The Hill

	Music was always full of lies.  Country, broken hearts of people who'd never truly loved, rap, songs by people without money singing about having it.  None of them understood the real meaning hidden in the lyrics, the beat and the simple mathematics tune.  I did; she taught me.
	Her stature sold me on the words long before she'd even started to sing.  I killed her.  It was her fault.  If only she'd listened.
	The notes danced in the blood red morning when I'd first seen her, walking across the grassy plain.  Simple, poetic, her beauty indescribable,  I was already hers.  The music wasn't just in her words, her voice, it was everything about her.  The way she moved across the empty plain, pushing grass aside in the soft breeze all added to her music.  Why hadn't she listened?
	“I love you,” I said.  The words seemed simple, yet she ran screaming.  What was it about me that made her run?  She made me chase her.  She ran.  I ran.  The plain lasted forever as we ran forever into the fading sunlight, her voice singing out to the fading sun.  We chased it, but no matter how fast we ran, the light faded.
	A shot rang out through the perfect music, harsh and broken.   I didn't know why, but she stopped running, my legs weakening.  Another of her kind ran ahead as she stopped, my legs couldn't continue.  I limped; I fell.  She was so far away.  “Wolf,” the other said, looking over me.  Why had he stopped me?  Her voice, the crimson sun, and the chase had all been perfect.  Who was he to stop it?

				*	*	*	*	*	*	*

	“Are you alright?”  Richard asked turning from the dying animal.
	“I.... I think so, it never caught me,” the girl asked.
	Barely a girl, Richard thought examining her.  She would group up well, become truly beautiful.
	“We should go.  Night is falling and more of his kind will be attracted by the smell of his blood,” he noted shouldering his rifle, still warm from the shot.
	“I need to get back,” she stated, backing away from him.
	“They'll be coming.  Can't have a girl like yourself wandering alone out here after night fall.”
	“I'll be fine, my family's farm isn't far,” the girl pointed back the way she'd been running.
	“I'll walk with you a ways then.  It won't sit well with me seein' you walk off at this time on your own with his kind out.”
	“Really, you don't have to.  In fact, I insist you head home, the moon will only be a few hours from now and I'll find my way just fine.”
	“I insist,” Richard said, waving his rifle in the direction she'd indicated.
	Night settled in quickly as they walked a ways in silence in the direction she'd indicated.  Richard knew of no farm this direction, maybe that was why he'd insisted.  Normally he'd have just let her go, returned to his camp and the meal he'd left cooking.  The boar was likely burned to a crisp by now, but her screaming and the wolf's barking had drawn his attention away.  Priorities called after all, especially one such as this.
	“How much further?” he asked.
	“Not much,” she said looking up at the sky, “just over this next hill.”
	“Well, we should stop then.  Can't have ourselves exhausted but the time we arrive.  Besides, your parents won't be any more worried if we arrive a few minutes later.”
	“Would be better if we hurried,” she said looking off to the forest, a worried frown spreading across her face.
	“What's the rush? Most of his kind will be back at the corpse and I can barely see by just the stars.”
	“Just follow me,” she said staring forward, “We'll be there soon enough and I'm sure they'll let you spend the night.”
	Richard shrugged at her retreating form.  “What's your name anyways, lass?”
	“Lyra,” she answered flatly as she started up the rise.
	“I'm Richard,” he replied, “and I have to admit, I've never heard of a farm over this rise.”
	“Hunters don't have farms,” she said.
	Once the rise had dragged on long enough that Richard was certain they were heading into the stars, he stopped, thankful for the lightening conditions.
	“Well I can see now at least, still, how much further is it?”
	“Does the distance matter or just the journey?  Either way, it isn't far.”
	“Not sure if I have it in me to make it up this hill anymore.”
	“So turn back,” she said calmly turning to face him.  “Can you find your way back?”
	Richard stared at her stopped form.  Ofcourse I can find my way back, we've walked in a straight line this entire time, he thought as he turned to look back.  Shocked he saw nothing, just a black void dragging off.  “What in God's name?”
	“You see,” she stated, “there is nothing there, all your life is over this hill.  All that matters is ahead, not behind.”