“The Sage of Interstate 70”

“Taking Interstate 70, a slight detour from his direct route, in order to get his rider as close to Ohio as possible, Alex came to Amwell where he needed to turn north onto I-79. He had taken Skylar close to the Ohio border, but had guided him on a philosophical journey of far greater consequence. While Skylar retrieved his backpack from the truck bed, Alex got out and came around to him. Placing his hand lightly on the boy’s shoulder, he pointed up to the sky, now free of overcast and clearly visible. The gibbous moon had the look of a face seen in profile staring out into space; in color it resembled a skull that had lain long in dust, becoming bleached and blotted. Stars gleamed and glinted, brighter and dimmer, like luminescent confetti flung heavenwards or as if a great black satin cloth, mounted before a brilliant lamp, had been punctured in a thousand places by buckshot. As they stared at the firmament, a meteor shot down like a diving dolphin trailing watery light. The earth offered up a prayer of silence to the heavens and the heavens winked back blessings on the earth.”