Your Laughter
Another WOTF Entry, a more recent one~
Didn't win. There weren't exactly many voters, but there were so many mistakes in it as well, I'm horrified I even wrote the thing.
Anyhow, enjoy it I guess.
_ "Your laughter..." _ A girl spoke, as a light shined outwards.
A flash of white, and suddenly I could see leaves fluttering in the wind that blew past me. I reached out and caught a leaf gently in my hand, the crispy soft feeling of winter green in my grasp as I held it. I slowly opened out my fingers like a lifting cage, and the leaf flickered suddenly before sailing away upon the breeze once more.
I watched it cruise off into the distance with the many others that fell gracefully from the trees that whispered behind me. My eyes were drawn to the horizon, and I began to wonder what it would be like to go beyond that line that separated land from sky.
"Cailenn!" A voice called out I glanced over my shoulder, and saw a familiar face. I pulled a small tender smile as a Terran Golden Retriever girl, who looked only a few years younger than myself, took big steps to came up the hill I stood upon. She huffed and puffed by the time she came up to me, and I stifled a laugh in my breath. "Heeeeey... It's not.... Funny!" She said in between light gasps for air. I shook my head with a smile, but then as I turned away did my smile fade. The girl noticed as she looked up at my passive face, and stood up straight to look off into the distance, her breath gentle yet still uneven.
"What are you looking for...?" She asked curiously. I blinked for a moment and looked at her, pondering the question that actually surprised me. "I..." I began uncertainly. I looked back at the horizon, but said nothing else. It was a sunset glow of orange before the dusky red, as a veil of stars revealed itself in the sky behind us, the sun casting a fiery glow across the great expanse of water that stretched far into the distance. All around the Lake, the land was surrounded by wooded forests. The girl looked out to the horizon and sighed softly. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She murmured softly. My lips parted for a moment as the sunset's rays dazzled my eyes. "Yes... It is very beautiful..." I murmured back. The girl giggled and held my arm as she leaned on me carefully. I glanced at her for a moment in wondering, but then smiled again.
"Do you know what else is beautiful?" She whispered under her breath. I leaned closer to her and looked into her eyes. "What is it?" I asked in return. She beamed at me as she stood aside. "Your laughter!" She cried out cheerfully. My lips parted again as I tilted my head in curiosity. "My laughter...?" I repeated. She nodded excitedly and hopped from one leg to another energetically, her tail wagging just as fast. "Yes! Remember when we used to stand out here every Saturday, and just laugh out loud all the way through the afternoon?" She said to me. I looked out to the horizon again, then to the city not far away from us.
I then nodded slowly. "Yes... I remember..." I replied quietly.
The girl's smile softened as she stopped hopping wildly, her tail pausing in mid swing as she heard my voice. She sighed. "I... I miss hearing your laughter, big brother..." She said to me. My eyes widened slightly as the statement hit me, and I looked at her... At her eyes so glittering and ablaze with the glow of sunset within. She clasped her hands together behind her back childishly and started swinging her body from side to side in silent thought. It made me feel uncomfortable, and I looked away sadly.
We were quiet for a few moments, the awkwardness unbearable. I finally bit my lip and closed my eyes for a moment, before stepping up to the very peak of the hill. I took in a deep breath, inhaling the fresh afternoon air...
And then I laughed out loud, as noisy and hard as I could so that it might somehow echo into the distance. I could only laugh for a few seconds, and when I stopped I began to listen in as my voice somehow returned to me. It was faint, and I shook my head in disappointment as I began to take in another deep breath...
And I just laughed, again and again, not even sure of myself as to why I was doing it.
When I went to take another deep breath, I heard another person, a smaller and cuter sound, taking a deep breath. As we held it in for a few moments, I grinned at my little sister and she beamed back at me.
And we just laughed, on and on until the sun had well and truly set beyond the horizon.
Finally, we didn't take another deep breath, but actually laughed for old times' sake, and because we knew how silly we must've looked. It wasn't like anyone else was around, but it definitely felt silly.
But it didn't feel bad either.
Finally, as night fell over the land, my little sister wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my chest. "I feel really happy again, big brother..." She whispered to me. I smiled as I wrapped my arms around her and bowed my head. "So do I, little sis'." I whispered back. She giggled softly into my shirt. "It will always be your laughter, big brother, that makes me smile." She said to me. She raised her face to look into my eyes, a tender and gentle smile on her face. I nuzzled her gently and lovingly.
"Because... Your Laughter..." She whispered, as the wind blew once more.
_ "... Your Laughter is beautiful to me..." _