Walking to the Sunset

"Kev and I walked to the sunset. We went to see where the sun goes at night, in what spot it meets the earth, and where it rises in the morning." At least that's how Lucille explains it.

I've never been one to believe in such places as “where the sun meets the earth,” but Lucille seems to think the sun sets into the ground. “Where does it go then, if not in the ground?" she asked, as we looked through my magazine full of beautiful sunsets. “How could it be beneath us?” she asked with a hint of sass.

 I told her it's just science; I said to her that the sun stays in one spot and the world is just orbiting it. She was not convinced. 

Later the following day when Lucille knocked on my front door at 7:30 a.m. as she does every morning, she explained that she had made a decision. She insisted that we set out on a journey to find the sunset. Although I was extremely unconvinced that we would ever make it to her fantasy land, Lucille was a girl I had liked since middle school, and honestly, I would do anything for her. 

That afternoon we set out on our mission. I had no idea where we were going or when we were going to arrive but I knew Lucille would know where to go. We walked for what felt like days until we reached a steep hill. Lucille stopped at the bottom, looked up, took a deep breath, and carried on.

“Hold up!” I said as I followed far behind. “Where are you taking me, Lucille? It's been forever and we haven't found your sunset yet.”

“It's close, Kev, I just know it," she replied confidently. 

I proceeded up the hill. When I finally reached the top of the hill, long after Lucille had, I saw that she had decided to rest on a large rock overlooking our town. “Hurry, Kev. Come sit. It's happening!” We sat and watched as the bright yellow sun vanished behind the tall mountains covered in evergreens. Her eyes glistened as she watched the big ball of fire “enter” the earth. Of course, I'm aware the sun did not enter the earth, and yes, I wanted to explain the logic behind the situation to her again, but for that one moment, I said nothing, because Lucille had never looked more beautiful and I had never been happier for her.

 

Grace.elmer

VT

16 years old

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