Roadward Bound

Prologue

What we do in this lifetime doesn't really matter. In the end, this earth will be nothing more than atoms spread so far across the universe that no two will be closer than the sun is to Pluto. That's what we are left to figure out for ourselves anyway. You see, there has been billions of people in the history of this planet. We can spend all day naming names and telling of that they have done. But whatever happened to the others? The ones that led such underwhelming lives in comparison to others? Over time, history will forget those people. Over time all that will be left of you will be a gravestone that no one will visit and a name no one will recognize.

So what to do with our time given here on this planet? Why we live the best lives we can make for ourselves. So what if no one will tell your tale a few centuries from now? You live for you. Don't be a slave to what others say should or shouldn't make you happy. Society is corrupt and should not always be listened to

Of course, these ideas and concepts were completely foreign to a young Leona, who was running through the thick underbrush of her backyard forest. Life was good in the Minnesotan countryside. In the warm and humid countryside, things were alive. Not just the plants and animals. The wind whispered into the ears of all who cared to listen. They whispered the stories of the wild. The told of their travel through the treetops and wildflowers. The trees, dense, thick, and low, tended to protect those who cared for them. Those who respected them. It was safe where trees are.

The plant life is teeming with wildflowers and other greenery. Smells wafted through the wind, another story for them to whisper. Not many choose to listen, especially today in the age of rushing cars and city life. People tend to forget where they come from, what is truly important to them. Not here though. Here lives Leona, as mentioned before. Here she runs through the plants, listening to the wind and soaking up the scent of the plant life. Here she is free from worry and responsibilities. She is free from need and want.

Leona looked back, and saw her lifelong friend Thomas running after her. She let out a laugh as she saw him catching up with her, but still a while back. She turned back forward and ran even faster, pushing herself to do better. The path was memorized long ago by both children.

Their hideout was simple. Found years ago, the simple circle of pine trees became the most popular spot for the kids. Fallen pine needles made the forest bed more pleasant to lay on and watch the clouds. Many squirrels lived in these trees, along with birds. But no more than can be found in the trees in the rest of the forest. One could not be seen from the outside if someone was in the inside. The wind halted outside the thick walls of needles and fallen branches. It was perfect for everything. It became the schoolhouse, the doctor's office, the town home, the cabin, an igloo, a police station, a jail cell, a private investigative office, a spaceship, anything a kid can dream up.

She ran quickly inside the opening, where it looks like an additional tree should have grown but didn't, and stopped in the middle. She was panting heavily and turned to see Thomas round the corner just a few yards back. Her hands found their way to her hips and beamed towards Thomas.

"I beat you!" She yelled back to the young boy.

"It's not fair! You have longer legs than me!" He complained as soon as he passed the two looming pines that made the entrance. They both looked at eachother, a hint of familiarity in the air. Soon they couldn't hold their serious faces and burst out laughing. They collapsed on the bed of needles, not caring about their clothes getting full of dirt and sap.

"Hey, wasn't Christine supposed to be here too?" Thomas asked after they caught their breath. They locked eyes and sat up quickly. Scanning their surroundings for any trace that she could be hiding, Leona stood.

"Yeah, I bet she's late again."

Thomas didn't say anything in reply. He just hummed and laid back down. Leona joined him on the ground again. Time passed slowly. The sounds of birds never ceased, telling them that all was safe. Squirrels ran and played amongst the limbs, never resting and endlessly chasing one another. Occasionally an eagle would fly over and they would both get a sense of joy at the usually rare scene for all but country men and women.

"My mom told me another story last night." Thomas eventually broke the silence.

"What was it about this time?" Leona asked, intrigued. Thomas's mom would tell him a story every night before bed. It doesn't matter what they are about, Thomas loves them all the same.

"It was about a boy and a girl." Tommy began. "They were the bestest of friends. Nothing could stop them from being friends."

"Why would something stop them from being friends?"

"I don't know, it's what my mom said! Can I finish?" Leona nodded her head and let him continue. "Anyways, they grew up together. Through fighting dragons, and going to the moon, they did everything together. They fought and made up and sometimes didn't talk to each other for months! But they would always apologize. That's the most important thing to do with friends if you hurt them. That's what my mom says anyway."

"What happened next?" Leona asked.

"I don't know. I fell asleep."

Suddenly, a pinecone flew in their direction, hitting Leona right on her forehead. The two kids looked up and saw their friend, Christine with an armful of ammo. Another pinecone flew towards Thomas, but he was able to dodge it. They erupted into a pinecone fight that spanned acres in the forest. Squirrels ran from the commotion and if one paid enough attention, they would see a robin comically take off just as a cone flew where it had been only seconds before. Sap coated the hands of the kids, and it was getting on their clothes and in their hair. Christine almost got hit in the eye if she hadn't of dropped her armful of cones to block it.

It only ended when Leona's parents called the kids in, sending all three of them off in different directions.

People tend to forget where they come from, what is truly important to them. Not here though, not Leona.