It's time for another excerpt from my NaNoWriMo novel! I've had to be a little strategic so I'm creating interest rather than giving key plot points away, which is a challenge I didn't anticipate. Anyway, this is actually only half of the excerpt, so I'll be posting Part Two soon. Enjoy! And thank you Oli for picking it out!
Mariana opened her mouth and leaned toward the window, letting thin, crisp December air make her lungs feel paper-thin. The wind roared in her ear and nearly drowned out the radio as she leaned her head closer to the golden fields and purple-tinged clouds. Bits and pieces of Dashboard Confessional tickled her ears and the road whisked away beneath them, drawing them nearer and nearer to the overlook. Mariana half-wished their destination was farther off, the drive protracted.
“Close the window, it’s cold.” Claudia had a way of returning her to earth.
“Come on, we’re going outside when we get there anyway,” Mariana retorted. She turned the heat up and stuck her head halfway out the window again, determined not to break the spell.
When they got to the overlook Mariana nearly got out of the car before Claudia put it in park. The wind ruffled her hair, fanning it out like a banner behind her. She gazed at the clouds racing each other across the sky, tilting her head back and letting the earth’s rotation dizzy her. A shutter click brought her mind back to the ground, her feet rooted in the gravel parking lot. Claudia swung the old SLR around to her hip and started walking toward the trailhead.
Mariana followed close behind, keeping one eye on Claudia’s gait, comforted by the familiar motion of her hips framed by maroon corduroy. Leaves rustled under their feet, creating a backdrop like radio static in their ears, precluding superfluous conversation. This quiet camaraderie felt to Mariana like speaking in code, acknowledging how little the two of them needed words. At times like this she wished she could amiably drape an arm over Claudia’s shoulders, but she always felt there was a force field around her, a private space that kept the rest of the world at bay.
The edge of the cliff came into view suddenly, like finally reaching her favorite part in a song. Mariana’s heart felt filled to bursting with sky against trees against red rocks against the rushing creek below. Putting her arms out to greet the wind, she ran down to the edge, cold rocks meeting her hands as she lowered herself to their spot. Claudia made her way slowly down the trail, stopping to snap a few pictures along the way. Mariana directed her eyes out across the valley and tried to spot passing cars climbing the switchback on the other side. The water rushed cold and clear far below and wood smoke floated on the air, a sure sign of winter.
“Mariana.” Claudia released the shutter just as Mariana raised her eyes to her, then wound the film and began to climb down.
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