Landscape - 17

Over the furry hills, there is the little gleam of light. As the arc of white fades, it is replaced instead by a short span of flickering orange fire the blends into the full-out blood-red roar of the real thing. Further up, the fire fades into a crackle and a star-speckled deep blue like the ocean's depths covers the world. Over a different horizon, it mingles with the sea, the full, sleepy blue of the sky with the light, enticing sheen of the water's surface.

Back at the sunlight speck, trees cover the surface of the rolling hills. Short grass sways gently in the wind, whispering its song to the life that hides beneath even as the tall palm trees by the sea rustle in the breeze, rolling their lullabies onto the sandy shore. Waves wash up, slowly, and fade away. They pull at the dirt, dragging it back into the ocean. White crests disappear along the shoreline where a dark streak shows where wet meets dry.

In between the awakening hills and the sleepy sea rise the great mountains. Craggy cliffs mingle with streaked rock-lined falls. The dark shock of color clashes beautifully with the bright twinkle of the soft snow that rolls from its top. Over the whole scene of hills, mountains, and sea, there is the silent scream of hidden life, tempting, pulling, tugging, pushing.