When you remember the day, you always had a distinct impression of sunlight. Though it had been many, many years since, you still thought of it fondly like you did all childhood memories; sugar-coated and sunkissed. Bare feet and bruised knees. Freckled skin and frizzy hair. Unashamedly ugly and mournfully innocent.

It had been the hottest summer in your short eight years of life. There was no escaping the relentless heat. Inside was hot and stuffy; outside was blistering and bright. Even the nights were unbearable, warmed by the excess heat from the day.

Children flocked to the natural pools along the bay, armed with floppy hats and threadbare towels. You longed to go after being driven mad by the days spent stuck inside searching for nonexistent breezes.

Your mother had fretted over you going out unaccompanied at such a young age, worried that you would get hurt or burnt or swallow dirty water whilst swimming. You still vividly recalled the scent of the protective paste your mother had forcefully smeared on your cheeks and shoulders as you left the house: sweet and cold against the dusty summer air.

The ground was scalding, and after only a few steps you had scurried back inside to retrieve a pair of shoes. You practically ran the short distance and got there even warmer and breathless than you thought possible.

However, it wasn't until you reached the water's edge and tentatively dipped a toe in that you remembered something pretty important: You couldn't swim.

Only slightly deterred, you attempted to paddle around the shallower sections, but found it got much deeper at random intervals. It only took one sudden drop to send you splashing frantically back to the rocks. There you sat for a while, arms wrapped around knees, sulkily watching other children play and laugh in the unreachable waters.

Your mother was surprised to find you home so early. It seemed in the matter of minutes you had been gone, however, she had had a change of tack and was eager for you to 'enjoy the sunshine and your childhood' - whatever that meant. When you told her there was no point, seeing as you couldn't swim like the other kids, she disappear on a short search around the house. After a minute or so, she returned and thrust a yellowing notepad and pen at you.

"There," she had said, satisfied, as you took them from her.

"What do I do with this?" you asked, turning the book over in your small hands, in search of something exciting on the plain exterior.

"You draw," she smiled. "Draw me a picture of something you see. Something interesting."

You frowned. "But how?"

"You'll find a way." She lightly patted you on the back and pressed a kiss to your head. "Now go. It'll be getting dark soon."

Fueled by a new task, you did as she said and braved the midday heat once again. You walked via the market. The streets were crowded and bustling with parched patrons in search of temporary relief from the heat.

You couldn't help snatching an exposed apple from the edge of one of the stands. The shopkeeper was busy, and didn't take notice. Even then, you hurried away, stomach fluttering with giddy exhilaration. You chomped triumphantly on it as you dodged through the crowd.

Once at the pools, you paced around in search of something 'interesting'. The sun was bright and made the water glimmer so violently that your eyes watered - you quickly ruled out drawing anything there.

Between the cracks of the rocks, you spotted a particularly colourful bug. It's shell shone a vivid blue; the colour of sunset sky. As you drew near it scurried away, but you were determined. This would be your Interesting Thing. You chased it over the boulders, following in haste as it scuttled through nooks and crannies.

You were so focused in the pursuit, you didn't notice the sudden drop ahead.

Your sandals skidded over the damp stone. Before you knew it, you were airborne, tumbling head over heels until you had lost all sense of direction. You hit the ground with a heavy thud that sent sparks skittering across your vision.

For a moment you were dazed, too shocked to truly acknowledge what had happened. You looked down and saw your knee was bleeding, though you didn't feel it. Your palms were gazed, your head throbbing.

The drop wasn't as big as it had felt, but studded with large stones and rocks. You had landed right at the edge of a small stream that forked and curved away only a short distance ahead. A steep cliff face stood on the opposite side.

Somehow you were more concerned about how you would get back up, rather than the current state you were in.

When the expected pain didn't come, you shuffled forwards and washed your hands in the stream, watching the current carry away the streaks of red. You splashed water onto your face and winced. It was beginning to hurt, now.

To your surprise, the notepad had survived the fall. Its cover was dusty and its edges slightly damp, but it was pretty much intact. Even while bumped and bruised and possibly concussedyour hunt for an Interesting Thing continued. There wasn't much to look at, though. Rocks, rocks, water, rocks, a bit of sky, a boat and-

You blinked.

A boat?

A small toy boat rounded the corner from upstream. It was no more than a child's toy, though it moved at an incredibly fast speed considering its size. Little cogs set along its side whirred and squeaked as it sped past.

You attempted to reach out and grab it, but it was just out of reach. Your fingers brushed its side. However, that only pushed it even further away form you. Water disturbed in its wake sloshed against your knees, sending you scuttling back out of fear of falling in. You sat back on your heels and watched as it veered left and disappeared downstream.

You let out a small, surprised laugh and quickly reached for your notepad. That was an Interesting Thing.

Before you could put pen to paper, though, another Interesting Thing appeared.

This time, it was a boy.

