Explore  /ikˈsplôr/

verb   travel in or through (an unfamiliar country or area) in order to learn about or familiarize oneself with it. "the best way to explore Iceland's northwest" synonyms: travel over/in/through, tour, range over;     search for resources such as mineral deposits. "the company explored for oil" inquire into or discuss (a subject or issue) in detail. "he sets out to explore fundamental questions"

 

They were out of the forest.

Yuri.

Otto.

Cricket.

They were walking down a road in the countryside.

Yuri was silent.

Her deer toy was clutched tightly to her chest.

Cricket walked next to her.

He was calm and aloof.

His hands were behind his head.

He carried his bsckpack with ease.

Ottomatic skipped ahead.

In the little girls hand was a bunch of wildflowers.

Cricket was 13.

Yuri was 11.

Ottomatic was 10.

It had been three days since Ottomatic and Cricket found Yuri.

For three days she had been free from the compound.

Cricket produced an apple from his backpack and handed it to Yuri.

Cricket seemed to have everything they would ever need.

Yuri munched on her apple.

She took in the world around her.

The world outside the compound.

It was colorful.

The expanse of the sky was huge.

It was blue.

They passed by fields filled with wild flowers.

Ottomatic seemed to love those flowers.

She would try to pick every flower she saw.

Yuri had forgotten this world had existed.

She only knew the white world of the compound.

Then something tugged on her arm.

Yuri turned and looked right into the eyes of Ottomatic.

Ottomatic ed something into Yuri's face.

A flower.

A poppy.

Yuri glanced at Cricket.

He was looking curiously at a daisy.

Ottomatic had given him that Daisy.

Yuri looked back to the other girl.

Ottomatic stared at Yuri with determination.

Yuri smiled and gently took the flower.

Ottomatic stared at herin awe for a moment.

Then she broke out into her lopsided grin.

Otto grabbed Yuri's hand and dragged her down the road.

Yuri looked down at the poppy she was now holding.

It was red.

Yuri glanced back at the small girl pulling her.

Ottomatic's unnaturally red hair bobbed in front of her.

UNNATURALLY RED

Cricket had told Yuri that is Ottomatic's natural hair.

Yuri wasn't sure.

Yuri was never sure.

Ottomatic turned to look at Yuri.

She gave the older girl her lopsided grin.

The only thing Yuri could do was grin back.

"Yo! Wait up!" Cricket yelled.

The girls waited for him as he ran up.

He now had the daisy tucked behind his ear.

Ottomatic couldn't help but laugh.

Ottomatic took the poppy from Yuri's hand a