Day 4: Gem’s Journal

I sat by the river last night and watched the fireflies, and for a moment, the water seemed to hold its breath too. I didn’t sleep well, but I woke up thinking about Zyx’s strawberries—how they glowed in the sun, just like the water striders. I wonder what he’s doing now. The silence feels heavy, but I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to go back to the river either. I’m tired of running, but I don’t know how to stop. I just keep coming back, like the river keeps pulling me closer to the water, even if I don’t know why.