A white blanket sits on a well tended green lawn. Trees surround the park-like atmosphere. A few puffy white clouds float in an otherwise blue sky.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov at Pexels.

The wind swirled and ruffled the blanket spread on the well-groomed lawn of the quad. Glancing over, Jace watched the fabric slowly rise and fall back as the air took it and let it go.

They laid back again and stared up at the passing clouds, wishing that, like the blanket, the tasks before them would let go. Clouds passed. A rabbit. A leaf. The wind swirled more.

The bells tolled. Jace moaned.

But, they got up, rolled up the blanket, stowed it away, and started.

It was time.