Sunday, June 19, 2011

"Don't Wanna Go Home"

Our curvy, silver Mazda suffocates the patches of overgrown grasses as Joshua drives deeper into the field.  Layers of fog hover in the distance, rolling towards the line of trees that house a number of noisy bull frogs and line his uncle's farmland. I gaze out into the openness of the night, beneath a handful of glistening stars shining in the charcoal colored sky. The headlights ulliminate the pupils of a two pairs of beady eyes just before the forest entrance, and my heartbeat quickly hastens.

"Joshua, I think we should stay in the car. What if there are coyotes in the woods. I swear I saw some eyes."

He sighs as his fingers grip the shifter and put the car in park. "Just quit worrying so much and get out of the car," he teases.

Joshua makes his way to the back seat of the Mazda and pulls out the red, white and blue quilt we just bought at the Madison Wal-Mart. My eyes dart back and forth, scanning the hazy surrounding as he lifts the blanket up into the air and sets it gently on the soft, dewy ground.

"Grab the Mountain Dew and get your butt out here," he says as he flips on the radio. "Don't Wanna Go Home" starts pulsing through the speakers, and I'm thinking, "Well, actually, that's sounds pretty nice right about now."

"But, but but, I'm scared Joshua. I saw something out there," I whine. The unfamiliar territory sends me into a state of unease. My love of the moon, the stars, and nature was forgotten the moment we pulled onto E 1050.

"Just come lay down with me."

I gingerly step out of the Mazda, and shuffle across the wet grass. I stand, looking down at Joshua sprawled out onto the thick, colorful quilt and he crooks his finger ushering me down. I slowly lower myself onto the blanket, and my skin is met with damp cloth.

"Ugh."

"Oh, just stop and look at the stars."

I lay myself backward, resting my neck on Josh's bicep and tilting my head into his chest. The scent of his Axe Chocolate body wash calms my nerves a little, and I close my eyes.

"Look up," Joshua whispers.

I turn my head and gaze up into the midnight sky. The boldness of the few stars lingering in the sky stops my breath and silences my mouth. The sight was absolutely indescribable, and this moment was all mine.