Childhood+Memories+3

I ran as fast as I could in the direction I last saw them. Nothing. My heart started thumping super fast and I started breathing hard. I knew I shouldn’t have walked off to observe the show. I was about to cry. I had never been lost in an enormous place like this, especially not as big as New Orleans. I thought about asking someone on the street for directions but I was way too worried to do so. I felt a tear come down my cheek. I had never been this scared in my life. I ran every direction, left and right, but no luck. My mom said to go to our hotel if we were lost, but there was only one problem, I forgot the name of it and had no idea where or how I was supposed to get to our hotel.
 * Lost By, Alec Mora **

Suddenly I found myself in the heart of a popular market. There was no way out. //What if I never found my family, what if I was stuck here forever?// I couldn’t believe it. I kept running in every direction bawling out “ Mom!”

For an instant thought I saw them but then found out I was wrong. It was getting dark, and I was hopelessly lost. It said 6:30 on my watch. I had been running for about half an hour, and was tired. I was petrified. I had not the slightest idea of where I was. I tried to take deep breaths but it was useless. I was still running. I had never ran this much in my whole life, but I think the thought of being lost on the street gave me some kind of adrenaline rush.

When I was running I noticed all of these people were looking at me and had a weird smile on their face. I must have been in the bad side of town. I finally stopped, but by this time I was crying, my whole face was covered in tears. Suddenly I jumped up and checked my pocket. I found the hotel card. It was crumpled and wet from when we went swimming but I could faintly see the hotel name. It was called Holiday In. This gave me hope. It was like light after years of darkness. But I was still hopelessly lost. //How was I going to get home?//

Scared of being outside I went inside Walmart to ask someone if they knew where my hotel was. The cashier was wearing a blue shirt with long dark pants. Fortunately he knew where it was and he came outside with me and gave me directions. He said he passed the hotel every morning when he came to work. I started running down in the direction that he told me. My heart started beating faster and knowing that he might not have told the truth made me even more worried.

Soon I started recognizing the places that we were passing and found hope. I saw the market in the view, but I just stayed to the side of it so I didn’t get off track. I kept running and didn’t stop. All around me I heard music and bands playing. Just then a loud sound of thunder struck to the side of my vision. Soon the thunder was followed by rain. I kept running but this time more cautiously.

I found the hotel billboard. I found it; I was home. I ran as fast as I possibly could. Finally I got to the front door of the hotel at 7:00. I walked through the door and there were my parents at the information station. I ran to them and I couldn’t help myself but cry.

“Never walk off like that again!”

“I promise," I replied.

“Where have you been?” asked my mom, almost instantly.

“It’s a long story.”

The Wheelbarrow, By Dillon
The lighting was horrible at best. The only things to light the 200 meter trail were 15 candles and a weak headlamp.

The wheelbarrow practically flew down the trail, launching off of roots and nearly flinging me out on the landing. Eventually the candles ended and we were left in darkness. Oliver tripped over roots and let go of me for a second. Then we saw it.

The checkered light of the mess hall coming through the trees. Oliver grabbed the wheelbarrow and hurtled me through the doorless doorway of the pavilion. I stopped near the center of the dance floor.

Now I hate dances, so I had Oliver park me on the other side of the short wall masking me from view. Everybody filed in and the music started blaring. I didn't feel up for any of this and yet people have a strange fascination with random wheelbarrows and wouldn't leave me alone, me in to the throng of people eventually setting me back down by the wall.

Eventually the music stopped and Oliver pushed me back to the cabin. I knew that tomorrow I would have to say goodbye to everybody I was living with for the past four weeks. But I let that slide and went to sleep.