Our Little Valley
Over ten years had been spent in that valley. Next to the Cook Plant and less than a football field away from the highway. Geographically, it isn’t actually a valley, but that’s what we called it anyway. It was secluded and no one but its residents drove down there. The access road is hidden and it’s our secret place. Long broken roads shaded by trees, and tiny houses with large lawns make up the valley. It was and continues to be the place I love most of all to spend my weekends and summers. My best friend in the whole world lived there. Over the years her house became my second home.
We spent our days walking the winding roads with friends, jumping and joking around late into the night. Allowing the cold of the autumn nights to freeze our fingers and toes and paint our faces a frosted pink. This was the valley in which I earned the nickname “size 5” due to the tininess of my feet. The valley where my best friend first fell in love with the boy she’s still with to this day.
Admittedly there were nights we all snuck out to meet each other down the street, clad in only our pajamas and maybe a coat. It wouldn’t matter what the weather was like because there in our little valley we were surrounded with friendship and happiness. It was there in our little valley that we felt safe. It was there in our little valley that we found peace. It was there in our little valley blanketed in the care of each other that we knew everything would be okay. That no matter what was going on in our lives away from here, we would make it through. A lot of crazy, unbelievable things happened in our home away from home, but there’s one day that always sticks out in my mind.
It was a perfect September day a week before my freshman year started. The little valley that surrounded us kids resonated with the sounds of our laughter. It was my best friend, her boyfriend, and I chasing each other through the soft emerald grass, onto the cool and rough pavement, down the road, and back again. We’d been at it for over an hour. The sun had begun to set making the sky vibrant shades of crimson, sunflower yellow, and orange that matched the slowly changing colors of the leaves.
Breathing heavily and giggling softly, we collapse onto the cool pavement melting into the pleasing contrast on our hot skin. We settled into a comfortable silence, basking in the quietness of our little valley. Breathing in the heartwarming scent of a bonfire down the street infused with the scent of summer coming to a close. Listening to the wind whisper its stories and the trees rustling with applause. We watched as the sky faded to it’s midnight blue, lying in the street the entire time. No cars drove by to disturb us from our statue-like state. The silence was only broken to point out the intricate constellations that were brightly shining in the night sky. At some point the family dogs ran out and joined us, cuddling into our sides. Their presence giving off an even more therapeutic vibe.
These were our last peaceful moments in our little valley before the chaos of school kept us apart. Though we didn’t know it at the time, these were our last few moments with all of us healthy and happy. There in our little valley
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We spent our days walking the winding roads with friends, jumping and joking around late into the night. Allowing the cold of the autumn nights to freeze our fingers and toes and paint our faces a frosted pink. This was the valley in which I earned the nickname “size 5” due to the tininess of my feet. The valley where my best friend first fell in love with the boy she’s still with to this day.
Admittedly there were nights we all snuck out to meet each other down the street, clad in only our pajamas and maybe a coat. It wouldn’t matter what the weather was like because there in our little valley we were surrounded with friendship and happiness. It was there in our little valley that we felt safe. It was there in our little valley that we found peace. It was there in our little valley blanketed in the care of each other that we knew everything would be okay. That no matter what was going on in our lives away from here, we would make it through. A lot of crazy, unbelievable things happened in our home away from home, but there’s one day that always sticks out in my mind.
It was a perfect September day a week before my freshman year started. The little valley that surrounded us kids resonated with the sounds of our laughter. It was my best friend, her boyfriend, and I chasing each other through the soft emerald grass, onto the cool and rough pavement, down the road, and back again. We’d been at it for over an hour. The sun had begun to set making the sky vibrant shades of crimson, sunflower yellow, and orange that matched the slowly changing colors of the leaves.
Breathing heavily and giggling softly, we collapse onto the cool pavement melting into the pleasing contrast on our hot skin. We settled into a comfortable silence, basking in the quietness of our little valley. Breathing in the heartwarming scent of a bonfire down the street infused with the scent of summer coming to a close. Listening to the wind whisper its stories and the trees rustling with applause. We watched as the sky faded to it’s midnight blue, lying in the street the entire time. No cars drove by to disturb us from our statue-like state. The silence was only broken to point out the intricate constellations that were brightly shining in the night sky. At some point the family dogs ran out and joined us, cuddling into our sides. Their presence giving off an even more therapeutic vibe.
These were our last peaceful moments in our little valley before the chaos of school kept us apart. Though we didn’t know it at the time, these were our last few moments with all of us healthy and happy. There in our little valley
Document Link_