dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn da
Dawn feels close, but it’s still thankfully far off, the cicadas outside singing. I wish it would rain more. I wish you weren’t an ocean and a continent away. Information about you is seeping out of the ground, it seems, and I’m learning things about what you did back then that I never knew at the time. For a few days, I haven’t understood why you were silent to me and direct with everyone else. Now, I’ve received confirmation, like the gathering of clouds before a storm. It was mutual between us, and while I protected myself from you, you protected me from yourself without a word. Thank you. Come back.
There was only half an hour till sunrise.
Legs pumping, chest heaving, muscles burning.
Heavy footsteps rocked the earth behind you, guttural growls and rasped roars echoing in the trees around you.
You narrowly avoided a stray tree root; you stumbled as you regained your footing.
You kept running, dried eyes filling with tears as you tore through the earthen soil, desperately prayed to whoever may be listening that you could make it to the edge of this god-forsaken place in time.
The creature was nearer now, another screeching from the canopy.
You glanced up, trying to track its progress, cursing yourself as you slid on a stray patch of leaves.
The force of colliding with the tree nearly sent you down.
But you were determined to survive this.
Sliding down the side of a ravine, you risked another glance at your watch, catching yourself easily and following the watery trail.
Twenty minutes until dawn.
The birds were unusually quiet today, no light cawing or singing to provide some backdrop to this horrifying chase.
You leaped over logs, cursed the weight of the water against your shoes.
Frantic, you searched for any possible way out of the gorge, cursing yet again at the cliff faces too high for you to climb in your haste.
Ferocious snarls and aggressive splashing behind you drove you onwards, new desperation the encouragement to press further, push yourself harder.
Your lungs were screaming for air, your chest ready to burst.
Surely, even if you escaped the creature, there was no way you could feasibly survive this.
A clearing in the tree line painted the sky in deep navies and dreary scarlets; the sun was cresting.
A spark of hope, a kindling of relief, a flare of determination-
You pressed onwards, destination clear in a fallen log crossing from one embankment to the other.
With skills from years of childhood venture, you swung yourself upwards.
A fresh stoke of fear shot through you as you nearly slipped off, the mossy growth and the creeping decay slicking the surface.
But you held fast, and with a grimace and a roar of your own, you pulled yourself onto the felled tree, daring to pause for a breath.
Quickly, you checked your watch again, noting the chaotic pursuit had slowed for only a moment.
Ten minutes till sunrise.
This was it.
Your legs protested at rising again, entire body begging to simply succumb to whatever horrors awaited you should the creature catch up.
It wasn’t something you could risk, though.
Other lives beyond your own were at stake.
With a sound somewhere between a scream and a gasp, you righted yourself, placed one foot in front of the other, and soon enough regained your rhythm.
Your hope was growing with each drop of mist that seemed to shine in golden majesty.
Your hope was growing with each new shade being added with the slowly rising star.
Your hope was growing with each footstep, each inch between you and that thing, the other almost right behind it.
To the edge of the forest.
If you could lure it to the edge, it was done for.
All those lives that would no longer need to fear this creature.
All those innocent souls that would be avenged.
They were all counting on you.
And you.
Would.
Win.
You could not be victorious on your resilience alone, however; this was easily made clear with every passing moment, furious beasts steadily gaining on you.
A whistle caught your attention, a smile coming to your face.
The calvary was here.
You turned sharply with your next footfall, nearly losing your balance on the dew-covered plants beneath your feet.
Quickly righting yourself, you quite nearly dove past the assembled party, beautiful, blazing, brilliant gold blinding you as Sol fully rose above the horizon.
Furious roars had turned to panicked screeches, aggressive pursuit now desperate retreats.
There was nowhere to run, however, both beasts enraged as they were surrounded by sunlight and steel.
You fell to your knees, bathing in the sun’s glorious rays, thanking whatever diety it may be for protecting you, allowing you just enough strength to successfully finish the mission.
You ignored the anguished cries of the creatures, ignored the furious shouts of the captors, the would-be monster hunters, and instead focused on the violets and oranges of the morning light, contented with your last sunrise, the taste of iron and the dampness of your shirt no longer something to be ignored.
The dawn denies us the lies we tell ourselves in the darkness, and you accepted your reality with a heartbroken smile, blazing skies falling to ash as you succumbed to your fate.
By the time they came to check on you, you were already gone.
I’m here to see the sky tear open across the darkness. I once thought the dawn was the most silent, but now after walking with it for the past month I feel differently. It seems the most loud, the most vibrant. Everything opening up and reaching out for the day ahead.
The light at dawn, they say, is the best time to take photographs. Around dawn, around dusk. That the world is at peace during these times, and everything is made quiet, everything is made anew. There’s also that song lyric that says “It’s always darkest before the dawn”.
The dawn came around as I rode across the shire. There was no one around. Perfect. I nudged Dally into a canter and we headed away from the sunrise. Away from my home. Away from him.
We stayed up until dawn, slept until three, and kissed until our lips were blue until midnight. Then we stayed up again for the sunrise, drinking cold tea mixed with rum and breathing in sour notes of coastal air, exhaling out equally tart words of “wisdom” and “witticisms.” We did this for nine days in a row. Then you had to pop down to see your mother on her deathbed, so I stayed up until dawn with the cat.
