Finding Sofia

All I hear is my feet crack the twigs and crush fallen leaves under them and there’s still the pounding. It’s in my feet, my chest, my ears. The tears streaming down my cheeks feel cool from the wind as I run. The ground is soft. This is my forest. Old Oak is there for me, like home. I see the ancient strong tree just ahead. I get closer and closer, but then my foot hits something and a metal twang rings out. My world comes to a shuddering stop. Like a movie freezing each frame for a split second each, I reach down to pick up the friendship box. It’s open. The hinges are broken. It’s empty. I stand frozen. The world must have stopped. I’m numb. It feels like I’m not attached to myself anymore, almost like I can watch myself in the forest.The box falls to the ground with a clack. The sides of my two fists slam into the great tree’s old bark. Once, twice, three times. Stinging, my hands turn to the ground and grasp sticks, leaves, dirt, stones, traces of the mementos from the box that had been scattered, and I let them go. I watch as I fling them at the bushes. Over and over debris flies everywhere. I see myself move as if in slow motion. I reach for a stick from the ground. Whack! Crack! The stick strikes the ground whipping fresh spring blossoms. Thwack! It smacks bushes. Snap! It strikes Old Oak and snaps in half. I fling the remaining piece of wood as hard as my strength can throw it. I turn back to Old Oak. My strength waning, I beat on his trunk with my arms. “I don’t know how to do this!” I yell between sobs, looking up. “Why is all this happening? Help me! Someone, help me. I don’t know what to do.”