◦•●◉✿ The Days We Have ✿◉●•◦

✩two

✩two

It was Thursday morning, eight days after moving in, and the second time that week June told her parents she was going out to be acquainted with her surroundings. They knew she was going to the mountain alone, but didn't stop her based on their belief that she should explore her world. Of course, the trip wasn't too cheap, but they would rather her spend it on things like this instead of other, less healthy things. Like internet cafes or arcades. Not that she would go there anyway. But still, they were glad their daughter was enjoying Taiwan's nature and knew it would help her escape with her thoughts. Though June claimed she was happy with their new home, her parents knew she missed New York. Even if it was just a little. So instead of telling her to stay cooped up at home they hoped she would discover something worthwhile. They figured since she had already finished unpacking she might as well enjoy herself before the school year started. It would be hard for her to escape once it did.

This time, June had left her home prepared. She had packed a small tote umbrella, a ham sandwich in case she got hungry, and a bottle of water. Of course, she also brought money and her camera, but that was a given. During this trip to the mountain she would take some pictures to edit, then have printed. She wanted to start a photo album instead of leaving the pictures in a camera roll, never to be looked at again. Clearing her throat, June hopped off of the bus after hours of sitting and stretched, twisting her back and cracking her neck. She didn't quite understand why she put herself through such a long journey just to spend a few hours in the middle of nowhere, but when she finally arrived she remembered her reason. It was one of the most perfect places for her. She felt as if the tree and the moss covered rocks would whisper their stories to her eagerly. There were thousands of years of wisdom in the forests and June couldn't shake the magical feeling she got each time she went, or at least the last time she did. She knew it sounded childish but she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of excitement as though she were Satsuki and Mei from Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro. June giggled then shook the foolish grin off of her face. All this time alone was making her act strangely. As she made her way into the town she took in the brightly colored flowers the grew atop the stone walls which bordered the sidewalk. The day was much more pleasant than the one she had previously experienced. There was not a cloud in the sky and birds were chirping in the distance. The atmosphere was still the same however. The locals were quietly minding their own business, attending to their daily work.

A truck drove by and a skinny dog chased after it with its tail wagging and tongue panting. Somewhere in the distance bells chimed as June made it to the top of the hill. There were two directions she could go in. One was to follow the street into the more residential area, the other was to enter the dirt path which led into the forest. June didn't feel like having the possibility of running into the boy from the other day by entering town, so she stuck to the forest. Besides, that was the reason she came. The trees calmed her restlessness and she didn't want anything to ruin that. As she crossed the street, she could smell pork buns and fish balls being freshly made as the local women began to open up their businesses. June's stomach growled at the thought of warm food but she dismissed it quickly, disappearing into the shadows of the foliage. She could grab a quick snack later if she was really hungry. At a nearby tree, two squirrels scampered up and down the trunk. They were the fattest squirrels June had ever seen, and it wasn't just the bushiness of their tails that made their appearance large. Their bodies looked like fuzzy onigiri seaweed wraps, but it made them a little cuter. They didn't look angry and scary like the squirrels in the states. These ones seemed happy and playful, but June wasn't fooled. She wasn't about to go up and feed them. If she did, they could have attacked her with their little rodent claws and teeth and June wasn't about to do another stupid thing on the mountain, especially since her last rain adventure wasn't the smartest.