This is an extract from my novel, which I thought worked well for the ‘place and setting’ prompt.
Clara finally stood up, wiped her eyes and went to stand on the decking to breathe in the cool lake air. It was early, the sun rise still in effect; her eyes alight as she watched the first light of day burst out across the landscape.
Initially a glow of light-blue against the adamantite sky, before shards of sunlight danced and glittered across the lake surface, creating the illusion of sparkling fish shimmering in the shallows. Laced between the rushes hung clusters of spider webs, dew drops glistening in suspended animation along the delicate and intricate silky threads.
The moment the sunlight touched and permeated the woods, the trees came alive with the sounds of bird song, a single twitter then building chatter to the full morning chorus. Beyond, the fields brimmed with wild grasses and poppies, swaying in the gentle breeze. A watercolour of vibrant red splashes intermingled amongst an infinity of greens.
She closed her eyes to hone her senses, smiling as she listened to the crispness of the leaves and buds unravelling to soak up the morning sun.
She had missed this magical place, its unfailing beauty unsurpassable. But in truth she missed Mal more, his absence an open wound.
Closing her eyes again, she took a mental photo, afraid she may forget an ounce of detail in time; before making her way back up to the house to wait for her taxi.
But each step away was a reminder of what she had lost…
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