Every Moment
A Dark Congregation
Greta was one tenth of a mile from the circus tent. The laughter and enjoyment of the audience echoed through the brisk air. By her, a couple walked by with an infant. She felt a pang of jealousy, and silently cursed the frail baby. Then she cursed herself.
She strolled inside the circus tent. the dirt ground stirred dust when she walked. In front of her, two lions, roared, and the acrobats floated gracefully above her. In another ring, the elephants reared threatning to throw off thier riders. She gasped in awe. The trumpets played tunes with the big band. The ringmaster took the stage, the audience clapping and cheering.
Suddenly, she ran into someone. A boy, her age, with longish dark hair, bold lips and nose, and dressed in his finest looked at her. She was temporarily mesmerized by this boy, as she'd never seen him. He smiled.
"Uh, hi." He mumbled.
"Hello." She whispered.
He looked at her, his head cocked. Greta ran.
"Wait! Where are you going?! Come back!"
The boy called after her.
It didn't matter, she needed to be on her way, anyhow. She was crying. Greta pondered her tears and took one last look at the boy's handsome face before she sprinted even faster down the white pebble ground.
-----------------------
After a half mile or so of running, Greta slowed to a slow pace. Her flustered cheeks felt warm, yet her hands were clammy. She rubbed them together to warm them. She touched her sweaty face. It was cold, and her sweat made her feel uncomfortable.
But who was that boy?
Why did she care? He was just another person, but she couldn't shake that image from her head of the boy's cocked head, his large nose, attractive hair. She looked back, hoping that he'd followed her. He hadn't.
Greta sighed and moved on with her journey. It was another half mile to town, and although she didn't want to get caught, she was hungry. She had the apples, but if there was a chance of getting food, why pass it up?
She continued on the white path, and looked longingly at the next ten or so miles. She'd get alot of walking done, she figured. Greta forged on, the alluring scent of funnel cake entered her nose. She drew nearer. In her pocket was all of the money in the house, presumeably, four hundred dollars.
Greta inadvertantly waltzed into the drug store where the funnel cake was.
"One please." She told the elderly shopkeeper.
"Yes ma'am." He replied and handed her the frosted treat.
Greta hungrily, yet politely gobbled it up. The shopkeeper looked at her inquisitively.
"Would you like another then, miss?" He asked.
"Yes sir." She said with a full mouth.
"Okay, here you go."
In an hour, she had eaten a total of five funnel cakes. She waved politely at the shopkeeper, who smiled warmly. With a full stomach, she set out again.
Down the street, she saw a familiar face. I KNEW I shouldn't have stayed in there that long. She thought.
There was the boy.
He was laughing contemptuously with his friends. They strolled by the drug store she was just at. Greta hid behind a mailbox. The shopkeeper came out of the store smiling.
"Hey Chris! How ya been, kiddo?" He asked the boy.
"Just fine, Mr. Donnaville. You?" The boy replied.
"Such a gentleman. I just made a fresh batch of funnel cake, you want some?"
"Oh man, I'd love to, but I spent all my money at the circus."
"Don't worry, it's on the house."
"Oh thanks!" His friends heads nodded in agreement.
"Say, there was a girl here just a while ago. D'you know her?"
"What'd she look like?"
"She was tall, thin, and had the most gorgeous blond curly locks. She'd be right up your alley."
"I dunno, I saw a girl like that at the circus but she just ran. I don't know why. But that girl was beautiful. I mean really pretty. Who knows, it could be the same one?"
"Well, she couldn't have gone far."
"It's okay, I'll catch up with her later." Chris nodded at his friends. "Besides, there is funnel cake to attend to."
With that they headed inside.
For some reason, Greta's breath had stopped when Chris, as he is presumeably known, was talking, and she exhaled loudly. She gasped. Chris turned around. His brow raised.
"Did you hear something?" He asked his friend, who was shorter than him.
"Nah, man. C'mon, let's get some cake!"
Chris took one last look and sighed wistfully.
Greta ran.
Five miles.
------------------
She strolled inside the circus tent. the dirt ground stirred dust when she walked. In front of her, two lions, roared, and the acrobats floated gracefully above her. In another ring, the elephants reared threatning to throw off thier riders. She gasped in awe. The trumpets played tunes with the big band. The ringmaster took the stage, the audience clapping and cheering.
Suddenly, she ran into someone. A boy, her age, with longish dark hair, bold lips and nose, and dressed in his finest looked at her. She was temporarily mesmerized by this boy, as she'd never seen him. He smiled.
"Uh, hi." He mumbled.
"Hello." She whispered.
He looked at her, his head cocked. Greta ran.
"Wait! Where are you going?! Come back!"
The boy called after her.
It didn't matter, she needed to be on her way, anyhow. She was crying. Greta pondered her tears and took one last look at the boy's handsome face before she sprinted even faster down the white pebble ground.
-----------------------
After a half mile or so of running, Greta slowed to a slow pace. Her flustered cheeks felt warm, yet her hands were clammy. She rubbed them together to warm them. She touched her sweaty face. It was cold, and her sweat made her feel uncomfortable.
But who was that boy?
Why did she care? He was just another person, but she couldn't shake that image from her head of the boy's cocked head, his large nose, attractive hair. She looked back, hoping that he'd followed her. He hadn't.
Greta sighed and moved on with her journey. It was another half mile to town, and although she didn't want to get caught, she was hungry. She had the apples, but if there was a chance of getting food, why pass it up?
She continued on the white path, and looked longingly at the next ten or so miles. She'd get alot of walking done, she figured. Greta forged on, the alluring scent of funnel cake entered her nose. She drew nearer. In her pocket was all of the money in the house, presumeably, four hundred dollars.
Greta inadvertantly waltzed into the drug store where the funnel cake was.
"One please." She told the elderly shopkeeper.
"Yes ma'am." He replied and handed her the frosted treat.
Greta hungrily, yet politely gobbled it up. The shopkeeper looked at her inquisitively.
"Would you like another then, miss?" He asked.
"Yes sir." She said with a full mouth.
"Okay, here you go."
In an hour, she had eaten a total of five funnel cakes. She waved politely at the shopkeeper, who smiled warmly. With a full stomach, she set out again.
Down the street, she saw a familiar face. I KNEW I shouldn't have stayed in there that long. She thought.
There was the boy.
He was laughing contemptuously with his friends. They strolled by the drug store she was just at. Greta hid behind a mailbox. The shopkeeper came out of the store smiling.
"Hey Chris! How ya been, kiddo?" He asked the boy.
"Just fine, Mr. Donnaville. You?" The boy replied.
"Such a gentleman. I just made a fresh batch of funnel cake, you want some?"
"Oh man, I'd love to, but I spent all my money at the circus."
"Don't worry, it's on the house."
"Oh thanks!" His friends heads nodded in agreement.
"Say, there was a girl here just a while ago. D'you know her?"
"What'd she look like?"
"She was tall, thin, and had the most gorgeous blond curly locks. She'd be right up your alley."
"I dunno, I saw a girl like that at the circus but she just ran. I don't know why. But that girl was beautiful. I mean really pretty. Who knows, it could be the same one?"
"Well, she couldn't have gone far."
"It's okay, I'll catch up with her later." Chris nodded at his friends. "Besides, there is funnel cake to attend to."
With that they headed inside.
For some reason, Greta's breath had stopped when Chris, as he is presumeably known, was talking, and she exhaled loudly. She gasped. Chris turned around. His brow raised.
"Did you hear something?" He asked his friend, who was shorter than him.
"Nah, man. C'mon, let's get some cake!"
Chris took one last look and sighed wistfully.
Greta ran.
Five miles.
------------------