Short Versions of Stories I'll Never Write

Trees

December 18, 1984

It was cold out. What else would you expect from winter in Illinois? The long ride home was terrible. Everyday, after school, I had to ride my bike home. It would help take my mind off the cold if I had something to look at. But, of course, my parents had to buy a large property put in the middle of the country. All I have to look at is an endless amount of trees.

Yesterday though, yesterday was different. After school yesterday, there was something else. I don't know what it was. Something in the trees. I saw green, and not just any green. I saw a bright, non-leaf coloured green. I only saw it for a second, for if I was to stare any longer, I would have wrecked my bike. When I looked back up, it was gone.

All day at school today, I had been thinking about it. Thinking about what it could have been. Finally, on my way home, I took my time. I watched the trees for any sign of any green. There was nothing to be seen.

I neared my home and as I pulled in, I realized something was different. Where was my father's car? Neither of my parents could be home if the car was not here. What could have happened? They would have told me if they were going to be late getting home.

I rushed inside and as expected, no one was home. I was extremely worried. I ran back outside and started riding my bike back to town, heading to the sheriff's office to see if anything had happened. On my way there, I noticed something in the trees again. The green, only this time, it was much closer.

I had to pick between checking if my parents were okay or seeing what thus random green thing was. I didn't have much time to think, so I just decided that I would see what the green thing was and come back later. Plus, nothing could have happened that would be too bad, could it?

I pulled my bike over and pushed it next to a bush so that it was hidden to where it couldn't be stolen. I kept my eye on the green thing so that I wouldn't lose it like last time. I started getting closer, when it started moving. It was going too fast for me to walk, so I started running.

There weren't any animals that were green, were there? I kept running for what felt like forever when I ran out of breath and had to stop. The green thing was out of sight, and I had no idea where I was. I couldn't back track because I was too far in and I couldn't remember how many rights or lefts I took.

I started walking towards god knows what until I came upon something very odd. It was a tree house.

Something was very different about this tree house, though. It was very high in the tree for a normal tree house and it wasn't too small.

It almost looked to be the size of a small shed. It wasn't painted any colors, and there wasn't a rope or any wooden planks to climb as a ladder. There were some branches that seemed perfectly placed all the way to the top, and I had no where else to go so I decided to climb them.

I was only about half way when it started snowing. My arms and legs started getting colder and colder and I began to get stiff. I only had a blue light jacket on. I only wanted to get to the tree house faster now.

I had been climbing and climbing and was almost there when I grabbed a branch and it broke. I started falling but was stopped by a hand who grabbed me.

I looked up and saw bright green eyes. He stared down at me and I felt very intimidated. I immediately felt warmer with him holding me up. He then pulled me up to a bigger branch and without any words, continued climbing up the tree. He got to the top, opened the hatch, and then dropped it shut behind him.

I was confused, but continued climbing. Avoiding grabbing the smaller branches, I made it to the top and opened the hatch.

When I opened the hatch, I climbed inside. Before I shut it, I looked down at the snow covered ground and trees. It must have been snowing heavily, I thought. I shut the hatch.