Weaving Dreams

The sunset was gorgeous, even if it was setting over a pile of plastic bags, dirty diapers, broken furniture and other assorted garbage. Joan truly enjoyed coming down here to the dump to watch twilight fall. She could go without the smell, but the sights and sounds just hit her heart like Cupid's little arrow.

The bulldozer sat at the top of the heap, like a monster frozen by night magic. Hundreds of screeching and screaming birds played in the wind, diving and rising, floating on the air current, hardly ever flapping their wings. She loved to watch the birds play. It reminded her of what childhood is supposed to be, filled with laughter and carefree fun. She sat entranced. This was her childhood.

"What in tarnation? Lookey what we got here, boys. Why it just might be one o' them freaks we hear about all the time." A group of boys about aged 13 came around a pile of trash behind her. She turned her head slowly, not letting on that they had scared the crud out of her.

"What are you doin' here, Freak?" The boy had a BB gun in his hand - the rifle type. It rested easily at his hip, pointing down. The other hand held a cigarette, which he flicked almost constantly. Three other boys gathered around behind him. They looked nervous as they held their BB guns with both hands.

"My name is not Freak." She turned her body toward them. "I'm watching the sunset. I suppose you boys are going to try to reduce the rat population tonight." Joan held her head high and looked directly at the one in charge. She wasn't going to be intimidated. She'd learned the hard way how to stand up for herself.

"Yeah. What of it?" He stuck his jaw out at her and tried to look cool as he tugged another hit off his cigarette. The boys behind him lifted their heads a little higher, too.

Joan turned back toward the sunset. It was gone now...behind the pile. Sure, she could try to run up the hill and see the sun set on the natural horizon, but she didn't feel like slipping and sliding on nasty who-knows-what, especially with these boys looking on.

She heard laughter behind her. It drifted away as the boys apparently left. Let them have their rats. The less of them, the better for her. They freaked her out, especially after the sun fully set and it started to get dark. That's when they really came out. It was still light out, though. She supposed she should go home and see how Mom and Dad were getting along tonight. Maybe she'd be able to scrounge together some food for dinner, too. She gave one last longing look at the darkening sky where the sun once sat. One of these days she'd follow that sun with more than just her eyes. Tonight, though, tonight she just had to make it 'til tomorrow.