He looked to be around your age, still wide-eyed and round-cheeked with youth. Under one arm he held a crutch and appeared to use it to walk, which was odd to your inexperienced mind, seeing as he had both legs seemingly intact. His hair was tousled and dark, eyes bright and the colour of sunlight at the end of the day.

He hurried lopsidedly along the river bank opposite, eyes fixed on the water.

"Was that your boat?"

He jumped at your voice, having not previously noticed you. He stared for a moment, taking time to process what you had said.

He nodded.

"It went that way," you said, and pointed to the left fork in the stream.

"Thank you." His voice was low and meek, tinted with an accent you had never heard before.

He set off again, but after only a few steps stumbled and fell.

"Are you alright?" you asked.

Again, he nodded, albeit less certain.

"I got hurt, too. I fell off those rocks up there," you said, proudly holding your grazed hands up as proof. "I'm fine, though. It only hurts a little bit. But not much. My mum says I'm very brave."

He seemed more occupied with getting to his feet, but nodded along nonetheless.

"Do you need help getting your boat back?" you offered. It wasn't like you had much else to do.

He thought about it for a moment, looking at you, then the river, then back again, weighing up the distance. After a fair amount of consideration, he said, "Okay."

You grinned.

Together, the pair of you set off along the river bank, each to your own side. At the fork you nimbly hopped across, landing just short of the other side and having to wade across. The cool water was a welcome change on your feet from the hot rock. You opted to paddle along ankle-deep, letting the gently current tickle your bare skin.

"Once you've gotten your boat," you said, "can I draw you?"

His brow furrowed. "Why?"

"My mum told me to draw something that looks interesting," you explained simply in the way only kids can; as if your brief answer made all the sense in the world.

"You think I look... interesting?"

"In a good way," you quickly assured, then added, as if to prove it, "I like your eyes."

"Huh." He looked at his feet, lips curving into a little smile. "I like your... face."

You laughed. "Thanks."

It wasn't long before the boat was discovered. A spattering of fallen rocks dotted the river just before it plunged into a small waterfall. Luckily, the little boat had become wedged between two boulders. Problem was, it was stuck right in the middle of the channel.

You both attempted to reach out to it, you with your hand, the boy with his cane, but it was too far out.

"I'll go get it," you said. A decent amount of fallen stones stood between you and the toy. Enough were wide enough for you to place at least a foot or hand on.

You took your first step onto a rock and instantly wobbled. You ducked into a crouch and grabbed ahold of another jagged stone before you could lose your balance. A relieved phew escaped your lips.

"Be careful," the boy warned.

From there you worked your way across on all-fours, testing each footing before putting your weight on it. Your heart drummed with exhileration - this was by far the most adventurous day of your little life.

When you made it to the boat, you carefully balanced yourself against the two boulders and tried to pull it out. It was wedged tight. With one final shove, you managed to yank it free. It drifted towards the boy, but before he could grasp it, the current grabbed ahold of it and swept it away downstream. You watched in defeat as it careened over the falls and into an obscured cave below.

"Oh," was all you managed to say.

"Oh," the boy echoed.

"I'm sorry," you said quietly once you'd climbed back to the shore. Your knee was bleeding again, a new cut added to your collection.

"It's fine," he said.

He started to work his way over the rocky decline, but looked back when he noticed you weren't following.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

You looked warily at the jagged opening of the cave. It looked like a vicious, toothy mouth, you thought. Ready to chomp down and trap you inside. You took a wary step back, scared by the products of your own imagination.

The boy saw your apprehensiveness. "You can wait, if you want," he said. "I won't be long."

"What if you get hurt?"

He cast a glance into the darkness. "I'll be careful."

"Goodbye, then," you said with a small wave.

"For now."

"What?"

"Goodbye for now," he corrected. "We're going to see each other again."

"But how long is 'for now'?"

He shrugged. "A few minutes, probably."

You had a deep, unexplained feeling that it would be longer. Much longer.

"Okay," you said anyway. "Goodbye - for now."

He smiled and returned to climbing. At the cave's mouth, he turned and waved. You waved back.

Then he was gone. For now.

While you waited, you sat down and began to draw. You held your pencil in a shaky fist, making clumsy lines whilst your tongue stuck out in concentration. Scribbles turned into shapes, shapes into a background, a person, an object.

You waited.

You waited until the sun began to fall.

You waited until the sun had dipped out of view. He didn't return. You were sad, but sensed that you'd meet again. Maybe tomorrow, you thought hopefully.

When it began to grow dark you knew your mother would be getting worried. Instead of pocketing your notepad, you carefully tore out the drawing and folded it in half. With rounded, shaky letters you wrote on the front: From Y/N - even though the two of you hadn't exchanged names.

You took one last look at your picture before wedging it beneath a rock in a spot you hoped he'd notice

As you walked along the riverbank, sandals slapping against the cooling stone, you made sure to recall every crude detail of the drawing, every line and stroke and scribble, to make sure you would remember it properly.

Two stick figures, a squiggly-line stream, and a boat.

bam!