A delicious scent wafted through the air, mingling with the scent of pine drifting gently in through the open window. Golden light filled the room, as shadows from the trees beyond the window shifted and warped, as if in a dream in the light breeze that cooled Renee's room. Renee let out a sigh, throwing her head back and staring at the ceiling, an almost empty paper sitting on the desk in front of her, marred only by a few eraser marks and Renee's name written neatly on the top. She sat up straight in her seat, stretching, letting her back crack slightly under the strain, her whole body feeling achy from the hours spent sitting on the old wooden chair.
Renee yawned, opening her eyes and staring at the blank paper on her desk. It had been hours since she had started it, but she still felt like she didn't have any good ideas worth writing about. She got up to stretch after sitting for so long, looking out the window while she did so, into the bright afternoon sun that was shining down on the gardens below her.
She rubbed at her neck with one hand while reaching for her phone with other before stopping herself mere inches away.
"Focus, Renee, focus," she mumbled to herself, "I just have to write one page and then I can head to the party."
Renee walked over to the window, opening it wider and letting fresh air flood her room. The light from outside made her look pale and wan, with red splotches on her cheeks that threatened to turn into tears.
She stood at the window for a long time, looking out into the gardens below, trying to gather any thoughts that might help her write something worthwhile. There was nothing there though; just sunshine and red-and-orange speckled trees mingling with the evergreens. Her eyes kept drifting shut as she breathed in the scent of herbs mingling with pine needles outside.
Renee groaned inwardly as she thought about her friends having fun without her- laughing and joking as they watched movies at Stephany's house. Stephany's parents were ordering pizza for them, though at this point it might all be gone by the time Renee finished her paper.
'What I'm most grateful for', that was the assigned titled- supposedly an easy subject, yet Renee just couldn't think what to write. Renee was grateful for her parents, and her home, even her siblings- yet nothing worthy of a full page seemed to come to her.
She lingered on this thought for a long while before turning away from the window. She had nothing to write about.
Renee sat at the desk, head resting on her arms, drooping eyelids flickering shut with every blink. A moment later, a soft knock on her bedroom door startled her awake.
Renee blinked blurrily for a few seconds before getting up and heading over to open the door. Jenny stood there smiling at her, holding out a sheet of a dozen cookies in one hand, "Hey, I know you really wanted to hang out with your friends, but I'm proud of you for putting school first. Anyway, I thought you might want something to snack on while you were writing your paper."
A rich aroma filled Renee's room and steam rose lightly from the fresh cookies. Renee grabbed one from the tray, letting the warmth of the cookie wash over her hand. The warm stickiness of the cookie made her fingers stick slightly to it as she bit into the warm, fluffy cookie. Flavor exploded on her tongue, filling her mouth with rich sweetness as a warm, satisfying feeling flowed through her.
"Thanks, Jenny," Renee said after swallowing, letting a soft smile cross her lips, "You're the best!"
"Here," Jenny said with a chuckle, handing the sheet to Renee, "there's more in the kitchen if you finish these."
Renee waved to her sister as she took a seat at her desk, gingerly placing the cookies on the desk next to her. With a grin, Jenny closed Renee's door, leaving the young girl to her schoolwork.
Cookie after cookie quickly disappeared into her slightly chubby belly, yet no more words appeared on the page in front of her. Though her stomach felt pleasantly full and warm with the familiar feeling of cookies, her mind remained blank and she could not think of a single thing she was grateful for that she could fill a page with.
Renee let her head loll to one side, gazing out the open window at the afternoon sun. Thoughts of the party began to drift through her mind, the worries of if her friends would miss her or not- each concern sparking fears of not being liked or accepted by them if she wasn't there.
The warm feeling in her stomach began to grow, the feeling spreading to her arms and legs, washing over her like a warm bath. The pleasant sensation lulled Renee into a half-awake state; the only sound in the room coming from the gentle breeze that rustled through their branches, mingling with the whispering sound of the pages of her notebook as she flipped through them.
Renee's stomach gurgled softly, the warm, pleasant feeling stimulating her hunger until she was ravenous. She rubbed her fingers together, savoring the warmth of the cookie dough that clung to them, making her feel safe and secure. Her full tummy made her feel so warm and cozy, it made her sleepy.
Renee's eyes slowly closed, the pen in her hand slowly lowering itself to the desk as she drifted off to sleep.
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