eddie
There must be something strange in the crisp evening air that draws him to the Meadow. Even in the dead of winter, he still prefers to spend his time in the water, especially since realizing that the cold barely touched him anymore. But tonight, he forgoes his comfort zone and trudges through the fading foliage in the ungainly manner that always plagues him on land.
His bright blue eyes focus on nothing in particular as he wanders as his mind flicks rapidly through a large stack of memories, trying to make sense of these past few years. A bit of a fruitless endeavor, he knows, but he just can't seem to help himself. If only mental progress was as easy as the physical, as simple as putting one foot in front of the other.
So preoccupied is he, that the orange light does not register when it surges through the Meadow. It is only when he stumbles over a large object that he realizes something has happened.
He, surprisingly, does not go sprawling into the grass, but nor does he recover his balance gracefully. He glances around quickly to see if anyone was near enough to witness his clumsiness, but thankfully, the immediate vicinity seems clear. Warmth creeps over his face anyway as he leans closer to study the unfamiliar hazard.
The object that tripped him is blank, but a smaller one lies next to it and, how odd.. it wears some sort of face on its uneven surface, an expression that he recognizes, but hasn't experienced in a while. Though no light shines behind them, the eyes seem to radiate a pleasant glow of happiness that strikes him painfully in the chest.
He wonders if he'll ever feel that kind of joy again. It certainly doesn't look very promising right now. Still, that tiny spark of hope stubbornlh refuses to die out.
A stem protrudes from the top of the object, obviously some sort of plant, and he seizes it between his teeth. Thankfully, the plant is not too heavy, so he lifts it easily and begins to walk away, intending the happy-faced pumpkin to serve as a talisman of sorts. A reminder that not all is lost yet.