Maybe We're Already Gone [open]

[Cody Branson]

New Year’s.

A new year to make more money, meet more people, maybe find the love of your life…or lose it. He knew that empty feeling more than most; he knew that Jalen was gone for good out of his life, moved on to another, but those feelings still lingered within him. The feelings of being complete, of laughter and joy and love…they were still there, but not as strongly. If she stood in front of him now, he would only be able to look at her and see…her. Not the woman he loved, but someone he did care about.

He needed to get back in the saddle, so to speak.

Sighing, he walked through the park, watching the heavy snow fall around him. Everything was quiet, muted, as if life stopped and granted him this one moment in time to reflect on all he had lost and gained. His cowboy hat kept the snow off his head, but it littered snowflakes on his denim jacket as he walked through the park, dark jeans and boots plowing through the snow. A dark sweater was under the denim jacket, a thick white scarf wrapped around his neck.

He found a tree to stand under and went in, leaning on the trunk, propping one foot on a root as he looked over the park at the children playing, cobalt blue eyes lost in a daze as he remembered everything that had happened this past year. He had met Jalen, gotten great business with the ranch, hired L.C., lost Jalen, and his powers had settled comfortably. He pulled out his wallet and opened it up to see the picture resting there, the one of Jay’s smiling face that summer when he had met her family. He sighed; he really should move on, but he didn’t know how.

He closed the wallet and tucked it back into his pocket as he pushed off the tree and kept walking in the winter wonderland, moving to keep warm as well as to see if he could find a new adventure along the way.

[Jessica Pruitte]

It was a perfect day for a walk. The snow was falling in lazy fat flakes around her, there had been a definite need to get out of her Uncle's house for a little while and just be alone or end up stabbing a certain someone in the face with a fork. Her headache was duller than normal, and the way the snow crunched underfoot was most satisfying.

Jessica made a point of pressing her foot down as hard as she could as she walked towards the lake. Delighting in how the soft new snow at the top gave way to the hard crunch beneath. It was a perfect combination, and suited her mood exactly.

There was more than a little anger built up over the years. Privileged as she was, Jess always wanted something else something other. What, and how to get it, she wasn't positive. And the not knowing bothered her more than the not having. She'd thought going out on her own would be it. The THING, but she'd been wrong. Of course she hadn't had a whole lot of time to figure that out before the house she'd been in was burned down and she'd been carted off to Hammel. Unrelated incidents, but there they were. Maybe eventually she'd figure it out.

Until then there was snow to stomp. And stomp she did.

Lifting her head to laugh aloud, a short, cackle, Heidi stopped. There, not too very far away was a man like an angel. The snow drifting around his broad shoulders and tall height. His face turned away, but enough profile and cheek was visible to know that he was an Adonis of men. A fall god of some myth brought to the flesh of mortality.

"Oh God, I thank thee for your gifts," her words steamed the cold air in front of her.