As I walked through the dark forest, I felt like I was being followed. I broke into a run and then a sprint. The dry leaves crumbled under my feet as I ran for my life. With a hiss of annoyance, the unknown person seized my left ankle and pulled me back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I fell head-over-heels and hit the forest floor. I felt myself go numb as I rolled onto my back and looked up at the surprisingly beautiful sky with stars that peered down at me with calm eyes. In front of me, I saw a boy. The boy's eyes looked into mine. His eyes were hazel brown. His hair was dark brown with dark patches of dirt and dried grass.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He was skinny and pale. Our faces were so close that we almost touched. The boy's eyes showed loathing, and betrayal. He said angrily, "Why are you h..." He stopped mid-sentence. His expression turned from anger to kindness and curiosity. He opened his mouth and spoke again, "Hello, I'm Michael. You are...?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I replied "I'm Hedy. I-Is this where you live?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He answered with a voice that held only wisdom, "Yes. This forest is my home." He replied.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I never knew the actual cause of it, but Michael fell into my arms slowly, yet gracefully, into my outstretched arms. He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again. I was now crouching on the floor by his side. His eyelashes fluttered dreamily as he stared into the tops of the trees overhead. I looked where he was starting and saw an old, leaf-less, wide tree with so many branches, that it looked like a huge ball of brown yarn. It seemed to have realized I was studying it, because when the cold, chilled wind blew, it gave a low howl of greeting. I laid, the now unconscious, Michael on the soft layer of fresh green moss nearby and set out in search of some berries we could eat when he woke. Absolute fear overwhelmed me. Walking through a mysterious, dangerous, unknown forest isn't exactly a walk in the park.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I was just about to pick a glossy, pink berry when a huge bear came crashing through the bushes straight at me! The bear's head was as big as a boulder. Its small, beady, black eyes stared blankly at me. I could tell it had problems with seeing in the dark, but it could hear every little sound the forest made. That was a problem. The bear was now inches away from me. I sprinted as fast as I could to the nearest tree and scrambled up it. Here's a pointer for future reference. Don't climb a tree when a wild bear is chasing you. The bear tore the tree apart as it used its claws to easily climb after me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The bear was now right under me. I closed my eyes and willed the bear to kill me quick. But it never came. I saw Michael on top of the bear that was three times his size. He took his knife out of its sheath and slashed at the bear's underbelly. It screeched and fled the area.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After I jumped off the tree, I hugged Michael and felt his heart pound and his unsteady breathing. He held my hand and said, "Hedy, the forest is too dangerous for you. Please go home. I know you escaped your home because you didn't want your parents to suffer, but they watched you grow up from the minute you were born. They have cared for you ever since. They care only for you. They love you. You don't want to just throw that away, do you?" His eyes were pleading.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I said, "They're going to get their house taken away if they keep me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sympathy swam in his eyes. He said, "Yes, but you must go back."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I asked, "If I go back, will you come with me?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He answered, "No. I'm happier and safer here than I am in a city. Let's go back."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I stopped him and said, "Can I at least stay with you for another day?" Michael hesitated but said, "OK. But do you promise to go back?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I nodded.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We walked for about half an hour until we reached his shelter, the tree that he was staring at when he had fallen unconscious. The sunset was so beautiful against the beaten-up old tree. The radiant colors showed with such brilliance. The colors blended together so beautifully. Red, pink, orange, blue, and purple washed the sky. I had just noticed that there was a crack in the tree's roots that was big enough for a person to fit through. He climbed through it. I followed him into the damp, dark, shelter. The space in the trunk of the tree was limited, but we both fit. We both fell asleep instantly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day was great. We had such fun together. A close bond had developed between Michael
