Page 1 of Serpent In White

Human beings exist purely as pieces of a large puzzle; each one of our souls designed to fit the bigger picture. The greaterExpanse.

As are we all made from the same components; blood and muscle and bone, flesh and hair. Built of organic chemistry, all creatures, equally.

As feet, hooves press into the soil, so hands, paws rush through the leaves or blades of grass. A whisper from the wind and the harmony of a babbling brook, from which we all breathe and take a drink.

You see, Earth operates like a machine, well-oiled and ever-moving. The constant turning over and over, day becoming night and night becoming day. Weeks turn to months, turn to years. Leaves fall, land freezes and thaws. Animals die.

People do.

And outside of it all, the spirit of a God so large, so powerful, we couldn’t possibly comprehend Her. As we are a story in Earth’s biography, so is Earth the chapter to a longer book.

Time and space are infinite.

I suppose such things could make us feel insignificant. But on the contrary… Each breath inhaled and exhaled moves the needle.

We are all a part of it. Wheels in motion, for something much bigger.

Everything is connected. Everything has a point.

Death. Rebirth. Transformation.

Ecdysis.

Today is here, and today is special. Just like every other day.

My mother taught me that, rest her soul.

She told me, when I was just a small boy, that each day is a blessing, and we should live our lives cherishing every single moment we are given.

She died when I was twelve, so did my father. They are with Mother now.

But death doesn’t erase us. My parents live on, in me and in the works they left behind.

It’s comforting to know that.

So I make today count, as I did yesterday; as I will tomorrow.

After my shower, I make an egg and bacon sandwich with honey, my favorite, and then I practice for tomorrow’s reflection. I’m singing a new song, which is always a little nerve-racking. But Jordan knows it well, so I think we’ll do fine.

Smiling, I slip on a t-shirt, then open my door, hopping down the steps of my trailer.

It’s an addition, and I’m so grateful for it. I haven’t earned my own trailer just yet; so instead, Paul and Gina agreed to help me get an addition to theirs, for some privacy. I’m nineteen now, and living in the same shared space as my guardians can get a bit… cramped. To say the least.

I would’ve liked to have had my addition when I was fifteen, but I grin and bear it. Paul and Gina are great, and they give me distance when I need it.

I’m not saying I love to be alone, but there are times when I cherish it. The quiet.

The…solitude.

At the thought, hairs stand on the back of my neck and my breath stops short. Glancing at my arms, I have goosebumps. I pull my lower lip between my teeth…

“Are you cold?” Gina’s loud yet somehow raspy voice startles me out of my thoughts, and I jump. “It’s warm today.”

“No, no.” I smile at her, closing the door to my trailer. “Not cold. It was just a breeze. Did you get the bread I left you?” I change the subject.

She squeezes my arm and tugs me to walk with her. “Yes, I most certainly did. You made that yourself?” I nod, humbly of course. “It’s delicious. You must have gotten your mother’s baking gene.”

My smile widens at mention of my mother from her best friend.