Postby Felix » Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:25 pm
As they strolled along the sandy shore, the boy cast his curious eyes about his surroundings, taking in all that he could. Already he could see that he was on an island, yet it was a large island, indeed. The beach ran in a steady slope to their right, until it met the gentle lapping of the icy-clear waters around it. Past a small ridge of dunes, a lightly wooded forest ran along the length of the shore to their left. Birdsong, accompanied by the rustle and chatter of small creatures, could be heard emanating from within the shady woods.
The boy yearned to go and explore this new and different world, yet now was not the time. He set his eyes forward once more, but couldn’t restrain his attention for long. He craned his neck back slightly and found himself staring up at the creamy blue sky. Thick fluffy clouds crawled lazily past his vision and a large white bird circled majestically above, weaving in and out of the various air currents with natural ease.
Several minutes passed in silence, then Anna spoke up again. "Hey, why do you think your hair's white? It's like your an old person, but you're not!"
Surprised, the boy turned his eyes up to look at his bangs. Sure enough, his hair was a snowy white color. "That's weird." He said quietly.
"Well of course it's weird!" Anna returned with another giggle. "Everything about you is so weird, that's why I think you're so cool."
She trailed off into silence again. They came to a little gully beyond some grassy dunes. There was a small clear pond nestled amongst colorful flowers and reeds. "Ya know there's a big lake in the middle of the island, but I always come here to get water. It's my own little secret fountain. Cool, huh? It's such a great place to space out and think about stuff, plus there's a great section of beach just over that hill. The sunset is amazing! You and me should go watch it sometime. I've never really had a friend that I can just hang out with. Maybe you and me can be friends, wouldn't that be cool?" She dropped to her knees and busied herself with filling the bucket while she waited for him to say something. "You don't talk much, do you? I guess I don't blame you, it must be kind of scary to not know who you are or anything. What do you remember?"
The boy sat down on the bank and rested his chin in his hands. "Well... I remember lots of things, just nothing about myself. It's almost like I never existed before this."
The 13-year-old tossed him an indignant look. "That's crazy. Of course you existed. Someone like you couldn't just pop out of thin air."
He smiled in spite of himself. "Well I do remember, I think I had a friend who was like you."
Anna's eyes lit up. "Was she as pretty as me?"
The question took him by surprise, but then he laughed. "I don't know, probably not."
Anna almost blushed. "Well, c'mon over here and I'll show you that part of the beach I told you about!"
The boy nodded and followed, glad for a subject change. A moment later they emerged on a low dusty bluff overlooking a broad speckled shore, the same shore that wrapped itself about the entire island. Palm trees dotted the sandy slope creating mingled patterns within the shadows and waves. Anna let out a small content breath. "Not much, but it sure is beautiful."
The boy, unsure of what to say, merely nodded his head, and let out a small, "Yes."
She broke into a light run, "Well c'mon, you have to see all the cool shells up close!"
He walked down to the darker sand and joined her in seeking out pretty shells. His feet burned, so he waded into the surf. The water felt like heaven.
Anna put a hand on his arm. "Hey, don't go out where the water's deep."
He stared at her questioningly. "Wh-?"
"It's better not to know, sometimes." she interrupted quickly. "Please just don't. Promise."
The boy nodded slowly. She smiled and let go of his arm. "Sorry for ruining it like that, there are just certain rules that you have to follow, and I don't think you remember them." She glanced up at the sun. "Yikes, it's late, we better be getting home soon." Anna splashed out of the water and went to retrieve the bucket.