The Glyphs

"The First Sister"

I never really felt at home anywhere, especially in my own skin. I was always a little awkward and small for my age. The kids at school would call me "witch girl" because of my amber eyes that looked almost yellow under bright lights. My hair was the same color and always a little wild with my uncontrolable curls. It didn't bother me really, what they thought. At least that is what I would tell myself. After all, I have Angel, my big grey cat, and he loves me. He was always a wise old soul, even from the time he was a kitten. People said that he was scarey too. Maybe we were both too wise. We knew that people only meant us harm and it was better just to keep to ourselves.

So, you see, the night that Isabella called to me, I was ready to go. The moon woke me at midnight. It shown in my window so bright that the glare in the night hurt my eyes. I had never seen it look so beautiful before. It was an orange color like I used to see on my grandma's farm when the red dust of the fields hung in the humid air. I threw on my jeans that were still laying on the floor and pulled on my tennies. Mom and Dad were sound asleep and I managed to sneak the keys from Mom's purse that sat on the bedside table. I looked back at them both, wishing that I could say goodbye but I knew someday they would understand and I slipped out of the room. I would be fine. I picked up Angel off my bed and he "meowed". "Come on old man, I don't go anywhere without you."

As I pulled out of the garage, I left the car lights off just in case until I started down the road. I knew where I was going and had plenty of time. As long as I got there before dawn I could make it. I could see at once the ring of light, high in the sky above Isabella. It was so bright with orange light that I am sure anyone who caught a glimpse of it this night would be reporting a strange appearance in the sky by the next morning. It was Isabella's signal to me and I drove until I reached her.


"Dawn"

The desert has always been my friend and tonight I felt at one with it as I dozed in and out of conciousness. With my window rolled down and the sweet desert air, I felt more at home here, at the base of Isabella, than anywhere else. I had hiked her lava boulders with the child-like pictures of the Native people who once roamed this now endagered land. The pictures or symbols were called "petyroglyphs" and they were over 10,000 years old. Yes, Isabella was ancient and wise. I did not feel alone here. It was peaceful. I liked to come here especially on dark, stormy days. I would sit inside the lava tubes and read my book while I listened to the rain.