The Chosen

19

Eventually, the pilots come up to us and help us out. It's a long drop if you're not careful. I wasn't careful. I fell right into Alkai's arms. 

Or maybe it was planned.

I don't know, but it was funny and embarrassing.

"I'm very clumsy," I tell him as he lets me down, out of his arms.

"Well then, this may not be a good idea, but we're going anyway. Also, I was going to say something trash talk-y, but I didn't actually say that, so that means this rule is for real!"

I laugh. He orders one of the pilots to come with us and to bring the basket with him. 

I look around. We are on a gravel road-like area. Around us is a grassy plain and woods.

'Where are we going, anyway?" I ask him.

"Well, let's go and find out! Follow me!"

He starts heading towards the woods. I follow him, with the pilot behind me, carrying the picnic basket. 

"This doesn't have to be a single file, follow me!" he says, pulling me up next to him.

"Okay," I say.

By now, we're in the opening of the woods. It's you're typical woods. Trees (lots of them), bushes, weeds, dead grass, leaves, dead trees.

"You know," I say. "when I was little, my brother and I would always explore the woods close to our home. We liked playing with the fallen trees and/or dead trees. We would make forts out of them, and pretend like that was our home. We loved the woods."

"I love the woods too. It's always so calming here. Once, I came down here with our golf cart, because I wanted to get away, and when I got here, I climbed a tree, because I thought it would be fun and I'd never climbed a tree before, so I did. I got pretty high up on one of them when I realized that I didn't know how to get down. So I tried to slide down, and trust me, never slide down a tree. Then, I tried to go branch by branch. Eventually, I decided it would be best to just jump. So I did, but I didn't hit the ground gracefully. I broke my wrist. I just sat there on the ground waiting for someone to come. They finally came and took me to get my arm checked, and then my parents came to talk to me. So that was a fun lecture. I won't ever leave the house without telling them now." He chuckles.

"Oh, wow. Sorry."

"It wasn't really a problem, I'm fine."

We keep walking. I hope we get there soon, I'm a little hungry because I didn't eat much, and I don't know what time it is, and I don't want to walk back in the dark.

Suddenly, Alkai stops. I stop.

"Tada!" He says, his arms wide as if showing me what I won if I were on a prize show.

I almost don't see what he's showing me. Then, I see it. It's a big cave. Not a cave, an alcove. It's made out of a tree. Right past it, is a lake. It all is very beautiful.

"Oh, Alkai! It's wonderful! Did you make this?" I ask him.

"No, I found it one day while exploring out here!"

He takes the basket from the pilot, who I forgot was here, and he puts down a blanket. He takes out an apple.

"Want one?" He asks.

"Yes please!" I say.

He throws me one. I take a bite as I sit down.  

"You know, I dare you to jump into the lake," he says.

"Ok, but you have to do it first."

"Deal," he says.

He takes a running jump and makes a huge splash. 

I run up to the edge and lean against a tree. There's a little alcove, so I'm up underneath the water, but it's not far down below me.

"You get to go know!" he says.

"Nope!" I say.

"Well, I'll make you!" 

Before I can process what he means by that, I'm pulled underwater.

"Seriously! Now I'm freezing!!!"

"Sorry," he says, "but let me remind you that you also told me I had to as well."

Heyy! It's a double update night! Yay! Also, I don't know why but it only took me 40 minutes to write this chapter and the one before it. Weird, becuase it normaly takes about 45-60 minutes each chapter. Maybe I'm getting better at this? I don't know. Bye!!