Going out into the dusty wastes of southwest USA was Jupiter’s favorite way to reconnect with the stars. The sky was so open and clear, and it looked like the heavens split open just for her at night. She would pack a tent, a telescope, and a few days of food and water into the back of her navy blue pickup truck and drive so far out into the desert that she didn't have any phone signal. Spending time on her own with just her jackalope familiar as company was the best way to unwind and ground herself again.
One trip out there, nearly five years ago, she came across a little town that seemed centered around a surprisingly well-kept church. Despite the blustering orange sand, the building was gleaming white and didn't look worn down at all. Usually, Jupiter would just keep driving until she felt far enough away from society, but something compelled her to pull over and check out the town. She parked in front of a diner with dusty windows surrounded by skinny trees but sat in her truck for a while, thinking. What could have possibly drawn her here?
Shaking her head, Jupiter stepped out of her truck and squinted into the sun-baked streets. There were a few people milling about, mostly sticking to the shade. None seemed to pay her any attention. After looking around for a minute, she decided to check out the church first. It seemed out of place in this town, it must be what drew here here.
The hard-packed dirt road crunched beneath her feet as she and her jackalope walked, small rocks shifting and grinding against the dense ground. The air didn't feel too hot but the intense sunshine was glaring at her and making her skin feel hot immediately. She was thankful the church was nearby and surrounded by unusually thick and green trees. There was definitely something unusual about this church.
As Jupiter approached the doors of the church, the sun seemed to weaken a little. A faint cool breeze swept past, shifting her black hair around her shoulders. She paused at the doors and looked down at her familiar. Would going in be a good idea? Different could be bad, different could be dangerous. There could be malevolent spirits here, sucking the life out of the nearby area to bolster the church. She could be walking into a trap.
But she felt that tug again; that calling of Fate. With a deep breath, Jupiter pushed one of the doors open and stepped into the shaded, cool interior of the church and the horned rabbit hopped in behind her. The lower temperature was like a soothing embrace on her heated skin, and she almost smiled as she walked further into the building. The door closed silently behind her as she looked around and noted the scattered few people in the pews. They were probably here to escape the oppressive heat outside.
Nobody looked up as she walked down the main aisle towards the far wall with the dramatic mural of Christ nailed to His cross. Nobody was at the podium, which held a closed Bible. In fact, as Jupiter looked around again, nobody seemed to be dressed as a typical priest either. Maybe they weren't here today and the people in the pews were just here for solace.
Jupiter slid into a front pew, setting her hands in her lap and looking around the church again as her jackalope curled up at her feet. It was quiet and peaceful, cool and welcoming. A smile slowly spread across her face as she took in the plain but clearly revenant space. It was definitely a small town church, but there seemed to be something special about this one. She just couldn't put a finger on it.
“Hello, child. I haven't seen you here before.”
A soft voice spoke up from behind Jupiter before faint footsteps joined. She was a little surprised but covered it up easily as she turned to see who spoke. A man in his mid 20s with golden brown, tousled hair and kind smile stood at the end of the pew. His eyes matched his hair and smile, glowing with compassion and curiosity.
“Yeah I was just, um, passing through. Thought I'd take a moment to rest here, if that's alright.”
Jupiter kept her voice low so as not to disturb the other people praying. Her nervous smile and shaky whisper must've tipped the man off to how worried she was about being allowed in the church now that the priest was here. He just nodded and motioned to the pew.
“Of course. May I sit here?”
His voice was soft and warm, much like the rest of him. He seemed to kind, so perfect for the church. It took Jupiter a moment to gather her thoughts before nodding and scooting over a little so he had space to sit.
“I am Father Wyland. May I ask your name?”
Father Wyland’s endless manners relaxed Jupiter as much as the cool atmosphere. She slumped back in the pew and flashed him a more genuine smile.
“Jupiter Jones,” Father Wyland said with a smile. “What a unique name.”
Father Wyland seemed too young to be so soft and so wise. He only looked to be a few years older than her, but he radiated a reassuring, confident aura that only came with age. As he sat next to her, she didn’t feel a raise in apprehension like she would expect with a stranger being so close to her.
The two spoke softly for a while, until Jupiter felt cooled down again and she was sure Wyland was what drew her to the town. He was so unlike anyone she had ever met before, so confident yet respectful, so knowledgeable yet compassionate. Jupiter didn’t even realize how much time had passed until the sunlight coming in through the windows dimmed to evening.
“Oh, I was supposed to have my campsite set up by now. I hope Artemis doesn’t mind me being a little late…”
Jupiter trailed off when she realized she mentioned a Greek deity. The church and Father Wyland seemed very Christian, she didn’t want to offend them by talking about a completely different pantheon. But Wyland just looked up towards the ceiling and smiled knowingly.