and I.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The morning after that at sunrise, we headed back to civilization. We walked hand-in-hand to the city that was my home. I hugged him tightly and never wanted to let go. He was like a brother I never had. I said my last good-bye and headed home with tears in my eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When I got home, I felt emptiness in my heart. I opened the door to my room and stood with my mouth-open. I was rooted to the spot because in my very room stood Michael. He had said that he wouldn't come back to the city after what happened to him, but there he was.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He said, "I never want to leave you. I would sacrifice anything for you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From that moment on, we lived together as neighbors. Michael had found his own family. Let’s just say his name was now Michael Robinson. Our lives were so wonderful after we'd met each other; it was almost like it was meant to be.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Tragedy of Halloween Night
The twigs and dry leaves crumbled under our feet, as Luke, Lexi, and I walked towards the House of Horrors. It was Halloween night, and all of the children went out to trick-or-treat and have fun in Heritage Park. The moon glowed with an eerie light that washed the children’s faces white. The sky was dark and sinister with shadows that held the darkest of the dark. The park was filled with loud cries, laughs, and screams. I could see the youngsters playing Toss the Corn, Pick a Pocket, Coloring Fun, Haystack Luck, and a bunch of other different games, while the pre-teens and teens lined up to enter the House of Horrors.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Luke, Lexi, and I waited our turn to go into the “haunted house”. Luke looked exhilarated and eager. He flipped his dark brown hair out of his face and smiled his confident Hollywood smile. Lexi, on the other hand, looked anxious and green in the face. I had been looking forward to this night since forever. We slowly, but steadily moved forward. Each of us slipped on our neon green glow-in-the-dark wristbands. As we entered the shadowy room, a cool mist licked the sides of our shoes and legs. To the left, was a mask; to the right, was a scary clown; every bend we reached, a monster, zombie, clown, or concealed creature would jump out and try to grab us. Lexi and I clutched onto each other the whole way and screamed at the top of our lungs, while Luke swept pass without a faint hint of fear. Just after we had exited from the back door, I realized that the giant grandfather clock was about to strike midnight!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The whole audience gaped at the admirable time mechanism and shouted, “5…4…3…2…1…YEAH!” The loud chime never came. Instead an unnatural shriek and scream of pain rang in the ears of the crowd and was followed by a deadly silence. The whole park had stopped its activity to stare open-mouthed at the source. Our trio quickly ran to the back door of the House of Horrors and zigzagged around the many props and temporary walls. A crowd had formed a semi-circle around a girl who lay on the floor, stiff and cold as ice. I could smell the metallic scent of blood. A pool of the sticky, red liquid had formed under the young female’s body. I gasped. There was a hole where her heart used to be. The blossom pink and crimson red flesh hung from the wound. When I looked at the girl’s face, I could see her aqua blue eyes open and a look of pure terror on her blood-stained face that had no nose or mouth. I had just realized that I wasn’t doing anything about this crime.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I nudged Lexi and said, “Hey, call the police and tell them to get here as soon as possible!” Almost instantaneously, I froze as I saw bloody footprints and handprints heading out of a window that was constructed aimlessly and without care.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The three of us followed the blood-stained grass into the woods. The woods were filled with unknown creatures that can kill a single person with one slash of their long claws; even Luke looked frightened. I took the lead while the others proceeded after me. We followed the now faint blood trail to an old shack. The shack’s roof and walls were made of soft, long, gold grasses. Luke went up to the wood door, grasped the gold doorknob and twisted it. The door was glued shut. I pressed my ear against the polished wood and listened. Hearing the sound of water plunging to the floor, I felt an urgency to ply the door open. We tried again and again, but failed. Now, we were exhausted and left with only one more solution. Threesome, we jogged away from the beaten-up old shack and whipped around so that we were peering at the shack from a distance. I gave a signal and we all sprinted, like ostriches, towards the door. I felt splinters puncture my skin as I rammed the door with all my might. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor in a tiny room that smelt of decayed wood and garbage. Swaying as I got up, I examined the furniture-less room and saw dog paw prints leading into another tiny room that was flooded with water. As I saw the shriveled up old dog face, hanging from the doorframe, whose eyes and mouth were gushing white liquid, I backed up right into Lexi and Luke and fled the shack in terror. Lexi and Luke joined me at the base of an old twisted tree, panting. I shivered and began to sob. Lexi comforted me by saying that she knew that I was scared, but it would be all right in the end. I didn’t believe her, but I trudged on with the both of them. I was furious at the dog murderer and was determined to put that person behind bars for all eternity.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The three of us followed a set of distinct, dented, wet grass into a huge wheat field. The wheat field stretched as far as the eyes could see. Opposite of us, stood a girl at the very end of the field whose back was turned. The cold November wind blew and howled loudly, spreading multi-colored leaves everywhere. Her jet black hair waved and flowed in the gathering darkness. The girl was holding one thing in each hand, but I couldn’t identify them. Luke walked closer to take a better look and saw a pumping heart in her left hand, and a rusty, bloody kitchen knife in the other. He quickly stepped back. She sensed their presence and slowly and dramatically turned to face us.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When she turned, we saw a feature-less surface where her face should’ve been. She had no eyes, no mouth, no nose, and no ears. But I heard a mysteriously dark voice say, “You do not belong here on this earth. You shall all die like that girl and mutt. Say your last good-byes.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The girl charged and held her curved blade at ready. She got closer and closer, but we were too shocked to move a muscle. She tried to stab Luke, but he sidestepped and took out his own blade. He used the blade and chucked it at her heart, and but she didn’t seem to be hurt at all. Then Luke realized that he couldn’t win this battle, but it was too late. He tried to flee, but got jabbed and sliced at until he gave one last look at the sunset and fell limp.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lexi and I ran for safety back to the House of Horrors and contacted the police. When they had gone to the scene of the attack at the wheat field, they had found no evidence of Luke, but found two round marbles, a triangle, and a thick, curled line.
That girl still visits me in my dreams both at night and in the day. Lexi was never the same again, neither was Halloween. The girl was never seen again…or was she?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Luke, Lexi, and I waited our turn to go into the “haunted house”. Luke looked exhilarated and eager. He flipped his dark brown hair out of his face and smiled his confident Hollywood smile. Lexi, on the other hand, looked anxious and green in the face. I had been looking forward to this night since forever. We slowly, but steadily moved forward. Each of us slipped on our neon green glow-in-the-dark wristbands. As we entered the shadowy room, a cool mist licked the sides of our shoes and legs. To the left, was a mask; to the right, was a scary clown; every bend we reached, a monster, zombie, clown, or concealed creature would jump out and try to grab us. Lexi and I clutched onto each other the whole way and screamed at the top of our lungs, while Luke swept pass without a faint hint of fear. Just after we had exited from the back door, I realized that the giant grandfather clock was about to strike midnight!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The whole audience gaped at the admirable time mechanism and shouted, “5…4…3…2…1…YEAH!” The loud chime never came. Instead an unnatural shriek and scream of pain rang in the ears of the crowd and was followed by a deadly silence. The whole park had stopped its activity to stare open-mouthed at the source. Our trio quickly ran to the back door of the House of Horrors and zigzagged around the many props and temporary walls. A crowd had formed a semi-circle around a girl who lay on the floor, stiff and cold as ice. I could smell the metallic scent of blood. A pool of the sticky, red liquid had formed under the young female’s body. I gasped. There was a hole where her heart used to be. The blossom pink and crimson red flesh hung from the wound. When I looked at the girl’s face, I could see her aqua blue eyes open and a look of pure terror on her blood-stained face that had no nose or mouth. I had just realized that I wasn’t doing anything about this crime.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I nudged Lexi and said, “Hey, call the police and tell them to get here as soon as possible!” Almost instantaneously, I froze as I saw bloody footprints and handprints heading out of a window that was constructed aimlessly and without care.