A Walk in the Woods

   She stood in a peaceful meadow, where the tall grass grew past her ankles and purple wildflowers were scattered amidst the yellow and green. Everywhere you looked, you could see some sort of life. Whether it was the small yet colorful butterflies flitting around from weed to weed, or the jay hopping from branch to branch in the tall maples on the horizon. The sun shone high in the sky, filling the ethereal scene with a golden light. The sky was a clear blue, and held no clouds. 

   The stunning landscape reminded Amara of a picnic she once went on with her family. However this picture felt so perfect, it was almost too pleasing. She inhaled deeply, hoping to catch an aromatic scent from the lavender that stood next to her. However she didn’t smell anything of the sort. Or rather, she didn’t smell anything at all. 

   In fact, she didn’t feel a breeze where there should have been. She could see the grass and weeds swaying back and forth in front of her. Just then, she heard a strange thumping noise. Amara couldn’t pinpoint the location of where the sound was coming from. It was rather peculiar, as that was the only sound she heard. It didn’t appear to have any particular rhythm, and it wasn’t entirely constant either. 

   A bright light came across her eyelids, and it wasn’t from the sun. It almost hurt her brain, and soon the beautiful picture before her faded into darkness. Amara was confused until she felt herself waking up. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she felt herself laying down in her bed, surrounded by her comforter and blankets. A glowing light was coming from her window, and then disappeared as quickly as it had come. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she finally realized where the strange thumping noise had been coming from. 

   Someone had been throwing pebbles at her window, which was located on the second story of her house. Just before the pebbles resumed, she saw her phone screen light up with a notification. She sighed, throwing the covers off of her and walking over to her dresser where her phone was charging. As she pressed the home button, she groaned when she noticed the time: 1:44 

   And of course, it had to be the middle of the night. She pulled open the text she had received, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the screen in the pitch black of her bedroom. 

Are you awake? 

The text read. Amara sighed once more before strolling over to her window and pushing it open. Another pebble flew straight by her, nearly crashing into a glass vase sitting on her bookshelf. 

   She peered into the night, glaring at the teenage boy standing outside of her house. His face was pale in the moonlight, and he was fully dressed despite the lateness of the hour. He held a flashlight in his right hand. 

   “Come on!” He whisper-yelled up to her. 

   “It’s 1:45 A.M!” She hissed back. 

   “Doesn’t matter.” 

   “What are you doing here?” Amara’s annoyance at being woken up leaked into her tone. 

   “I wanted to see you! Now come on, before you wake someone up!” 

   “With all the racket you’re making, I won’t be the one to wake someone up!” 

   The boy glanced at the remaining pebbles in his hand, and she could see the blush seeping into his cheeks. Nevertheless, Amara put on a pair of tennis shoes and grabbed a sweatshirt from her closet before slipping over the edge of the windowsill as quietly as she could. She lowered herself onto the tall and long fence beneath her bedroom, and carefully walked across it until she reached the spot closest to the lamp post. 

   The boy walked along the sidewalk next to her, and waited as she slid down the lamp post. At the last possible moment, Amara lost her grip on the cold metal pole and fell backwards. She gasped, releasing a small yelp despite her attempt to be quiet. 

   Less than a second later, she was in the boy‘s arms. “Gotcha!” He murmured into her ear. She couldn’t help but blush as she noticed how awfully close they were. “You really should be more careful.” He held her for a few more seconds- slightly longer than he needed to- before setting her down gently. 

   Once she regained her balance she spoke, making a clear effort to emphasize her whisper. “I was being careful. But thank you, Callum.” 

   “You’re welcome.” He winked at her, giving her one of his irresistible smiles that made her heart skip a beat. 

   “Do you think anyone heard me?” She glanced up at the house looming above them, and he followed her gaze. 

   “I think we’re fine. If anyone heard you, they didn’t bother to check anything out.” 

   “You’re probably right.” She agreed before suddenly turning serious. “Now what on earth are you doing here at 2 A.M. in the morning?!” 

   Callum laughed. “As I said, I wanted to see you. Did I wake you up?” 

   “Yes! And for once I was actually having a good dream.” 

   He winced. “Sorry about that. What was your dream about?” 

   “Some sort of peaceful meadow.” She answered, recalling the beautiful scene. 

   “And you’d rather be in a meadow than with me?” He smiled, teasing her. 

   “I don’t know, the meadow would be a lot warmer.” She laughed. 

   It was still very dark outside, the only light coming from the lamp post and the moon and stars. It was chilly, as it was early autumn, and Amara shivered when a gust of wind blew by. Her night clothes weren’t much; she wore a pair of athletic shorts that were mid-thigh length as well as a soft black T-shirt. She quickly put her sweatshirt on, as she hadn’t earlier. 

   Her clothes greatly contrasted to those of Callum. He wore jeans and a Beatles long-sleeved shirt, with a light jacket on top. His wind blown, jet black hair matched the color of his shirt, and the color of his jacket brought out the green glints in his hazel eyes. Amara herself had blue irises, which reflected the blinking stars in the night sky. 