“I have it on good terms that she won’t mind at all,” he murmured softly, like it was a secret.
The smile that spread across Jupiter’s face was brighter than the midday sun a few hours ago. She was getting a vibe from Wyland that he wasn’t quite human, and this almost confirmed it. Of course he was so perfect, of course he seemed to ethereal.
“You’re an angel, aren’t you?”
Wyland laughed and looked down at his lap, shaking his head slowly. When he looked back up at Jupiter, he was still smiling but he looked curious, like Jupiter was some strange enigma that he couldn’t quite figure out. She just smiled back at him and waited for his answer.
“I knew a child of Apollo would figure it out. Yes, I am. We may not follow the same pantheons but I think we get along well anyway, hm?”
With her own laugh, Jupiter leaned back in the pew and looked up at the stained glass window near the top of the far wall. The rainbow of colors cast a peaceful aura over the entire main space and reminded her of Iris for a moment, and Apollo when he plays with raindrops. Maybe it was Apollo, telling her she had nothing to fear in this church despite the religious differences.
“Y-yeah. Yeah. I hope it’s okay to say, but I kind of feel him here. Like he’s the sunlight coming in through that window up there, shining on me and telling me that I’m safe here.”
The mutual understanding between the two about their religious differences and similarities was comfortable and light. They respected each other and their beliefs, basking in the quiet peace of the church and the almost tangible love from their deities.
Jupiter ended up spending the night in the church, near a window where she could look outside to watch the night sky. The moon shone as brightly as ever against a perfect backdrop of stars. She never got tired of looking at the sky, no matter what time of day it was. The sky held infinite potential that both inspired and humbled her, instilling her with a sense of awe for her deities that she knew would never fade.
The next day Jupiter thanked Wyland for his hospitality and the company before heading out into the desert. She felt reinvigorated and full of a warm energy that she had never experienced before. Her little vacation went better than ever with full conversations between her and her deities that boosted her confidence in every aspect of her life. Hermes even appeared to grant her safety on her trip back as she was packing up.
Once again as she was driving past the little town, she felt a pull towards it. But this time, she went happily. She figured it would be nice to say goodbye to Wyland before heading back to her university, far enough away to make visiting a hassle.
As Jupiter pulled up to the church, she saw Wyland sitting on a bench under one of the shade trees with a rooster pecking at the ground. She had to sit in her car and smile, not believing what she was seeing. Her deities worked in strange ways and she absolutely loved them.
“Hey, Jupiter! A little birdie told me you were coming,” Wyland called as she stepped out of her truck.
Jupiter walked over, grin still splitting her face as she laughed softly. The familiar coolness around the church embraced her as she got close, the trees whispering a soft welcome to her. She sat on the bench next to Wyland and reached out to gently stroke the rooster, who bowed its head for the petting.
“Hermes is a fun guy,” Wyland casually remarked.
“Yeah, he talked to me this morning. I didn’t expect this though.”
The peaceful quiet of a small desert town at midday enveloped the two, making them feel like they were in their own little world. Jupiter could’ve fallen asleep in the grass right there, had a little nap in the shade of the thick oaks that watched over the church. Her jackalope, Heather, hopped around and sniffed at the rooster before flopping over in the soft grass. Jupiter smiled, glad to see her familiar comfortable around her deities.
“I would like if you came to visit next time you venture out into the desert,” Wyland said softly.
Jupiter looked up from where she almost dozed off in the grass. Wyland was looking down at her with a hopeful smile and she felt her chest fill with comforting warmth. There was really something special about this angel, besides his heavenly distinction, and it captivated her completely.
“Of course I will, Wyland. I don’t think I could stay away from here for long.”
Whether it was something in her words or her tone, Wyland’s eyes widened like he understood, like he also felt the pull that drew Jupiter here to begin with. In Jupiter’s years of cosmic research, the term “soulmates” came up a few times as people tried to give it an interstellar, scientific definition. She read that soulmates are people whose atoms were together before the Big Bang tore them apart, and only now are they coming back together. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever read.
Laying with Wyland under the tree made her think maybe she and him were soulmates. They felt pulled towards each other despite how unlikely it seemed, how unlikely it was that they would ever meet. Jupiter was a hopeless romantic and immediately signed on to that explanation. She had found her soulmate and whether it would be a platonic or romantic relationship, she was just glad to have met someone she could always depend on and confide all her secrets in. She was glad to have found a friend in Wyland.
discoholicmusic
pixelskylines
origamiaround
turnnoffyourmind
dailybridgerton
