There was this place we used to go camping when I was a kid, we called it the ‘sand dunes’. Its appearance reflects its name, being a large area of desert land that consisted of fine sand. The sun had gone down, and night was upon us. I remember the light sources: the campfire outside and a dim light above my head. I was alone in the camper, a small mobile sleeper that was attached to the back of my dad’s truck, and my dad and brother were outside by the fire, along with other people that at the time I did not recognize as significant of remembering. I was only four, so I find it strange that my father had decided to leave me completely unsupervised, however, I do believe I was supposed to be asleep.

I was coloring in one of my coloring books. I remember being sad, but for what reason, I’m not sure. Emotions aren’t easy to remember. I have the description for the emotion that I had felt at the time, but I’m not sure what had caused this casual sadness.

A person came in through the door. I had first perceived this person to be a young boy, due to the short hair, baseball cap, and baggy jeans. However, I was wrong in my perception. The person was a young girl, about the same age as myself. She claimed to be the daughter of one of my dad’s friends and wanted to play with me. I invited her to join me in coloring. I had plenty of coloring books to share, so I didn’t see it as an inconvenience to my own enjoyment. We sat there and colored, poorly, as children do.

Autumn is a familiar, yet ever changing path through the woods with a pallet of reds and oranges hanging above. Contrasting below, faded browns and oranges are placed carelessly along the path. It creates a cocoon of warmth as the sunlight shines in through the leaves and decorates the ground with an indistinguishable pattern of light and shadow. The air is light and cold.