I don’t sneak away from Meyer with the intention of wandering far.

I wake all of a sudden. I don’t move, blinking quietly in the darkness as my eyes adjust, trying to remember exactly where we are. We had spent the last several days in the Forest and had only made it to the edges of the Ruins before we decided to find somewhere to stay for the night. The sun was only just beginning to set but we were both exhausted from the adventures we’d found in the woods. After finding a sheltered spot tucked away in the northern part of the Ruins, we’d quickly fallen asleep. I’d fallen asleep up against Meyer but now he’s a few feet away, his breath soft and slow. He would want me to wake him first - he’s very protective of me, you see - but I can’t hold it anymore and besides, I’ll be right back.

It’s a lot brighter outside the cave-like bit of ruins. I pause, listening, peering into the shadows the moon casts. I have to go, now, but being cautious is ingrained and I wait another breath before slipping into the night.

I realize I’m thirsty when I’m done. The river isn’t too far from here, but I probably shouldn’t go any further in the dark without Meyer … what was that? I duck my head down and then raise it back up again. There’s a bright light - no, two bright lights! - hovering just above the ground. My eyes widen. I’ve heard about falling stars! “Hello!” I start toward them, stumbling over a root and looking down. When I look back up, I’ve lost track of them. Where did they - there! They’ve moved a bit further away and stopped again, bouncing gently up and down. “Hello! Do you need help?”

A few minutes later, I’m breathing hard and a bit flustered. Every time I get close to the fallen stars, they dance out of reach. I’ve played tag before but Meyer always lets me catch him! Speaking of which. I cast a glance over my shoulder, in the direction I’ve come from. If he wakes up and I’m not there … I look back toward the little glowing orb. There’s only one now and I’m not sure what happened to the other. It beckons me as surely as if it had called my name and I grin, bounding after it once again. “Get back here!” I shout as I snatch empty air, the little light dancing around a corner. I heave myself up and across the large broken stone, skittering on long legs and leaping off the other side. My legs buckle in the landing and I tuck my head and roll into the fall, squealing with laughter. “Gotcha!” I giggle, the sand underneath me suddenly glowing brightly. It flares and then dims, not as bright as before. Worried I might have hurt whatever it was, I scramble to my feet, breathing heavily. “Sorrysorrysorrysorry,” I mumble.