WEBVTT

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The wind came over the crest of the

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rolling hills not as a gust, but as

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a long, exhaling sigh.

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It swept across the sprawling countryside, carrying with

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it the warm scent of sun -baked earth

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and crushed clover.

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Julian let go of his bicycle handlebars, letting

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the rusted machine coast to a halt in

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the tall grass.

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Before him stretched a sea of fire.

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Millions of red poppies unfurled their delicate petals,

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a vibrant masterpiece painted by nature across the

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slopes.

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With every gentle wave of the breeze, the

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crimson ocean rippled, casting shifting shadows across the

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green stems and hidden wildflowers that tangled beneath

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the blooms.

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He lay down in the center of the

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meadow, the cool stalks parting beneath his weight.

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Above him, a vast, unbroken arch of blue

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sky stretched from horizon to horizon, dotted only

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by a few scattered, lazy clouds that drifted

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like white sailing ships through the atmosphere.

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The world felt entirely still, yet endlessly in

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motion.

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Closing his eyes, Julian listened to the quiet

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rustle of the petals brushing against one another.

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A soft, papery whisper that drowned out every

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lingering thought of the city he had left

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behind.