Forest walk

Flashback a few days prior.

Adam, Julian, Mary and Alvin wanders into the tranquil pine forest behind their old elementary school. The familiar and sweet scent of the oozing pine sap fills them with nostalgia. Their feet crunch on dried needles and rotting leaves. The azure sky transform into a deep amber as they trod along the forest ground. They stop momentarily and then carry on.

Adam and his friends had been very close. However, circumstances and changing situations forced apart the once inseparable members of his group: The Canned Food Syndicate.

A gust fills the air and the scent fades. Adam thought back to yesterday when he reached out to his former best friends. He just assumed that they would just ignore him and go back to whatever they were doing. However, he was surprised to hear that they all missed the "old times" and wanted to meet up with their former friends at their old hideout in the woods.

To be clear, the four shared the same classes in their middle school. But not one of them had worked up the courage to talk to the others for quite some time.

Their reunion was not going well.

An hour before, Adam waited for his former friends for 15 minutes before the first one showed up. Even when Julian leapt with excitement when he saw his "long-lost" friend for the "first time" in many years, it felt fake and rehearsed. After Julian came Alvin who robotically wrapped his arms around Adam and Julian, respectively, after pausing awkwardly for ten seconds between each of them.

As they commenced an awkward three-way staring contest, the only female of the group; Mary, came up sprinting towards each of them and gave them all a lung-bursting hug. Aside from Adam, Mary was the only one present that seemed genuinely ecstatic about the company.

Adam started to regret his decision to bring back all of his friends after such a long period of time where they haven't spoken to each other for so long. He was mad at himself...

no.

He should be mad at Alex who convinced him to bring the group back together. "Dang. if only Alex was here." thought Adam. Alex was Adam's only friend who was extremely enjoyable to be around. Five years ago, Alex was a lonely kid that Adam invited to the group. He was a scrawny kid with deep-brunette hair and although he was bad at social interaction, he was smart and understanding. Alex became quick friends with Adam and the rest of his group-mates and had a semi-active role in the group up until that fateful day...

Adam, Julian, Mary and Alvin wanders into the tranquil pine forest behind their old elementary school. Adam snapped out of his thoughts as a gust fills the air to erase the strong smell of pine. He silently cursed Alex again. Alex was the one who suggested the time to meet and was also the one who backed out of the meeting at the last minute. The group had not been together for four years! What was he thinking?! "But he was the peacemaker of the group." Adam whispered to himself.

Three heads turn to stare at Adam's expressionless face and four pairs of feet stop. Adam quickly snapped out of his little rant against Alex and lifted his head to look in each of their confused eyes. "Never mind that" said Adam a little too quickly. Three skeptical heads turn back to face their destination and four pairs of feet resume walking with one treading slower than before.

Adam wanted to turn away and run as fast as possible in the opposite direction in that situation. To run away and back to home as fast as possible. However, he really wanted to see his old friends again badly and he was certain that Alex would know if he had escaped such a golden opportunity to reunite with his old friends and would be disappointed at him for it.

His attention went back to the three old friends now herding Adam through the dimming woods. He saw the backs of their heads clearly. Alvin's blond, matted hair touches his round ears which differed from his short spiky hair from four years ago. Mary's long hair easily touches her shoulders but her hair slowly faded as the time went by. Julian's haircut was the exact same as it was and it made Adam feel a bit happier that not everything had changed during the years between the disbanding of the group and it's reunion four years later.

Still. How times change.

Suddenly, Adam's attention broke as he stepped into a metal object. It squealed against rock as Adam's heel drove it into the ground. It was a hairpin with a faded metal rose adorning it. Adam's heart sank as he picked it up and began to quickly turn it over and over again in his hands.

Three faces turn back to stare at Adam again and a chill starts to form in the autumn breeze.