Far From the Home I Love (Reserved)

"Hey, I know you." His teasing tone was blatant as he sat down beside the redhead, folding his legs beneath him. He plucked a blade of grass from the ground and rubbed his index finger and thumb against it; it whistled in reply. "How are you, Savannah?" Chase asked. He rotated a bit on the seat of his pants, turning to face her. The girl looked uncharacteristically somber, and he might venture so far as to say that the expression painted on her face was, in fact, melancholy. "What's wrong?" His tone had morphed from a teasing, friendly one to a voice of concern and genuine care.

Chase nodded, slowly at first, and then with a bit more vigor. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I left my parents, too." He stared out at the water, and nodded his head once more. "I know what you mean, though. This pond...it's not just...water. You know?" He ducked his head, and tried again. "Sorry. I'm not making any sense. What I mean is, I feel like there's something that kind of connects everyone to their homes, here." He smiled, though it was small, and blinked twice in rapid succession. "I think it's the season," he announced with confidence. "Winter makes everything bleary."

As the boy began, Savannah merely shrugged her shoulders, “No need to be sorry. Everyone needs to break away sooner or later, I suppose.” Chase began talking once again, though this time it really did not make any sense, to which she responded with a chuckle and a tiny shake of her head. “It’s quite alright.” She added a nod, “I agree. Strange though. Maybe it has something to do with the Harvest Goddess.” She joked heartily, attempting to brighten up her own spirits, along with his, in a way. But of course, she nodded once more. “It could be… But you have to agree, winter can be a beautiful season. Everything covered in snow and the frozen water.” She spoke and smiled weakly.