“Take my hand, don’t be afraid.”
Nick reached out to Ava as he turned toward the path that would take them deeper into the forest. She narrowed her eyes at her childhood friend, refusing the invitation. This far off the main road, where sunlight barely filtered through the canopy of leaves, the air held a chill like nothing she had felt before. Hidden creatures rustled overhead, and the earth--still moist though it hadn’t rained for a week--released the scent of foreign mosses with every step she took.
“Look at all of these branches. They’re blocking our path. I don’t think we’re supposed to go this way.”
She kept her voice low, barely above a whisper. His laugh cut through the late summer air, and he clasped her hand in his own. Drawing her alongside him, he navigated forward, holding the tree limbs out of the way long enough to pass through before they snapped back into position.
The beats of her heart strained to keep up as she quickened her steps to match his. The dried leaves crunched under her feet, but the halfway-dried ones--yellow with brown spots and dampened for days--clung to the bottom of her skirt. She had no time to brush them aside. Gathering the folds of cloth together in her free hand, she kept moving.
After the first few scratches stung her freshly exposed calves, she learned to avoid the branches. She didn’t think to watch for the rocks. Something jagged pushed up against the thin sole of her boot, and she gasped.
Her fingers slipped through his as she lost her balance. Her knees buckled and she held her hands out to brace for the impact. It never came. As quick as a cat, he spun around, crossing the distance between them with a jump and landing in a crouch to catch her.
Falling against his soft body instead of the hostile ground, the tension that had been building inside of her broke. Her strength gave way and she collapsed, fully supported by his arms. Resting her cheek on his shoulder, she let her tears flow freely.
“I want to go home.”
Her voice was muffled against his shirt. He rested a hand on the back of her neck, stroking her hair as he moved to sit on a hollowed log. With a sniffle, she pulled her face away and curled her legs up onto his thighs. He brushed the residue of tears from her cheek with his thumb.
“Shh. You’re fine. I promise, you’re fine. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
Ava shook her head and shut her eyes tight. She wasn’t fine. Even if she ran off now, she wouldn’t know which direction would take her back to the road. Her voice cracked as she repeated herself.
"I want to go home.”
Resting so close to his chest in this way, she felt his sigh before she heard it. At that, she opened her eyes to see him staring off into the distance ahead.
Her cheeks flushed. Since she was five years old, she had told him not to treat her like a child. Now she was fifteen and still acting like one. She hesitated for only a moment before she reached for his hand. Her fingertips brushed against his palm, and as he squeezed them he looked down, his eyes meeting hers with uncertainty.
“I’ll take you home if you want.”
The words were gentle, but flat. Her breath caught in her chest. Somehow, the look on his face hurt more than the fall would have. She bit her lip, not wanting to reply. Not wanting anything, really, except maybe to sit like this a bit longer. She shrugged.
He stared at her, his expression shifting from concern to confusion before he laughed. It took her a moment to realize she was smiling as well. He shook his knee, sliding her off of his legs, but kept hold of her hand while she steadied herself on her feet.
“We can walk slowly now. We’re almost there.”
She nodded. He still led the way, but this time, he adjusted his pace to match hers. She ducked her head beneath branches as he pulled them up, and for the first time she noticed tiny white flowers growing out of the rotted wood. Not five minutes later, he stopped.
“Are you ready?”
She glanced up at the spread of leaves secluding them from the sky. The woods were still, silent trees revealing nothing. “Ready for what?”
He reached out to pluck a stray leaf from her hair. “Close your eyes. Just trust me.”
The first part was easy, but she flinched when he took her arm and wrapped it around his waist. She only relaxed into the embrace once her fingers touched his hip. With his own arm across her shoulders, he guided her forward.
He never did tell her to open her eyes. When the light warmed her face, she knew it was time.
The world returned to her vision and it was blue. The lake took up only half the space in the clearing, but the pristine cerulean surface--untouched by civilization--drew all of her attention.
Most of her attention, at least. She turned to Nick, to the meadow, to Nick again, animated with the desire to take everything in. There were no words for this, but with him standing there watching, she had to say something.
“How did you find this place?”
She searched his face, but the answers stayed hidden behind his smile. “It wasn’t nearly as difficult as getting you here." After a pause, he added, "The water is nice to swim in.”
His voice carried unspoken suggestions, and she glanced down at her skirt. Dark red fabric was tinted brown for inches above the hem. The water would rinse it, if she wanted to go in.
When she opened her mouth, the words stuck in her throat. He raised his eyebrows and she laughed--at herself more than anything. She knew the answer already, but she still had to ask.
“You promise you won’t let me get hurt?”
He stared at her, incredulous. She waited.
“Yes. I promise.”
She reached out with both of her hands, taking hold of his and drawing him toward her. His eyes grew wide, but he put up no resistance.
“Then let’s go.”
Thoughts of home fell away as she led him deeper into the glade. Here with Nick, she was already there.
Written for the Art Prompt Writing Contest hosted by 
Photo prompt courtesy of 