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me.” I’m unsure of where the quote is from, but I always associate it with a vine by Gabbie Hanna from around 2015. She’s a professional singer now, and her voice has improved a lot since she uploaded the video.
dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn dawn da
Dawn feels close, but it’s still thankfully far off, the cicadas outside singing. I wish it would rain more. I wish you weren’t an ocean and a continent away. Information about you is seeping out of the ground, it seems, and I’m learning things about what you did back then that I never knew at the time. For a few days, I haven’t understood why you were silent to me and direct with everyone else. Now, I’ve received confirmation, like the gathering of clouds before a storm. It was mutual between us, and while I protected myself from you, you protected me from yourself without a word. Thank you. Come back.
There was only half an hour till sunrise.
Legs pumping, chest heaving, muscles burning.
Heavy footsteps rocked the earth behind you, guttural growls and rasped roars echoing in the trees around you.
You narrowly avoided a stray tree root; you stumbled as you regained your footing.
You kept running, dried eyes filling with tears as you tore through the earthen soil, desperately prayed to whoever may be listening that you could make it to the edge of this god-forsaken place in time.
The creature was nearer now, another screeching from the canopy.
You glanced up, trying to track its progress, cursing yourself as you slid on a stray patch of leaves.
The force of colliding with the tree nearly sent you down.
But you were determined to survive this.
Sliding down the side of a ravine, you risked another glance at your watch, catching yourself easily and following the watery trail.
Twenty minutes until dawn.
The birds were unusually quiet today, no light cawing or singing to provide some backdrop to this horrifying chase.
You leaped over logs, cursed the weight of the water against your shoes.
Frantic, you searched for any possible way out of the gorge, cursing yet again at the cliff faces too high for you to climb in your haste.
Ferocious snarls and aggressive splashing behind you drove you onwards, new desperation the encouragement to press further, push yourself harder.
Your lungs were screaming for air, your chest ready to burst.
Surely, even if you escaped the creature, there was no way you could feasibly survive this.
A clearing in the tree line painted the sky in deep navies and dreary scarlets; the sun was cresting.
A spark of hope, a kindling of relief, a flare of determination-
You pressed onwards, destination clear in a fallen log crossing from one embankment to the other.
With skills from years of childhood venture, you swung yourself upwards.
A fresh stoke of fear shot through you as you nearly slipped off, the mossy growth and the creeping decay slicking the surface.
But you held fast, and with a grimace and a roar of your own, you pulled yourself onto the felled tree, daring to pause for a breath.
Quickly, you checked your watch again, noting the chaotic pursuit had slowed for only a moment.
Ten minutes till sunrise.
This was it.
Your legs protested at rising again, entire body begging to simply succumb to whatever horrors awaited you should the creature catch up.
It wasn’t something you could risk, though.
Other lives beyond your own were at stake.
With a sound somewhere between a scream and a gasp, you righted yourself, placed one foot in front of the other, and soon enough regained your rhythm.
Your hope was growing with each drop of mist that seemed to shine in golden majesty.
Your hope was growing with each new shade being added with the slowly rising star.
Your hope was growing with each footstep, each inch between you and that thing, the other almost right behind it.
To the edge of the forest.
If you could lure it to the edge, it was done for.
All those lives that would no longer need to fear this creature.
All those innocent souls that would be avenged.
They were all counting on you.
And you.
Would.
Win.
You could not be victorious on your resilience alone, however; this was easily made clear with every passing moment, furious beasts steadily gaining on you.
A whistle caught your attention, a smile coming to your face.
The calvary was here.
You turned sharply with your next footfall, nearly losing your balance on the dew-covered plants beneath your feet.
Quickly righting yourself, you quite nearly dove past the assembled party, beautiful, blazing, brilliant gold blinding you as Sol fully rose above the horizon.
Furious roars had turned to panicked screeches, aggressive pursuit now desperate retreats.
There was nowhere to run, however, both beasts enraged as they were surrounded by sunlight and steel.
You fell to your knees, bathing in the sun’s glorious rays, thanking whatever diety it may be for protecting you, allowing you just enough strength to successfully finish the mission.
You ignored the anguished cries of the creatures, ignored the furious shouts of the captors, the would-be monster hunters, and instead focused on the violets and oranges of the morning light, contented with your last sunrise, the taste of iron and the dampness of your shirt no longer something to be ignored.
The dawn denies us the lies we tell ourselves in the darkness, and you accepted your reality with a heartbroken smile, blazing skies falling to ash as you succumbed to your fate.
By the time they came to check on you, you were already gone.
Dawn to dawn
We rose
Wave by wave
By wave by
Wave
Till we smoldered into dust
Ground into our gritty graves
I’m here to see the sky tear open across the darkness. I once thought the dawn was the most silent, but now after walking with it for the past month I feel differently. It seems the most loud, the most vibrant. Everything opening up and reaching out for the day ahead.
The light at dawn, they say, is the best time to take photographs. Around dawn, around dusk. That the world is at peace during these times, and everything is made quiet, everything is made anew. There’s also that song lyric that says “It’s always darkest before the dawn”.
The dawn came around as I rode across the shire. There was no one around. Perfect. I nudged Dally into a canter and we headed away from the sunrise. Away from my home. Away from him.
We stayed up until dawn, slept until three, and kissed until our lips were blue until midnight. Then we stayed up again for the sunrise, drinking cold tea mixed with rum and breathing in sour notes of coastal air, exhaling out equally tart words of “wisdom” and “witticisms.” We did this for nine days in a row. Then you had to pop down to see your mother on her deathbed, so I stayed up until dawn with the cat.
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me.” I’m unsure of where the quote is from, but I always associate it with a vine by Gabbie Hanna from around 2015. She’s a professional singer now, and her voice has improved a lot since she uploaded the video.