blue ➸ camren

thirty three

"Stop!"

Camila's voice pierced through the empty air, nearly causing Lauren to swerve off the road. Lauren slowed down, and before she could ask Camila what was wrong, the smaller girl was scrambling out of the car.

"Camila!" Lauren called after her in shock, quickly parking the car and chasing after her. What the hell was she doing?

"Camila!" Lauren yelled even louder, circling around the house that Camila had disappeared behind. She dug her feet into the ground, looking around frantically for the smaller girl. Her eyes immediately darted towards the trees in the back of the property when she heard a rustling noise.

"Camz?" Lauren jogged over, pushing through the brush and finding the small girl knelt down in a small patch of grass, brushing the leaves aside.

"What... why did you...?" Lauren coughed, catching her breath. Camila shook her head, obviously concentrating on something. Lauren grew even more confused when Camila gasped and began digging at a patch of dirt at the base of the tree.

"I'm so confused," Lauren sighed, shaking her head and leaning against a tree to try and catch her breath. Moments later, Camila was tugging some sort of metal box out of the dirt, setting it down and brushing it off. Lauren's jaw dropped.

"How'd you... you just... what?" Lauren stumbled over her words, crouching down next to Camila, who was gently running her fingers overtop of the old metal lunchbox.

"Why are you bringing a shovel?" Camila asked, skipping to keep up with her father as they descended down the hill in their backyard and into the very front of the woods.

"We have to bury it to keep it safe," he chuckled, reaching down and squeezing her shoulder.

"So then I can find it when I'm an old lady?" Camila giggled and looked up at him, hugging the metal lunchbox to her chest, the contents rattling on the inside as she walked.

"Not too old," he laughed and shook his head. "I did the same thing when I was about your age and dug it up on my 17th birthday. I still have it, it's probably stored away somewhere in the basement," he pushed the brush aside and let Camila slip into the woods beside him. "Someday you'll come out here as a teenager and remember burying all these things as a kid. You'll like seeing what was important to you at this time in your life."

"Pick a spot," he nodded towards the small clearing in the trees. Camila took a careful step forwards and inspected the land intently, determined to choose the perfect place to bury her time capsule.

"Right here!" Camila exclaimed, pointing down at the very bottom of a large tree. "That way I'll know exactly where I put it."

"That's a good idea," he laughed, tapping a spot at the base of the tree with his shoe. "Right here?" Camila nodded happily, taking a step backwards as her father dug the shovel into the ground.

Soon enough, Camila was able to gently lay the metal tin in the hole her father had dug. She used her hands to help him refill the hole with dirt, watching as her lunchbox was soon completely immersed in the ground.

The small girl stood up, brushing her hands off and helping her dad stomp down on the dirt to back it down. She smiled proudly once they were finished.

"To many more memories, kiddo," her dad laughed, ruffling his daughter's hair and pulling her into his side.

"Yeah, what you said!" Camila giggled, jumping up and grabbing his hat off of his head. Squealing excitedly, she ran back towards the house, laughing when he caught up to her and tossed her into the air.