Rystelle

shadows.

"It's a first for me," Sophia replied as she sat cross-legged across from Tim. She set the flashlight in between them, standing it up so that it gave them light to eat by. She dug into her backpack and brought out two sandwiches, two small tubs of fruit salad, two forks for the salad, and two bottles of water. "Here you go," she said as she offered Tim his lunch. "I hope chicken is ok. I have extra sandwiches and other things too if you'd like." Biting into her sandwich Sophia was quiet for a time and simply stared out the mouth of the cave at the storm outside. For a while Sophia appeared to be in a trance-like state as she just watched the storm. Finally she appeared to break out of it as she opened her water bottle, took a swig, and remarked, "I didn't think that storm would hit us. It was way off in the West when I first saw it. We were just fortunate we were able to find this cave. Sorry our first outing had to wind up like this though." Regardless, up to this point Sophia had enjoyed herself--after she and Tim had gotten over their initial rocky start--and she hoped he had as well.

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Sophia tossed her head back and laughed. "That's what I said!" She exclaimed with a grin. Using one hand to keep her hood from falling off her head, she shoved the other in her pocket to keep it warm. Finally they reached the bottom and Sophia darted beneath the cliff and stopped to look around to see if there were any buildings used by the park rangers. There were none to be found. She continued along the face of the cliff.

Occasionally Sophia would look up to judge the overhanging land above them to see if it would provide them with enough cover. She had been running her hand along the cliff wall and had just turned a corner when she suddenly felt nothing beneath her fingertips. It distracted her and she turned to look. Before her was a rather wide-gap in the face of the cliff. It was dark enough that she knew it wasn't just a simple recess; it had to be a cave. Quickly she pulled off her backpack and rummaged around in it until she had found her flashlight. Turning it on she played its beam into the darkness. Sure enough it was a cave. There was no signs of animal tracks leading into the cave, and the storm was bad enough that Sophia was willing to risk waiting there for the storm to pass.

"In here," she frantically waved to Tim. They made their way into the cave and let out sighs of relief at being safe from the rain. Setting her backpack down Sophia pulled off her jacket and set it to the side. It had gotten extremely wet but her shirt was still dry. "Let's wait out the storm here," she suggested, pulling out her pony tail and letting her hair fall about her shoulders so it could dry more easily. "If the storm doesn't stop in an hour I can try to call the park rangers and they can come pick us up. For now I have a blanket we can spread on the cave floor so we can get comfortable and have lunch."

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The thought of Tim running away due to her crying, and then her chasing after him just to see him run caused Sophia to laugh. "That would have sucked for you," she said while giggling. "Especially since I would have chased after you just to see you run." Sophia managed to elicit a smile from Tim, making her happy. "Come on," she waved to him with a smile. "Let's keep going." They started walking the trail again in a companionable silence. Eventually Sophia felt some water drop onto her face. She looked up, worrying that the storm had somehow already crept up on them. There was no need to worry, however, as all she could see in their part of the sky was a single soft, white cloud drifting over them. A gentle rain began to pour.

"It's a sun shower," Sophia informed Tim. Pulling up the hood of her jacket she added, "Just pull your hood up for now. It'll pass quickly." Tim did as instructed and they continued on unbidden. As Sophia had predicted just a few short minutes later the rain stopped as the cloud passed over them and continued on its way, allowing them to pull their hoods back and expose their faces to the sun once more. While they walked Sophia pointed out various things that she found beautiful: the shining fish swimming in the brook; the sound the brook made as it flowed over a small dip, creating a miniature waterfall; the flowers still in bloom; an ancient oak that looked like something straight out of a fantasy story due to the fact that it looked like it had a face and the entire thing was covered in moss. Eventually they reached the mile marker and Sophia turned to ask Tim if he wanted to continue or go back.

"We can go on," he agreed, a little less reluctantly than before she thought.

So they continued on and walked for another two miles. It was a relatively easy trail with a fairly level that wandered along on top of a cliff, so it wasn't hard to traverse. After checking her watch Sophia confirmed that it was coming up on 12 o'clock, a good time to stop for lunch. Before she could say anything to Tim the storm that had been miles off was suddenly upon them. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, giving them only a split second's warning before the heavens released a torrential downpour.

