handle | dolan

15 - may 12th

Tara Rayes

"Tara, Tara, Tara," Ethan yells excitedly as he runs down the stairs, "Let's go hiking!"

He almost trips at the last steps and comes to a halt, breathing heavily. I just look at him and then outside.

"In there? That forest?" I ask, not really sure if he's kidding or not.

"Yes! It'll be so much fun! Let's go adventuring!" Smiling happily he rushes upstairs again, probably to get ready.

Leaving me asking myself what the hell is wrong with that boy.

***

"And you're sure this is safe?" I ask for the tenth time as we walk over the grass field to the forest. I'm really not fond of this idea.

"Of course! Why aren't you?" He's a little in front of me and I trail behind. It's a beautiful morning, I have to admit. Nonetheless I'm scared.

"You remember that case of the serial killer last year? The one that killed all women he got accidentally pregnant? He buried all the corpses in a forest, too." I stand in front of the forest, not daring to go in.

"What the hell?" He laughs, then turns around. He must've seen my seriously worried expression and takes a few steps towards me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Hey, there's no need to worry. I know this place and I definetly know there's no serial killer in there. Besides, you're not accidentally pregnant, right?"

I smile at his kind words and I'm glad he wants to lighten the mood by joking around. Convinced I nod and we make our way inside the huge forest.

We talk a lot and listen to the sounds of the forest. The birds, flying and chirping over our heads, the breaking sticks of trees under our feet and the sun, trying to make its way through the leaves.

I enjoy to be out here, to be honest. It's really relaxing and beautiful to be in nature again.

"Why didn't Grayson come with us, by the way?" I ask and watch my feet to not step onto something wrong or trip. My clumsiness could definetly make me fall today.

"He, uh, has some stuff to do," Ethan more or less explains with his back to me. He leads us through the endless seeming paths of the forest.

"I see." Of course I don't. I can tell he's lying, I'm not that dumb. But honestly, if he doesn't talk, then I'm not gonna ask. I'm done asking him out and not getting real responses.

"You know, I love being in nature," he suddenly thinks out loud, "It's always so calming and inspiring. Like getting new energy and stuff."

"Yeah," I just quietly agree and continue to follow him deeper into the forest.

What am I doing here again?...

Oh yeah, putting my life in danger, like every other day.

"It's just ... I don't know. Maybe that sounds weird or insane but I really think we, humans, are meant to be in nature. We've distanced ourselves in our four cold, stony walls from the nature itself so much and I hate it to be honest. We're all just animals; wild and free inside of our souls, but we seem to have forgotten. I mean, when did we become so sophisticated and smart and trying so hard that we forgot that we were animals?"

"Wow," I exclaim and stop to take a moment and think. "That's so deep..."

He just shrugs and continues going forward. He doesn't notice me standing still at first, but then he turns around and looks at me.

"And so true." Our eyes are staring into each others and a smile tugs at his lips.

"You think so?"