"Autumn is a magical time, stuck as the transition between life and death. So much withers away and fades during this time, yet just as much seems to thrive. The pine tree, for instance; standing tall no matter the conditions, no matter how long it must wait to taste the sweetness of sunlight. It endures. And in it, we find comfort. If it can endure, so can we. And so, it's a time for rejoicing. And stuffing our faces with apples fresh from the tree. After all, this is our chance to prove ourselves to be just as tall as the trees."

Melanie sat in a trance, tapping the pencil against her lip in thought as her eyes remained fixed on the paper. The paragraph she had just written stared back at her. She glanced out the window. The heat was almost visible, swaying and distorting the image just above the burning black pavement. She wiped the small beads of sweat that had congregated on her brow. It was almost driving her insane; having to write about the wonderful, cool breezes and the mouth watering foods that made autumn her favorite season. She could almost smell the fresh baked apple pie.

Suddenly, unpleasantly, and much to her dismay, the daydream was abruptly ended by a shrill, ear-piercing shriek that sounded like a dying whale. "KRIS!!!" Melanie shouted down the stairs at her older brother. "Turn that god-awful noise down! Are you trying to make us all go deaf like you!?!?" She rubbed her aching temples. Three weeks before school started and she still had to finish her math, history, and Spanish homework. Not to mention the unnecessary and frustrating descriptive narrative that some idiot on the board had decided would be a good exercise for all the students at Growl High. How did they expect her to find inspiration for a story set in autumn when it was nearing 100 degrees outside? After brooding over the topic, she finally decided that the board was merely a group of sick sadists who had nothing better to do with their time than ruin the lives of innocent children. She contemplated for a moment whether or not she should use that as the topic for her narrative, but promptly dismissed the idea. It would turn out too good, then they might continue the tradition and who knows how many stories she'd have to write.

With a sigh, Melanie closed the notebook. She wasn't getting anywhere. "I need a walk," she mumbled, pushing the chair back as it screeched across the hardwood floor. She pulled on her converse and took a deep breath, opening the door. The heat hit her like a slap in the face. Before she could even get one foot out the door, the heat won. Closing it, she grumbled. Too hot to go outside, too boring to stay inside. Oh the difficulties of life. What to do, what to do. She kicked at a speck of dirt on the carpet, and had a sudden thought; the forest wouldn't be as bad. She grinned, letting the smile reach from ear to ear. Running to the side door, Melanie it open and ventured out into the untamed heat, sprinting toward the dense brush on the other side of the immense lawn.

When she finally reached the shade, she stopped for a breather. All around, the florescent and soothing greens mixed into a whirlwind of color, enveloping her in it's shade as a slight wind pulled the black strands of hair from her face. It was a good ten degrees cooler in the forest, and Melanie trotted along, grateful for even the minimal relief from the sun's death rays.

She didn't hesitate to decide which direction her walk should take. She knew exactly where she was going. It was her favorite place, after all. A small smile graced her lips at the thought of it; her own private, secret place.

Melanie trotted through the dense brush effortlessly. She was used to adventures in the woods since her father had taken Kris and her on countless camping excursions when they were young. Besides, these woods were more like her home than that large, empty house. It was so bleak, so unwelcoming. Here, she felt wanted, like the trees wanted to reach out and give her a hug, welcoming her back to where she was meant to be.

After a few more minutes of walking, she could see her place just beyond the hill; a slightly gleam of the summer sunlight off water. Melanie broke into a sprint, scaling the hill in seconds so she could feast her eyes on the lake. Her lake. With it's small islands, crystalline water, and glistening reflections.

Melanie knew in her heart that this little place wasn't actually her lake. As a matter of fact, it wasn't even a lake at all, more like a decent sized pond. The islands were only big enough to accommodate about two standing people, and the water was a little murky from the leaves and debris that littered it. But to Mel, it was perfect. A place she could sit and relax without having to worry about the outside world.

She started walking toward it, when something off to the left caught her eye. Movement. She halted in her tracks, scanning the shoreline. It was most likely nothing more than a deer, but she couldn't be too cautious. She had found beer cans scattered around the area before so she assumed some idiots were using the spot as a drinking hang out. Of course she had immediately cleared the beer cans away, but it still infuriated her. If they were here now, she might have to give them a good -whooping.

But what she saw wasn't a bunch of unruly boys; it was a single boy; exceptionally tall and a little gawky, having a frame almost slimmer than her own. He wore simple clothes, meant for hiking and his hair was a light brown despite his obvious Asian heritage. But what stood out most about him was his smile, bright and cheerful, not only on his lips but coursing up through his eyes and radiating out. She could see it well despite the distance between them. And strangely, she didn't mind that he was there. She had always hated when others discovered her secret hiding spot. It meant it was no longer a secret. Yet his presence there didn't disrupt the peaceful, relaxing aura that surrounded the lake, it enhanced it.

She was about to call out to him, to ask him who he was, but he abruptly turned away and started walking.  His long strides took him over the hill in no time and he was gone before she could say a word.