Where is Daisy?

The colour of the leaves turned to burnt sienna around the edges. Some were green and strong, sporting no change. Some were sheltered and yellow. But others flew to the ground in despair as they waited for our feet to crush them, their parts caught in the crevices underneath our shoes. Turning to grains falling away as we walked. The odd ones stuck to the bottom, refusing to let go.

‘Sure is better than spending at the mall.’ Daisy said

‘Saves you lot coming to mine‘ voiced orchid with an annoyed tone. But a wavering smile stretched over her teeth.

‘What is up with you?’ I said looking towards her.

Daisy kept digging into her bag as if something was lost inside.

‘Nothing.’

Daisy laced her arms through the straps of her back pack and slowed down, while we walked ahead of her.

‘It’s never nothing… and you know that,’ my voice took on a deeper tone, more quiet than I meant to.

‘Fine, Violet. You win.’ Orchid breathed out.

‘So?’

‘My life -‘ she started. I looked behind her, noticing that Daisy was on her phone, but it wasn’t against her ear. She wasn’t typing away, but scrolling. Her expression was distorted by the distance.

‘You coming?’ I yelled after her.

There was a pause, before she picked up speed.

‘Hmm?’

‘Oh, uhh…’ said Orchid. Uncertain if she should carry on.

‘Why don’t we go to the movies? ' asked Daisy.

‘What do the movies have that nature doesn’t?‘

There was a river to the right of us. It separates us from the road and the cars could be seen where we were, but soon we would be swallowed by the forest trees and our route would lead us up a hill.

‘Not much, is that what you want to hear?’ said Daisy, but her eyes did not meet mine.

I won’t pretend to know what’s going on. They do love nature, there’s very few who don’t. But I guess exercise is another thing. The rain began to fall and soon enough water drops settled on the leaves. I picked two and carefully gave each one to them.

‘Care for a drink?’

‘Eww’ said Daisy as she tried to pull the fabric from against her skin to squeeze the rain water out, dropping her leaf in the process.

‘Even if that was safe, what can we do with just one drop?’

‘I am pretty sure there’s at least three drops on daisies and five on yours. But that’s not the point…’ I trailed off.

‘Violet,’ they both said in unison.

I was almost certain they were both going to gang up on me. Though if anyone asks. I wouldn’t have an answer why they would. But Orchid and Daisy aren’t twins, so when they spoke in unison. It was more spooky than the forest at night.

‘You both know something I don’t?’

‘No’ said Daisy.

‘Sometimes I don’t know if your positive way of life is hiding something, violet. I mean-‘

‘I am not hiding anything’ I retorted.

I was lying. But they didn’t need to know that. Not until they tell me what they were hiding. Maybe Daisy didn't know what orchid was going to tell us. Well me. Before she lagged in the back. The opposite could also be true. At this moment the rain let up a bit. And the silence between us led the way ahead.

‘Hey, here’s the hill I was telling you two about the other day’

‘My bodycon might not be able to stretch that far’ said Daisy.

‘You could’ve worn the jeans I bought for you back in June.’ Said Orchid.

‘Or you could roll it up, but we’ve got to go up this way.’

’I’ve got a solution…’

Both me and orchid looked at each other. But all three of us was interrupted by her phone ringing, and the ladybugs party gathering on a flower nearby. She tapped a couple times and all the colour drained from her face. Neither of us asked her what it was.

‘I’ll just wait here, you two won’t be long right?’

‘Well, it was going to be a long walk. But we could make it to the top and come back for you. Head home or go to the movies like you wanted…’

‘ I don’t mind watching a movie or two’ added Orchid.

‘I promise I’ll wait here…’

We reached a way up, but not too far. We could see Daisy who was still on her phone. There was a person behind her, but she didn’t notice. Someone with a pale blue or white hat and white shirt matching. He turned his head towards the direction he was coming from and checked his watch. Then his eyes landed on Daisy.

I wasn’t sure what our legs were doing but now we were walking up backwards and we were soon hidden by the branches and leaves. We slowly came back to sight after waiting a little while. The small stones hurried below and we winced at the sound of it clicking against each other. We blinked and both Daisy and the man was gone. At that moment the rain began to fall hard and orchid's phone pinged.

“I am going home for a change, I will be back I promise.”

“Don’t come looking for me. I am sorry I ruined our walk. I will make it up to both of you.”

She said nothing about the jeans orchid bought her. And even though we wanted to go against what she said. That man seemed way too tall, we could feel danger. Even though we were quite far from his person. But he did wear the same hat as Daisy's older brother. Now that I think of it. He might not have been tall. His height would’ve been hard to tell from this high up.

We decided to suck in the wind, or oxygen. It felt as if our lives were slipping away from us. Maybe Daisy was. But there’s no way to tell and the path was quiet as if it was the middle of the night but it was day time. We heard the stones moving from up the hill where we came from, but there was nobody there. Just a crow about to take off into the sky.

‘Please tell me that’s not daisys dress just lying there.’ Said Orchid.

I felt my eyes widened. But no words could leave my lips.

A/N : Thank you so much for reading. This was for the summer that wasn’t, challenge. 🤗♥️🙏🏽