Work Text:
Even though you are being alone, remember we are on your side and don't be afraid of all the fears you have.
The sun shone high in the noon sky, the rays beating down upon him. After a week of traveling, the black knapsack on his back didn’t feel any lighter, despite his materials slowly dwindling throughout his journey.
No matter how far from his initial location he traveled, it was always the same. Wind turbines, stretching vastly across the distance, filling the plains in neat white rows. They went on for miles, spinning endlessly in order to turn kinetic energy into electrical power. One source of life into another.
He walked with slow, deliberate steps. The quiet crunch of gravel under his boots could be heard over the wind.
No matter where he looked, they were there. Clean, sharp blades rotating in never-ending cycles.
If he watched them spin closely, he could tell that something was controlling their starts and stops at different speeds. Just as one turbine started a new cycle, another barely finished the last.
It was driving him crazy. He scanned his surroundings for the infinite time, then bent his head yet again to stare at the compass clutched in his hand.
The needle was still the same. The pointed green tip never did anything but hover over due north, swaying gently over the white inked N . It only ever reached 359 degrees, one less than a full circle .
From sunrise to sunset, the ending never changed. In the distance, the proud white kings stood on green hills and stared ominously back. Vernon shut his eyes and let the breeze rustle his hair.
---
He could see the mountains now, snow-capped in all their glory. Vernon was thankful for the change in scenery. When he opened his eyes, there was a boy in his path, approaching quickly. He came to a stop a few feet away from where Vernon stood and waited patiently while he checked his compass.
Still the same, the needle mocked.
In one fluid motion, he tossed the compass in the air, letting the wind carry it in a graceful arc towards the other boy, who reached up and caught it easily with one hand. The boy glanced at it briefly before looking back up.
You’re finally here, his eyes seemed to say.
“Took you long enough.”