A giant yellow sphere floated high in the sky, kissing the top of a mountainous hill. The ground was rugged, patched with mud, and dotted with flowers. The clear blue sky was reflected in the still ponds scattered throughout the land. A soft, crisp breeze caressed her skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. With every step she took, the ground squelched as bubbles escaped the saturated earth, and water seeped into her shoes.
The higher she climbed the hill, the denser the trees became. Thin and bare, the trees stretched their long, scraggly branches to touch her sun-kissed skin. Her thighs began to burn furiously the farther she traveled into uncharted territory. Every breath in, ignited a small fire within her throat, and every breath out only urged her stomach to churn. The goosebumps were long gone, her skin now glistening with salted drops.

Details of the landscape began to tumble out of her mind and into the fallen leaves. Her vision blurred with hot tears that painfully cascaded down her face. The hope of reaching the top diminished fast, as doubt violently nestled itself into the deepest crevices of her mind. She stopped moving, but everything else around her continued. She dropped her heavy head, shoulders rising and lowering fast, as she leaned her drenched back onto the smooth bark of a small tree.

She tried to focus her vision on the most vibrant leaf she could find at her feet. Suddenly, a warm sensation cupped the back of her head, almost lovingly, and traveled down to the middle of her back. She was shoved away from the tree, so hard she almost fell to her knees. She turned as fast as she could to see who could have done such an intense act, but she was completely alone.

Confused, with adrenaline fueled from anger, she continued her climb. She started the climb alone, and she’d finish it alone.

She had done everything alone, so this was nothing new to her. Tears had fallen with no one to wipe them, goals had been reached with no one to praise her, and yet she was completely used to it. It’s amazing what she had gotten used to.

Her reflective thoughts distracted her for the rest of the journey, and she reached the top faster than she originally anticipated. The top of the hill housed a clearing from the trees. A perfect circle with the freshest grass. It was green and lush, offering soft support for her sore feet. She collapsed, resting her drenched body against the refreshing dew covered grass.

The world finally stopped spinning as she looked to the sky. It’s hue had changed from an aqua to a pastel blue and clouds misted the air. It was extremely relaxing to her tired eyes. She longed to close them.

But just before her eyelashes could meet, she heard a call in the distance. It wasn’t human, it was far from it. It got closer, and made her sit up to inspect the area. She looked through the denseness of the trees, and couldn’t find the culprit to the noise. It continued to advanced on her, and the eeriness of not being able to find it only made her itch. She used her last resort, and looked up. There in the sky, just above the clearing, was a lone hawk circling her.

She knew that hawks only traveled in twos and threes. Never alone. So why was this one alone? It began to slowly spiral back down to Earth, mere feet away from her. It was much larger than the average hawk, its chest broad, and eyes somehow soft. The hawks markings encompassed a wide range of warm tones, browns and reds alike. Its wingspan was massive, filled with what looked like the softest feathers she had ever seen.

She stared at the hawk, and the hawk stared at her. She felt the oddest connection to this wild animal. Like she had known it all her life. It felt safe, and familiar, completely tranquil. The hawk didn’t move a muscle, and neither did she. She was afraid she’d scare the only feeling of home she ever had away.

Time slipped away from the two of them, and the pastel blue became the sweetest blush. She knew she had to go, and she dreaded doing so. She got up as slowly and as gracefully as she could, feeling every muscle stretch in her body due to her previously dormant state. She successfully stood up without disturbing the hawk, but right before she could turn around to start the long trek down, the hawk took flight. It appeared to be going in the same direction as her, and before it could disappear into the trees, its wing grazed her back gently.
It slowly head down the same trail she was about to take. With amazement in her eyes, and a soaring feeling in her heart, she quickly made pace with the hawk. It was then, that they began the long trek down, together.