Two Golden Arches

  I was alone, desperate, and hungry. I had lost my group in the forest on the first day. Of course "Camp Stranded" had to be located in the middle of nowhere. Literally, the place was called No Where City! The name was definitely appropriate. I hadn't seen anything since we had gotten here.

  I looked up at the sun. It was setting. I had to build a fire, and quick. I grabbed some small twigs, branches, and matches. Luckily I had brought some for the trip. Soon I had a small fire going, and I leaned up against a tree. I pulled out my backpack and emptied the contents onto the ground. A small bird fluttered to the ground a few feet away from where I was sitting. I watched me curiously.

  "A flashlight." I said, as I flipped it on and off. "Better conserve the batteries." I put it aside. "My survival guide." I tossed it over my shoulder to where the flashlight lay. The bird chirped at the noise but still stood by me with beady black eyes.

  I continued to look through my belongings. "My watch," I tapped the glass. "Broken." I said, and I threw it at a nearby tree. The glass shattered.

  "A pair of shorts, a t-shirt, five dollars, and a pen with paper." I threw the pen and pater away. What was I supposed to do with them anyway? "A half-eaten granola bar and seven skittles." I finished. My dad had insisted on not bringing electronics, so that we could "bond" with the other campers. I folded the t-shirt and shorts and put them into my bag, followed with the survival guide, flashlight, money, and granola bar. The bird looked at me and the granola bar.

  The bird looked at me and the granola bar. It then flew into my backpack and off into the air with the granola bar.

  "Hey! That's mine!" I yelled at the bird. It was surprisingly strong. I looked away. "Stupid bird." I muttered.

   The sky continued to get darker, and I noticed a shimmer to my right. A yellow sign with a bird on it. "Beware of stealing birds." I read slowly. "Great. Thanks for the warning." I muttered. Stupid sign, I thought. Stupid sign, stupid bird, stupid camping trip. I yawned, and tried to get some sleep.

  When I awoke the next morning the sun was just rising. That's when I saw it. The Golden Arches. I knew I must follow them, I didn't know why, but I had to. So I did. I trudged all day towards them, and each time I looked up, I saw them getting bigger. Finally I had to stop. I could hardly see my two hands in front of me. I settled down and fell fast asleep.

  When I woke up the second morning I immediately opened my backpack.  I pulled out the survival guide and licked my lips. I looked in the table of contents, then flipped to page 27. "Water." I read out loud. I was just about to read the section, when it started raining. Hard. I wasn't even about to lick the water either, with all of the pollution in the air.

  "Just my luck." I muttered. I threw the guide into my backpack and continue my journey to the Golden Arches.

  As I journeyed on through the forest it seemed as though all the animals were mocking me. The squirrels, the birds, even the ants! I had to get those voices out of my head, I needed to find food and water. I ran as fast as I could towards the Golden Arches, when at last they were nearly above me!

  I stopped suddenly. "Is that," I paused. "Cars!" I screamed. I ran even faster and stumbled into a clearing. Right above me were the Golden Arches. I walked into the building beneath them. A woman greeted me when I walked in.

  "What can I do for you dear sir?" She asked me.

  "Water, food." I answered dryly. She could obviously see I was in dire need of both. I handed her the five dollars and she yelled something to the back. A few minutes later she handed me the food and water. I sat down thankfully on a cushioned seat and ate. That McChicken never tasted so good.