PLOP
A malodorous stinking smell arose from my face waking me up from my sweet slumber. I opened my eyes and sat up on my hammock that hung from a maple tree, my science textbook falling off my lap down on the crispy forest ground. My brows pulled down, and my nose scrunched up, as I touched the bulky white dropping that fell on my face.
Chirp Chirp
I looked up, my eyelids squinted as I gawked furiously at one of the branches of the tree on which sat a little yellow warbler, who chirped melodiously, but before I could leap and squish the bird to its death or cry upon my life...
"SHOOT!", I almost tripped as I jumped out of my hammock and grabbed my phone that was buried beneath the stack of leaves in a picnic basket, I switched it on, to find out it was already 9:30, half an hour late to my science exam. I quickly grabbed my phone and stuffed it into my trouser's pocket and grabbed the science book and the picnic basket and rushed towards my home.
It was another Monday of life, panicking in a hurry as I ran through the woods or as my mother says 'Prohibited Woods' to the window of my room.
But you all might be thinking what was I doing in the woods anyway?
Long story short in a terrible way-wasn't able to learn the cell theory so-decided to come here but ended up accidentally spotting my crush, who was taking a walk around the forest lake and doesn't even know about my existence, then zoned out looking at the star-fell asleep-thinking I was taking a 15-minutes healthy nap-ended up waking now and-now I wanna die.
After some more gasping and sprinting, I reached my late great-grandaunt's little log cabin house on the outskirts of the Canadian forest. I quickly climbed into my room through the open window and washed my face and hair in the bathroom sink. I searched through the pile of clothes that fell out of my wardrobe as soon as I opened it, fished out and wore a green-brown crochet cardigan that I knitted with my grandpop during the winter holidays.
Grabbed my green canvas backpack and rushed into the kitchen past the family picture in the corridor of my father, Mark Wilson, his chestnut brown hair brushed neatly, dressed like a gentleman, whom I only get to see once a year as he works in the city as a salesman; My mother, Agatha Wilson, her ice blue eyes looking as warm as the sun, whom is the best mother in the world and has been calling and shouting at me for being late from the kitchen since god knows when; my sister, Kiri Wilson, she was eight when we took the picture, a mischievous smile spread across her face, love her and miss her 'cause she has been missing for seven years; and tiny little me. I rushed towards the chaotic kitchen counter and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl.
"Wow! You're really early!" My mother sarcastically stated as she made a pb&j sandwich for her morning shift lunch at Walmart.
"Sorry," I mumbled, as I grabbed my skateboard and dashed out of the door, trying to remember the cell functions and structures as I darted to school.
The exams went hectic just like they are. I slept through half of it and was panicking to complete it in the last five minutes; I found out that my friend, Billie, spilt almond milk on my Diary of Wimpy Kid book; Sienna told us how her little brother had become a part of a mafia group at the park and that they are raiding all the Pokémon cards and Fidget toys of other kids.
I sighed as I opened the doors of my room. I dropped my backpack from my hand as I saw my mom seeing the last pages of my notebook, panic arose in my chest as I remembered that I had drawn the strange things I saw in the dream I had one night while I was sleeping near a lake.
She might get mad at me and think that instead of studying I wasted my time drawing and doodling. No, she isn't a strict Orthodox religious mother, she is just really really concerned about my studies. She got mad at me after the Parents-Teacher-Confrence last summer. I got Fs, in almost everything except art and PE, and she grounded me for a week, though I still sneaked out into the forest every night like always.
She noticed me and gave me a stern look, "Did you go to the prohibited woods again?"
I got confused as I expected her to say something like 'KYrAH, whY is thEIr thEse drAwing at the bAcK oF yOUr mAths nOtebook?' or 'Do yOu wAste yOur tIme dOing sUch sTUff whEn I tEll you to stUdy?' but instead it was this weird question.
"No...you grounded me from going there-and...I-I haven't gone there since I was 8" I stuttered as I tried my best not to smile as she glared a hole into my eyes.
She snapped and sighed worriedly, "Just don't draw or imagine these kinds of creatures and don't ever think of going to that forest ever, dear, please, Do you understand?", she once again got back into her usual strict voice, "And don't waste your time doing such silly stuff"
I nodded in confusion and with a loud huff, she left the room. I picked up the notebook from my messy desk and flipped to the last page which my mom was seeing a few moments ago.
It was a drawing made by me of a red-yellow bird. There were also some strange creatures like a little pixie-like creature with wings that looked like shining red petals and a boy with leaves sprouting out of his head instead of hair.
I shut the book and hid it under my desk and flopped on my bed, 'I will just take a quick 15-minute nap' I promised to myself as I quickly dove into the realms of slumber.
I suddenly heard the sound of crickets chirping, I quickly sat up straight and looked at the clock. It was almost dinner time. I guess I ended up taking a bear's winter slumber instead of a cat's nap. again.
