See the Universe

c h a p t e r o n e

"Marshall, where are you?" Marshall's mom yelled from the kitchen. 

"In here!" He yelled back from his spot in the living room. When his mom called his name a few more times, he sighed and walked into the kitchen where she was cutting vegetables.

"I want to make sure you understand what you have to do. I'm going to be gone two weeks."

  "I know, Mom."

  "Make sure you feed everything, especially the chickens. Check for eggs everyday. Make sure to keep the crops watered-"

  "I know, Mom." "And no parties!"

  "Yes, Ma'am." Marshall saluted sarcastically. "Go finish packing, Mom. You're gonna miss your flight tonight." She laughed as she set the knife down on the cutting board and wiped her hands on her apron. 

  "You're right. Can't have the National Farmers Association miss out on me!" With another short laugh she hurried up the stairs. She never did anything without hurrying anymore. Sighing, Marshall sat down on the couch, staring at the mantle. Snapshots of his life stared back. The day he was born, a little baby, wrapped up in a tiny blue blanket with little pink pigs on it. His dark hair was a mess on his tiny head. His dad teaching him how to milk a cow, Marshall, having a disgusted look on his freckled face as his dad laughed at him. Himself, running through the cornfields, looking back at the camera with a grin on his face and his green eyes sparkling, the stalks of corn towering around him. Marshall on a swing, his father in the background with his arms around his mom. After that day, his dad stopped being in pictures. 

 After that day, his dad was never really around at all. He would leave early, and not come home until two in the morning, sometimes not until the next day. There were constantly beer bottles left all over the house, as if Marshall's mom didn't already clean enough, being a nearly full-time cleaning woman. Eventually, when he left for good, he left Marshall's mom to run a farm on her own. Marshall hated his father for leaving his mom, for leaving him. For being weak. He was a coward. So Marshall erased him. He ignored his father, the fact that he was ever a part of Marshall's life. To him, his dad was just a memory.

  Of course, it would be nice to have another pair of hands around the farm. It was pretty difficult to maintain the entire ranch with just Marshall and his mom, who was rapidly growing old. She denied this, insisting on doing just as much work—if not more—but Marshall could pick up on things. The way she panted every time she climbed the many stairs in their large farmhouse, or the way her hair had slowly started going grey, fading from the vibrant red it once was. The way the wrinkles in her face were as pronounced as ever. Marshall had tried to convince her to stay home, tried to tell her that he could attend the farmer's convention in her place. But she refused. For what she lacked in youth she made up for with stubbornness. Marshall chuckled to himself and stood, walking over to the stairs.

  "Mom! The sun is nearly down! You better get going!" He yelled. After a few moments, his mother came clunking down the stairs, dragging multiple suitcases. Her now-grey hair was in wisps around her face. Once she reached the bottom, Marshall grabbed a few bags and helped her carry them out to the car. He loaded all of them into the trunk, and walked around the side of the car. 

  "Thanks, honey." She said, kissing him on both cheeks. "Be good. Don't be lazy." She climbed into the old Cadillac. 

  "Have fun, Mom." He waved at her as she drove away, not climbing up the white porch steps until her car was out of sight.

  Marshall cleaned when he was stressed. So while he worried over his mother driving in the dark to the airport, the kitchen got a deep cleansing. The sun had gone down, and the stars glittered above the fields to the east of the farmhouse. Marshall stood in front of the window at the sink, washing dishes calmly. The sponge in his hand continued to scrub over endless amounts of plates. Marshall stared outside into the quiet night and the rustling crops. The sky stretched on, endlessly expanding into the unknown, and Marshall froze. From nowhere in particular, a strange light zipped across the skyline, flashing vibrant green. Leaning over the sink to see better, Marshall pressed his face to the window. Then just like before, a strand of green light traced across the horizon. Then, with a brilliant flash, the whole house was bathed in an a neon green light.