Room to Change

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According to legend, Juan Ponce de Leon believed that the fountain of youth was in Florida. Mia, on the other hand, was convinced it was in Arkansas. She had the map to prove it.

After much debate, I convinced the girls that we should drive. I wasn’t anywhere near the attacks on 9/11, but I was still traumatized. The fear and shock that overcame me when I saw it televised had stuck with me, and I hadn’t flown since.

My therapist wanted me to work through my anxiety, but this particular trip was not the time. Besides, this was the journey of a lifetime, and there was so much to see on the way to Arkansas. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

The air was clear and crisp when we left Riverside, and the convertible that Ken picked up for Mia (just for our trip!) was insane. The day was perfect. Once we hit Arizona, however, things were heating up. I’m not just referring to the weather, either.

The temp hit 102, and it was time that we pulled over. My shirt was soaking wet, and my sweatpants stuck to my legs. We were in the middle of nowhere, without a rest stop in sight. Come to think of it, there were no cars on the road either. That should have been my first clue.

Grace and Mia got out to stretch their legs, and I jumped into the back to put on shorts and a dry shirt. Mia had definitely overpacked. I had to move all of her things around – to make myself some room – and a rubber band snapped. It shot through the air, nearly hitting me in the eye!

A rolled up parchment paper (that the band had been holding) quickly unfolded across the seat. It appeared to be Mia’s map. Are you kidding me? I thought to myself.

“What is this?” I shouted, waving the scroll above my head.

That’s when things got really hot. We were six hours into the trip and I learned that Mia’s spiritual healer had drawn the map, and that the location of the fountain was literally revealed to him in a dream… by his spirit animal.

I was about to come unglued when I noticed Grace. With all that she had lost, her faith never wavered. She was twirling in circles, her dress flowing delicately through the air. I’d never seen anything so beautiful. Was it life imitating art, or art imitating life? She looked like Marilyn Monroe…

Mia stood over me, her eyes beaming with innocence. She was totally oblivious of my anger and disbelief. She had placed her trust in her shaman’s vision, and there was nothing I could say that would change her mind. She was like a child…

I suddenly realized that this really was the trip of a lifetime. No matter what. It was possible that we were lost, or that Mia’s map was some kind of farce, but my two best friends were beside me and I felt nothing but gratitude.

My heart was full.

READ ON

I thought I’d add my note here that this is an ongoing story. If you are just coming in… the beginning is HERE. I’ve also changed my homepage to highlight the segments in the correct order. I’m doing all that I can to keep myself motivated here!

Anyway… I’m starting to have too much fun with the images (what’s new??). I fell in love with the color scheme, and the vintage type poster look, so I’m trying to stay consistent throughout the entire novelette.

I swore that I wouldn’t get caught up in the illustrations, but it is what it is. A lot is being done by AI, but I’m finding its results kind of messy. I’ve had to do a lot of tweaking and smoothing on this one. I also added a paint effect to blend the colors just a tad.

So… that’s about all for now. I hope you enjoyed the segment! I was feeling some negative energy out of my narrator (and other sources), so I thought long on hard on today’s ending. I think it worked! I am feeling really good inside – a bit like Carmen, I might add – and so I will bid you adieu.

Until next time…

Peace & Love.