The Hunters

Chapter Forty

Dangerous & Provoking Ideas

We found a camera in our early teenage years. We knew what it was of course, but we have never used one before, so we experimented. We finally figured out how to take the picture. Cyprian took one of me mid-laugh. It came out black with a white border surrounding it. After more than a minute you could start to see it clear up and there it was a picture of me laughing.

    "I'm keeping this forever," he smiles and pockets it.

    "You barely let me look at it!" I complain and he pulls at my gold chain necklace playfully.

    "Because I know you'll point out your flaws and want to throw it away."

    It was true. I would've. But I still wanted to see it. I agreed with him anyway and leaned against our tree.

    "You know, Amaia," he flashes a smile, "you're my best friend."

    I smirk and start to trace my finger along the tree of ours, "it's been awhile since we've been here."

    "You know what would be fun?" He laughs.

    "What?" I purse my lips, scared of this mischievous boy and his dangerous, provoking ideas.

    "Let's climb the tree-" he pauses, "you're a bad climber though so I understand if you wouldn't want to."

    I scuff and cross my arms but then acquiesce to the idea, "Alright, no problem."

    I grab the lowest branch of the tree and pull myself up, balancing my feet against the trunk of the tree. I use all my upper body strength to pull myself up. I sit on the large branch and smile.

    "Higher, Amaia," Cyprian smirks.

    I sigh and go up another branch. He shrugs and follows after me. He ends up sitting next to me on the same branch.

    "It's dark, Cyprian, we should go back soon," I complain.

    "Shh," he smiles, "do you know why I love this specific tree so much?" I shake my head no and he responds, "Look up."

I do so, my shoulder brushes him as I move and I can't help but smile wide. With the bare branches of this sickly tree I can see a thousand stars. The trees are scarce around our tree, like death decided to sweep up this one area, but leave this specific one standing. Still sick, but also strong.  I can almost see the bright full moon as it enters the darkening sky.

"It's beautiful," I whisper.

"Just like you," he smirks and I shove him. He loses his balance and falls off the branch and rolls across the ground as he does. He laughs, "What was that for?"

I shrug and laugh along. I jump down from the tree and my ankle screams in pain as I do.
"You should roll when you jump down from a tree. If you don't it can hurt you," he offers his hand to me as a gesture of help, but I shake my head no.

"Let's go home?" I plead.

"But the fun has just begun," he complains and starts running towards the river, "Catch me if you can slow-poke!"

I sigh in frustration and run after my best friend.