Would you like to swing on a star?

Its a favourite tree.

A favourite tree on a favourite hill, miles from people or time and life. Its my retreat, I go there to be where nobody else is, to get away and get a rest.

I crested the hill, my hill, with a sense of homecoming and dawning peace, only for it to be shattered by the man casually leaning against my tree.

My gast was well and truly flabbered.

I cleared my throat in that purposeful yet annoyed way I manage to do so well and tried to clear my head as well. I felt like my legs had been ripped from beneath me, my peace torn and stolen.

The guy gave me a quick look, a short smile of acknowledgement and went back to looking at the view. My view.

Now, I'm not a farmer; I've no shotgun with which to gesture, no accent through which I can shout 'Gat orf muy Laaand!'

In any case, it wasn't my land. I'm pretty sure it wasn't his either.

There had to be some way of getting rid of him, I wanted this spot. I could just tell the sunset was going to be beautiful tonight, it was going to be majestic and choral in its visual poetry. I wanted to be here, alone, watching that, on my own.

Peace stealer!

I confess, I contemplated throwing rocks, but decided that was a step too far. Even just maiming this guy was too much, although only just.

I turned away, tried to settle into the view like he was doing, but even with him behind me I could feel him, his aura. Plus, it was cold on the ground and not as comfortable as it would have been up the tree. I had a special spot all picked out, I knew exactly where to sit depending on which direction I was looking, but no, tree-stealer-McGubbins had to steal it from me.

A little time passed and I was growing more and more uncomfortable. There was something about this spookily quiet man that set me on edge.

Finally I made up my mind, I wouldn't share my tree with him. Sunset be damned, I was going to go home! Yes, I was in a huff and I had every reason to be.

I stood up a little nosily and made to leave, in fact I was halfway through my second stride away when he said something that stopped me in my tracks.



Part 2 to follow, when I feel like it.