went out to fish with the boys. be back by sundown. stay safe.

Doojoon tiredly waved the note away. It was well past morning when, he assumed, the note was written; the sun was high in the sky and he could feel its pestering heat even through his tent's protection. He guessed the note was meant for his mother but she was no where to be found currently. With a yawn, Doojoon hauled himself up, rubbed his eyes, and smacked his lips loudly. He contemplated going back to sleep but somewhere around him a phone binged again and again; it was about time to get up anyway.

He paid no attention to the phone, the ringtone was one of his brother's, and left the tent. As soon as he entered the biting light, Doojoon went on to quickly cower in the shade. It was his family's annual camping trip, most definitely not the highlight of his year. Doojoon disliked nature and that was one of the reasons why he stayed in the tent for most of the week. The rest of his family, however, loved this camping experience. His older brothers in high school reached the conclusion that it was his immaturity that kept him from loving the outdoors.

The sun's glare seemed to reach him no matter where he went. In a more determined attempt, Doojoon strayed farther into the surrounding trees to escape Helios' wrath. The brief touch with sunlight woke him and, surprisingly, he had an abundance of energy. Soon enough, he was covered by a far above canopy. It continued to get cooler and cooler as he advanced. Doojoon was entranced by the forest's sounds and proceeded with a second thought; he swore there was another reason, a less obvious one--he felt a pull towards something. A strange desire to continue and reach an unbeknown destination. It drove him deeper.

Doojoon ventured into a patch of land where the trees thinned, but the chill air lingered like bad conscience. He began tiring as he entered this clearing; his trek must've been longer than he realized. The boy decided to rest for a few minutes and then decide what to do, but his plans were delayed by a noise on the other side of the small field. Doojoon turned in time to see a girl, seemingly as old as his brothers, fall from... the sky.

The sky? That was impossible!

He watched with his mouth ajar, uncertain of what to do. Should he help her? Would it be wise to talk? Doojoon chose to stand there with a shocked expression. He couldn't even believe she was real.

The girl whimpered as she got up, from what he could see she was not harmed in any way. Afterwards, she crouched down and looked as if she was about to spring up into the air at any moment. She leaned on the toes but at the last moment, the girl turned her head and saw Doojoon. Her crouch immediately faltered and she fell on side. In a meager breath's time, she was up and gone. She sprinted away through the dense forest. The expression on her face at that last, fleeting moment was unreadable, but Doojoon sensed fear. He sensed fear and worry and danger. He sensed danger.

With a meek cry, Doojoon tore away from the chilly air and the little clearing and the delivering sky. He ran and he ran, despite his previous exhaustion. The boy was not sure if he was going the right way but all that mattered was to get away. Was this paranoia that plagued him or a real danger that was only picked up by his instincts? He had no way of knowing. So he ran.

Doojoon, who could not see through his tears, tripped on a large branch. He cried out in agony, in fear. The boy did not stop when he heard calls back; he did not stop when he recognized his mother. She picked him up and helped him over to their camp site; the woman did not pause her nagging one bit during the entire ordeal.

"I'm gone for not even half an hour to bring some food to your brothers down by the lake and you wander off into the trees! Oh, really. You're going to kill me one day, Doojoon"--her tone grew softer after her aggravation dissipated--"Now, now. Calm down, my dear. Let's get you washed up." He allowed her to renew him and by sundown Doojoon was the same brat his brothers loved.

It was the last day of the camping trip so after the meal, everyone began packing up their belongings and loading up the truck. The drive home would be long so his mom and brothers fell asleep quickly. His father paid no attention to him because the road was far more important. Doojoon gazed out the window into the forest. He searched through the dark foliage in vain. Soon, his eyes became too strained and closed to his protest.

In his dreams he saw the girl. But instead of crouching and running and falling, she was flying. No one he had ever met before could fly and that was why he could not believe she was real. She could fly and he knew that without ever needing to see it. She could fly because she had the most beautiful wings he had ever seen.