"Andreas," Diego said, gesturing to him to make some concluding remarks.
Andreas nodded his head and came to the front of the crowd. "Congratulations everyone. You've made it to the end of your hike."
Everyone clapped and applauded.
"You all should be very proud of yourselves," He continued. "It has been a pleasure for Diego and me to have guided you all. You guys were a great group."
Andreas took a deep breath.
"We're sad to see you go," Andreas looked directly at Elena. "But we hope you continue your adventures and keep exploring. There is so much to see out there."
Everyone cheered and quickly thanked them. Andreas looked at Elena whose eyes glinted with tears.
"Thank you for everything, Andreas," She said, really meaning it.
She saw that Andreas also looked sad but held a smile. "And thank you, Elena."
Elena had so much to say but couldn't remember a single thing. Since the hikers surrounded Andreas to thank him, Elena backed out. Andreas frowned as he watched her make her way back into the forest. She wanted to see it again and take it all in before she left in the morning.
She smiled to herself as she stood in the middle of fireflies lighting her pathway in pitch black.
She fell to her knees and closed her eyes.
"We did it, dad," She let out a breath of mixed emotions.
Elena had fulfilled her father's dying wish. It was the least she could do for him. She could see him standing in front of her. She could hear his loud, wholesome laughter in the trees. She held back tears.
"I'm proud of you, Elena," She could hear her father's proud voice echoing in the back of her head.
Elena opened her eyes and looked back into the thicket. She frowned as she heard a twig snap and the rustle of leaves in front of her. Something sparkled and then disappeared. At this point, Elena knew she was having hallucinations so she brushed it off.
Afterward, she went back to the beach and searched for Andreas but couldn't find him. When she took her backpack off at one of the huts, she saw a note stuck in the keychain on her zipper. She opened it up. "Meet me before your ferry leaves" it read. Elena smiled to herself.
YOU ARE READING
The Boy Who Made Flowers Sing
Narrativa generaleAfter her father suddenly passes away from cancer, Elena is thrust into a vicious cycle of drug addiction. Orange-tinted plastic bottles and NA key tags rule her melancholic world. But people don't like to talk about drug addiction - they sweep it...
