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MidReal Story
The Last First Date
Scenario:Pamela goes for a walk in the woods with her cousin Jace at a family reunion just outside of Spokane Washington.
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Pamela " Pam" Jensen
She is a college student visiting her family for a reunion. She is adventurous, reflective, and humorous. Pamela enjoys spending time with her cousins and grandparent's farm. She recalls a childhood incident where she and Jace accidentally set the barn on fire, leading to a fire drill. She shares a close bond with her cousin Jace, often teasing him about his weight gain from eating too much pizza.
Grandma Lois
She is Pamela's grandmother who married into the family after spending time with them. She is resourceful, caring, and witty. Grandma Lois helped shape Pamela's early years on the farm alongside Nana Jean. Her relationship with Pamela is filled with love and mutual respect, often evident in the thoughtful gestures she makes during the reunion to ensure everyone feels included.
Jace
He is Pamela's cousin, known for his humorous and lighthearted nature. He is playful, witty, and athletic. Jace enjoys spending time with Pamela and often engages in playful banter with her. He has a history of mischievous behavior with Pamela, including setting the barn on fire during their childhood. Despite this, he remains a loyal and trusted friend for Pamela as they enjoy their family reunion together.
I was walking hand in hand with my cousin Jace through the woods behind the farmhouse where we were having our family reunion.
It was just outside of Spokane, Washington, and it was the first time we’d all been together since last year’s reunion.
I loved spending time on my grandparent’s farm, it was one of my favorite places on earth.
I got to spend time with my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, whom I adored.
We had so much fun together, and I cherished every moment I got to spend with them.
"Remember that time we accidentally set the barn on fire?"
I asked Jace.
"Oh my god, how could I forget?"
He chuckled.
"We had to do a fire drill for the entire reunion after that. And we weren’t even the ones who actually started the fire."
"I know, I’m still laughing about it to this day."
I shook my head.
"We were so bad, but Nana Jean didn’t seem too upset about it."
"She never is," he agreed.
"She has a hard time staying mad at anyone. She’s just too nice."
I nodded in agreement.
"She is without a doubt the kindest person I’ve ever met in my life."
"Me too," he agreed.
"I know I tease her about all of her animals, but deep down I think it’s awesome that she cares about them so much."
As we walk deeper into the woods, the late afternoon sun filters through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
The crunch of leaves and snapping of twigs beneath our feet fill the air as we make our way along the winding trail.
Suddenly, I freeze in my tracks, my eyes fixed on a spot ahead.
Jace notices my sudden stillness and follows my gaze.
About thirty yards away, a young doe steps delicately between the trees, her large ears twitching with every sound.
Her coat is a beautiful shade of brown, and her big dark eyes are alert and watchful.
I squeeze Jace’s hand gently and slowly raise my other arm to point at the deer.
He follows my gesture, but in doing so, he shifts his weight slightly, causing a twig to snap under his foot.
The doe’s head snaps up instantly, her ears perked forward as she senses our presence.
Her large dark eyes lock onto us, assessing the potential threat.
We stand frozen in place, barely daring to breathe as she regards us warily.
For what feels like an eternity, we remain locked in this silent standoff, waiting to see what she will do next. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the doe seems to decide that we are not a threat and returns to browsing on the low-hanging leaves of a nearby shrub.
"Wow, she's beautiful," Jace whispers, barely moving his lips.
"Yeah," I reply softly, "but did you notice the scar on her flank?"
Jace squints, focusing on the doe. "You think it's from that old hunter's trap we found last summer?"
The doe's dark eyes meet ours, her ears twitching at our stillness.
Jace shifts his weight again, causing another twig to snap beneath his feet.
The sound makes the doe's head jerk up once more, but she doesn't bolt.
Instead, she takes a few deliberate steps backward, her scarred flank catching the filtered sunlight through the trees.
I grab Jace's arm, squeezing it to keep him from moving again.
The doe pauses for a moment, then seems to relax and returns to nibbling at the leaves of a low-hanging branch.
"Yeah, I think so," I whisper back, "but it looks like she's healed pretty well."
Jace nods thoughtfully. "Maybe we should tell Nana Jean about her; she might know how to help."
I glance at him, a plan forming in my mind. "Or maybe we could do something ourselves, like set up a safe spot for her."
I keep my grip on Jace's arm as we watch the doe, both of us barely breathing.
The peaceful moment stretches on, the only sounds being the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds.
Then, in the distance, a low rumble echoes through the trees - probably Uncle Rick's old truck backfiring again.
The doe's head snaps up once more, her muscles tensing as she senses the disturbance.
In a blur of brown, she bounds away through the undergrowth, vanishing into the depths of the forest.
The sudden movement breaks our trance, and Jace stumbles backward, pulling me with him.
We both land on the damp ground with a thud, laughing at our startled reactions.
Leaves stick to my jeans as I push myself up, brushing them off with a chuckle.
I glance at Jace, who's still grinning from ear to ear. "Guess we scared her off," he says sheepishly.
"Yeah," I reply with a shrug, "but it was worth it to see her up close like that."
Jace's grin fades slightly, and he looks at me with a serious expression. "Do you think we should really try to help her, though? I mean, what if we mess things up?"
I meet his gaze, determination in my eyes. "We won't know until we try, and besides, Nana Jean always says it's better to do something than nothing at all."
I lead Jace along the narrow deer trail, pushing aside low-hanging branches as we venture further from the farmhouse.
The path winds between towering pines, their needles crunching beneath our feet.
Jace pants behind me, complaining about the uphill climb, but I keep moving forward, searching for signs of the doe's regular path.
We pass a fallen log covered in moss, and I spot fresh hoof prints in the mud.
The tracks lead toward the old creek bed where Nana Jean once showed us wild blackberry bushes.
I pause at a wide oak tree, pressing my back against its rough bark and sliding down to sit on exposed roots.
Jace plops down beside me, his shoulder bumping mine as he wipes sweat from his forehead.
The climb has left us both breathing hard.
Through gaps in the canopy above, sunlight dapples the forest floor where the doe's tracks lead deeper into the woods.
I pull my water bottle from my back pocket and take a sip before passing it to Jace.
He gulps half of it down, and I punch his arm lightly.
"Hey, save some for me; we still have more hiking to do."
Jace grins sheepishly and hands the bottle back.