Image by Katharina N. from Pixabay
"Boo!"
I startled from my semi-dream state as Sofia suddenly popped up by my hammock, giving me a toothy grin as I calmed down myself down.
"Jesus, Sophie, you need to stop running around in this heat.." I yawned, stretching as I slowly got off the hammock.
"My dad said sweating is good in this weather. Persipitation keeps the body cool!"
"You mean perspiration, huh? Sweating, sure." Half agreeing, I sluggishly sat by where she stood only then noticing she had her hands cupped in front of me.
"Whatcha got there kiddo?" Though I didn't wait for her answer as I automatically held out my hands to see what it was.
"It's my thank you! I picked out my favorite flavor!" She beamed as she dropped at least a dozen fruit pops in my hands, all strawberry flavored.
"Aww Sophs, you shouldn't have." I grinned, already popping one in my mouth, only slowing down to ask her hesitantly, "Still not excited on your new school this year?"
I watched as her sunny expression slightly wavered, slumping as she sat beside me on the porch steps. "Well..." She stretched the word out before she mumbled, "It was more fun when you came over to teach me.."
"Hmm.." I mulled over her words before I replied, "Once I finish school, there's a bigger chance I get to teach you again-- as an official teacher!" I smiled and offered her some of the fruit drops to cheer her up.
It seemed to work as her face lit up, popping one in her mouth as she cheerily asked me, "But when will you be back?"
"Maybe sometime autumn, depends on the rainy weathers before then. Best to stay away from the river during that time, it really floods here!"
Sophia only hummed at me in response before she quietly said, "I hope we get to spend Halloween together."
"It sure is quiet this Halloween.." I said as I stepped away from the window.
"'Cuz of the bad floods this year Billie, parents just want to keep their kids away from the marshes near the river." I heard my mom say from the kitchen.
"Speaking of kids--" I didn't get to finish what I was about to say as our doorbell rang several times. "Uh, I'll get the door.."
"Billie.. about that kid you tutored just this summer--" I didn't get to hear what my mom was trying to say from down the hall as I greeted the person who kept ringing the doorbell.
"Hey Sophie! Happy Halloween!" I grinned as I saw Sofia decked in her school uniform, "Hm? What did you go as this year?"
She only stared back at me in response so I looked up and down the street to see if she was with someone, "I just got back in town today. Don't you think it's awfully late to be out on a Trick or Treat right now?" I stared back at her waiting for a response, but she only held her hand out.
"Guess you want me to take you home huh?" I half-heartedly sighed as I grabbed my coat by the door, before leaving with a quick shout down the hallway, "Mom! Sofia's here! I'll just take her home 'kay?"
"Belinda wait--!" I almost heard my mom shout back but I had already shut the door behind me. When I reached for Sofia's outstretched hand, I jolted at how cold it was, "Well kiddo, lead the way."
I only realized the irony of what I said when a 7-year old and I were close to getting lost.
"Uh.. Sophs? I think we're getting too close to the river this way.. don't you think?" I pointed out as I heard the distant rush of the stream out here in the plain fields, I was also starting to get bothered by the mud squelching beneath my boots.
Just then, Sophie stopped walking, I noticed we weren't too far away from her school. I heard they usually teach camping to their students out here as a sort of extracurricular activity, so I wasn't too bothered at being this far out.
Still holding my hand, Sofia slowly turned around to face me, only then did I notice how eerily pale she was out here in the dark as she opened her mouth and spoke in a small, hoarse voice, "Boo."
Everything started to blur then with that one word, the distant rush of the river seemed to be coming closer but all I could focus on was Sofia's sad smile as mud started streaming down her face out of nowhere.
The next I came to I was inside a paramedics van, I heard them explain to my mom I could be in a state of shock. I only found out later that she called 911 just as she lost sight of me heading towards the river behind the school.
When they found me, I was unconscious out in the fields but I had one of my hands buried elbow-deep in the semi-wet mud. It was what I heard next that made chills run down my spine, when they started pulling me out, they discovered a hand clutching on to mine. They had found a body.
It had already been over a month ago when a camping activity was caught in a freak flash flood from the nearby river, most of the young students made it to safety, but there were ones who were lost. By now they've recovered most of the bodies, except for one, not until what happened to me tonight.
I could only feel tears stream down my face as I remembered how Sophie sadly smiled at me, I was about to wipe them off when my hand closed over something. In my hand, I saw a strawberry fruit drop.
A/N: This is my first time posting in this community, hope you like my story!