preview

Brayden A Hero's Journey Essay

Decent Essays
Open Document

Tranquility Falls glittered like fine sugar in the distance as Brayden and his father pulled up to the trailhead. Brayden opened the car door and recoiled at the sharp scent of pine. His juice pouch gurgled and went flat as he slurped the last of its contents.
Brayden could not muster his usual enthusiasm for their annual father-son camping trip. The day before, Brayden’s parents had broken the news to him that he would be spending the remainder of his vacation studying algebra in summer school. Six weeks of finding the value of x. No skateboarding with his friends or swimming at the community pool. Brayden chewed on his straw, the empty juice pouch hovering in front of his face. He hoisted his backpack and slung its straps over his shoulders. “Leave your trash in the car or we’ll just have to carry it back—pack it in, pack it out,” yelled his father, already twenty yards up the trail. The car chirped as his father locked it too quickly for Brayden to do as he was asked. “Let’s go, Slowpoke! First night …show more content…

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a silver flash in the water: his empty juice pouch was stuck in some low-hanging branches. His father’s story echoed in his mind and made him think about his own thoughtlessness. He grabbed the juice pouch and slowly walked back to the camp.
When he arrived at the camp, he saw his father picking up the trash from breakfast. “I’m sorry, Dad. I made a mistake,” Brayden sighed. “I’ve just been ... mad....” His father gave him a look of understanding and patted him affectionately on the back.
That evening before dinner, as Brayden walked to his boulder, a blur of rust-colored movement caught his eye. He turned and saw a coyote directly opposite him on the other side of the river. The beautiful animal stared at Brayden for a brief moment. Then she inclined her head toward him and seemed to nod, before turning away and disappearing into the purple

Get Access