I had to write a narrative for English and I got carried away and wrote a seven page 3,314 word short story. Whoops. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Here it is:
The Adventure of a Lifetime
Zeke had always found peace and solace in the forest. The calm air and the crackling of branches under his feet that gave him a sense of calm that the town of Silverbreeze couldn't provide. The warm springtime sun beat down from in between the leaves of the mossy green trees. This was his favorite time of year- a few days off of school for Easter and a time to go backpacking with his friends.
It had taken him weeks of begging his parents to let him go by himself with only Sydney and Wyn. Finally, after a solid month of groveling and doing all of his chores without complaint, his parents allowed him to go backpacking for three days. He had done it before with his family, and now he was on his own. He grinned as he shouldered his backpack and hiked on.
"Wow. This is amazing." Sydney said as she looked around at the spectacular view of Yosemite National Park. The valley floor was lush and displayed everything green. There was trees and plants of all shapes and sizes. In addition, there was flowers- bright red and in patches. Zeke had to admit: the valley was really beautiful. The trio passed by a slightly worn brown sign by the trail head. A family of five was taking a picture by it.
"We should take a picture." Wyn suggested while he pushed his black hair out of his eyes. He pulled out his camera and looked at the others.
"Sure. Why not? We can show it to my parents and all." Sydney, being an extrovert, went to the family and asked if they could take their photo.
"I'd be happy to." The man had said. Sydney, Zeke, and Wyn stood by the sign and gave a million-dollar smile. The man took a few pictures then gave the camera back. Wyn pocketed it while thanking the man. He nodded and continued on the hike.
"Looks like we have about eight miles to go." Zeke said with a smile. They were going to climb Half Dome. The half mountain that overlooked Yosemite was grand and stood over thousands of years. Wyn smirked.
"Let's go." And so the trio walked up the long, steep trails. Their backpack felt as if they got heavier and heavier with each step they took. The hike became more and more strenuous as the trail became dirt with multiple switchbacks; it took them a good two hours to get to Nevada Falls. It was a well known sight and was bulging with tourists. The water was rushing due to the heavy rainfall in late March and the air became chilly due to the elevation. There were few trees, but they were still a vibrant green. A wooden bridge lay over the water, allowing people to cross.
The trio was out of breath by the time they reached their destination. Pulling out some energy bars, they sat on the sun-warmed granite of the waterfall. It was yet another spectacular view. The valley, the clear blue skies, and the mountains in the background. Sydney had her back against a rock relaxing in the shade with her copper colored hair in a ponytail. Wyn was filling up his water bottle while Zeke viewed environment. A few chipmunks were scampering around in the vicinity, and hikers had to make sure that they didn't chew through their backpacks.
It was almost two o'clock by the time the group started off towards base camp. It was a short hike- about a mile. For now, it was smooth sailing. The path was made of dirt and the trail was wide and flat. The sun was high in the sky and they were nearly there. Zeke froze when he heard a rustle in the nearby trees. They were in the middle of dense wilderness. Anything could be out there.
"Don't move." He said in a quiet voice. Another rustle. A big black bear came sinking onto the path. Sydney gasped while the boys remained still.
