I Wish: Ch 5

Instructions

I wake up in my nest, blinking sleep groggily from my eyes. I must have ran back last night, still in my shift. I yawn and stretch, listening to the birds outside, and Lake peering in at me...what? "Lake!" I yelp, stumbling up and banging my head on the ceiling of our den. "Copper! Why are you sleeping out here?" I trip out of the den and sit with Lake. "Well... I came out to my parents as a therian, and.." Sobs cut off my words and I collapse onto the ground. Lake puts her arm around me and we sit in silence until I manage to calm myself down and continue. "They h1t me and kicked me out of they house. They said they would k111 me if I came back." Lake gasps. "Oh no! So now your living out here?" I nod. "Yeah, it was the only place I could think of." Lake has a grim expression on her face, and she stands up and brushes herself off. "Well, we need to find a new den. Follow me." I grab my few possessions and we walk off into the forest. Me and Lake walk for a while, getting deeper and deeper into the forest. After about an hour and a half, we stumble across a huge waterfall, and decide to have a break. Lake tears her gear off and jumps into the water. "Come on, Copper! It's lovely!" I follow suit, carefully placing my gear and Lake's onto a high rock, then diving into the deepest part of the pool. My eyes instinctively open underwater, and I see a paradise of pebbles and tiny fish. I grab a handful of pebbles and discover a tiny freshwater hermit crab. My breath escapes my mouth and I drop the crab and the pebbles and surface next to Lake. She's treading water, grinning at me breathlessly. We stay in the pool for ages. Eventually, Lake swims under the waterfall and gasps "Copper! There's a den!" I follow quickly and we burst into a cave under the waterfall. It's round and smooth, with a big hollow perfect for sleeping in. We have found our den. Me and Lake spend the rest of the day swimming and decorating our cave. When we finish, we have carved little hollows to put our gear in, lined the big sleeping area with dry moss, found a path to the cave that is water-free, and discovered a big patch of edible berries. We lie under the setting sun, letting ourselves dry off and giggling about the long day. Lake sits up reluctantly. "I have to go home." I stand up and walk Lake to the edge of the rock. We hope off, and Lake hugs me before setting off. "Bye!" "See you tomorrow!" Soon, I return to the cave as the last shred of sun vanishes over the horizon. I curl up in my nest and drift off almost immediately.