Romeo and Juliet

The moonlight filled the area of my clearing; it was a small circle in the midst of the forest were there were no trees. It was a small campsite, but only I ever came here, giving me no reason to need a larger amount of land. I was setting up my tent, I had gotten so good at putting it up all the time I was able to do it now in the barely lit forest with out any problems. Doing one final check of my tent, making sure it wouldn’t fall during the night, I then took some sticks from a near by pile from my last trip. Placing them in a teepee fashion and putting twigs in the center region, I took out my lighter and set the wood ablaze. The fire crackled, bright blue and green flames, an affect from the salt waters on the wood. Grabbing from my bag one of my gray sweatshirts, and putting it on, I then put my hands palm out to the fire to warm myself up. The air was silent except for the occasional chirping of crickets, or scurrying of a small animal on the forest floor. It was peaceful, and the closest to feeling at home I could get. Letting out a yawn, I drifted into my tent and closed my eyes for the night. Waking up to the sound of bird’s songs, I rolled onto my side not wanting to get up just yet. The sun was just beginning to climb it’s way into the sky, and I looked at my watch which was blinking 6:47. Groaning a little as I sat up I remembered my reason for my current campout. And as I looked out my tent I was about to put out the fire, but it was already extinguished; the bucket of water next to it now empty. I didn’t remember putting it out, and I had no need for the fire had been safely contained in the fire pit I had built. Minutes passed and all I could do was sit starring at the dying embers, while scratching my head. Someone had been here, I thought still confused.

Inclining my head towards the fire I inhaled a familiar aroma. It was bittersweet to my nose, and although I only had smelled it once before I had recognized it the moment it entered my nose. She had been here, but why? The scent was fading, so I was pretty sure it had been a while since she left. Standing at the foot of my tent , I stretched, releasing all my knots from their rigid positions. It was chilly, and I could see it wasn’t going to get much warmer with all the clouds hovering in the sky. Deciding to get an early start I took out my fishing rod from my bag, assembling it quickly, and headed toward the beach. I was walking faster than I realized, and until now I hadn’t noticed how anxious I was to see what was at the beach. But all my excitement melted in that first step onto the sand, I was alone as there was no one else in sight.

For two hours I sat on a drift wood log, rod in hand, eyes wandering the beach. I ran out of bait quickly, as I wasn’t paying attention to when the fish swam by, eating the worms; me unaware that anything had happened. When I finally had none left I thought if I took some time to get some more that when I returned she might be back. So I trudge slowly through the undergrowth digging up worms and placing them in an old tin can that had washed up on the shore. I nearly ran back, but to my dismay there was still no one there. Somehow along the line I actually caught one fish, a bass that was about an 8in long. Feeling deflated I took my fish back to camp, and began cooking it over the fire on make-shift grill made of sticks and an old sheet of metal, that I had left at the campsite just for this reason.

As the fish sizzled on the metal, I heard nearly inaudible footsteps not far back in the woods. They were behind me, and I wanted to look, but then considered the idea that I was just imaging it. So I didn’t turn around to have my hopes crushed the moment I did, but then I heard them again, coming closer to where I was sitting. I stood up from where I was and I heard the footsteps stop in their tracks. Turning around slowly, I saw nothing, and just as I thought, my hopes shattered. But then I heard a deep breathing, like when your trying to convince yourself you’ll be all right when you’re about to go do something that scares you. “Hello, is anyone there?” the breathing stopped, and I heard a gasp from the same direction. “It’s all right, I’m not gonna bite you.” and I heard a suppressed giggle as I said that, a high-pitched, musical sound. And then a small pale figure stepped out from behind the trees.