Hidden Allure

Meeting Danger 7

I was so lucky to have him. I’m sure I would have gone crazy by that time.

The days passed relatively quickly with nothing new from Danger. I wasn’t sure what to think of that.

If I felt happy about it because it creeps me out, I would feel guilty, because so far, Danger was the only possible source of information about Maia.

I was really hoping that something miraculous would happen and I would be reunited with Maia... without crossing paths with that spirit again. But then again, if going through with Danger was what it took to find her, I was ready. I think.

~~~~~

I had started counting days on a dirty ripped calendar I had found at the bottom of my backpack. I was on day 27.

I was doing alright in the situation I was in. My toe was much better now, and I could climb the trees to pick those beautiful, luscious berries.

They were much different than the ones I had back home, much better. As I bit into them, juice squirted into my mouth, drenching it with sticky sweetness. Cal surprisingly didn’t like them. He tended to stay away from the berries. I understood that he would remember that incident with Danger whenever he saw any berries. It was pretty scary.

Every morning, I went down to the pond and dipped my head into the water. The first time I did it after seeing my reflection was simply amazing. It felt so good to suddenly feel the sudden shock of the frigid water.

I forgot about everything, and held my breath, counting in my head, trying to beat yesterday’s record. Yes! Five seconds more!

I had these types of mini contests with myself to me something to look forward to. Waking up everyday was becoming a chore. Now, the mornings were frigid and if I could see my own breath in the air, like a lonely black cloud.

I felt like a lonely cloud, with Cal as my lightning bolt. He gave me energy to keep on going, and he made me laugh. Every evening I played catch with him, using a little stick I had maybe picked up during my walk through the Forest.

Speaking of the Forest, I estimated that I had gone about seven miles deeper into it since I entered. I had figured out a routine that worked for me.

In the mornings, I got up and washed myself in the pond. Then, I climbed up a tree or two to get those wonderful, sweet berries. After taking a short break and popping a few into my mouth, I played some catch with Cal with a stick or a stone. Both of us needed some fun in our day.

After, I swung my backpack onto my shoulders and covered some more ground, at least two or three miles. It was on these walks that I always took the time to admire the beautiful forest.

All of the Avenine Society would truly have enjoyed it if it hadn’t have been strictly forbidden.

The leaves had turned either a vibrant orange, a brick red, or sunset orange. Speaking of sunsets, in the evening after Cal and I had found a place to settle down for the night, we plopped down on the soft ground and gazed upward. Without fail, there was always a gorgeous collage of pink, red, and orange waiting for us. It glowed, and it seemed like the sky was trying to show off what it could do, just like a kindergartener would show off a neat Halloween costume.

For that half hour, I would forget all my worries and simply stare at the mesmerizing dancing colors above us. A sense of peace would always come over me, and from the content look on Cal’s face, I assumed the same for him.