The Girl From Down the Trail

No Destination Chpt 1

  Kalia swatted at what seemed to be the millionth mosquito that day. She was restless, the cabin was hot, her mother was working as usual and so far it had just been an overall boring day. She got up from her bed and looked out of the window, as far as she could see there were just trees, trees and more trees, well, there was the trail but that just led into the forest... which had more trees.

  Kalia and her mom were staying in a cabin in the woods for 3 weeks, according to her mother it was supposed to be 'a fun nature retreat from the busy world', the way Kalia saw it, it was just sitting around watching her mom work all day and ever so often going to the small town to buy groceries and sometimes on those trips going to the small ice-cream parlour in the town which only had 5 flavours anyway.

  She got up from the couch she was sitting on and walked over to where her mother was sitting at her desk, she looked at the computer screen that was being filled with more and more words as her mother typed with lightening speed, she started reading 'Blah blah stocks, blah blah economy, blah blah government. UGHHH! mom your job is so boringgggg!' Kalia's mother worked on the business column for a newsletter back in their hometown.

  Kalia's mother pushed back her chair and looked at her restless daughter, she sighed 'Kalia I'm trying to work, get up and go outside, go up the trail, count trees or something but please just leave me and let me work. If you do I promise we'll go for ice-cream this evening.'

  Kalia rolled her eyes, 'Fine if you want me gone that bad.' she huffed even though she was relieved at the chance to leave the stuffy mosquito infested cabin. She got up from the couch she had just settled back into and dragged her feet all the way to her room where she packed a bag pack with a notebook, a camera and a few other things, on her way out the door she picked up some snacks from the kitchen.

  She squinted as the midday sun hit her eyes, this would be a long, long, long, afternoon. As she made her way up the trail she looked around, from here the trees looked much bigger than they did through the window. At least they provided shade from the unrelenting sun. As she walked further up the trail she realised she had forgotten to pack a water bottle, all of a sudden she began to feel an unquenchable thirst 'Oh great! Just wonderful' she said in her head. She got more and more thirsty as the walk continued, just when she thought she would die of dehydration, she saw a girl squatting and looking at the ground a few paces up the trail. 'How odd.' she mumbled to herself forgetting her thirst for now.

  She walked up behind the girl and stood silently for a few seconds observing her 'Come and look at this.' the girl said out of nowhere. Kalia jumped not knowing the girl knew she was there. She gingerly walked up and squatted next to the mysterious girl feeling embarrassed.

  'What exactly are we looking at here?' Kalia said half amused half confused.

  'Look there!' the girl said pointing to a stick looking thing and smirking mischievously. Kalia leaned forward and looked closer. Her face broke into a huge smile, because sitting there in the dirt of the trail was a stick bug and bigger than most she had seen. Kalia loved bugs! The girl's smirk vanished and she looked disappointed.

  'What?' Kalia asked confused.

  'Oh nothing, it's just I was hoping for you to get up and run away screaming, at least that's the reaction I would usually get.' Kalia looked at the girl for a moment then burst out laughing, the girl joined her and they laughed for a good while. When they were done they smiled at each other and a silence set in.

  'I was going for a walk, care to accompany me?' Kalia said breaking the silence.

  'Sure! Where are we going?' mystery girl replied squinting in the sun that was streaming through the trees.

  'Didn't really plan on anywhere specific, unless you have something in mind.'

  'So you're going on a walk alone in the forest with no clue of where you are going? the girl laughed out.

  'Well I guess so...' Kalia said flustered and turning slightly red.

  'Oh I'm just teasing,' mystery girl said chuckling still, ' there's a clearing up the trail we can walk to?' she offered with a smile.

  'Sure!' Kalia said smiling back. She had a good feeling about this.