The first sign of green that 45 saw was enough to ignite a spark in his step, bursting with energy the moment life began to poke through the miles of sand. When the canopy of trees broke the horizon, 45 could hear and audible sigh come from his companion, shoulders slumped with relief. 45 was the opposite, his breath catching in his throat as hope swelled in his chest, body tense with anticipation. How long had it been since 45 had seen grass, or a bush, or a tree? It seemed like an eternity now. But none of that mattered anymore, 45 had known that no amount of wandering would keep them away for too long.
“Levi come on, we’re almost there!” He motioned with a wave of his hand for Levi to follow, pace picking up as the trees bloomed in the distance. 45 could hear Levi’s laugh ring out from behind and the sounds of Levi’s feet pressing down on the ground after him. They both knew it was time.
As the green grew around them, so did the strides between 45′s steps, a brisk walk transforming into a run as sand gave way to blades of glass and freshly bloomed flowers. He couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face, his feet finding familiar footing between soft dirt and tangled roots. It was like his body still remembered how to maneuver here: where to duck, where to step, which direction to go. It was an instinct that bubbled up from inside his gut and spread like wild fire through his body. The trickling of light through the leaves, the humming of insects in the air, the rustle and flapping of birds above the trees–all the sounds 45 had been yearning to hear again for the past two years. 45 was so overwhelmed, so lost in the feeling of the forest, that he almost didn’t notice that Levi was longer behind him.
“Levi?” 45 halted mid-run and let his gaze sweep around for his partner, searching for the tell-tale brown mohawk. It only took a moment, however, for Levi’s small form to break through the trees again, chest heaving with the effort. The taller of the two moved back to Levi’s side, about to apologize as he caught his own breath, when 45 noticed the smile etched into Levi’s face. He couldn’t help but smile back. “I told you we would do it, that we would find the forest again.”
“I can’t believe it!” Levi’s voice was raspy as he spoke, though his smile never wavered. “I can’t believe we’re here.”
“But we are. We’re here; we made it!” 45 let out a breathy laugh as he spoke, “We’re alive and we made it back home.” Levi’s smile widen as he joined in with the laughter, though it faded a moment later.
“Home…” Levi straightened himself out as his breathing steadied, gaze gliding along the line of trees surrounding them. 45 followed suit for a moment, his smile softening at the comforting and familiar presence of the forest. Resting his hands on his hips, 45 closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.
“Yeah, we’re finally home.”
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