Earth's End

• Suwen Fang, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2014

Home. Not a place, not a person, but a feeling. A feeling that a place gives you, a feeling that a person shows you and a feeling that will never go away...
A golden disk of light slowly sank into the depths of the ocean, leaving behind a picture perfect landscape. Bright splashes of pink and red and various hues of blues and purples adorned the summer sky. A woman made her way up to a large rock on the beach, where she sat down to bask in the sun's remaining warmth. Casting her eyes forward, she could see the vast blue sea lay out in front of her; a never ending pool of water that stretched for miles on end. Breathing in the salty fresh air brought back memories from the woman's past. Smiling, she closed her eyes and began to think about home.
The beach was one of the first places that her mother had taken her when she was a little child. It was their home. The feel of silky soft sand running between her toes and the sharp coldness of the sea water were one of the few things that made her feel alive. From the rock that protruded from the sand, one could see for miles on end. Her mother had once told her that sitting on that rock gave one the ability to see the end of the earth. That's why they named it 'Earth's End'. However now, the woman couldn't see the beauty in the beach anymore, not without her mother there in person. The magic of her home was lost, the only presence of her mother left was in the black box that she now clutched firmly in her hands.
Gazing out into the distance, the woman weaved in and out of memories...
The shells that were scattered along the shore each had their own sound of the beach. The girl and her mother would search desperately for the one that sounded exactly like the crashing waves. Laughing and giggling, they would race each other to the sea where sudden cold splashes of water would emit loud shrieks and cries from both of them…
The woman opened her eyes and looked around the now empty beach. Squeezing her hands into fists, she willed herself to remember those happy days when her mother was still with her. Maybe, just maybe, if she believed hard enough, her mother would once again return. The cold hard truth hit her as she sat trembling on 'Earth's End'. A trail of tears trickled down her raw face as she slowly opened the lid of the black box. Hands quivering, she tipped out the soot coloured ashes onto her hand. The sun's last rays had disappeared and at this moment, she knew it was time. Taking a deep breath, she held her hand up high and allowed the wind to blow the ashes into the sky. "Goodbye mother," the woman whispered. "I have returned you home."