"Meryl, are you alright?" At the sound of Petra's voice, Meryl's thoughts were brought back to the present, and she realized she was still holding her full mug of beer and had been staring at it for quite some time. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."
She had been thinking. Thinking about her past. She remembered several things clearly, but the one thing she wanted to recall the most was just a haze: her parents. She thought she had known them. They had fed and clothed her, gave her a roof over her head. She had done her chores, even doing odd jobs for her neighbors when they needed to be done. The ones who had raised her, however, eventually told her the truth. They were not her parents, but had taken her in. The details on why or how she had come to live with them were unclear.
At first, Meryl did not want to believe it. Lately, though, those thoughts had been weighing heavily on her mind. She lifted a hand, brushing aside her reddish hair from her bright green eyes, then looked to Petra. "Just been doing a lot of thinking, that's all," she said. "Well," Petra responded with a smirk, "don't go hurting yourself now." Meryl chuckled softly, then shook her head.
"I just...I think it is time for a change." Meryl said this with a determination that Petra realized meant that she was serious. "What sort of change?" she asked. "I'm not exactly sure," Meryl responded. "I think I'm just gonna start walking and see where I end up. I'd like to find something interesting to do with my life." Petra shook her head and sighed. "Don't go getting yourself hurt now. Those roads aren't too safe these days."
Meryl smiled, excited at the idea of traveling and the possibility of adventure. "You worry too much. I can take care of myself."