The Endless Horizon

- Luna, we need to go. Do you hear me? Luna?

A small girl stood at the big round window, looking into the distance. The sun was going down slowly, making the red sand bright and lighting it with golden sparks. She was amazed at how the wind was swirling the sand grains, whooshing them up and down. She put her palm on the window and moved closer. Her nose almost touched the glass, which became wet from her breath. She was staring at how the wind became stronger and stronger as the sun went down. It was almost dark when somebody placed their hand on her shoulder.

- Luna, your class started two minutes ago.

Luna startled. She looked at the woman.

- Oh dear, you are so pale. Do you think you are feeling alright? I think we need to get you to the doctor.

Luna crumpled, lowered to her knees, and started to throw up. The woman helped her by holding her shoulders tightly. She whispered to her:

- You are OK. Just breathe.

Luna was exhausted when her mom brought her to the doctor. They checked her blood pressure, temperature, did some regular tests, and imaging this time. Luna wasn't scared at all. She was reading a book, then the next one, and the next. The woman was sitting near her bed and looking at her. She was silent. Her eyes were full of tears, but she didn't say any words. Luna was pretending that she didn't see what was going on with her mom. She was calm.

- You know, mom, this book is my favorite.

- Why? - the woman moved closer to the bed and peeked inside the book.

- Because this little bee was free. She made her way go anywhere she liked. She found some good friends, then she lost them. But she kept moving forward, towards her dream. - she suddenly stopped.

- What was her dream?

- She wanted to see the world even if it was impossible for such a little insect. She wanted to learn more about herself, to find her purpose.

The woman hugged the girl. She kissed her head and lay down with her.

- Have you ever thought about traveling anywhere? - the girl's body felt weak. She looked into the woman’s eyes and rested her head on her hand. - There must be something amazing in this world, like that swirling sand out there. I don’t believe what they are saying, our teachers. Have you ever been there?

- No, darling. I have not.

The woman hugged her tighter and tucked in the throw to make her a bit more comfortable. Her hands and feet started warming up.

- Have you ever wanted to go there?

- No, darling. I have lived here my whole life, learning that our survival depends on what we do. We can only survive by staying together. But if somebody decides to leave the flock, they will not be able to make it.

- Who said that? Do you really believe in it?

The woman closed her eyes, sliding under the throw. Luna felt warm and toasty. It was a good sign that the situation was under control now. They were silent for a few minutes. Luna turned to her mom and closed her eyes too.

- I feel trapped here. I do not belong in this place. You know that.

- No, darling. I think we are all here because we have to be here. We have a purpose.

- We don’t have a purpose. We live, we die. We do nothing while we are alive.

- That’s not true.

Luna has always been a bit skeptical. She was smart, the smartest girl in her class. She liked sitting in front of the window, staring into the distance and thinking about something for hours. Sometimes it seemed she was a statue. She didn’t blink, she didn’t move, she didn’t even say anything. She was traveling in her head. She pretended that the stories from her book were alive and she was the main character traveling through the pages of these books. She was a great scientist today, and an explorer tomorrow. Luna was very creative and she started writing her own book. She didn’t show it to her mom, not because she didn’t want to, but because she wasn’t sure her mom would approve. They were just different but she loved her.

- You know, you are a terrible liar. Our daddy was a traveler. I know that. And they punished him for it. That’s why you pretend that you are just nothing in this world. You live your simple life without him because... because you are afraid. Afraid to lose me.

- Luna, please stop.- The woman stood up. She burst into tears, covering her face with her hands. Luna didn't make a move. She was still, with her eyes closed.

The woman was surprised by this dialogue with her daughter. It was something that came up unexpectedly. She lost her husband many years ago when Luna was 2 years old. It's been 5 years since they lived without him.

- You will lose me anyway, so why lose your dream. Do you think they can dictate what you can do and what not? Who are they?

- You're too smart, girl.

Luna didn’t answer. She took a deep breath and her heart rate dropped. The doctors came into the room quickly, made an injection. Luna started breathing a bit faster but heavily.

- It's happening. Sorry. Unfortunately, we can't do anything. She is dying.

Luna was lying on the bed in a star pose, giving a good look at her almost transparent skin through which you could see the ribs.

- Thank you, doctor.

The woman asked him to leave and give them some time together. He nodded, agreeing to return in ten minutes, and left the room quietly.

- Luna, stand up. Can you hear me? Stand up. We don't have time.

She held her under the arm, another hand hugged her waist. The woman was trying to pull her to the outside of the room.

- We have just 10 minutes, Luna. That should be enough.

- Enough for what? - the girl couldn't speak clearly. She opened her eyes and closed them again. Her legs were very weak and she hung on her mother like a bag. They were rushing through the corridors to the stairs, moving as fast as the woman could.

- To set you free like that little bee. You are free, my girl. In your mind, in your soul, in your thoughts. You can travel as far as you want. You can be whatever you dream about. And you are right, nobody can tell you what to do. I was scared. I am scared now. But I love you. Love you so much.

The woman was struggling. Her hands were tired but she kept pulling Luna. They hastened through the corridor. Stairs loomed ahead. Ten minutes. Only ten minutes left. They made it up two staircases already, one more left.

They were standing in front of the door. Just one move and they are outside. The door is unlocked because if you leave, you leave. You can't come back anymore. You are just out of the flock. You are on your own.

Her husband is somewhere there. Maybe he found a better life, maybe he died. Maybe he is waiting for them.

The woman took a small step forward and placed her hand on the handle.

- Do not do this, mom. I am dying but you are not. Your life is here.

- No darling. My life is with you. I want to set you free because you want this. And I want to be by your side until the very end. And then...

- What then?

The woman paused:

- Then, I don’t know. But I will find out, right? I will join you when my time comes.

- I love you, mom.

The women unlocked the door, knowing once opened, there's no return. The air was dense and stuffy. Sand made it impossible to see where they were going. Luna was weak. She was moving slowly, mostly pulled by her mom. Luna’s legs trembled with each step, her breaths short and sharp against the stuffy, sand-filled air, making each moment outside seem surreal and distant. They both were tired. But they kept moving. Luna was a little brave girl and the woman tried to be like her.

- I love you, darling.

The darkness ended. The wind disappeared. They were sitting somewhere in the middle of the desert. Luna was lying in the woman's arms with her eyes closed. She didn't breathe.

- We are free, Luna. We made it. This sunrise is amazing. I can tell. You were absolutely right.

She started crying, patting Luna on the head.

- I am here with you, my little brave girl. Love you, sweetheart.