A Clover and a Bee

Lark reclines on a pool float, soaking in the sun. A bead of sweat rolls down the back of her neck. It’s a surprise--it’s never this warm in Aurora Skies, even at the height of summer. But it’s also a welcome rarity. Maybe if she stores up enough of this heat, winter won’t be as biting.  She breathes in and out as the pool float buoys back and forth on the water. She can hear sharp calls of birds, the rustle of wind through nearby trees, and the faint sound of the waterfalls crashing into the fish-filled lake. Life surrounds her: plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, all of it miraculously everyday. Even her body is host to its own ecosystem, hordes of microbes that regulate her organs and help fight disease. The day her high school biology teacher had mentioned gut flora, the class gasped in horror. Lark, however, was struck by how paradoxically empowering and belittling that was--she is neither the smallest creature in the universe, nor the largest, and she’s never alone even when...

It’s a windless day, cool and still. Steam rises off the geothermal lake, carrying with it the faint smell of sulfur.

  Lark frowns as she runs her fingers over her jawline. A series of fresh pimples meets her touch. She rustles through the vanity's drawers, cursing under her breath as she searches for cotton balls and a bottle of witch hazel. She soaks a cotton ball and touches it to her face. The cool of the astringent is temporarily soothing, until Lark angrily rubs the cotton over one particularly prominent pimple. A sting accompanies the pop, but she feels no relief. She’s nearly 30 and way too old for breakouts like this. In fact, the last time she had a breakout this bad was when she was pregnant with Fenrir.

Lark recoils, her eyes widening with fright. “Will it hurt?” she whimpers. “It doesn’t hurt, Lark. You ask that every time and it never hurts, does it?” “I’m just nervous, okay?”

The days fly by.