Lost (a short story)

AJ started chasing after his dog that ran into the woods. He dashed around trees, jumped over logs, and skipped over rivers to catch up to his dog. But, he soon lost sight of him soon. AJ collapsed under a tree, and sat for a few minutes to catch his breath. As he stood to set off again, he realized that he had run into the middle of nowhere.

AJ was completely unfamiliar of the area he was now in. Everything around him looked the same. He was't scared though. Actually he felt quite content being in the dead silent woods. It gave him a chance to listen, and observe.

There were the sounds. Water gushing through the stream, moving quickly and swiftly. Birds, humming their everyday song, that echoed through the tree bark. His footsteps were a distinct sound against all others. He could listen to each footstep, crackling against the dry leaves and snapping the weak branches.

AJ, began walking towards the direction he came from and guessed that he would eventually reach his new home. As he stepped on the damp dirt, he breathed in the crisp air that the woods had to offer. It was much different then what he smelled at home. At the time, dinner was probably the scent in the air. He then remembered home, and hoped that his mother wouldn't get worried. AJ also worried about his dog, which he hadn't named yet, because he was a new edition to the family and AJ was starting to bond very nicely with him.

The sun was still raised high in the sky, and a warm air was against him. It wasn't too warm, but it felt comfortable. The rays felt good against his face, after all that running. As he walked back, he kept calling out hoping that his dog would hear. But there wasn't much luck.

For the next hour he was walking, the sun gradually faded behind the mountains and at its peak point, it was hiding just behind the mountains; flashing a pink and orange wave against the dark, blue sky. The temperature also dropped by a few degrees, but AJ didn't feel cold. After all, it was a summer night.

Now, AJ could see the fireflies, glowing against the darkness, almost illuminating it. They were like small fragments of a flashlight. He wondered what would happen if he captured them all in a jar. They blinked rapidly as he walked by.

A strong hunger bit him in the gut, and he knew he had to reach home fast. Soon enough, the moon shone brightly against a solid black with small twinkling specks of white. The moon was at its brightest this night, or that's what AJ thought. There was much more light in this new area he now lived in. In his old house, the city lights penetrated the beautiful stars that covered the night sky, and the moon seemed like just a plain circle in the sky. Now, when he was in the woods, it seemed like much, much more.

He leaned against a tree for a short resting break, when he spotted large light up ahead. It was coming from a window. His house was just up ahead!

AJ dashed ahead, quickly passing the trees, with a swift breeze now against him. When he came closer, he broke into a jog, then started walking. Up on his porch was his golden retriever, his eyes closed tightly. His new name was Woods.