Exchange

We followed the trail for a half hour at her steady pace. She never hesitated, never stopped, all she did was walk. I knew how far we'd follow the trail. I knew where we'd emerge into the woods. I knew exactly how to get there. I've been there only once before.

Fifteen more steps, we'll be there. Three, two, one, we turned off of the path. We went around this tree, under that spider web. Slowly traveling back five years into the past. Sinking back to that afternoon in April, that carefree fifth grade spring break. We kept following the invisible trail forward.

We arrived at the scene of that long forgotten crime. Under our feet was, was-


"Run faster, Martin! We're falling behind!" little Gavin giggled out.

"I'm trying!" huffed out Martin as his legs pounded harder against the earth. We were far ahead of them.

Those were the days, the group of us and not a care in the world. Four innocent kids playing in the woods. I looked at Grace, she looked back. She was so beautiful, two days before she had gotten a haircut. It was just below her ears and suited her well. The mousy hair swarmed around her face as we ran faster. With grace, Grace's thin tomboyish legs carried her ahead of me.

We kept running faster, faster, faster.

"Come on, guys! Slow down!" Gavin cried out. Completely winded from the chase.

We abruptly came to a halt. Grace bent, with her hands on her knees. I simply collapsed to the ground. Seconds later Gavin jogged up to us and dramatically fell beside me. He smiled at me, showing his newly missing tooth.

"When is that tooth coming in, kid?" I asked, jokingly punching his shoulder.

"I am not a kid!" he defended.

"I'm four years older than you." I said with a smirk knowing I'd won. I rolled my head back to look at Grace. She was standing with her hand on Mart's back. He still hadn't completely caught his breath.

"Hey! What is that over there?" I heard Gavin call from my left. I turned my head, and caught a metallic glint of I-don't-know-what.

I hopped to my feet, and followed the little dork who was bouncing off towards the unknown object. He got up to where it was, and stopped to wait for me. I stood beside him, and five year-old Mart joined up across from us.

"I don't have a good feeling about this! Just leave it, you guys!" Grace called to us from where we previously were.

"It can't be anything that bad!" I tried to reason with her.

"I'm going back home! You guys better come too!" she said walking away.

"Sisters are so stupid." Gavin said looking to me to back him up.

"Yea, girls are never brave enough. Who needs 'em?" I said smiling at him, feeling some regret. I'm still not sure if it was regret, but whatever I felt, it wasn't good.

"I sure don't!" Martin chimed in.

"You sure you ain't one?" teased Gavin. They went up in a fuss, arguing like little girls.

"Stop your bullshitting guys, and let's find out what this is!" I said bringing their attention back. I crouched down, and so did Gavin. He had a tendency to do what I did. He looked up to me, I always tried to be someone he could.

Gavin reached out his hand to move the leaves, but stopped and look at me for the signal to go on. I nodded my head slightly, letting him know it was okay. He slowly moved away the leaves. As soon as he saw it, he stopped. He recoiled his hand and backed away. This entire time I had focused my attention on him. I looked up at Martin. He was frozen stiff. I slowly looked down from his face. A gulp escaped him. At his feet was a pistol. I looked at the two, and cautiously I picked up the gun. It was smooth in my hands. I stood, with both hands grasping the alien object. I felt Gavin looking at me.

"Shoot it." he said. I pointed to the left of little Mart, who still was too shocked to move. I cocked it.

Then as I moved my index finger across the trigger, something happened. I shook, quivered, something. My aim moved, I had shot Martin. He didn't make a sound. He simply fell to the ground. Gavin froze, I dropped the gun.

We slowly moved to his body. One of us on each side. We stared at him for a moment.

"He's dead isn't he?" Gavin said tears down his face, head bowed.

"It was an accident. I swear I never meant to shoot him. It was an accident." I had fallen to my knees before what I thought was an angel. I held my face in my hands, sobbing.

I hadn't noticed her reach into her pocket, I didn't noticed what she retrieved. Or what flew from her hands in sparkling wisps. I only noticed when I inhaled that I would never exhale, the pain of my trachea being ripped to shreds. I slowly started dying, as my lungs teared apart.

As I had released my memory, she released me.