It’s Only Forever, Not Long at All
@shade-runner
Newton was perhaps the most unassuming town that she’d ever seen. Not that Rey Niima had been to many places other than her hometown of Jakku or the city where she’d gone to college. Still, Newton seemed far blander than she would’ve imagined a small town set in the countryside would be. The town boasted a small marketplace and an even smaller business sector. Other than, little else could be found in the town. Most of the locals lived outside its streets, tucked away into the greenery.
She wasn’t sure how her employer, Vita Inc., had found the measly town on a map. After graduating with a degree in botany only a few months ago, she’d been hired on by the vitamin company that she’d interned for during her senior year. The position was entry level, yet there was room to grow within the company; she’d been told that superb work could land her in one of the company’s main labs.
Despite the pay increase that would accompany the change of position, Rey longed to stay in the ‘field’ as long as she could. There was nothing like the scent of pine and grass to set her at ease, or the feeling of dirt between her fingers. If she could spend her entire career hunting down samples of herbs, she gladly would.
Nearly a week into her stay at Newton found her taking her first steps into the surrounding woodland. Her company had tasked her with seeking out fresh crops of medicinal herbs with the hopes of purchasing the land for harvesting. With any luck she’d find what she needed and could report to her supervisors by the month’s end.
The twenty-one year old tucked her latest sampling into the pouch at her side, having carefully documented the exact location of her find. She was just about to turn back for the day, having noticed the setting sun, when she came upon a curious circle of mushrooms. Not recognizing the fungi, Rey took a step into the circle to obtain a sample.