"Dammit!" Sophia declared as she quickly pulled up the hood of her jacket. "We're too far from the entrance to go back now. We have to find cover." She looked around for something that would give them some shelter, but the trees in this area were small and could provide no safety. Suddenly Sophia noticed a small service road splitting off from the main trail and noted that it appeared to wind down to the face of the cliff they now stood upon. "This way!" She cried, pointing out the service road to Tim before she started traversing it herself. Being out in the open in a thunderstorm was making her nervous. "This trail should wind down to the base of the cliff," she informed him as they made their way down the service road. "There might be a building down there used by the park rangers. If not the cliff might offer some shelter."

shadows.

Sophia felt terrible for making Tim feel so bad. In a way she really had been a bother to him, making him interact with her and talk to her. She realized the she had probably pushed him to his limit already, having inadvertently forced him to say what he was thinking of when most of it revealed his self-doubt and his short comings. But at the same time she couldn't help but be a little happy that he did want to be her friend and that he liked her and he was trying hard. Really, really hard. Now she knew more about him and knew that she just needed to be more patient with him and not just assume her existence and actions bothered him like she had worried they had.

"Hold on a minute," Sophia said, turning her back to him. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply as she tried to sort through her emotions and gather her words. Eventually Sophia let out a heavy sigh. Finally she turned to face Tim again, her words, at least, in order now.

"I'm sorry, Tim," she apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean to push you so much. I was actually really, really worried that I was just being a bother to you. But I'm glad that you do like me and that you want to be my friend, because I like you as well and also wanted to be your friend." Her words were coming out a little rushed now and it was easy to see that she was trying to keep her emotions in check and not cry. Sometimes Sophia was easily overtaken by her emotions and she hated that. Blinking away her un-shed tears Sophia managed to continue more calmly, "I'm really glad you came with me. I want to keep going. And I want to learn more about you, but just go at your own pace. If you ever feel like I'm pushing you too much just let me know and I'll try to give you your space." She finally finished and stood there with her cheeks colored pink, looking down at her feet in embarrassment with her hands still tucked in her pockets. She had yet to notice the noise created by gentle raindrops hitting the dead leaves underfoot.

shadows.

From his tone of voice Sophia could tell that Tim wasn't enjoying himself. If she was honest with herself, she had kind of expected a reaction like this. Still, she was not ready to give up just yet. Looking over her shoulder Sophia kept her voice even as she remarked, "Yeah, I do this at least once a week. If I'm crazy, so what? It's good exercise, the scenery is pretty, and it helps me clear my head and calm me down if I'm ever stressed out or upset or just not feeling well." Sophia kind of wanted to add that it was better than locking yourself away all the time like she was pretty sure Tim did, but she kept silent. A remark like that was just a bit too rude, and he was at least... kind of trying.

Unable to help herself any longer Sophia let out a sigh and came to a stop. She turned to Tim, her expression a mixture of sympathy and dejection. "Look," she said, her voice a little flat now. "I appreciate that you agreed to come, even though I'm sure you'd rather be somewhere else right now. All I ask is that you finish this mile with me. If you don't want to keep going after that then I'll take you back to town and I'll never bother you again, except when it's to refill your drink. Even now if you want to leave I'll take you back and never bother you again. Deal?" She stood waiting for his answer with her hands in her pockets, her face as sullen as the storm clouds in the distance. Sophia still held out hope that Tim would at least agree to finish a mile on the trail, but if he didn't she wouldn't be surprised. She was beginning to think that maybe by trying to befriend Tim she had only caused him trouble. The thought made her even more depressed as she hated the thought of causing trouble for others when she only wanted to be friendly.

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Sophia stopped walking completely and just looked at Tim. He was nervous, fidgety, terrible with people, worse at making conversation, and just a complete shut-in. Yet she didn't blame him, didn't dislike him or shy away from him. She knew he was trying, and to her that was all that mattered. Sophia wondered just how much physical human contact he had and figured it was little to none. Perhaps it was just her being a good-natured person but Sophia really wanted to comfort him and give him a hug because he really seemed like he needed it. She decided to do just that.