   “Come on,” he said. “I have somewhere I want to take you.” 

   “Oh? And where would that be?” Amara inquired. 

   His eyes lit up. “You’ll see.” 

   He took her hand and led her down the empty street. The sounds of the night were quite peaceful, from the crickets in the grass fields or the barn owls in the trees. Amara observed her surroundings in delight as Callum took her down an unfamiliar path. The path led to an opening in a nearby forest, which is where he brought her. Together, they entered the tree line and ventured deeper into the shadowed woods. It gave an ominous effect, the way the trees were standing in the darkness. 

   “Are you scared?” He asked, teasingly, when she shivered. 

   “No, just cold,” she replied. 

   “Oh, here!” Callum took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. 

   “Are you sure?” 

   “Yes. You need it more than I do.” He smiled. 

   Amara smiled in return. “Thanks,” she said while standing on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek, as he was a head taller than her. 

   He blushed, hesitating a moment before saying, “You’re welcome.” 

   The two of them had been dating for a few months now. It first started when Callum asked Amara to a dance at their high school. They’d had fun together, and soon after, became a couple. 

   After a few minutes of walking, Amara heard the sound of running water. They neared a small clearing with a stream, and Callum led her to a flat rock big enough for the two of them to sit on. Outside of the clearing, shadows danced with the moonlight. However, in this small glade, you had a clear view of the full moon. It looked so big on this night, its glowing patches of white and gray marble seeming to swell in the sky. 

   A moment later, Callum laughed. 

   “What is it?” Amara asked. 

   “Your hair.” 

   Her hands immediately flew up to tame whatever mess had been left behind from her few hours of sleep, and her cheeks heated to a scarlet color. 

   “Here, let me.” His hands moved toward her chestnut brown hair and softly brushed a few strands away from her forehead before moving to fix whatever mess she couldn't see. “It’s not that bad, really,” he laughed. “It’s my fault anyway, for waking you up.” 

   After a moment of quiet, Amara spoke up. “This place is really beautiful.” 

   “It is,” Callum agreed. “I found it a couple of weeks ago when my dad and I were looking for a place to fish. This stream breaks off from the Lynwood River, and fish use it a lot when trying to get further upstream.” 

   “Thanks for bringing me here, despite the time of night.” She laughed. 

   “Yeah, sorry about that.” He grinned. “I just figured it would be really pretty this season with a full moon out.” 

   “It is.” 

   Callum pulled her close, his arm around her waist. Amara leaned into his shoulder, and together they watched the stars. 

  “Hey Cal,” Amara whispered after a few minutes had passed. 

   “Yeah?” 

   “How are things going with your brother?” she asked, biting her lip. Callum’s older brother had been caught illegally dealing with drugs, and their entire family had been struggling because of it. Amara herself didn’t know many of the details, just that his brother was arrested and released after a week in prison. But she was pretty sure he was still involved in the wrong things. 

   Callum sighed. “As well as they ever are. I think some officers are investigating his case right now.” He didn’t explain any further. 

   She knew it was a touchy subject for him, but she cared enough to keep up to date as best she could. She leaned into him further, and he held her close. 

   His chin rested atop her head, and he moved his head back a little so his nose brushed against her hair. She felt him inhale deeply, and he squeezed her tight. 

   “Thanks for coming tonight, Amara,” he said. 

   “Of course. I only hope my mom doesn’t find out I’m gone,” she said. “I don’t think she will, though, so long as I’m back before sunrise. She’s been taking sleeping pills ever since my dad moved out.” 

   “It’s not her you need to worry about. What about your sister?” 

   “I didn’t even think about that! Oh goodness, that would be awful.” She shifted slightly on the rock they were sitting on. 

   “Don’t you worry,” he said. “We’ll get you home in time.” 

   They both smiled, and Callum turned her head so she was facing him. 

   “But first, I want to enjoy our time together.” 

   Amara’s breath hitched in the back of her throat as he pulled her forward so their noses were within an inch of each other. She watched as his gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips. His hand moved slowly toward the back of her neck as he pressed his lips against hers. After a moment, she kissed him back. 

   This simple action had taken her by surprise, as they had never kissed before. They pulled apart, and Callum studied her. A small smile slowly spread across her face, which brought one to his as well. This time, it was Amara who leaned in to kiss him. It was a brief moment, but it was filled with tender joy. 

   The young couple spent the next hour together, sitting and talking, before finally heading back to their individual homes. Callum helped Amara climb back onto the fence and through her window, making sure she got back to her bedroom safely. 

   Once back in her room, Amara curled up in her soft and comfortable bed and fell asleep to warm thoughts and peaceful dreams. When the sun broke through the horizon, she awoke with a smile on her face. Her nighttime adventure had been safely stored away in her jar of memories.