I Met Her In The Forest

Chapter 2

       I woke up before the sun had.
I ate one of mother's blueberry muffins she made with the berries I had picked for her. The muffin was moist and soft. The berries had lots of flavor. My mom always had an eye for this baking thing "Lotus? Are you ready dear? We're going into town today." I heard her call from across the cabin.
" Yup!" I assured. We didn't go into town often, it was really far away. A 40 minute drive into town.
         I brushed my teeth quickly and rushed myself to the truck. I didn't mind how long it took to get into town, every sight along the way was definitely worth the long bumpy ride. "Good girl, Lotus" mother praised. She ruffled my hair and we both smiled. I didn't have many friends out here, besides the forest critters, so it was nice having my mother around. She always made things better.
        We've been a lot closer since dad went away. I've been told he's on a business trip. It's been so long. I'm beginning to think that was just something mom told me so that I wouldn't have trouble sleeping at night. I pushed away my sour thoughts as the truck engine started. It was more fun to think about positive things, even though it's nice to be humble. I can be humble and happy if I try.
            I spaced off watching the trees go by and seeing the mountains off in the distance. All I could think about was the girl in the forest. How each time we parted I almost instantly longed to see her again. I'm still not sure what it is about her.
       Maybe it's because she's so mysterious? She's tough too. I just know she has a soft side somewhere. She has a past I want to know of. Even though I want to learn everything about her I have to take things slow you can't just go up to someone and say hey you seem interesting, tell me all of your traumas so maybe I can help you cope. I need to get her to trust me.
           I ended up falling asleep while gazing out of the car window. I woke once the car stopped. The city was nice but wasn't somewhere I'd want to live. It was extremely loud and over crowded. The cars polluted the air. It was easy to accidentally run into people, and the people of the city weren't always that nice. I guess not everyone is raised the same way I was.
             We had done our shopping, and I was sipping on a blue raspberry slurpee I had bought at the nearby convenience store when something caught my eye- a poster. A poster of a missing girl. It was her. No doubt. The forest girl. I didn't want to make a scene. I wasn't sure what to do so I kept quiet. Maybe that wasn't the right thing to do, I'm not sure. I had a gut feeling she had a good reason to run away.
        It was a long ride back to our cabin but I was glad to be back. The moon and stars were blanketing the sky once again. Still no sight of her. I wonder what she must be doing or thinking right now.
"I hope you're okay." I whisper out into the trees.
          The next morning I didn't hesitate to make my way out into the forrest. I had brought some of mother's muffins with me. I wandered through the trees into the very deep parts of the woods. Whilst walking and losing hope of seeing her again, I heard a crackle amongst the branches above me.
          "Hey!" I shouted, looking up above myself. "Get los-...oh...it's...Just you." Her voice started out harsh but softened once she recognized me. " Im Lotus, by the way." She stared off in complex thought.
"Hi, Lotus." She greeted with a sigh.
         "I've brought you something." I held out one of mother's blueberry muffins. She turned to look at me, and got down from her tall perch. I handed it to her. "Thanks.." she said. "Is something troubling you?" I questioned. "...I suppose not."
"... Are you lost?" She looked at me as if I caught her off guard.
           " Do you need to ask so many questions?" She groaned. "I'm not lost. I just... Run off often." She continued. " Someone's looking for you. I saw posters in town. You don't want to go back.. do you?" She stared down at the ground. I decided it wasn't something we needed to talk about.
          "Would you like to walk a around the forrest with me?" I suggested. The girl sighed. " Why not?" She stood up. I smiled at her. I wanted to take her to my favorite spot near those blueberry bushes. It was pretty far, but we had nothing better to do.
          I walked through the flowers with her and guided her under a circle of large willow trees. Their leaves blocked everything else out. It was just her and I, flowers, woodland critters, and a pond.
         I picked up a flat stone and skipped it across the water. "Woah... When did you find this place?" The girl asked. " I live not too far from this spot- I always have. When I was little my mother and father and I would sit here and have picnics. I used to have a tire swing on one of these willows. It's always been my favorite safe space." I explained.
  She gained a bitter face of pain when I mentioned my parents.
          "Dad's not here anymore though. I have a feeling something happened to him, though I was told he's just gone away on business. It's been so long.." I admitted. " I know what that's like.." The forest girl comforted me. I had a feeling she did know. We sat down up against the willow. We made small talk as we tossed stones across the water.
          I had never made a real friend before, besides the foxes and birds that occasionally passed through. I feel like I have made one. Talking to her felt like I was speaking to someone who had been there my entire life. Is that what friends feel like?
        The sun had started to go down. I didn't even realize I had spent the whole day with her. "I should go before it's too dark. Mother will worry." The girl nodded, assuring me it was okay. Before we parted ways I wanted so baldy to wrap my arms around her in a hug, but I panicked which caused me to leave with only a quick handshake.
        I felt defeated and headed back to the cabin. Well, besides that today went pretty well. I let out a long happy sigh, as I lay with my limbs sprawled out across my bed.