CAPTURE THIS (Updating regularly)

Chapter 2

Matty rolled his eyes. "Are we here yet?"

Amber glanced around the forest. The light was still streaming through the branches but there were much too many trees around. The clearing which she usually went to was a patch of land with a few small trees and grassy ground. Amber recognized the tree in which she had carved her name into.

"Just past that tree," she told Matty, pointing at it.

They managed to get past the wide tree and into the clearing. Amber heard Matty release a small gasp.

"Woah, what happened to all of the trees here?" He asked, letting go of Amber and walking around the clearing.

Amber shrugged. "I don't know. I just stumbled across it a couple of weeks ago and I brought my stuff to paint here."

Amber let out a small sigh. There was no sign of the man.

She let out a sigh. "Matty, what am I going to do?"

Matty turned and wrapped his arms around her. "Maybe if we wait a bit..."

"We both know that he's not going to turn up," Amber told him, her voice dripping with despair. "Take me home, please."

Matty looked down at her with his electric eyes. "I'm sorry, Ambs."

Amber shrugged. "I knew it was stupid but I just hoped..."

"How about some ice-cream to cheer us up?" Matty suggested

Amber nodded, forcing a smile onto her face. "Cookie dough."

Matty chuckled. "Of course."

Amber turned and took one last sweeping glance around the clearing. A something white caught her eye as well as a sharp, red stick.

"Matty, what's that?" She asked, pointing to the white thing stuck to the tree.

Matty frowned at her and walked towards the tree. He pulled to the thing off of the tree and picked the red stick off of the ground.

"A note for you and a paint brush," he told her, walking back towards her.

He handed both of the things to her and she managed to balance her crutches.

"'Amber, you've probably come in search of your paint set. Just give me a call. I left one of your paint brushes so that you know it's me, Alex.'" Amber read the note aloud, a grin breaking onto her face. She turned the note over and found his number scribbled on the back. She examined the paint brush which had been specially engraved with her name in gold. "It's him."

Alex... She finally knew the mystery man's name. Well, it was nice to refer to him as something other than 'the mystery man'.

"Let's go and get some ice cream first," Matty told her, "you've got me craving cookie dough."

Amber laughed and nodded. She cautiously tucked the note in her pocket along with the paint brush.

Matty snaked an arm around her waist and they hobbled their way through the forest in the direction they had come in. Amber constantly stumbled and her uninjured leg was refusing to move anymore. Matty started to grow impatient.

"That's it..." He muttered as they neared the edge of the forest.

He wrenched Amber's crutches out of her hands and Amber hopped on the spot in surprise.

"What are you doing?" Amber asked incredulously.  

Matty turned his back on her and bent his knees. "Hop on."

Amber's eyes widened. "What? No."

"Please, Ambs? I can't be bothered to waddle around with you." Matty told her.