Thoughts of a Girl

Choices

There was a girl lost in a vast ocean. She was drowning and was scared. There was a rope, but it was frail and brittle. It lead to safety but not the safety the girl wanted. The safety the rope offered was alone, sad, and boring. Everything was laid out and had to be done perfectly. The girl would be oppressed, but was promised safety and success. The girl thought that was her only hope so she grabbed the rope and clung to it, but she did not climb up, she was unsure if she was ready to give up her individuality.

She clung to the rope until she could come up with something else, until she was sure the rope was not her only savior. She clung to that rope for almost fifteen years, hoping for a different path to safety to arrive. Then one day she saw it. Her true savior. This new chance of safety was in the form of an island, far off in the distance. The girl was excited and wanted to go, but afraid to leave the rope. She had clung to it for so long, she was afraid to be on her own. Afraid of the possible dangers that awaited her on her journey.

She waited almost another year, watching the island, imagining her life there, free to do as she pleased and safe. She never released the rope, until one day a boy showed up. He was kind and smart and brave, and a little hard headed. He too had been lost and had long ago let go of his rope and began swimming to the island. He said he had been watching her as he swam and had wanted to help her. She was scared of this strange boy and the trouble he could get her into; but she was fascinated by his carefree nature and was jealous of him for it. She wanted to learn how to be like him, carefree, brave, loud and happy.

The girl had always thought ignorance was bliss, hence why she was never quite happy; but this boy was just as smart as her and still happy. The boy stayed for a while, talking and getting to know her. His rope was much like hers, but it went to an even worse place. He didn't talk about himself much, which fascinated the girl even more. She wanted to get to know this boy. To the understand him, so she can be like him.

After three days the boy asked her to come with him to the island. He had seen the way she looked at it and heard the way she talked about it. The girl was stumped. Go with him and face the unknown, take a chance that could go wrong or turn out incredibly right and have someone with her; or stay safe, holding the rope and be alone. The girl thought about it for four days, the boy being polite and not pressuring her. On the fourth day the girl had made her decision. She released the rope gasping as her rope burned hands touched the cool salt water, and started her journey to the island with her new companion the boy.