Totality

      “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

           “I can’t believe you agreed to leave your dungeon.”

           “I regret it already.”

           “Well…you’re doing great. We’re almost there, and we’ve got, like—” she consulted her phone, “—thirty minutes before totality.”

           “I can barely control my excitement.”

           “Ya know, there won’t be another one for, like, twenty years or something.”

           “Neato.”

           “Some people think a solar eclipse is a spiritual phenomenon.”

           “You don’t say.”

           “Ya know, my group says that—”

           “Let me stop you there. I don’t care.”

           Annie’s bright disposition finally wavered. “Ya know…you’re being a real bummer? Can’t you just try to be happy?”

           Sarah made no snide remark this time.

           Annie stopped walking. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t ha—”

           “No, you’re right. I should have stayed home.”

           “No! I’m sorry! I get it. You can’t help—”

           “Just drop it and come on. Let’s get this over with so I can go back to my dungeon.” Sarah picked up the pace, leaving her sister behind.

           They hiked the rest of the way in silence and soon emerged into a clearing on the edge of a cliff. A group of people were eagerly chatting and readying themselves for the phenomena.

           Sarah looked around and shook her head. “There’re way too many people here.”

           “I told you there would be. They’re from my eclipse Facebook group. That’s how I found out about this spot.”

           “I dunno…I thought you meant just a few people…” Sarah started backing away toward the path.

           “Excuse me, Miss.”

           “Shit, sorry.” She’d nearly backed into a man emerging from the woods. But he was unperturbed, in fact, he smiled.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” he asked.

           She frowned at the stranger. “Um, yeah, I am.”

           “What? No! Don’t leave!” Annie yelled in dismay.

           “Calm down, people are looking. I’m just going to go wait in the car.”

           The strange man still stood in the way of the path. “You shouldn’t leave yet, miss. The fun has yet to begin.” His grinned with yellow teeth. The lines on his face were deep and dry, as if he’d marched through a desert to get here. His hair was greasy and flaccid, shoulder length and unbrushed. Total creeper, Sarah decided.

           “Listen, bub, you better get out of my way before I knock you down.” She pushed past him and started back down the path. Annie ran after.

           “Stop! Please, Sarah! Just do this with me, then I’ll take you home and you can rot away in your house, okay? But you promised, so no reneging! You promised!”

           Sarah turned on her heel to face her. “You said there’d be a few people. That’s way more than a few.”

           “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to scare you away…but please stay. I’m here with you…you’re safe.”

           Sarah’s face softened.

           Annie took her sister by the hand and lead her off of the path. She sat down in the grass and pulled Sarah down to sit across from her. “Let’s gain some perspective, eh?” Annie took both her hands and held them tight. “Breathe with me, okay?”

           “Fine.”

           Annie closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Sarah eyed her critically. Twenty-one, still just a baby. Dreaded blond hair, tattooed freckles, a shroom necklace, and innocence and ignorance leaking out of every cell of her body. Sarah envied her, wished she could be so carefree…not so…afraid.

           “Okay…feeling a little calmer?”

           “Sure.”

           “Now, picture this…you’re standing alone on a hill, but you’re not looking through your eyes, instead you’re having an out-of-body experience and you’re looking down at yourself.”

           “Okay…”

           “Your body gets smaller and smaller as your soul floats higher and higher. You’re looking down at a little speck in a field of green, and then the field of green becomes a little speck in a field of blue. Now you are up above the Earth, and then the Earth becomes smaller and smaller as you fly far away, zooming past planets and stars, until finally you are high above our galaxy, and then—”

           “Okay, I think I get it.”

           Annie opened her eyes. “Damn it, Sarah, you ruined the meditation.”

           “No, no…it worked. I feel insignificant and small.”

           “No! I mean…that’s not what it was supposed to do. You’re supposed to feel like you’re a part of something bigger. You’re not alone. We’re all a part of the same universe. The same plan—”

           “Yep, it worked. I’m, like, one with the universe now.”

           “Shut up, dude. Take this seriously. Ugh! James explains it so much better. He says that the eclipse will remind everybody that we are all just one piece of the same puzzl—”

           “Who’s James?”

           “He’s the group leader. He’s really cool. I’d love for you to meet him.”

           “I dunno, Annie…”

           “Please, come meet everyone. And look! It’s getting dark. We’re reaching totality! Come on! We’ve gotta hurry!”

           Sarah sighed. Her body was telling her to run, not to climb back up that cliff, but her sister’s big blue eyes pacified her. “Fine. Let’s go. But I don’t wanna talk to your creepy hippie friends. Got it?”

           “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let’s go!” Annie pulled her up and along the path back to the clearing.

They emerged and what Sarah saw nearly made her turn and run away. Instead of everyone staring up at the sky, watching the eclipse, they were staring at the path…watching her.

“Welcome back! You’re just in time!” said an older man standing in the middle of the crowd. He grinned and stretched his hand out as he approached them.

           “James, hi! I wanted to introduce you to my sister!” Annie trilled as he came near.  

           He eagerly snatched up Sarah’s hand. “Yes, yes, Sarah! I’ve heard so much about you!”

           She pulled her hand away. “You have?”

           “Yes…Annie told me your fiancé left you. I’m so sorry.”

           “What!?” Red faced, she turned to her sister. “Why are you telling these people my life story?”

           “Please don’t yell at Annie. She recognizes how sad you are and how much you need this.” His face was kind. He reminded Sarah of a sweet, caring grandpa.

            “Need what exactly?”

           “Our point-of-view. Right now, you feel alone, deserted…hopeless.”

           “Yeah…”

           “But you’re not alone. You are a part of something big. We all are. You have purpose.”

           Sarah smiled. “Thank you.”

           “Now, come. The moment of totality is upon us.” He gingerly held Sarah by the arm and lead her to the cliff edge. Sarah’s heart thumped and her lips twitched into a smile. Standing there with the group of strangers, in between the sweet old man and her littler sister, she felt included, loved, purposeful…a part of something. She didn’t feel sad or alone anymore.

           The world around them grew darker and darker until finally…

           “It’s done!” James hollered out into the cannon below. “Everyone, link arms and look above at the wonder that is our universe! We are but a small link in a chain that is never-ending and beyond our comprehension!”

           Sarah looked up and gasped.

           Annie smiled. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

           “It’s like looking into the eye of the universe. I feel…I feel…” a tear ran down her cheek. For the first time in a long time, Sarah felt whole again.

           And then…the world slipped away, along with her joy, leaving only terror in its stead. Her arm was yanked and her body was pulled over the edge of the cliff as James and the rest of the chain flung themselves off. Her arm yanked her sister and together they plummeted into the canyon. The chain of people landed far below, unbroken. Three minutes later, the moon slid out of the way and all that lay below was illuminated once again.