Ruby

A stranger sped around the mountain. It was a humble mountain, not majestic like the ones near his vacation home in Colorado. His black Audi hugged the mountain’s curve, tossing a bouquet of golden leaves into the morning air. Trees lined the twisting mountain road on both sides, creating a tranquil canopy that welcomed him. A slab of weathered Ash wood swung between two stakes along the roadside ahead. White letters painted into etchings upon the unkempt wooden sign read, “Scenic Overlook.”

The stranger slowed and parked his shiny car beneath the canopy of trees that had beckoned him. A bed of discarded leaves rustled beneath his leather loafers as he stepped onto the curious terrain. He admired the flashy Sweet Gum trees, their radiant red leaves ablaze against the myriad of fall hues that now engulfed him. The stranger felt uncertainty sweep into his thoughts. The vibrant and shocking crimson trees that stole his attentions were angry and fierce, demanding his humility, or, perhaps, they were brave. They stood out from the other trees, brazen and stunning. The Sweet Gums sought only to live and bathe in the sun’s warmth. They did not know him, and they demanded nothing from him.

The peaceful hum of traveling waters crooned in the distance. The stranger ambled toward a forlorn stone wall and stretched his neck, only a little, to peek at the river beneath him. The beguiling waters meandered along the banks, caressing the tops of smooth stones and cascading obediently along its destined path. He felt its magnetic pull as he feared he might. But the stranger was wise to the pleasant flow before him. Powerful and relentless, the waters entangled many branches and hurled them along without rest or mercy.

A lonely bird chirped o...

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...tood and flipped burgers, eggs, and bacon without ever speaking a word. His dark red t-shirt hung untucked over a pair of starched blue jeans. A bright green cap squeezed his head; the thick cloth snap in the back had tiny yellow letters running across it. A shiny, freckled bald spot peeked out from the hat’s opening. The hair left, wrapping around his bald spot from one ear to the other was sheared and a soft white. Occasionally, he whistled church hymns to himself.

The two women raced around one another carrying hot plates overflowing with cheese, onion rings, and sandwiches. Their eyes never met, their shoulders never touched as they swam through the ocean of chaos. Like one unit, they worked their way to serving every customer a hot meal at a rapid pace. Yet, they moved like strangers, passing around the other as if she were a simple fixture and not a person.