A Mighty Beat

The sun beckoned Ana over the hill with warm kisses to her brown face. Her feet ached from days of trudging aimlessly through the empty prairie. She cursed the smiling sun’s promises of hope just past the barren hills as she pushed along towards some unknown destination. Desert critters sat still in their little pockets of shade, listening as Ana yelled at the sun for beating her down, sucking the moisture from her body, and tearing apart her skin only to entice her with tales of a secret joy that lay right beyond the horizon. She stumbled over a rock and fell to the ground. Her body welcomed the solid earth, wanting nothing more than to finally rest, but still the sun fiercely called her name. A strangled cry of resign was all she could muster.

With a cheek pressed against the soil, Ana closed her eyes in defeat and listened to a breeze sweeping through short grass. A band of bulky vultures interrupted the endless cerulean sky with their dark threatening forms, casting sinister shadows onto the world below. As she slowly began to succumb to the Technicolor dreams flashing behind her eyes, she heard a slow thump. It was deep and steady, pounding like a drum, unwavering like a…heartbeat. Beads of sweat trickled off of her forehead forming small, swirling puddles of mud that quaked with every thud of the great earth’s core. The soil pulsated beneath her; each throb taking hold of Ana’s defeated soul and shaking out its weakness. Slowly, her own heart began to beat in tandem, stealing her mind from its reverie. Ana’s eyes flew open as the earth’s heart-song filled her limbs with new strength. It groaned beneath her and urged her forward. The wind whispered assurances of an end in sight as she pushed herself up off the ground and started again on her mysterious trek. She gritted her teeth through the agonizing pain in her muscles and began to run, heady with the excitement of a grand finish to the tiresome journey. The top of the hill grew closer and closer with each leap she forced through her legs. Bounding towards the edge of the world, she threw her head back and a wild, ferocious laugh tore through her lungs and exploded from her mouth. She could see lush green fields rolling with vibrant wildflowers of every hue. Ana pushed harder, eager to lie in the soft grass. Her heart swelled, overcome with joy and exhilaration. She reached the top and she flew, soaring high above the ethereal natural garden, still laughing as her flaxen locks whipped behind her. The wildflowers raised their blank faces to the wing-less angel descending upon them and sung her name, begging for her to join them. Floating above a sea of rich colors, Ana shut her eyes and smiled, thanking the forces of nature for keeping their promise of a beautiful end.