Candy Corn #11, Fresh Strawberries, Fresh Blueberries
Author: Hali
Title: Just Like The Eagle Seeks The Deepest Blue Of The Sky
Flavors: Candy Corn #11 (black cat)
Extras: Fresh Strawberries (Picture of the Day), Fresh Blueberries (Quote of the Day: "A very great vision is needed, and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky.")
Rating: PG
Warning: Religious Themes
Word Count: 1,185
Story: Change of Heart
Summary: Fiona slips inside of a church to seek a moment of peace from the reality that's weighing on her mind.
An elderly man raised his arms to allow the white cuffs of his long, silk robe to fall past his wrists. Quietly, he moved across the church in front of the altar with a leather bible in hand. While holding the book in one hand, he brushed the whiskers of his graying beard with his free hand as his hazel eyes intently read over the lines. He paced back and forth with calm steps as he continued to recite the passages he was prepared to preach on Sunday morning. Rain streaked down the windows as the man saw lightning flashing through the night out of the corner of his eyes. Since he walked the ten minutes it took to travel from his house to the church, he planned on waiting for the storm to die down some before leaving.
The man paused momentarily in his pace when he heard the main door clicking shut. Wrinkles formed on his brow as he stared at the entrance in confusion when no one was in sight. He waited for a moment or two before shrugging it off as thunder and continued to review the bible verses. He stopped for a second time when he saw something at the edge of his view. When he turned, he caught sight of a black, furry tail disappearing around one of the brick pillars. How did a cat get into the church?
Instinctively, he walked down the aisle to approach the newcomer to reassure himself that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. Once he neared the pillar though, there wasn’t a cat to be found. He frowned. How odd, he thought. What was stranger was the sound of chair legs quietly rubbing against the concrete floor behind him. The man hastily turned around with his eyes wide. Sitting in the third row on the right side of the church was a woman in her early twenties. Her pale skin that was glossed with rain gleamed in the lighting of the church. Her black, bobbed cut hair was messily plastered against her face as she leaned forward. She rested her hands over the chair in front of her as her emerald green eyes stared unmoving from one of the holy paintings hung above the altar.
When had she arrived? How had she walked into the church unnoticed? Unease prickled under the man’s skin, but he relaxed after a minute. The woman wasn’t causing any harm and didn’t appear to have any wicked motives. In fact, she seemed almost...lost. After the woman let her head bow downward, the priest walked back down the red carpet to stand just outside of the third row.
“Miss,” He asked softly, “what brings you here so late?”
“Are you kicking me out?” She asked somberly without raising her head.
The man blinked at her in surprise before smiling gently. “The Lord casts off no one, and neither will I.”
When she didn’t respond, the man walked back towards the altar with his eyes staring down at the book again. It wasn’t until he began to walk up the steps that the woman hesitantly asked, “Even if they’re sinners?”
The smile returned to his face, even though she couldn’t see it because his back was turned. “Especially if they’re sinners.”
The two of them contently remained in each other’s company with only the sounds of the storm outside to fill the otherwise silence. The man continued to walk up and down in front of the altar with his lips moving as he mouthed the passages. Droplets of water dripped off the woman and into the floor as she continued to lean forward in her chair. She rested her forehead against her wrists that were crossed over one another and stared at the puddles that were beginning to form on the ground in front of her. A heavy sigh left her as her eyes slipped closed.
“I don’t know what to think anymore.”
The man paused. He lifted his gaze but said nothing. “I’m meant for something,” The woman announced after a beat. “Something great, but...I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to do. I’m stuck. I have two choices. Do one or the other, but I don’t know which one is the right one.”
She sighed. “I’m going to make a mistake.”
The man folded the red ribbon of the bible over to mark his place before closing the book. “Why do you think that?”
“Because I plan on it.” The woman lifted her head. Those bright green eyes were staring intensely at the priest now and caused a chill to sweep up his spine at her sudden change in demeanor. “Doing what is expected of me is out of the question. I just don’t agree with it anymore.”
The defiance faded from her eyes as she cast her gaze away. “I’m not seeking advice,” She explained quietly. “I know what I’m going to do. Nothing is going to steer me away. I just...don’t know if I’m ready to handle the consequences.”
“So, you’ve come here for refuge?”
The woman leaned back in her chair. The corners of her mouth slowly turned upward as she stared down at her hands that were now in her lap. “Something like that.”
“I do believe,” The priest slowly began, “if you do what you feel is right--no matter how bad the consequences--the rewards you’ll receive in the end will be worth it.” There was a hint of amusement in the man’s voice when he reassured, “Not advice. Just pondering aloud.”
The woman smirked. “I guess I’ll find out.”
She stood then and cast her gaze to one of the windows. “The storm appears to have slowed a bit, so I’ll be leaving now. Thank you for the company.”
The man turned to peer out the window the other was looking at. He blinked in mild surprise and nodded. “It does appear that way. I better get going too. Let’s hope it doesn’t come back at full force while we’re out there. If you ever need refuge, the church is always--.”
When he turned, the woman was gone. A frown formed on his lips as his eyebrows pressed together. The church was quiet once more with only the soft pattering of raindrops against the windows from the storm that had turned into a light drizzle. It was almost as if the woman hadn’t been there at all. The man hesitated for a moment or two before returning his bible to the altar. This had been a very odd night, but he welcomed the feeling. There had been nothing bad about it in the least. If he could help someone else even in the slightest of ways, it was a soothing accomplishment.
The moment he stepped out of the church and into the night, he felt something soft brush against his leg. When he snapped his gaze down however, there was nothing there. He shook off the shiver and continued on his way home. In the bushes behind him, bright green, cat eyes watch him depart down the road.
