Picture of the Day: 

Rascal Flatt's Nothing Like This tour of 2010!

Quote of the Day:

"Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere, wholeheartedly, one-directionally, without regret or reservation."

-William H. Sheldon

In light of the fact I promised regular updates, I am going leave you with yet another short entry to prove that I have not forgotten my dear readers! Today, I shall give you something of mine to read that is roughly hewn and has not been spared the time to be truly polished yet. That being said, read it critically anyway. I would love the feedback in the comments!!

            The crowd went on for an eternity on either side of her, but for all of the people that populated the rustic wooden platform, Bethany felt isolated and alone. She did not recognize a single person in the entire sea of faces, though in the time she had stood upon the platform she certainly had come to know her immediate surroundings well.

            Beth did not know how she had gotten there. She did not even know where “there” was. There were no buildings, and there were barely any trees. There were hills, though, rolling hills and faded green grass against a grey and bleak sky. Two lines of iron ran parallel before platform, wooden planks crossing between them; a track.

            They did not know when the train would come and they did not know where it went, but there was anticipation that was ripe in the chilled air and Beth intrinsically understood that everyone was awaiting the engine’s arrival.

            And it truly was everyone.

            Beth had never seen such an assortment of people gathered in one place before. Directly beside her was an elderly gentleman clad in army greens and decorated with medallions and pins that Beth could only interpret enough to know he was a war hero. His white hair spoke of his years and experience, and his wrinkled face of his brave and loving heart. His eyes looked tired and strained as if they had seen far too many things, and Bethany could not help but feel a twinge of sadness when they happened to make eye contact.

            Not but half a foot away was another man, gruff and mussed. Bethany had noted upon her first study that the man was hardly clothed. Dirt caked his tan skin and embedded itself into his nails; his face bore wrinkles, though Beth was certain they had not appeared from age, but trial and elements the man had had to weather. He had no possessions on him, but Bethany had been unable to find another pair of eyes that were so crisp, clear and eager peering down the tracks.

            There was also a little girl not too far away. Her flaxen hair and fawn-like eyes were a stark contrast to those around her and betrayed the girl’s aloneness. She wore a floral-print cotton dress with a pretty pink ribbon in her hair that indicated she, at one point, had had someone to provide for her. Now, though, her only company was a stuffed bear that seemed to have weathered many a night as a trusted best friend.

            On Bethany’s other side was a tall, willowy woman with hair the color of moist dirt, and an elegantly shaped face with almond shaped eyes. The pearls strung around her neck gave away her wealth and stature, and her dress seemed something directly out of the English court. And even if Bethany had been unable to piece together that the woman was of noble blood, the coronet upon her head was well revealing of it.

            Nearby, there was a shadowy figure. He was clad in dark colors, though rich clothes, and naturally folded into himself, as if in an attempt to remain invisible. Out of all the faces, his looked the most frightened. There was something about the air around him that whispered softly of secrets and hidden deeds, and Beth had spent quite a long while quietly watching him.

            And it must have been a long while.

            There was light, though no sun to judge the hour for the clouds that floated in strings overhead. The only way for Bethany to even mark how the minutes were passed was by how many people she had gotten a chance to carefully observe. Ultimately, she did not know how long she had stood surrounded by strangers upon the platform, but it did not matter. The moment the whispers began to sweep through the crowd, Beth snapped to full attention to the tracks and strained to peer off into the distance.

This has not been finished; I have not had the time to spare. I think that if you would like to finish reading it it would do you well to keep on me about this particular piece. Still, when it is done I will be rather slow to publish it online.

Methinks I should try publishing in a magazine!!