Changing the Leaves

The Ditch

Once Alicia and I arrived at Marissa's house, we threw our bags on her huge bed. We headed downstairs to the side door that led out to her beautiful patio. Well, actually we stopped by the food pantry for Alicia. She is obsessed with food, but her body would tell you otherwise. She is just so skinny!

We all got a granola bar and headed outside.

"So, what is this thing you want to show us?" Alicia asked Marissa with a mouthful of granola.

"I actually don't know exactly what it is. Which is why I need y'all to see it," she responded.

"Rodney or Ellen couldn't have helped you determine what is?", I asked.

"You know siblings, they would've probably taken it or break it or tell mom that I was at the creek alone and get me in trouble," Marissa said.

I just nodded in agreement.

We crossed over the bridge in her woods that led to the creek. When we arrived at the creek, Marissa pulled out a stone the was underneath a leaf.

"That is what you needed help identifying? A rock?", Alicia laughed.

"No, it isn't just a rock. See watch," Marissa placed the stone in the creek and the water turned red to orange to yellow until every color had a chance to show.

"Woah! Where did you get that? I want one!", I exclaimed.

"I just found it laying around in the woods over there. I wanted to skip some stones and the rest is history," Marissa pointed to a little area of trees.

"Oh, I wonder if there is any more," Alicia said as she ran over to the area.

I looked back at the changing colored creek, but snapped my head back around when I heard Alicia scream. I searched the woods, but I couldn't see her. All I could see was Marissa's frantic expression as she searched the woods also.

Then, Alicia screamed again,"Help me, please!" Marissa and I ran over to where her voice was coming from. I was about to trip and fall in the big gaping hole in the ground, but luckily Marissa yanked me back by my shoulder before I fell.

I looked below to examine the hole and saw Alicia grabbing on to a root that was attached to the eight feet deep hole. "Hi you guys. Um, you see, this is kind of painful... So if you could help me up, I would really appreciate it," Alicia said calmly. I laughed and told Marissa to grab my feet as I pulled Alicia up.

"Are you alright?", I asked as Marissa dusted the dirt off of Alicia.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I just scraped my knee," Alicia pulled up her pant leg to expose a bleeding cut,"Ah, yep. I did."

"Here lets go back. I have a first aid kit in my parents' bathroom," Marissa said.

We headed back over the bridge, but Marissa stopped walking. "Ugh, I left the stone in the creek. Brooklyn, could you go back and put it under a random leaf to hide it, please?" "Sure. I will be right back," I said.

I walked lazily back to the creek in no hurry at all. Once I was back at the creek, I watched the water change colors over and over again. "What is that?", I asked myself. I snapped myself out of the colorful daze and hid the stone below the bridge and under a leaf.

Before I had a chance to head back to the house, something held my attention in the hole that Alicia fell in. I walked over to the hole, but took four steps back when I discovered something that rested at the bottom of it.