When darkness crept onto the land, the forest came alive around them. Aila had told Marcelo she wasn’t an outdoorsy girl but that felt like a lifetime ago. Something changed. The sun had set and the waning moon above called to her, energizing her, springing life into her body. Her blood sang for the earth, like it was part of her. Her mother, her sister, her child. It was everything. The soil beneath her feet, the stars overhead, and the wind in her hair, it fed her soul. She had the sudden urge to take off her hiking boots and frolic barefoot through the soft leaves, winding in and out of the trees. Grinning, she continued to gaze into the lively night. She’d been afraid of it most her life. Now she could see how alive it was. Alive but with a busy serenity that intrigued her. Animals that had been hiding during the day hunted and played under the moon. She was one of them. A night creature. The strangest feeling came over her. Belonging. Though she smiled, she was also confused. What is going on with me?
