed to pull my bed-head hair into a long ponytail. I change out of my pajamas into blue leaf capris, a yellow tank top and vest, with matching platforms.

“Oh! Now where did I put—Hah! There you are! ”

Grabbing the pouch hidden behind the vanity’s mirror, I pull out a little handful of its containments: sparkling grains of dust. I sprinkle a pinch of dust over my head and back. Instantly, my glowing wings perk up and give a flutter in approval for the recharge. I flit down the first flight of stairs to the kitchen and open the hutch. I get out a picnic basket and begin packing a tea kit (including a thermos of dew water warmed from the stove) and wrapped biscuits. I can tell the darkness has begun to diminish slowly but surely through the kitchen window, so I hurry down the last flight of stairs to the parlor room. In the middle of the room sits a little blue plush bed. Nested in it, my hummingbird stirred from his sleep when he heard my shoes click on the stairs.

“Hey Dashflash, ” I coo to him, “Get up sleepyhead. We’re going out. ” 

Dash stretches his wings and flaps them excitedly. We cross the room to the door and go out into the cool darkness. I lock up the door behind me and ask,
“So…the usual place? “

I cock my head in his direction waiting for a reply. He nods enthusiastically.

“We better hurry or we won’t get our good spot. “

And with that, we take off from the ground, to the sky.
Zipping through forest of tinted trees, the leaves and limbs are meshed together to form a canopy overhead of us. Dash zooms past me, scouting out a path I should follow. But I know the way—I’ve flown this course so many times before I could fly it backwards. The air becomes crisper and our destination is approaching. The dark has changed to a rich purple by this time.

“Dash!” I call. “We’re here.”

After curving to the right around a tree he abruptly stops flying and I almost collide into him.
“Whoops! I’ll give more warning next time.”

I pull back a thin branch of that tree and, well, he dashes inside as I trail behind. We take our spot at the highest branch that will support both of us. I set the basket on a little broken stump of another branch and unpack.

“Well, we still have time to eat before… “

I crush up half of a biscuit and let it dissolve into the hot tea for Dash to sip from. I nibble a little from the other half and soon I can see the purple merging into hot pink on the horizon line. Then, I hear other voices. Pixies past-by with their own baskets and blankets in tow. So many faces, most I’ve seen once or twice before, and chatted with while waiting.

The stragglers of the crowd finally find their seats amongst the lower branches. And the murmurs of chatter are hushed minutes later by the eminent change. A dozen and more eyes gaze in the same direction. Treetops can be seen and felt by the eyes, the mountains are given their definite shape, shadows, and cavities. Fog is misting the valley before us all. Then, the moment we’ve been waiting for…I’m on the edge of my branch…This is the moment I’ve expected all along since the Darkness. Because after Darkness, comes Light, and Light is so beautiful to see unfurl.
Black…
…Purple…
…Pink…
…Orange…
…Yellow…
Sunrise.
Dawn.
Daybreak.
Morning.
A symphony of splendor erupts from my chest. I can’t contain it any longer. Springing from my seat, I’m sent into a spiraling flight above the trees. I twirl and twirl and twirl, consumed by the sun’s embrace, laughing all the while. I spread my arms wide to soak up every last brilliant ray of light showered upon me.
“Hhhhhhheeeeeellllllloooooooo Sunshine!!!” I exclaim, grinning.
“It’s me…Stella.”

The End

Til’ Next Time…Stella & The Pixies