summer came. for some time, she had followed his zig-zag footsteps. she began to notice little things. things that, at first, didn’t seem to make sense. they would spend days roaming far afield, sometimes the mountains, sometimes the meadow, sometimes a hidden canyon. but no matter how far they roamed, he insisted they return to the stream each night. only by its cooing rush could he sleep. she noticed too the patterns, the pre-cursors, the things that signified the onset of the next spasm. sometimes, she forgot and her arms were criss-crossed with his happy reminders. she told herself the […]

She met him by a campfire, in the woods. Didn’t know he was there until he giggled and, when she looked up, tossed her a snappy salute before running away. Curious, she followed. Found him in a clearing, by a campfire, next to a stream. Sitting, she smiled. He was distracted. Something in the water. She waited. Eventually, he turned and gave her such a brilliant smile that her breath left her, “Isn’t it beautiful?” He asked. Stuttering softly, she blushed, “Yes. Yes, it is.” For the night, they just sat close. Rarely talking. Whatever it was in the water […]