Stay Silent

Oskar

From two months ago...

               I know mom is being impossible with Cera. It was foolish of me to believe she would come around if we invite her to stay now and then. That day she said terrible things to a child. I was frantically praying nothing should happen to Cera. I should have listened to Mehaja when she insisted about repairing the broken fence. My mind ran different directions like for past few days Kiwi wouldn't stop bleating and the cows wouldn't leave for gazing. It was like something out there scared them.. Yeah fence broken too.. Maybe that was the reason. I forgot to pull on thick sweater my arms feels icy or maybe the thought of Cera out in the woods brings this chilly feel. I couldn't stay sane. I looked around the trees. Everything was eerie silent. We separated for search. Cera should know that the woods out of bounds to her. Ground was slippery and muddy though it rained few days ago the thing with these dark wood sunlight does not penetrate deep here as if its guarding some cold eerie creatures. Oh another fact bombarding my head, it wasn't long ago my friend Athik reported to authorities that dead deers keeps appearing at his forest cabin and he wasn't sure whether it was work of a predators or man's doing. When you live close to woods usually you wouldn't pay attention to this kinda news. But I couldn't help but to keep shouting, "CERA!!!!! ARE YOU OUT THERE!!!!!", my limb feels heavy so were my arms. Night's only getting darker. Deep in my head, little voice keeps popping, "I am not going with Uncle to the pharmacy. Please Nanny let me stay with you", I reflexively calming my mind, "Cera, Don't tell me you don't want new sketch books. It has many Winnie the pooh pictures ", I strained my eyes to see clearly around.
Distantly I could hear Samara shouting too. As we proceed deeper, ground became super slippery. Time elapsed too much. Strangely I felt air felt lighter so were the grounds, moonlight shone brighter on me. Like some help from above reached me to find my niece. Though I had my fair share of exploring into the woods, this part felt strange and eerily new. I could hear the distant humming of motor vehicles. may be I was approaching nearer to the forest roads. This time around the year, roads usually deserted. While I was frantically shouting and looking around, my nostrils hit with heavy scent of some flowers. Once I heard from my mates, this wood packed with wild jasmines and it would drove some animal mad, I didn't know which one. Thin jacket I wore done its part, my teeth wouldnt stop chattering, now my breath felt heavy with cold air. I was close to collapse on the floor when I heard the distant laughter of Cera. It was surreal. Without my own command, I started to walk towards the laughter sound. Was it mere trickery of moonlight or cold scent of wild jasmines, I felt rushed. I started to run in that direction. Faint outline of some gigantic dog standing at the foot of a tall tree, I was approaching it faster. It felt like walking towards the death omen. I stopped at some distance from that figure, at the same time, a man outline appeared... My eyes..... Within a Blink... He disappeared. I practically dragged my feet to that spot. There was no trace of a man or a dog stood there. "CERAAA.....UNCLE IS HERE..... CERA!!!, my sixth sense told me that she would appear out of thin air if I stood there shouting. That moment would be my death. I didn't know whether I was shouting for my own life or for Cera. The wood became eerily quiet again. My own breath weighed me down. I stood there gasping for more breaths, I heard a distant whisper of some strange tongue as I couldn't make out the words. Something alarmed me that I found my niece. I ran in a direction which showed more clearing of trees and heavy scent of wild jasmines. After a frantic run, I came to a spot that was brighter with moonlight. There... There... I spotted my little girl sitting under a shrub. She lifted her face on seeing me. I expected that she would come running to me. But she was quiet and looking elsewhere. I wasted no time. I  gathered her up and lifted her on my back. The moment I stood up, her head hit hard on my back. Maybe that's for good, atleast sleeping peacefully. It was a miracle that how I managed to reach home in such speed all the while moonlight guided me. During the run, I felt someone running at the same speed as me, it felt as if they were guiding me through.