She pulled off her backpack and set it aside. Without a word she stepped close to Tim and put her arms around his shoulders. She hugged him tightly. "It's ok," Sophia reassured him. "I know you're trying really hard, and you're doing well. You just need to relax, alright? I promise I'm not going to ditch you just because you make a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. All you need to do is learn from them and press on. You'll get better as you go. I promise." Finally Sophia released Tim from the hug and she stepped back. Her heart was racing a bit and her cheeks were a bit pink from acting upon her sudden impulse. But still she did not shy away and instead picked up her backpack, smiled at Tim, and said, "Come on, let's keep going."

shadows.

For a moment Sophia had been legitimately frightened. Did I just let a crazed ax murderer into my fucking car? She thought to herself in a panic. And now I'm bringing him to the woods where he could easily hide my body. Fantastic! When Tim revealed that he was joking she calmed down, but still felt a little on edge. "Well," she said, grimacing a bit, "you might want to work on your jokes, Tim. I may have a twisted sense of humor at times, but you've gotta start off small when you first meet someone, ok?" The rest of the car ride was a bit silent with neither parties really saying much. When they finally reached Nottingham Park, however, Sophia seemed to relax completely.

She pulled up to the small wooden building where visitors stopped to declare what they were doing and to pay the fees--the money brought in by the park went into helping to preserve it and keep it in order. However, if you went to the park often you could simply pay a small fee and you got a pass that was good for the year. Sophia went to the park often enough that she decided to invest in one, and all she had to do today was pay a small fee for Tim's entrance.

"Hello, Mr. Thompson," Sophia greeted the guard by name. "Bringing a friend with me today. Just using the trails." She handed Mr. Thompson a five dollar bill and in return he gave her a paper pass to put in the car's window when she parked.

"Have a good day," Mr. Thompson said, tipping his hat to her before she drove off.

Sophia quickly found a place to park and she got out of the car, stretched and breathed deeply. "Ah," she sighed contentedly. "Better already." She pulled her backpack out of the back seat and shrugged it on, locked the car after Tim got out, and pocketed the keys. "Ready to go?" She asked, her normal happy grin back in place. She led him to one of the many trails, one of the easier ones, and started off into the forest.

It was a nice day. The air was cool and crisp, the sun shining brightly, the sky clear except for the hint of some storm clouds in the distance. But those clouds were miles away and Sophia didn't think it would give them any trouble. The forest itself was beautiful. Pines stood tall and proud, their foliage still green, while oaks and elms and other deciduous trees where painted in yellows, reds, and oranges. Many of the deciduous trees had already begun dropping their leaves and there was a nice carpeting of them on the forest floor. The dried ones made a delicious crunch when trod upon. Birds song floated through the air and nearby a brook burbled happily.

Turning to Tim, Sophia smiled and asked, "Nice, isn't it?"

shadows.

At the sight of Tim, Sophia was unable to contain her excitement and she beamed widely at him. "Good morning, Tim!" She greeted cheerfully. "I'm glad you decided to come after all. I was a little afraid you wouldn't," she admitted truthfully. Holding out the coffee and bag of crescents to Tim, Sophia said, "Here, I brought your usual coffee and some crescents. You don't have to eat them if you don't want them, but I brought them in case you hadn't eaten anything. You'll need some energy since we're going hiking. Anyway, I'm parked right over here. Let's get going." So saying she walked over to her car, a gray Altima Nissan with the Hyrulian symbol on the bumper and a triforce dangling from the rear view mirror--Sophia really loved the Legend of Zelda-- and unlocked it. Although the car was kind of old it was in good shape and it was clean, so as Tim slid into the passenger's seat his feet met no clutter on the floorboards. Once they were both in and buckled up Sophia turned out of the cafe's parking lot, switched on her blinker, and checked to make sure both sides of the road were clear before pulling out onto the street. It was a half hour drive once they were out of town to get to Nottingham Park, so she and Tim had a bit of time to talk. Not that she was really sure how much she would get out of him.

Regardless Sophia asked, "So what made you decide to come, Tim? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

shadows.

Sophia woke up, picked up her phone to check the time, saw it was seven, and decided to roll back over and snuggle up underneath her warm blankets. Then suddenly she thought of her possible plans for the day and quickly changed her mind. Tossing her covers off Sophia slid out of bed with a big grin painted on her face as she thought of going to Nottingham State Park today with Tim. He hadn't actually given her a definitive answer, but Sophia decided to remain optimistic and believed that we would go. Even if he decided not to she would still go see the state park herself.

