Glass (Full Version)

The garden was a beautiful place; it stretched on as far as the girl could see in every direction, and never failed to take her breath away. To the east there were rolling green hills that escalated into mountains so far away that she could only see their misty purple outlines. To the west was a thicket of trees that the girl had left largely unexplored. The trees were of all shapes and sizes. Young saplings with limber branches grew among ancient, gnarled oaks, sycamores, and trees the girl had no name for. Now and again, the girl would venture slowly into the trees picking her way through the saplings. When the saplings became trees, taller and wider than the girl herself, she would turn back, away from the dense thicket that seemed to hold only darkness, fear, and the unknown. To the north the land was flat and grassy with a few trees cutting into the horizon here and there. Sometimes on very clear days when the sky was free of clouds if the girl squinted, she thought she could make out a small structure way off in the distance. On most days it was nothing more than a speck if it was visible at all. It always intrigued her, and she spent many hours imagining its origins and purpose. The girl had never thought of venturing to it, for as long as it remained unknown it remained hers and hers alone, filled with happiness and imagination. To the south the land became marshy and wet. Grass was tall and sparse often giving way to thistles and burrs. The girl knew that if she walked far enough through this marshy land, it eventually became rocky until it gave way to a clear stream running through the mountains’ foothills.

The girl was roaming through these rocky outcroppings, her bare feet and hands adeptly searching out patches of soft grass. Strapped to her back was a hollowed gourd which served as a canteen. With every step it pounded against her, making an empty, reverberating sound. The sound was a mocking thing in the girl’s mind, but it didn’t bother her too much because on her way back the sloshing sound of water would be a bubbly noise of praise. After a time, the girl arrived at her favorite place to collect water, a thin but deep stream that pooled under a tree with low-hanging branches. She opened her canteen and dipped it into the water, laughing at the bubbles it released. When the canteen was filled, the girl sat back and took a hearty drink from it. She lay back beneath the tree and sighed with contentedness. She held her canteen close to herself and looked at it admiringly. She had recently learned how to decorate it by mixing blue and red berries with water to make paint. It was adorned with childlike squiggles and dots in a bright dizzying pattern. The girl took another drink from it and stood up to refill the canteen. Again she laughed with delight as it released bubbles. She sealed the canteen and shook it, her laughter mingling with the sloshing sound of water. Satisfied, she set it down and approached the tree.

She scaled it expertly and was soon nestled in the crook of a branch not too far off the ground. The girl peered down at the still pool of water below her. She could see the silhouette of the tree and she swung her legs back and forth to see their movement reflected. Intrigued she shimmied down the tree and knelt beside the pond. The water was smooth and seemingly endless. The girl’s initial reaction was to draw back in fear, but the reflective quality of the pond held her attention. She inched her face closer to the water until she realized she was seeing herself. She gazed at the water and scrutinized her reflection.

Her hair curled in a thousand different directions and contained a memento from everywhere she had been lately. A flower from the meadow, some leaves from a recent excursion into the forest, and moss from travels through the marshlands. Her hair hung several inches past her shoulders and varied in color due to the natural elements that abounded in it. The cleanest parts were a brassy yellow shade that appeared lighter in contrast with muddy brown patches. Although the rest of her body was lanky and thin, her face still bore the color and plumpness of youth. She ran her hand down the bridge of her nose and over her mouth. She smiled, revealing two over-sized adult front teeth, and several missing baby teeth. The corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled, drawing her attention. The girl’s eyes were wide and inquiring, far too big for her face. She raised her eyebrows, wrinkling her forehead. Her eyes were a deep green and reminded her of ivy. Suddenly, a bird flew overhead, calling loudly. The girl jumped up, startled. She realized she was in no danger, but her heart was still racing, so she snatched up her canteen and hurried back the way she came.