Get Lost

It was close to noon when he finally emerged. Landon and Kingsley were dozing off. The door creaked open. Kieran stepped over the threshold with his head lowered. He staggered forward when someone shoved him from behind. He was clutching a cloth sack in his right hand. The mushrooms were gone. Zea shouted from within the house, ‘Go! Never come back! Get lost!’ She sounded like she had been crying. Kieran turned back and mumbled something. He looked troubled and on the verge of tears. The door was shut in his face. Kieran stood helplessly on the doorstep. Then he started pounding on the door with his fists. ‘Open…open…’ ‘Go! You are dead to me! Get lost!’ Kieran kept pounding on the door, which remained firmly shut. It pained me to see him like this. He looked so lost, as if he’d been cast off by his family. But Zea wasn’t his family; I was. Eventually, Kieran gave up knocking. He turned slowly around and caught sight of me. My heart warmed when he approached. He squatted down in front