the hunt ~ a.f.i.

01 - the moon and the tide

the leaves swept over the ground taking small flights into the air before blanketing the earth once more. alwyn danced through the forest as the wind weaved throughout the tree trunks. outstretching her arms and spreading her fingers wide she spun round and round like she would as a little girl until she found herself at the edge of the ocean. the sun hung low in the sky washing alwyn in a golden light that warmed her cheeks. she removed her bag from her shoulders, unpacking its contents one item at a time: paintbrushes, acrylic paint, a pad, a bottle of water and a granola bar.. just in case she got hungry. crossing her legs she perched at the edge of the cliff, watching the beating waves battle with the rock face. she squeezed the small tubes of paint onto her pallet and began to mix. passion and concentration consumed her as she began to nibble her bottom lip. alwyn had come to this spot for many years to paint the beautiful chaos of foam and waves churning beneath her. once she had finished concocting her mix of blues and greens her hand floated carefully over her blank page. a paintbrush for alwyn was as much part of her as a bone, connected to her every movement instinctively.

winnie unthreaded the scrunchie from her wrist and pulled her thick tight curls into a loose ponytail at the back of her head. looking down at her artwork, she smiled, pleased with the outcome. impatiently, her belly grumbled longingly for a treat. she pulled the granola bar from her pocket catching her reflection in the shiny wrapper. a streak of ocean blue paint rested on her forehead - the mark of a fervent artist her mother used to say. she pushed the dry snack into her mouth, crunching on the tasteless bar. she wished she had brought something a little yummier. alwyn reached for her water bottle quickly washing down the dull treat before she chocked on its crispy remains.

the moon began to rise, it produced a silverish glow that surfaced the earth. bright stars dusted the sky like expensive jewels twinkling against the dark night. winnie watched their reflections as they danced upon the waters exterior. if i only i had brought some more paint she thought, cursing herself.  the onshore breeze soaked through her jumper leaving the cold nights kiss against her skin. alwyn tried to sit for as long as she could, treasuring the beauty of the scene that lay in front of her, but as the wind blew the pink in her cheeks to blue, she decided to gather her things.

as she waltzed back through the tall trees she eyed the luminous moon. when winnie was a child she believed the moon would follow her wherever she went.. as she grew older she passed it off as a product of her wild imagination. however, she still thought about it deeply, the idea of it watching over her comforted alwyn and made her feel safe.

*****

"im home aunt bessie" winnie called as she entered through the little cottage door. bessie wasn't really alwyn's aunt, she was a close friend of her mothers. after winnie lost her parents in an accident, bessie took care of her.
she peered into the front room and spied aunt bessie asleep in her big chair, a crossword lay on her lap and a pen loose in her hand. a small pair on round glasses sat on the edge of her nose attached to a gold chain that hung round her neck.
"aunt bessie" winnie whispered, holding her hand, "let's get you in bed". bessie stretched her legs out, yawning slowly.
"sorry my darling, i didn't mean to fall asleep" she replied rubbing her eyes. winnie sighed for bessie had no reason to apologise and helped her out of her chair, "i put a pizza on the side in case you are hungry? have you eaten? you must be starving!" bessie worried.
"thank you aunt bessie, but you are not to worry about me. you get some rest" alwyn demanded, tucking in the corners of the duvet and plumping up the pillows, "night night".
bessie's eyes fluttered closed with exhaustion, "sleep tight alwyn, i love you" she muttered.
"love you too aunt bessie"

*****

winnie dipped the remaining crusts of her pizza into the blob of garlic mayo that rested on the edge of her plate. she untied the scrunchie from her hair, letting the curls dangle loose over her shoulders. pulling her painting from her bag she marvelled over the sound of the crashing sea that was still audible through the open kitchen window. she slid her feet into her slippers, wondered into her studio and pinned the painting to her wall, it accompanied a collection of artwork all based around the sea. she admired the wall, tracing her fingers along the rolling waves that crashed before her, then trudged to her bedroom for a good nights sleep.