Quiet.

Quiet

The cool air entered my lunges and my heart stirred ever so slightly in my chest. There’s always something about autumn which brings me back to my past, a faintly painful twinge of nostalgia. As I set down the pathway to the hiking route I followed closely behind my older sister’s footsteps. The path begins at an abandoned children’s daycare center and as we passed the playground the wind impishly pushed one of the rusted swings forward. The desolate school yard gave way to a narrow road, enclosed on each side by birch trees. The waving branches blocked much of the slowly fading gleam of the sun and suddenly it was as shadowy as it was peaceful. As we walked along the brown and orange leaves danced in the street, in unison with the large, graceful trees. It was mid-October, and the season had changed.

The ethereal path led to a main road and in an instant I was snapped back into reality. Cars whizzed by and I allowed my mind for a moment to wander, wondering where they were going. If they were going home. If they were fortunate enough to live in such a picturesque neighborhood. If I looked out of place. My sister stopped and motioned toward a large, towering property that sat adjacent to a beautifully still pond, surrounded by perfectly rounded stones. Two swans sat symmetrically alongside each other at the edge of the pond, and I drew in a breath of the fall breeze. Before long we were off the Main Street and back to the well-kept dirt route. The faint fragrance of mulch, combined with the all too familiar smell of the ocean filled the air and for the first time I realized that I wasn’t entirely sure where this course would lead us. I traced my hands along the finely manicured shrubberies located on the far outskirts of one of the luminous properties, past its winding cobble stone driveway. Nature was present here, but it had been tampered with.

After what felt like a long time we reached an asphalt bridge which connected where we had been to where we were going. It stretched across a large, calm body of water surrounded by houses on each side. The wildness of the marsh which separated the homes and the wide-reaching lake brought a faint smile to my lips. As we crossed over the bridge, the positioning of the stone pillars formed a slight waterfall. The fresh, stream cascaded fiercely into the otherwise undisturbed channel of water and felt directly into the pool of sunlight which reflected along the surface. As we walked alongside the serene waterfront we passed a narrow wooden bridge which started seemingly at random, jutting out from the side of the road. It led to a set of small, descending wooden steps which did not appear particularly sturdy. The three steps dropped directly into the lake, and for a moment I allowed my mind to wander. I pictured myself removing my clothes, slowly walking across the bridge down the disintegrating steps, and sprawling deep into the cool dark water. For a moment, it felt peaceful.

Although unfamiliar, I knew we were reaching the end of the path. My heart ached slightly again and I was momentarily saddened that the hushed voyage was coming to a close. I continued, putting one foot in front of the other, not entirely realizing that we had yet to reach the pinnacle of our journey. Again, the faint smell of salt water filled my lunges and I began to notice the passing homes were constructed further and further from the ground. We had reached the beach. The abandoned canoe which has seen perched at the end of the lake paled in comparison to the large rusted boat that sat at the edge of the sand. The nautical wind gusted through my long brown hair and goose bumps quickly raised on my skin. Despite the chill, I removed my sneakers and allowed for the fine, damp sand to rest beneath my feet. I led in front of my sister, and approached the millions of little pebbles which stood between myself and the ocean. They were smooth, rounded, untouched, and a wide array of colors ranging from a deep onyx to an effervescent orange. I glided my feet across the stones and walked slowly into the ocean. The sun had gone down almost entirely, leaving a faint crescent moon to light up the sky in its place. The minimal waves crashed lightly into my ankles and the autumn water was cooler than I had anticipated. But I didn’t mind. For that moment, I was happy.

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