7 A feeling of nostalgia

I was only supposed to stay here about a week and now I've been here for almost a month. Every time I think about leaving, I push it off not wanting to let this vacation end.

Aiko and I have been hanging out day after day ass if we were kids again. We do all kinds of stuff together; play video games, go for walks, cook dinner, ect.

I wish I didn't have to leave at this point and the people here have been so welcoming to me...it almost feels like I don't have to.

This ankle binding of nostalgia keeps me chained in the permanent jail cell of the past...and I don't want to be free of it.

It's a never ending cycle of waking up the day I have to leave, beginning to pack my stuff...and turning around to see Aiko in the door way watching me. After I see her, I almost immediately notice that she's about to cry and I have to assure her that I wont leave.

So here I am. Almost one month into this never ending trip. I'm starting to think I should maybe just take up residence here and not look back at my old life.

But that will have to wait, Aiko and I decided to go to the fort today for old times sake, see how it's lasted all these years of neglect...

...and maybe see if we can find any lost memories within it's decaying walls.

I meet up with Aiko around back of her house. She's wearing a white floral dress with a matching white headband. A strange set of clothes for going into the woods, but I won't judge. I mean she look's cute in them after all.

Aiko smiles at me when she see's me approaching and we set off into the woods for our nostalgic adventure.

We follow the small scratches in the trees we left all those years ago to signify where to go, eventually arriving at the old hut. It was a lot...smaller than I remember, but none the less we go inside.

The door creaks open in slow motion, years of weathering have taken a toll on it's hinges...and the whole hut for that matter.

Stepping inside, we are met by the smell of damp air and met with sounds of dripping coming from the ceiling.

I look to Aiko and see her looking around in Awe at the hut. To the outside eye, it wasn't much, but to us is was like we were taken on a train ride to our past.