Dragons don't BITE they breathe fire

CHAPTER THREE

 

    Twyne rode his bike up to a big tree. Beyond that tree is what looks like a forest.

Of course Twyne would want to go to a forest! Why not go to a farm later, might as well visit all of the smelly animals and plants.

Twyne hopped off his bike and started walking by its side, still steering it by the handlebars. Karter does the same.
They walked with their bikes through the forest, neither saying a word. Not that there's much to say.

The boys kept walking, their bikes still rolling by their sides.
It was a shady spot with trees all about. And on those trees hung vines. The vines were long and thick, they seemed really sturdy.
For swinging on, of coarse.

But past those trees and vines was a pond, and around that pond there were hardly any trees at all.
It's almost something hard to explain.
There were a few shrubs here and there but it was like somebody had cut down a bunch of trees in just one place.
And in the middle of it there ended up being a little water source.
It was a nice little spot to relax, actually. A really nice place to not think about much of anything.

Twyne let go of his bike, causing it to fall to its side.
Karter decided to put his bike next to an oversized bush, gently.
Twyne started walking off, not really anywhere, though.
It was weird. He was just somewhat looking around.

Karter sat down in the grass and watched Twyne do whatever.

"You know, you shouldn't sit in the grass." Twyne suggested.
Karter raised his eyebrows.
"Because animals poop in random places."
Karter shrugged, figuring if he had sat in a poop pile, he'd know.
Twyne stopped wandering around and stopped next to Karter.
"Why not sit?" Karter asked, gently patting the ground.
Twyne's light gray eyes seemed to look a little darker than usual.
"I just told you..." He spat.
"There's no poop on the ground."
Twyne looked around right before he took a seat next to Karter.

"It's really nice here. Really quiet." Karter muttered, his words hardly being coherent.
Twyne nodded. He started dragging his index finger through the dirt.

"I like it here. I don't think we've been here in a while."
"Nope. Haven't been here since it had gotten cold when winter started up. But now that it's warmer, it's nice again."
"Right..."

Twyne's facial expression helped Karter realize he was being a little absent minded.

"What're you doing?" Karter asked, glancing at what Twyne's was doodling with his finger.
"Nothing."

"So I was wondering what you were doing later on during the summer. Whenever I ask you, you normally just shrug." Karter asked.

Twyne looked up at Karter for a few seconds, but went back to doodling.

Karter still waited for an answer.
The two friends sat in silence before Twyne realized Karter wasn't going to say anything.
"I really don't know. I'll just do whatever. Nobody really tells me anything, and I don't normally make plans. So basically whatever happens, happens. Why do you ask though?"

Karter shook his head. "No reason. Just wanted to know if we could hang..."
"We're hanging now, you doof." Twyne nudged Karter's arm.
Karter nudged him back, a little harder.
Twyne's eyes looked at Karter, seeming dark again.
Karter put his hands in his lap.

There was a moment of silence again.
Karter was the one to end it, though.
"Really, what are you doing?"

Twyne moved out of the way to give Karter a full look at his little bit of artwork.
"I made a dragon." Twyne said in almost a whisper.
Karter's blue eyes lit up.
"Woah. It's really cool."
 Twyne tossed his head to the side and shrugged.

Karter laid on his back, small stray sticks suddenly finding its way in his hair.
"You will have animal dung somewhere on you by the end of the day." Twyne muttered.
Karter muttered something too, but not exactly real words.

Twyne rubbed his hand on his jeans.

There was a cold silence, now making things more awkward than usual.

"Look!" Karter suddenly said, pointing to the dark night sky.
Twyne looked up to where Karter was pointing.
There was a strange grayish cloud in the sky, or a gray smoke?
What was that?