Run

Alone

I tensed slightly as I saw them start walking over. I quickly relaxed when I realized Austin was squeezing my shoulders in a silent "chill, it will be okay". I took a deep breath and stood up to greet them. Dale, Chris and a very perky blonde girl, who seemed to be attached to Dales arm by the way, walked up to us with excitement. I small wave of jealousy wiped over me when seeing another girl with Dale. Only because this was my place of solitude and where I grew up, this place was sacred and special to my friends and I. The millisecond of jealousy was wiped away and replaced with excitement to see my friends. I bro hugged Chris and he also rubbed my head, all my friends seemed to do that to me. I walked over to Dale and did the same, "What's up dude?" he asked and I replied as sarcastically as possible "Dale, you know this. Gas prices, that's what's up." He laughed and play smacked me in the shoulder. I turned o the bleach blonde occupying awkward air and held out my hand in a civil gesture "Hey I'm Riley," she gave me a look that I could only explain as somebody who had just smelled dog shit. "Yeah I'm Katy," she replied and looked back to Dale, completely leaving me hanging with no hand shake. "Are we seriously sleeping in a tent?" the group almost went silent and also turned to Dale to see his response. He just kind of shrugged and scratched his head. "On that bombshell, let's make s'mores!" I said, but it sounded like a shout because of how silent it was. Everybody else but Katy laughed. They ail made a move towards the fire to cook marsh mellows. I heard her mumble something along the lines of 'what does bombshell mean?' I rolled my eyes and sat on Austins lap. Some time went by and sure enough pieces of glass were being pulled out of pockets and lighters were being clicked. This was my cue to leave for a while.

        The sun had just barely started to set, the crisp mountain air was starting to cool. Goose bumps were raising on my arms and legs. I got up and whispered to Austin that I was going for a walk and handed him a walkie talkie, its twin was strapped to my belt. I grabbed my favourite hoodie before I started towards the trail that bordered the whole lake. I heard static and a voice coming from my walkie, it was just Austin checking the connection. I replied notifying him that I could hear him nice and clear. Now it was just me and the trees. Nature was beautiful, especially here. The tall pine trees reached up to touch the sky, while the shy bushes crept by the ground creating cover for small animals like chipmunks that would scurry across the trail as I walked. Rocks poked out of the trail and occasionally I would trip on a hidden root. The full moon was already out and a slight breeze rustled through the leaves creating a melodic song that enchanted everything around me. My words are small scratches in a book when it comes to explaining the world around me at this moment. I was in a fairy tale. I was a princes, this was my castle and sanctuary. 

        We would all play a game where we pretended the dirt was lava and the rocks were the only safe spots. I jumped from rock to rock along the path and only "died" from touching the lava twice. It was getting dark after all and I was starting to loose vision of the trail. I came to a bridge that was built over a small creek that cut into the trail. The creek lead into the lake about a hundred yards back from where I was. There was a small hill and the trail zig-zagged to the top. There was a small clearing from the trees at the top and gave you an astonishing view of the lake. The blue hue of the full moon reflected off of the lake and cast extra long shadows of the trees. I wanted to paint the picture in my head and look at it every day. Again, the magic cast upon the night was amazing. I closed my eyes and listened to the song the night was creating. I heard a twig snap nearby and my eyes popped open. It was only an animal I'm sure of it. I closed my eyes, this time the twig snapped it was much closer. 

        I got up as quietly as possible. and began to descend the hill. When I made it to the bridge I still felt as though somebody was fallowing me, so I began to run. I turned to see if the coast was clear. That was certainly a bad idea because everything went suddenly black. At this point in the story is when we first met. I'm being carried by some stranger. He had a halo of dark blonde curls illuminated by the moon. I could make out his high cheek bones, strong and sharp. His blueish green eyes were searching all around me. Was this man an angel?

        EARTH TO RILEY! Wake the fuck up! What the hell is going o? Who the hell is this and where the hell are we going? I began to squirm. "Hey let me down!" He slowly put me on my feet and held out his long lean arms to make sure I was steady. I was instantly dizzy and he placed his hands on my shoulders, I almost fell over. I also wanted to vomit. "Whoa there sweetheart, you hit your head pretty bad. I was going to stitch you up" he explained, still with his hand on me. I hit my head? I reached up to where my forehead was throbbing and felt a warm liquid creating a stream down my face. If I was really bleeding that bad and I saw my blood, I really was going to vomit. Two things freak me out more than anything about the body, blood and vomit. This combination is not a good one. He gestured to have me sit down next to him. I was delirious so I went along with it.