This is a descriptive essay I wrote for my English class, while not strictly fiction I figured why not post it here for all to see.....(Formatting has been removed)
Descriptive Essay Rough Draft
After continuously driving for 6 hours my legs began to ache like an overworked mule so I pulled over. Though it was early morning the sky was still black and the air brisk and cold so I pulled my favorite hoodie sweater over my head, its soft embrace my only real comfort on this thousand mile journey to a new home. Stepping out of my small four cylinder pickup truck onto the soft but crunchy gravel my legs slightly give out for a moment, as if recovering from years of atrophy and neglect despite only being immobile for a few hours. I reach to the heavens while stretching and cracking every muscle and bone I can put a name to, my body singing silent praise at my decision to break from the trip.
Gazing up in to the silent sky just beyond a row of towering pine trees I marvel at the brilliant stars while they blink and glimmer, unobstructed by the city lights I have known for so long. The points of light so infinite in number my eyes have trouble focusing on just one. Standing completely still in utter silence I feel as though I could become one of the many trees that surround me, massive sentries viewing the world from above. I began to sway in the gentle breeze that moves through these trees, feeling the cold air slightly sting my cheeks and making the blood rush to their aid for warmth. I pull the soft hood of my sweater up like a protective barrier and begin to walk forward with no real destination in mind. It seems like I have been standing in that same spot for ages and for a moment I wish I had not yet moved for in that spot was a perfect calmness I could not remember ever experiencing before.
Moving forward my body begins to warm itself again and the friction of my arms rubbing against my sweater is comforting and pleasant. Walking to the edge of a steep cliff face I notice the first signs of dawn peeking low on the horizon ahead and with it the waking of life in the woods below. I can now hear the faint echo of birds singing from some unknown distance and the slight din of a river below. Though it may have been there the whole time I can now hear the wind blowing through branches like whispers and secrets I shall never understand, I listen for a long time trying to pick out the individual trees creaks and cracks.
Looking to the east again the sun is finally showing its full glory to the world, not just peeking now but rolling over the mountain valley like a brilliant flame of oranges and yellows. Everything became bright and full of color at an exponential rate, some corners going from complete darkness to daylight in an instant. As the sun continued to rise into the sky the red flames began to dim and give way to shades of dark blue and below, in the valley, deep greens and browns. I could do nothing but stand and gaze upon this amazing sunrise in stunned silence and at one point I reminded myself to breathe. And so I took deep longing breathes into my lungs and held them, savoring the sweet pine scents that could only come from a place far from civilization, far from the contamination of city streets and fast food restaurants. The air was thin and clear at this altitude and an experience I will remember for the rest of my days on this earth.
Tearing myself away from the incredible sunrise unraveling before me I slowly begin the short walk back to my truck though it seems a lifetime since stepping out of it not much time has actually passed. I feel a slight sorrow at having to leave this scene behind for never again will any one moment ever be so pure and without worry as this one. I am travelling to a place completely alien to me and a fear of the unknown suddenly overcomes me again. I stop just as I reach the hood of the vehicle and close my eyes, attempting to recover some of the calm and contentment I had so quickly lost. I breathe the mountain air in deep once more, though it is now warming in the sunlight and no longer chilled by the nights touch. I find some solace in this because though everything must change it is always transformed from something familiar. This air feels different but it is the very same air I took deep into my body just moments before.
With slow deliberate motions I open the door and slide inside the cab, taking one last look at the valley that will forever be engrained into my mind. I turn the keys in the ignition and feel the engine rumble to life gently and shift into gear. Gently idling out of the rest area I continue on my journey relaxed and at ease, ready for another twelve hours on the road and with slightly more confidence that my decision to leave California is the right one.
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