Always Looking Up

Baby blue bunny slippers trampled the lush grass as a small body rushed through the darkened meadow. Giggles echoed throughout the field, meeting the ears of a taller silhouette, who was lugging a large blanket over one shoulder and a pair of binoculars hanging around his neck. The young man rolled his eyes and tried to catch up to the quick little blur that belonged to his sister. 

Said sibling was jumping in place, rocket pajamas bouncing along with her exuberant frame. The ears on her bunny slippers waving frantically each time her feet hit the ground. 

"Come on, come on." The girl's voice was heard throughout the whole meadow, unsettling the peaceful sway of gentle wind tumbling through the grass. "Alex, hurry!"

The young male remained silent and kept his current speed. Brown eyes swept over his surroundings, taking in the lazy swirls of bright fireflies, the gentle sashay of viridescent trees, and the moon's bright light tenderly complementing the short grass. A small smile flitted on impish features.

"Alexander!"

The grin was gone just as fast as it had appeared. The boy's head whipped around to face the general direction of his whining sister.

"I'm coming!" Was hissed with an irritated bite in his voice, Alex readjusting the blanket and draped it over a bony shoulder. Doubling his previous pace until he passed his bouncing sister, and got to work laying the thick blanket out onto the grass. He took his time to pull the edges out and soothe the crinkles running throughout the piece of cloth. 

He stepped back a pace to examine his work, arms going to criss-cross loosely over his thin frame as umber eyes intensely raked over the lane cloth. His sister was fidgeting fiercely beside him, whipping her smaller frame around his to get a better look at the smoothed blanket. Her chestnut brown eyes glancing furiously between his steady eyes and the cover, body stilled waiting for the verdict. 

Alex finally lifted his eyes from the bedspread and made eye contact with Zoe and softly nodded, said little girl beamed up at him, and gingerly settled on the painstakingly spread blanket. She was joined by Alex a moment later, who was just as cautious as she was to avoid messing up the crinkle-free cover.

Zoe still eyed Alex, and waited for him to settle before she began her excited vibrating all over again, Alex noticed and a small smile stretched across his face causing the skin around his eyes to crinkle steadily. 

"Which one is it?" Zoe's animated voice rang through the night air, bleeding into the wind, giving it life, and helping it surge around them. The breeze rushed through short black hair, tousling it in eyes and off of foreheads. Alex grinned amusedly at Zoe's messed up hair and easily smoothed it out of her eyes before fixing his own. 

Alex's eyes slowly looked up at the sky, his focus effortlessly becoming sharper as he diligently searched for the constellation Zoe was so excited to see. A slim hand reached offhandedly for the binoculars resting comfortably on his chest and pointed them at the sky looking through the lenses. 

Zoe was looking intently at the sky, trying to locate which pack of stars that Alex could so easily pinpoint. A light tug on her rocket pajamas cut Zoe's glaring match with the sky short and drew her attention to the binoculars currently offered to her. 

She clumsily grappled with the binoculars, the strap proving a worthy opponent for the young girl, but got them situated with the help of Alex. She enthusiastically peered though the bulky binoculars, and Alex calmly pointed out Orion's belt.  

Zoe looks up in awe of the stars.

-

Beaten and worn converse flattens the scarce grass as a petite body is lead through the dim meadow. Silence stifles all those inhabiting the field, the hush rings in the ears of a tall man, who was balancing an old blanket over one shoulder and around his neck, a busted pair of binoculars barely holding on. The man gingerly cradled his sister's lithe arm in his hands, his hold barely-there just a reassurance of his presence.

Said sibling was walking at a slow pace, grey sweatpants, and aged t-shirt baggy on her frame. Her shoe-laces jerk with each step she takes. 

The whole meadow is silent aside from the grass crunching under each footfall taken, the trees too remain still as the two make their way across the field.

The male remained deadly quiet and kept a slow speed. Brown eyes gliding over his surroundings, taking in the frantic buzz of mosquitoes, the sinister shuffle of ghostly trees, and the moon's eerie light harshly looming on the trampled grass. 

He glanced at his sister's face, which was void of all emotion, and refocused his gaze ahead keeping his pace steady.

Alex readjusted his hold on the worn blanket checking to make sure it did not hit his sister. They came upon the perfect spot to rest their cover, so he stilled his sister's walking and placed the blanket on the grass. He hurried to pull the edges out and soothe the crinkles running throughout the piece of cloth. 

He quickly examined his work, eyes barely flitting over the object before returning to Zoe's side. His sister was standing completely still, and upon his noisy return, she indifferently grabbed his offered arm. Her chestnut brown eyes never even glanced at the smooth and worn cover lying innocently on the ground.

Alex tenderly helps Zoe settle on the smooth blanket, to which she sank gratefully on. She was joined by Alex a moment later, who cautiously perched next to her before wiggling to get comfy. 

They sat in the dark for a moment, neither saying anything. Alex kept glancing worriedly at his sister, minutely fidgeting in discomfort. A deeply concerned frown etched itself onto his face.

"Can you describe them to me?" The question was soft, barely-there. The wind whistled mournfully through the air, blowing passed them leisured and unhurried. Black hair flowed and blocked Zoe's now unseeing eyes, Alex fondly pushed the traitorous hairs back in place a small smile replacing his frown.

"If you want me to." Zoe smiled in his general direction, nodding reassuringly. Alex's eyes traveled up into the sky and his hands grasped for the beaten binoculars. He searched for Zoe's favorite constellation, Orion's belt, wanting to get every detail right for his sister. 

Zoe heard as Alex explained the wonderstruck that lay before his eyes in great detail, creating a mental picture for Zoe.

Zoe listened in awe of the stars.