Halorian

The light of the autumn sun reflected sharply off the water of the Serpentine River. The trees on either side masked the land in a blanket of green, sipping the lifeblood that the earthen vein provided. Resting against a thick trunk, Quinn counted the salmon as they leapt upstream. One year. They had done this then too, counted the salmon. She could feintly recall the sound of her brother’s voice as they reached one-hundred. Her heart skipped a beat, and she sized up the tree beside her. He’d sat beneath it, forearms resting on his knees, fingers breaking twig after twig as they fantasized their glorious return home. Quinn blinked