The Boy in the Woods

Part One

As I lay in the grass, I felt the ground taking me in. Birds were trilling and crickets were chirping in the distance. The breeze rustling the leaves in the trees all around me. Further away was a soft humming of moving vehicles. The sun was hitting my face as it was setting and it was giving the sky a blue to orange gradient.

Suddenly, a voice shouted, "Lorelei!" I ignored the voice. I felt the way the grass prickled gently on my skin. My hair disheveled and body sprawled in the middle of the meadow.

"Loryyyy," I sat up with a frown.

I finally shouted back, "What, Papa?"

"It's almost nightfall! You must come back inside now," he warned, standing by the doorway of the cabin.

I begrudgingly stood up and went into the house. Although it was a small place, it fit my father and I. My father lit a couple of candles as I locked the door with the padlock. I hung my hooded sweater on one of the hooks and went to sit at the table. The kitchen was united with the lounge room so we didn't have a lot of counter space. We had a simple fire pit and a refrigerator. The walls were made of large logs with small patches and the floors consisted of stone bricks. There were pictures on every wall, showcasing our small family.

My father handed me a bowl, "Here's dinner! Oh, and here's a little gift."

"Oh, thank you! What's the occasion though? My birthday was two months ago," I questioned, curiously staring at the thin box as I took a bite of my meal. It was an ordinary cardboard box but with a green ribbon keeping the top half from lifting.

He replied, grinning, "I thought you might like it," he waited as I took another scoop of my dinner, "You can open it now if you'd like."

"Um, alright then," I hesitated as I slid my half eaten meal to the side and took the box in both hands. I pulled at the end of the bow and the ribbon gradually became loose. I slowly lifted the lid open and found a book in the box, titled The Visual Encyclopedia of Life on Earth. I look up from the book to my father, "What's this for?"

"Not every creature in this book is in the woods but you may find a few," he paused, "I've thought about what you said a while back, about wanting to go into the forest? I'll let you go–"

I interrupted him, ecstatic, "You're really letting me go?? Please tell me you're not joking!" I stood up from my chair, book in hand and I started skipping around the table. This was one of the best moments of my life!

"Yes, yes, but on two conditions," I stopped skipping and he continued, "Firstly, you are forbidden from staying outside past sundown. Secondly, you must be within visual range of the cabin, meaning you must always be able to see the cabin from a distance. Are we clear, Lorelei?"

I sighed, but I was aware this was the only chance of seeing what it's really like out there. I replied, "Fine, Papa..."

"Alright, now finish eating your dinner before it gets cold. I'm heading to bed, I've got to get wood and forage for food early tomorrow," he opens his arms to embrace me, "Good night, Lorelei."

I returned the embrace, "Good night, Papa," and I then watched him slip into a small room to the left of the kitchen.

"I must get going, Papa, I'll be back before dinner," I paused to put on my shoes, "Take care!" I slung over a spring jacket, as the weather wasn't all that welcoming, and unlatched the padlock.

He waved at me as I was closing the front door, "Be safe!"

I held the strap of my satchel as I followed the hardly noticeable dirt path that leads into the woods. I was reluctant, not because I didn't want to go inside the vast woodland of the unknown but rather, I was thrilled. I enjoy the outdoors and I was finally allowed to explore. My worry was getting distracted and then getting lost.

"What? I shouldn't be worrying right now," I thought, "I'm capable of doing this, just don't break the rules and I'll be fine."

I pressed on, going further along the path. I would stop and crouch by a plant or a bug to examine and to sketch it occasionally. Every time I'd hear a rustle in the bushes I would turn around only to see that I'm farther away from the cabin. It eventually looked like a small brown speck in the distance.

"Woah, I'm so far now," I said to myself, my voice echoing into the vast forest. "Wait, is that a river?"

The path ended sooner than I had anticipated, "This must be where Papa gets our water."

I approached the lengthy water source carefully. I took out my stainless steel canteen from my leather satchel and kneeled down before the water. I cautiously dipped it and the water slowly flooded into the metal flask. I heard another rustle behind me. Before I could brush it off, I heard thumping in the mud. I swiftly yanked out the canteen from the water with one hand and the other grabbed a stick from the muddy soil. As the thumping sound advanced closer to me, I extended my arm with the damp stick and pointed to the sound as hastily as possible. Unfortunately, I tumbled into the shallow water the moment I twisted my body toward the noise. Pants completely soaked, I looked back to see a... person? It wasn't my father, that's for certain.

Still pointing the stick at him, I ask, "Who are you?! What... are you??"

As I waited for an answer, all I heard was the croaking of toads and the water splashing against rocks. He just stared back at me. I was perplexed so I took out the encyclopedia my father gave me. "There has to be something on this," I flipped through the pages as quickly as I could. The closest animal that I could've compared him to was a deer. It was like he was a deer-boy? He had many aspects of a human, except his two legs were hairier than the rest of its body and his legs were formed like deer legs, meaning he had hooved feet. His ears were pointy and furry as well. He even had antlers! He had a long bedraggled shirt over his body and it seemed like he had scars all over his arms and face. One of his ears was cropped.

I took a deep breath, "It doesn't seem like you'll hurt me so," I stowed away the flask and the thick book, "Are you okay? Do you need help...?"

He sat down and looked down at the mud. It seemed like he was thinking and then he slowly spoke, "Hungry..." His voice was hoarse. I noticed his neck had a red indent around it, seemingly a rope burn.

I search through my satchel, pulling out a pouch containing berries, "I was going to have these but I think it's best for you."

I inched toward him warily, offering my hand out with the open pouch. He leaned forward and sniffed the bag and looked up at me before taking it.

"Do you have a name, little guy?" I asked. I was curious to know how this was possible, especially since the book had no information on his species. It felt like a lucid dream.

After he scarfed all the berries down he responded, "Gael... My name is Gael...."

"What happened to you? It seems like you're in pain," I worried. I was lost, I don't know if I could help him.

"I do not know... I left bad people... Now I am here..."

Gael's injuries didn't seem too bad but he had a higher risk of infection in this forest, "I have stuff to help you but you have to come with me to get it. Is that okay?"

"Bad person said that too but it was not true," backing away, his expression shifted. He started shivering, afraid.

I reached out to him in reassurance, "No, I would never do that! I don't know what the 'bad people' did to you but I only want to give you bandages."

Gael looked away, pondering, "Okay... I will go but if you ever do anything, I will run."

I nodded and unsteadily stood up, then pointing my hand to the path, "My cabin is that way."

By the time we got to the cabin, the sun had already set. I ran up the step to the house, Gael following close behind, and I noticed the door was open. I cautiously pushed it open and standing before me was my father.

I panicked, "Papa, I'm sorry... I didn't realize how long I was outside for! Please forgive me!"

He just blankly stared back at me, hoping for a response. I enveloped my father in a tight hug but I still got silence in return. I let go and I looked into his eyes.

Gael tilted his head in confusion, "Why are you going to the door?"

All I managed to mutter was, "That's not my father..."