Running On Empty

Chapter 10~ Jaylin

"Here, if you want...you could arrange the silverware in that box. Just put the all the forks, spoons and knives together." Silya wheeled over to the small tent that was put over the kitchen area and handed me the box with all the knives and silverware. "I'll hand you the silverware, okay?"

I nodded and for the next ten minutes, Silya pointed out the names of the different kitchen utensils and what each one of them did when someone was cooking. The knife was used to cut or chop vegetables meat and any other foods that needed to be in smaller pieces. The slotted spoon was used to scoop foods up and then that slots in them would drain out any unnecessary water. The tongs was metal that was used to grabbed hot things such as pasta. The pan was used to put things together and mix it with many different sauces and spices. It was used to cooked uncooked vegetables, meat or anything else that needed to get off bacteria.

"We should cook dinner together...I know how to cook some things because my mom's always out doing other things." She wasn't looking at me.

"What are we going to cook?" I tried wheeling over the gravel, but the front wheels of the wheelchair made it impossible!

"I think hotdogs over the fire. It's pretty easy and personally it's a lot more fun than doing it on the grill, I think." She walked over to the pile of wood that was sat on the side and started setting each wood plank right next to each other, so it looked like a teepee. Then she bent down on her legs and started fanning the fire with a plate from the package of paper plates from the picnic table.

I needed to do something, I was just sitting here in my chair doing nothing while my friend was helping build a fire. My fingers gripped the sides of my chair as I felt my upper body raise and soon I was able get my feet to stand up on my foot rest. My feet shook, the nerves inside me stung so hard that it made me grimace. As soon as I leaned forward a little, my left hand gave out and swept me into my chair again.

Madeline walked over to me, her eyes filled with concern. "Young Master, please try to not do more than what you can handle."

"I'll try not to, but I want to help Silya." Before I knew it, my eyes flew over to her before my brain could process what to do next.

"I'm sure that Silya can do this, Young Master. She's more dependable than what she appears to be." Madeline bent down to me and gave me a tight squeeze, her embrace strong and short.

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The burnt flavor of the hotdog still lingered on my mouth as I climbed into the sleeping bag that was set on the ground on that blue spread. My skin inflamed with the many bits of tiny mosquitos. I kept waving my arms in the air, trying to shoo them off. Silya laid a couple meters away, her back facing me. I watched the way her back curled into a ball once more

The navy blue sky had showed me its best stars for tonight. Billions tiny sparkles in the sky were scattered as if there were a star for all the humans in the world. I listened to the soft whispers coming from Garrett and Madeline as they sat next to each other by thefire, relaxed in their pajamas which I had never seen them wear before. How come they were so relaxed like I never seen them before? Had they ever been on a camping trip, cooking hotdogs and have lively chatter as if there was no better way to let time pass? I heard the sound of the tiny green insects that hid among the grass and trees which Silya had called grasshoppers. I saw the tiny flashes of lights floating around in the air that the fireflies had lit up light like mini lightbulbs. I watched the sparkles from the flames of the fire slowly ascend into the air, turning into a small puff of smoke.

There was a light tap on my shoulders from Silya as she sat down next to me in my sleeping bag. Her sandals wrinkled the blue trap that spread beyond the tent. Her hair hung on her shoulders as she put her knees up to her nose. Her brown eyes reflected the orange and red flames. She wore a long blue sleeved night gown that had a thin white bow in the front and a long black pants for the bottom.