Up here, there is peace. Up here, on the tip of this hill, nobody can hear me. Up here, nobody can see me, but my best friend. There is tranquility in me at last. The trees sway in the wind as if they are dancing and the birds sing to the same song, accompanying the trees like an orchestra. But there is utter stillness in the air, because nobody but me is here.

My friend nickers to me as if urging me to go faster, and I see the world differently now. There is no longer the serenity of the earth, but the disruption of the earth’s crust. As I gallop along the ground, I don’t hear birds or trees anymore, just the thud-thud of my horse’s hooves. His mane floating effortlessly in the air; his tail streaking behind him. The whistling wind whips my face and it feels like we have reached the end of the earth as we shudder to a halt. His breathing is faster than mine, and my heart’s pounding against my chest. And I realise that this is where I want to be - this is my paradise. 

I notice the clouds shaped like tufty pillows drifting across the sky. They carry an airy, drizzling rain with them, it cleanses the land and energizes the flora. The rain-pearled grass glints in the light of the sun. The fields surrounding me are elysium green, hinting at the blooming flowers - the apple blossoms about to go pink and white. This is my special place, because nobody knows that I am here and nobody can take it away from me. 

Lucia