The Spillway

Introduction

June 1, 1983

"We don't have all day, ya'll! The street lights will be on soon. Come on, let's go! If we can't find it this afternoon, someone else will. Come on, hurry," Mireille ordered.

She rolled her eyes, turned around and continued to forge through the thicket of blackberry bushes, ignoring the thorns which gently pricked away at her over sized camouflage jumpsuit.

Onward they continued, careful to push aside the longer berry branches in tandem and hold them aside just long enough for the next person in their single file exploratory line to pass. Soon, they'd reach the small clearing in the swampy forest where they'd previously discovered the old cypress tree.

"Be careful here, don't trip over the log," Mirielle shouted, as she carefully marched over the fallen wood.

They'd together explored the many local nature trails in their small, tight knit community, and they tired of revisiting the same well worn paths, created by thousands of footsteps of other children and adults alike.

Jonathan's mom, Ms. Lorraine,  warned them multiple times to not venture off of the trails alone, but of course, they'd simply say,"ok, yes ma'am," and explore wherever they wanted to explore anyway, regardless of consequences.

"We should hack away these berry branches next time we come back, IF we come back," Rebecca sighed, "My Dad has some hatchets in the shed we can borrow for a few hours. He won't miss them, I'm sure of it."

"We're almost there," exclaimed Mirielle, in response to the moans of a few of her other classmates who'd accompanied her on yet another trek, into the woods of the Bonnet Carre.