The Simple Reality

Finders Keepers

There were foot prints in the sand that belonged to Björn by 9 AM. The couple had each devised a plan together, something that was found to be rather logical. If they were really to stay, then they needed to hunt and gather.

Agnetha began the task that was soon to be interrupted with another distraction. She realized she could not walk away from making the bed. It had to be done before she could leave the space. But half way into that, she wondered why she had made it at all. In the back of her mind she had plans to use the bed again, and she laughed to herself knowing what she wanted had nothing to do with sleep at all.

The blonde woman still in last night's clothes snooped around the room, opening drawers and closets, doors and windows, and she hoped to find things that would help them know if anyone lived here but the house was really vacant. She considered if this was a place was a remote hotel of some kind. A house rental, perhaps.

By the time she remembered her original plan, she got back to rummaging through the kitchen in search of food, any kind of food that can sustain them for the day since they'd be detached from the city and they'd brought only so little.

Meanwhile, the man who trusted her to stay inside the house took the chance to make his way back to the boat like she asked of him. She reminded him they packed things that they could still eat. There were beverages and had fruits and left overs, chips and treats. He'd packed it up so that he could bring down with him, and he also had it in his mind to bring a few things they might have an interest for. Like for him a notebook, for her a novel, and for them both a speaker to enjoy music.

He'd gone back to the house to drop the things off, already smelling coffee brewing and he was beyond grateful. So grateful to understand that the odds were in his favor, that even being on an island, unplanned, there was still coffee and he would not be banned from that.

"Agnetha. I brought all the food I found!" he hollered from the kitchen.

"Okay!" was the only response he heard back from the upper floor, five steps higher than where he stood. He assumed she was in the restroom and just left her to see what the backside of the house had to offer now that there is daylight.

It was a special treat to be in the quiet and calm outdoors. There were no sounds from people at all, just sounds of birds and the shore. For Björn, he found words in the silence, melodies that took over in his mind and finally he itched to write again. He wrote words quickly in scribbles and he formed lyrics that for the first time in a while made sense to him. His mind was unlocked and he was content in sitting for over a half an hour inside a hammock with Peppa's weight crushing half of him, while using his other leg as a support to write.

He'd watched the sky carry clouds across and over, trees swaying, and breezes passing him by. Björn's imagination was open and spent his time taking every bit of what he could. He could see Peppa's brown eyes watching him lazily, the dog's ears stirring at the distant sounds because it was in his nature to be alert. The man must have been relaxed that way for some time because Björn's eyes closed and the mood was entirely tranquil. It was bound to stay that way if it hadn't been for the dog's reflex, barking and jumping off of Björn's resting body to jump down the hammock at the first sight he had of Agnetha. She'd finally come, and even Peppa knew that she would entertain him better than Björn could at that moment.

The bad luck was for Björn because in a swift moment during the dog's leap, the hammock was unbalanced and he simply tumbled over and onto the green grass, face down. It was a painful fall to his belly, but at least it was soft ground.

"Oh!" Agnetha exclaimed and covered her laugh. "Darling, are you fine? Are you hurt?"

"Peppa..." he growled, just under his breath as he climbed up. She was at his side in a short five seconds and from where he was he could see she was barefooted and wearing what was a below-the-knee length of a dress he hadn't even realized she brought with her.