Levy McGarden

Chapter 3

After Levy crosses the border, she heads south to Akane Beach, eager to explore. She takes the scenic route, through the woods. It was reminiscent of a painting. Picture perfect. The light fell through the gaps, causing the leaves to practically glow with a vibrant leaf green. There were birds chirping and little woodland creatures running about.

On the first night, when trying to find a good rabbit to eat, she stumble across a deer she managed to kill. She ate a lot that night and what she didn't eat, she turned into jerky. She saved the antlers and the fur, it could be useful one day.

It was another two days walk from the border to the beach, and while one might think the scenery would get old, it never did. There was always something new and exciting to see.

On the second night, she cooked up a rabbit for dinner, saving the hide as always, and slept in a cave with bats hanging overhead.

On the second day, around noon, she finally made it to Akane Beach. It was absolutely packed. She thought it would be, there was a resort nearby, and she stood out in her attire. So she headed to the small shopping center and picked up an orange one piece and brown sandals to she changed into.

She went back to the beach and stuck close to the tree line, walking along the beach. She kept her cloak on so that the branches didn't scratch at her arms.

The further she go from the resort, the thinner the crowds were. So she kept going until no one was there and then kept going some more. Eventually, when she was almost clear of the trees, but still close enough to retreat into them and far out of sight of Hargeon, she settled down for the night and ate a dinner of jerky and nuts.

The next morning she went for a long swim, even managed to catch a few fish for lunch and dinner. The water was so clear she could see under it. At first the salt water stung, but she got used to it. It was gorgeous under there. There was so much life and color but none of it made any noise. It was peaceful. She swam to shore for lunch, butchering all four of the semi-small fish. Two for lunch, two for dinner.

She even managed to find some herbs to season them with and some salt rock that she put them on when waiting for the fish to cool. It was a very tasty lunch. She wrapped the two uncooked fish in hide and hid them in her bag. She crushed up some of the salt rock and put it in a small pouch.

Then, she went back to swimming. She swam even further out this time, but stayed far away from where the beach dropped into deeper water. She kept clear of calm patches in the water, remembering her father's warning about riptides.

She spent the next two days like that. Swimming and eating fish and laying out to let the sun wash over her and warm her. It was practically perfect.

Except... she had been here before. Well, not here, exactly, but she had been with nature for six years. All that walking through woods, avoiding civilization, swimming for hours, and just being with nature, that wasn't her future. That was her now. Both she and her father wanted to find herself, find her future. She had six years to find herself without humans. It was time to find herself with them. It was time to make her present her past.