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Delicate fingers traced over the horizon’s tangible crust, nails pinching mountains into ragged highways looming over flowering hills overseeing plains pressed by thumbs. Creativity rested in the peak of her fingertips, nestled into the roots of her hair festering across the earth’s skyline. It was her first project in such a long while, already having spilled the galaxy into the void of her domain, with every ball of pure energy, gas, and fire crackling through her sheer presence. Her creations garnered promise, quickly attracting the attention of her fellow primordial kin. Each one touched the world’s core with care that she’d permit.
Inconsistently, she’d rest, return, and mold once more. Every return became a brand new surprise. Soon enough, she’d awaken to new life, cradling it in a mother’s embrace, and leer over the evolving populace. As much as their calls yearned for her to hear them, her dreams were strung in knots to feel them.
Hums of sweet promises in the melody of her voice shook reaction into the frailest of leaves and entangled itself into the roots of the toughest of trees, sunflowers swaying and turning head for her golden grace.
Birds sing and attempt to propel themselves higher unto her hair plotting the sky with golden notes. Each one strained their throats, praying for their sonnets, hymns, and harmonies to tickle her ear.
Fish lunge themselves into whirlpools and boil the ocean with their thunderous jumps into the sky, gills itching to pierce into the rippling ocean of her eyes. They’d yet to filter breath if it weren’t for her hypnotizing gaze, carrying their hearts stronger than the tightest of currents.
Lava sparked into the earth’s surface as the world shifted plates into an explosive affair with ash, dust and smoke swirling into the obscured sky. The pillowing clouds fluffed into a blanket for her to rest.
And yet, it felt as though something were lacking in conversation. Her feelings ran strong under her family, but she couldn’t hear them, their words, their language. She wanted something to hold, talk to, and relate to as she would unto them. Her grief pulled her to the dirt, arms digging the ground towards her into a hug. As she buried her face into the soil, the mixture of her tears spilling from her eyes, and blood of her nose blurred the lines between her, them, and what’s to come of theirs.
Soon enough, a human stirred under her arm, a bleeding heart churning with the same fire underneath the earth’s mantle. Then became the first of many, and yet her first human, Riley, was her favorite.
—
"What should I call you?"
The question in turn was so simple. She may very well be the creation of the dirt underneath their feet, grass between their toes and its roots beneath the soil, as well as the air pushed in and out of her very lungs, so on and so forth. Yet, at that very second, she had only wanted to be called human.
She felt the breeze still momentarily, as though awaiting an answer before gathering its composure. Taking in the warmth of Riley’s skin, her own hands entertained the other’s, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. A cheeky tilt to her curious gaze. The sun highlighted the brown of Riley’s eyes beautifully into a light green.
The woman let out a breathy laugh, “How about—”
—
Not soon after, she was bestowed her own name, Katie.
Immediately, she took her place amongst them, building community. No longer did Katie yearn for the grace of another, but fulfilled it by taking amongst them at every chance she could. Then, her affections grew into something particularly new, snatching the wind out of her lungs and burning stars into her cheeks.
Katie’s fellow gods knew she was inseparable from these frail creatures. Knew her love would bare her ruin as years flurried past her immortal life quicker than she’d ever perceived. Still, she felt addicted to their prayers and attention, solace weaving their fingers as they laid on sun-kissed grass.
Yet, Time was not a patient mistress when it came to deliver. Katie’s tears beaded into pearls for her companion, but she knew that Riley would carry onto Death’s gentle hands, stringing into the sky with memory. So, Katie would gaze longingly at the stars, reaching hard enough so the strain of her muscles ached for release, just to touch the vision of her past once more. She would reascend to her position, her heart sunken into grief and a rotten fear of her heart towards growing attachment to a mortal ever again.
The lives of humans, fickle as they were to a Deity's own, were still felt across mountain ranges and sprinkled islands, every one leaving their scars. Her cousins, nieces, and nephews called them treacherous termites, and unpredictable in their actions; however, to each of their frustrations, Katie saw their flaws ever endearing, and their devotions held true to the god’s powers.
Creation. Humans have held enough imagination as Katie’s own, sometimes even stretching farther through their mortal limitations could with their own machines, willpower, and spirit. A power Katie had so gracefully granted them herself with hands, eyes, ears, lips, and a nose to enjoy the fruit sprouted from their fingertips. Each and every one of them amazed her. Each one undeniably, and uniquely, hers, expanding the swell of pride beating against her ribs.
Them
Humans that she ceaselessly found herself fond of.
All were a mere mimicry of Katie’s ever changing existence, using their hands, voice, and sparks of innovation to shape her world around themselves. She wouldn't mind indulging every now and then in her follower’s sorrows, grievances, and petty rage.
Miracles they called them, mercy for others.
It was soon that they began to grow into an insurmountable sum of numbers throughout her little sandbox. Katie’s messages spread thin across what were made of mountains into cities, and valleys now neighborhoods, and her will buried into the roots of weeds piercing between cracks of concrete, vines entangling ruins of corporate offices, and the fluttering kisses of the sun through classroom windows.
She’d become curious once more. An itch festering to interact and play with her friends like she’d done hundreds to thousands of years ago, in spite of her fear.
“Is this your first time on the planet?”
“Err- Something like that!”