我們漫無邊際地閑聊了半個小時后,有幾個男孩想到潮汐池周圍走走。這實在讓人進退兩難。一方面,我喜歡潮汐池。當我還是個孩子的時候,就開始對它們著迷了。從前當我到??怂箒淼臅r候,它們是我唯一盼望著的事物。另一方面,我也常常掉進潮汐池里。當你只有七歲,和爸爸在一起的時候,這沒什么大不了的。但這讓我想起了愛德華的請求——別讓我自己掉進海里。
Lauren was the one who made my decision for me. She didn't want to hike, and she was definitely wearing the wrong shoes for it. Most of the other girls besides Angela and Jessica decided to stay on the beach as well. I waited until Tyler and Eric had committed to remaining with them before I got up quietly to join the pro-hiking group. Mike gave me a huge smile when he saw that I was coming.
是勞倫促使我最終作出了決定。她不想去遠足,而且她顯然穿著不適合徒步旅行的鞋子。除了安吉拉和杰西卡,大部分女孩都決定也留在沙灘上。我一直等到泰勒和埃里克被委托留下來陪她們以后,才默默地加入了去遠足的那一組。當邁克看到我加入的時候,他給了我一個大大的笑臉。
The hike wasn't too long, though I hated to lose the sky in the woods. The green light of the forest was strangely at odds with the adolescent laughter, too murky and ominous to be inharmony with the light banter around me. I had to watch each step I took very carefully, avoiding roots below and branches above, and I soon fell behind. Eventually I broke through the emerald confines of the forest and found the rocky shore again. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. Along its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life.
這次遠足不算太漫長,雖然我一向討厭待在林子里,因為看不到天空。森林里的綠光和少年人的笑聲有一種古怪的不協調感,這里太陰森了,有一種不祥的氣氛,跟我周圍的輕松的調笑一點兒也不搭調。我不得不留神看著自己踏下的每一步,提防著底下的樹根和頂上的樹枝,很快被落在了后頭。最終,我沖出了森林里翡翠色的藩籬,重新看見了布滿巖礁的海岸。正是落潮時分,一條潮汐河涌動著從我們面前流過,奔向大海。沿著布滿礫石的海岸上,一灣灣淺淺的水池從未干涸過,總是盈滿了生機。