Run.

Remember.

" Before my bed

there is bright moonlight

So that it seems like

frost on the ground

Lifting my head

I watch the bright moon,

lowering my head

I dream that I'm home."

-Li Bo, Quiet Night Thoughts.

Ethan and me are walking around, with no known destination.

At least I don't know. I don't know if he does.

I look around me. All I see are plants, and trees, and everything in between. It's like we're in a forest of some sort.

I start thinking about my aunt.

My aunt is the one who's supposed to watch me, at my home. She doesn't do anything except watch television, and sometimes cook for me. She's rude, and she almost never cares whether I'm there or not. If I'm not there at the house, with no phone call of any sort, she doesn't even care. I would rather live by myself, then with her.

When my mom's accident happened, people called my dad, for him to step in and take care of me.

He didn't.

My dad and my mom were divorced, and I stayed with my mom, when my dad went by himself to a different state.

Pennsylvania.

My dad's living in Pennsylvania, and he couldn't even take the time to come visit New York and take care of me.

It wasn't that he couldn't.

It was that he didn't want to.

I walk with Ethan for about a minute more, then we sit down on the ground. It's really late at night, and we need to get some sleep.

It's pretty cold right now. It's January, so it's going to be pretty cold, especially here.

"It's cold, and we need to get some sleep, so can we start a fire of some sort?", I ask him.

"It could attract attention, and if there's a police officer driving by, they'll see it and check out what it is. If they do, we're-",

he says with an imaginary slice to the throat.

I can't help but laugh a little.

"Okay. But can we start it for a little bit, then put it out? So that we can get some warmth in our systems for when we go to sleep?" I ask him.

"Fine, fine, whatever. If it's only for a little bit.", he answers.

He starts the fire while I look up at the trees, the tall, huge trees.

I notice how they grew to get this tall.

It's like me, and almost every other human being on this earth.

We grow, and grow, and grow, with experiences and lessons, and everything in between. I've gone through so many things, that have helped me learn important things about life.

I grew and grew, with everything happening.

I'm still growing.

When I look down, I see a small fire, starting to become a huge flame. It's growing, into something remarkable, and beautiful.

I start thinking about what me and Ethan are doing. The question that I have been wanting to know the answer to, I've kept blocked out. But now, the door's open.

"Why are we running?", I ask Ethan.

He doesn't answer for a long time, and I start to think that he's not going to, and he's just going to ignore me.

But I hear something, and I realize that it's coming from him.

"This right now, is much bigger than us, or even you. We're running from a situation that can be so powerful if it's interpreted the right way. I need you to be safe, no, I want you to be safe.", he says, avoiding my eyes.

"Can't you just go out and tell me what this 'thing' or 'situation' is?", I ask him, frustrated.

He stops doing whatever he's doing, and looks at me, and this time, at my eyes.

Again, I feel energy pulsing through me. Looking at the fire and lightning in his eyes.

He comes closer to me, closer than we've ever been before. Close enough where I can hear him breathing. He takes my arm and pulls me closer to him.

He again looks at me, and says:

"I need you to remember."

I can't move, and I don't want to move. We have never been this close. I like being this close.

He brings his hand from my arm, down to my hand, and holds it, as if it's what he's holding on to, so he doesn't break or fall apart.

It's like I'm the one who holds him together.

He's the one who holds me together.

He moves a piece of my hair, with his free hand, and tucks it behind my ear. I can't stop looking into his eyes.

I don't want it to end, but it does. His fingers that were once interlocked with mine, fall apart.

He goes to where he was before.

I lay down, going to try to get some sleep, while he does the same, but on the other side of the burning fire.

"I need you to remember", plays on repeat in my head.

Remember what?

I need to get some sleep right now.

An old poem that I used to read back in elementary school plays in my head.

Before my bed

there is bright moonlight

So that it seems

like frost on the ground

Lifting my head I watch

the bright moon

Lowering my head

I dream that I'm home.

I lower my head.