Forgotten

Four --Tara

Aaron Fisher tells me that the vultures aren't the only beasts that live in the woods. At night massive panthers come slinking out of the depths of the forest. He says they killed the hunter who was here. That's why Aaron sleeps with a knife, and keeps the fire lite all night. We decide that, in order to get any sleep at all, we should take shifts--keeping watch and tending the fire.

Since Aaron has been here longer and probably hasn't had any sleep at all, I offer to take first watch. I get into my sleeping bag though, because the night air bites. Aaron slips into his sleeping bag and I assume he's asleep before he says. "How old are you?"

"Almost fifteen."

"Oh. I'm sixteen, almost. My birthday is in July." My birthday is also in July.

"What day."

"The seventeenth."

"Mine too." I say. That's really ironic.

"Did you have any siblings?" He asks. Suddenly he's the curious one.

"Yeah." My heart sinks. Back home, I have a three year old brother. I wonder if he missed me. I wonder if my family is looking for me. If they are, will they ever find me? What if I never find my way home. "A brother. You?"

"Three sisters and a brother. Now ask me something."

I take a second to think of a question.
"Where do you think we are?"

"Well, we are obviously in a forest, but it seems to be some kind of a dreamland--or nightmare land-- because there are giant predators. I have rolled this question over and over in mind a thousand times, Tara. And the best I can I figure is that we were abducted by aliens."

I snort. "Aliens."

"Yeah, well what's your theory?"

"I let you know in the morning." Honestly, I have to think about it.

"Alright. Wake me up the moment you start to struggle to keep your eyes open."

And he is silent.