With everything he needed gathered in a small pack, Syx turned towards the path and took Anna’s hand. His stomach was filled with butterflies, nervous as he was about what was to come. He knew it would be well received. Should be. But… he was still anxious. Swallowing he started talking, just to keep his head straight as he led her up a very familiar path through the woods.
“I used to come here a lot when I was younger. To get away from the noise and the lights of Metrocity,” he looked up, catching bits of sky between the thick pine trees, “I could only come when the weather was nice, before the snow,” it was crisp outside, fall setting in and the few maples had the leaves in a bright array of colors, “We had so little back then. But this… it was special. Secret. I’m sure other people know it’s here, but to me, it felt like mine and Minion’s private hideaway,” he turned and led her off the small dirt trail to one that was no more than a deer trail.
Anna smiled just a touch, seeing the anxiety in him, but had absolutely no idea just what it was that he was planning to do. As he spoke, she simply assumed it was because he was showing her an important place to him. She nodded quietly to assure him that she was still listening to what he said as they walked along beside him, reaching to take his hand in hers. As always, her skin was a bit warmer to the touch than normal humans.
“I’m excited to see it,” She spoke genuinely, squeezing his hand to accentuate her words. “Was it just because you found it that it was special? Or?” She prompted, wanting to keep the conversation going further.
He squeezed her hand, “Yeah, it was special, but it was more… well…,” a mischevious smile spread on Syx’s face as he saw they’d reached the top. He singsonged, “You’ll see.”
He pushed through the last of the low hanging branches. Before them, the sand dunes dipped down low, the lake beyond that. They were high in the air here, the lights of the city a distant dream. The huge lake seemed to disappear into the horizon, the dark water glittering as the sun sank low.
Just in time.
The sky was alight with warm golds and reds as the sun seemed to sink into the dark water. His voice soft, Syx continued, “When I was here… I could forget about humans and the pain they caused. Here, by this lake, under these stars… Under a red sky… waiting until the stars fill the entire sky…”
The sky was nearly cloudless, as the sun’s light sank away, the glittered. So much brighter, so many more than could ever be seen in the city.
“It was as close as I could ever get to…” his throat closed up as his eyes were drawn up. Not that he could see that star from here. It could be seen from Earth, but not from anywhere in Michigan.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and squeezed his beloved’s hands again, “Anna? My Tiger? I… I wanted to…” his stomach tightened with nerves, “…ask you something?”
RP backup 