I walked down the corridor towards the bathroom and freshened up after rethinking life on the toilet seat. I walked towards the living area, which was attached to the dining area and the open kitchen. It looked pretty much like any other Canadian house, my mom was setting the dinner table.
She looked at me, suspiciously, "Were you asleep?"
"No-No-Why would someone sleep at such a time?", I walked over and started helping her.
I sat on the chair after setting the table up but immediately got up after I realized that I forgot to bring the maple syrup and salad from the kitchen counter.
"So, how were the exams?" My mother asked as I passed her the fruit salad.
"Nice," I muttered, regretfully.
"Terrible," my mother corrected.
"Yep.", I sighed as I took a bite out of my pancake.
"And which exam is tomorrow?"
"Maths," I droned.
"Prepared?"
"No...not...much. Honestly"
My mother sighed, "Look, I don't wanna pressure you, I am saying it for you are own good-"
"Yes, yes, I know", I mumbled, "Sorry, I am trying."
Then, the usual comforting but boring silence engulfed us again, but, out of nowhere a weird question came into my mind and curiosity pushed me to ask that question breaking the quietude once again, "The thing you told me after seeing the drawings in my notebook, was it related to my sister?" I asked.
My mom started to cough weirdly after hearing my question, I quickly gave her a glass of water, and after taking a gulp she said in a hoarse voice, "No-no-why-why would you think it's related to your sister?"
I felt like she was lying. I eyed her for a moment as she took a sip of her peppermint tea, I had no idea how she was able to even think to drink such horrible-tasting stuff before she continued eating.
After dinner, I went to the woods again and flopped on the hammock with the Maths book in my hand as I memorized formulas and stuff but my eyes once again drifted towards the rattling tree leaves above me and towards the magnificent spread of stars in the ocean of sky. I started to trace constellations by joining stars just like I used to do with my sister when she was around as I zoned out. I got out of my hammock and climbed up on the tallest branch of the tree as I continued gazing at the majestic night. Soft gusts of wind brushed across my cheeks as I hugged the branch of the warm trees.
I slowly started to drift into the realms of respite when suddenly, I saw a strange red and yellow flash fly over me.
I quickly sat up to see a little bird with red and yellow feathers sitting on a branch near me, I sat up to get a better look but my hammock did a one-eighty turn to my left, making me fall on my butt as the bird flew away in a flutter.
"Hey! Come back!" I called out to the little bird as I clumped to follow it.
It flew to a lake, where fireflies and strange luminescent butterflies were creating an arc like a gate on an area on the bank of the lake. It flew through the gateway and I recklessly followed it and ran through the gate as well I had no idea what I was doing, all I knew was I needed to catch it as if it was really important. The gate was facing the lake and the bird flew over the surface of the lake for a moment before diving into it.
I quickly trodded towards the surface of the lake to check where it went but it was gone, I kneeled and looked into the lake, but it wasn't there. It was just gone.
"Where did it go?" I muttered to myself in disbelief and confusion.
I touched the surface of the lake with the tip of my finger, I don't know what expected to find from it but suddenly it felt as if the world around me got flipped upside down and then back as if I have just entered a mirror world.
I quickly removed the tip of my finger from the surface of the lake, "What the bloody hell was that?"
I stood up and glanced around, it felt as if I have came to a completely different place, the maple tree forest was gone instead replaced by a strange dark forest with abnormally tall trees, their roots and trunks have rotted up and the leaves have dried and fallen off, the forest was surrounded by walls of rocks like a cave, which created a dome with a small circular opening on top, out of which you could see the starless night sky.
I looked at the tip of my finger and the moisture on my finger collected, they started to turn into a group of hovering water droplets and hovered over my head as I stared at them with a mixed expression of astonishment, awe and bewilderment. It started to hover away from the dark lake, towards the strange forest and I began absurdly and cluelessly following it.
The hovering water droplets popped and fell onto the ground with a splash, drops of water fell on my cheeks and I looked up to see, rain falling from the sky at a chaotic pace out of nowhere.
I quickly rushed to the ladder that led to the entrance of the treehouse, I climbed it and entered the treehouse.
"Hello, is anyone here?" I said, hoping for a reply but was only met by the defeating silence only interrupted by the creaking of wood and thunder and lightning outside the house. It was dark and quiet as if something was ready and waiting for me to place my foot in.
I trodden on the wooden ground around the house, through the light of the moonlight that came out of the window, I saw a wooden cupboard at the corner of the room, few feet in front of it was a small kitchen, and a few feet near it on the opposite wall was a wooden bed, the bed was poorly made and a pine green leather cover book lay open-facing down on the bed, opposite to the bed was a Victorian study table, cluttered with papers, books, jars with strange coloured and strong odour liquids, drawings of roots and trunks of the trees that I saw before outside and a paper that had something written on it in a strange language.
All of a sudden, I felt like I was being watched. I looked at the corner of the treehouse that I hadn't looked at before.
CRACK!
Lightning strikes and in front of the entrance, stood a person standing, holding something in their hands, looking at me.