Title: Just Like The Eagle Seeks The Deepest Blue Of The Sky
Flavors: Candy Corn #11 (black cat)
Extras: Fresh Strawberries (Picture of the Day), Fresh Blueberries (Quote of the Day: "A very great vision is needed, and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky.")
Rating: PG
Warning: Religious Themes
Word Count: 1,185
Story: Change of Heart
Summary: Fiona slips inside of a church to seek a moment of peace from the reality that's weighing on her mind.
An elderly man raised his arms to allow the white cuffs of his long, silk robe to fall past his wrists. Quietly, he moved across the church in front of the altar with a leather bible in hand. While holding the book in one hand, he brushed the whiskers of his graying beard with his free hand as his hazel eyes intently read over the lines. He paced back and forth with calm steps as he continued to recite the passages he was prepared to preach on Sunday morning. Rain streaked down the windows as the man saw lightning flashing through the night out of the corner of his eyes. Since he walked the ten minutes it took to travel from his house to the church, he planned on waiting for the storm to die down some before leaving.
The man paused momentarily in his pace when he heard the main door clicking shut. Wrinkles formed on his brow as he stared at the entrance in confusion when no one was in sight. He waited for a moment or two before shrugging it off as thunder and continued to review the bible verses. He stopped for a second time when he saw something at the edge of his view. When he turned, he caught sight of a black, furry tail disappearing around one of the brick pillars. How did a cat get into the church?
Instinctively, he walked down the aisle to approach the newcomer to reassure himself that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. Once he neared the pillar though, there wasn’t a cat to be found. He frowned. How odd, he thought. What was stranger was the sound of chair legs quietly rubbing against the concrete floor behind him. The man hastily turned around with his eyes wide. Sitting in the third row on the right side of the church was a woman in her early twenties. Her pale skin that was glossed with rain gleamed in the lighting of the church. Her black, bobbed cut hair was messily plastered against her face as she leaned forward. She rested her hands over the chair in front of her as her emerald green eyes stared unmoving from one of the holy paintings hung above the altar.
When had she arrived? How had she walked into the church unnoticed? Unease prickled under the man’s skin, but he relaxed after a minute. The woman wasn’t causing any harm and didn’t appear to have any wicked motives. In fact, she seemed almost...lost. After the woman let her head bow downward, the priest walked back down the red carpet to stand just outside of the third row.
“Miss,” He asked softly, “what brings you here so late?”
“Are you kicking me out?” She asked somberly without raising her head.
The man blinked at her in surprise before smiling gently. “The Lord casts off no one, and neither will I.”
When she didn’t respond, the man walked back towards the altar with his eyes staring down at the book again. It wasn’t until he began to walk up the steps that the woman hesitantly asked, “Even if they’re sinners?”
The smile returned to his face, even though she couldn’t see it because his back was turned. “Especially if they’re sinners.”
The two of them contently remained in each other’s company with only the sounds of the storm outside to fill the otherwise silence. The man continued to walk up and down in front of the altar with his lips moving as he mouthed the passages. Droplets of water dripped off the woman and into the floor as she continued to lean forward in her chair. She rested her forehead against her wrists that were crossed over one another and stared at the puddles that were beginning to form on the ground in front of her. A heavy sigh left her as her eyes slipped closed.
“I don’t know what to think anymore.”
The man paused. He lifted his gaze but said nothing. “I’m meant for something,” The woman announced after a beat. “Something great, but...I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to do. I’m stuck. I have two choices. Do one or the other, but I don’t know which one is the right one.”
She sighed. “I’m going to make a mistake.”
The man folded the red ribbon of the bible over to mark his place before closing the book. “Why do you think that?”
“Because I plan on it.” The woman lifted her head. Those bright green eyes were staring intensely at the priest now and caused a chill to sweep up his spine at her sudden change in demeanor. “Doing what is expected of me is out of the question. I just don’t agree with it anymore.”
The defiance faded from her eyes as she cast her gaze away. “I’m not seeking advice,” She explained quietly. “I know what I’m going to do. Nothing is going to steer me away. I just...don’t know if I’m ready to handle the consequences.”
“So, you’ve come here for refuge?”
The woman leaned back in her chair. The corners of her mouth slowly turned upward as she stared down at her hands that were now in her lap. “Something like that.”
“I do believe,” The priest slowly began, “if you do what you feel is right--no matter how bad the consequences--the rewards you’ll receive in the end will be worth it.” There was a hint of amusement in the man’s voice when he reassured, “Not advice. Just pondering aloud.”
The woman smirked. “I guess I’ll find out.”
She stood then and cast her gaze to one of the windows. “The storm appears to have slowed a bit, so I’ll be leaving now. Thank you for the company.”
The man turned to peer out the window the other was looking at. He blinked in mild surprise and nodded. “It does appear that way. I better get going too. Let’s hope it doesn’t come back at full force while we’re out there. If you ever need refuge, the church is always--.”
When he turned, the woman was gone. A frown formed on his lips as his eyebrows pressed together. The church was quiet once more with only the soft pattering of raindrops against the windows from the storm that had turned into a light drizzle. It was almost as if the woman hadn’t been there at all. The man hesitated for a moment or two before returning his bible to the altar. This had been a very odd night, but he welcomed the feeling. There had been nothing bad about it in the least. If he could help someone else even in the slightest of ways, it was a soothing accomplishment.
The moment he stepped out of the church and into the night, he felt something soft brush against his leg. When he snapped his gaze down however, there was nothing there. He shook off the shiver and continued on his way home. In the bushes behind him, bright green, cat eyes watch him depart down the road.