Stranded

Chapter 5

The walk there was long and tiresome, but enjoyable at the least. The trees created a blanket over top of us, blocking the sun from our view. Every once in a while, we would take a break and sit down on a log.

"Almost there!" Max turned to me with a huge grin on his face.

I giggled at him. "Why so happy about it?"

"Just because we haven't had a visitor in about 10 years. No new faces. No new people to meet. No new friends. Unless you wanna count the Night Crawlers who would rather chew your face off then say hello to you."

Wow this boy was hilarious. I just met him and I already like him. Usually when I meet new people, I don't know how to react, so I just don't say anything, but he has a kind voice and seems so nice to be around.

"That is true, but I haven't met anyone new for about 10 years either. Ever since my mother...well she...disappeared."

"Oh, Sam...I'm so sorry..." Max turned to me and gave me a small side hug, since we were sitting on the log and all.

"It's okay, I still have Da-" I stopped talking. I didn't have Dad. I didn't have anyone except Midnight. I just realized I was more alone than ever.

"Hey, I know what will cheer you up!" Max jumped up from the log and grabbed my hand pulling me up with him.

"What?" I gave him a sad, puzzled look. I couldn't possibly be more happier than I was trying right now.

"At the camp! But we have to get moving," Max started to walk down the trail, me at his heels.

"You'll love it. Guaranteed."

"I don't know if I will," I said. "You don't even know my favorite color."

"Oh, that is true. Well what is it then?"

I had to think a moment before I told him. No one has really asked me that question before, or really any questions about myself at all. My dad of course knew everything there was to know about me, so no one has asked me what I liked and what my favorites were before. "My favorite color would have to be pink. Not just a normal pink either. I like the pinks in sunsets, where it looks like someone took a paintbrush and just stroked the sky with pink."

"Wow." Max must have been in awe at my answer. Either that or I talked way too much. Probably the second guess. "That's a really good description. Probably the best answer to that question I have ever heard."

"So what's your favorite color then?" I wanted to know about him just as much as he wanted to know about me. Getting to know people was a new thing to both of us.

Max also had to think to answer.

"Well, I really just love green. You know, this shade of green that's all around us. I think it's just so calming."

"Good answer, Max. But not as good as mine," I beamed.

"This is true, but lets see if I win this next one-what's your favorite animal?"

"Oh that's easy. A dolphin. They are so elegant and graceful when they dive in and out of the waves. When I was little, I used to swim with them and pretend I was either a dolphin or even a mermaid. But that was before my mother...disappeared."

I tried so hard to answer that honestly. But I couldn't leave my mother out of that explanation. She was such a big influence on my explorations of the sea. She would always swim with me. Sometimes, we would sit in my room while she played with my hair and we sang together. Those were my favorite days.

"I do love dolphins," Max bursted out. I forgot he was even with me, because of my daydream about my mother. "But I still think eagles are amazing. I mean wouldn't it be so amazing to be able to fly? And while you fly, you swoop down and catch your prey in you talons. And after you land you rip your prey to shreds with your claws and teeth, devouring every last piece of meat on it."

"Um, sure, Max. Sure."

"Sorry, but I think that would be so cool...oh and look, just in time! We made it to camp! Welcome to the Village, Samantha."