Sorting through her closet, Sophia picked out an outfit that would be good for traversing the park. The park included a forest and mountains and it had many trails that wound through the forests, over hills, and up the mountains. It was also bound to be chilly today, especially further up the mountain. With that in mind Sophia pulled out a comfortable pair of blue jeans, a long-sleeved shirt that was dark gray in color with a picture of the Tri-Force on it, and a pair of sturdy tennis shoes. After dressing she brushed her hair and put it up in a ponytail to keep it off her neck. That done she went and made herself a quick breakfast and also prepared a lunch for two consisting of sandwiches thick with meat, cheese, and vegetables, trail mix, fruit salad, protein bars, beef jerky, and a few bottles of water. The lunch items she fit neatly into her hiking backpack before adding in everything else she had collected: A flashlight with new batteries, her digital camera also with new batteries, spare batteries, matches, a lighter, a whistle, first-aid supplies, rope, a Swiss army knife, and a blanket--all sealed up tightly in waterproof bags.

When it came to hiking through the state park Sophia liked to be cautious. Although the trails were easily marked there was still a chance of something going wrong and winding up stranded in the woods. It had happened to campers and hikers before. Sophia doubted that such a thing would happen to her and (possibly) Tim today, but if it did she would be prepared for it. Everything was now ready and Sophia pulled on a think black jacket lined with soft fleece, swung her backpack on, grabbed her keys and wallet, and headed out the door.

Sophia parked at the Rose Cafe and quickly dipped inside to see if Tim was there yet. He wasn't. She checked her watch. Only 9 o'clock. Sometimes Tim came in at different times so he might not have come yet, but to make sure Sophia decided to ask her mom who was working the register at the moment. "Morning, mom," Sophia said with a smile.

Looking up to see her only child, Renee smiled brightly. Mother and daughter were nearly identical, and each often thought it was like looking at a younger or older version of themselves. Sophia and her mother shared the same slim figure, the same dark brown hair--though where Sophia's hair only reached past her shoulder blades, Renee's reached to her waist though at the moment it was tied in a braid--the same almond colored eyes, and the same bright, infectious smile.

"Good morning, sweetie," Renee greeted as she finished out a customer's transaction. "Aren't you off today?"

Sophia nodded. "I am," she reported. "I'm actually going out with a friend today. Have you seen Tim today? From next door?"

"Tim, hm?" Renee mused. Having recalled that she hadn't she said, "No, I haven't seen him yet. Since when have you two started talking?" There was no scorn or disapproval in Renee's voice as she asked this, merely a motherly interest.

"Yesterday," Sophia told her mother with a smile. "We've gone to school together for pretty much forever, and he's only a year older than me, but we never talked before so I decided to talk to him yesterday." Sophia considered telling her mother how she had accidentally scared Tim and his awkwardly adorable quick exit, but she decided to keep that to herself. Besides, her mother already knew Tim was a recluse and that he appeared to be bad at directly interacting with people for more than just a couple of minutes "Anyway, I invited him to go to the park with me today since I never really see him anywhere but here and school. Thought he might like to get out a bit--even if he doesn't know it. I just wanted to check and see if he had already come through."

"No, not yet," Renee said. "But I'm sure he will soon. You can wait for him here if you want."

"Nah, that's alright," Sophia replied as she waved off her mother's offer. "I don't want to take up any space. I'll just get a hot tea and two shots of espresso with milk to go, please." Sophia paid for the two drinks and would have made them herself but her mother insisted that it was her day off so she should relax.

Handing her daughter the two drinks Renee beamed and said, "I made yours sweet, just how you like it."

"Thanks, mom," Sophia said gratefully, leaning across the counter to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Tell dad I said hi."

"Will do, sweetie. Have fun."

Sophia nodded and made her way out the cafe. She stepped into the bakery next door and bought a few crescent rolls before returning to the front of the cafe where she leaned against the building, sipping on her hot tea as she waited for Tim to show. Although she had no way of knowing for sure that Tim would even agree to go to the park with her, she at least wanted to talk to him a bit and had even gotten him his coffee and some crescents to split. Still, Sophia held onto her optimism and she hummed happily to herself as she waited in hopes that Tim would soon appear from his apartment.

shadows.

I'm back on the radar!