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The three of us followed the blood-stained grass into the woods. The woods were filled with unknown creatures that can kill a single person with one slash of their long claws; even Luke looked frightened. I took the lead while the others proceeded after me. We followed the now faint blood trail to an old shack. The shack’s roof and walls were made of soft, long, gold grasses. Luke went up to the wood door, grasped the gold doorknob and twisted it. The door was glued shut. I pressed my ear against the polished wood and listened. Hearing the sound of water plunging to the floor, I felt an urgency to ply the door open. We tried again and again, but failed. Now, we were exhausted and left with only one more solution. Threesome, we jogged away from the beaten-up old shack and whipped around so that we were peering at the shack from a distance. I gave a signal and we all sprinted, like ostriches, towards the door. I felt splinters puncture my skin as I rammed the door with all my might. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor in a tiny room that smelt of decayed wood and garbage. Swaying as I got up, I examined the furniture-less room and saw dog paw prints leading into another tiny room that was flooded with water. As I saw the shriveled up old dog face, hanging from the doorframe, whose eyes and mouth were gushing white liquid, I backed up right into Lexi and Luke and fled the shack in terror. Lexi and Luke joined me at the base of an old twisted tree, panting. I shivered and began to sob. Lexi comforted me by saying that she knew that I was scared, but it would be all right in the end. I didn’t believe her, but I trudged on with the both of them. I was furious at the dog murderer and was determined to put that person behind bars for all eternity.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The three of us followed a set of distinct, dented, wet grass into a huge wheat field. The wheat field stretched as far as the eyes could see. Opposite of us, stood a girl at the very end of the field whose back was turned. The cold November wind blew and howled loudly, spreading multi-colored leaves everywhere. Her jet black hair waved and flowed in the gathering darkness. The girl was holding one thing in each hand, but I couldn’t identify them. Luke walked closer to take a better look and saw a pumping heart in her left hand, and a rusty, bloody kitchen knife in the other. He quickly stepped back. She sensed their presence and slowly and dramatically turned to face us.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When she turned, we saw a feature-less surface where her face should’ve been. She had no eyes, no mouth, no nose, and no ears. But I heard a mysteriously dark voice say, “You do not belong here on this earth. You shall all die like that girl and mutt. Say your last good-byes.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The girl charged and held her curved blade at ready. She got closer and closer, but we were too shocked to move a muscle. She tried to stab Luke, but he sidestepped and took out his own blade. He used the blade and chucked it at her heart, and but she didn’t seem to be hurt at all. Then Luke realized that he couldn’t win this battle, but it was too late. He tried to flee, but got jabbed and sliced at until he gave one last look at the sunset and fell limp.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lexi and I ran for safety back to the House of Horrors and contacted the police. When they had gone to the scene of the attack at the wheat field, they had found no evidence of Luke, but found two round marbles, a triangle, and a thick, curled line.
That girl still visits me in my dreams both at night and in the day. Lexi was never the same again, neither was Halloween. The girl was never seen again…or was she?
Costa Rican Mystery
Annabel and I trekked down the slippery, grassy slope of the Costa Rican forest. The rainforest was filled with loud chattering; howls, calls, and coos. We were taking a vacation to relax from our mountain of homework from college. This forest is 300 square miles of the most amazing and inhabited areas in the world. We took a tour caravan into the heart of the animal central and heard the tour guide say, “Now, everyone, please look to your right. Up on that tree, you can see an exotic toucan. You will recognize it probably from its colorful, multi-colored bill.” Every single tour member turned their heads towards the bird. The toucan was perched on a thin twisted branch in a high tree.
The tour members sat in silence and watched the animals roam and thrive as the caravan stopped next to a murky, cloudy lake. What we saw was an amazing phenomenon; a Jesus Christ Lizard glided on the smooth surface of the lake and skidded to a halt on the shore of the water. It hurried up a tree and vanished from sight. Annabel tapped me on the shoulder and pointed her index finger at a nearby tree. She climbed out of the caravan and I followed. I saw a little green bump on the brown bark of the fir tree. It was tiny and not very distinctive, but Annabel is known to have very sharp eyes. We walked closer and recognized a gecko. Geckos were very rare and small. The gecko seemed to have sensed us observing it, because it tilted its head and sprinted up the rough bark into the top canopy.
To this day, I still don’t know how we ended up in that lake, but we did. Seconds after we saw that gecko glide up the tree, we were all in that lake. It didn’t feel like much of a lake, but a muddy, marshy swamp. The tour members had started to panic, because they were starting to get tired and weary. The tour guide, with unbelievable calmness, said, “Everyone, please calm down. It isn’t the end of the world. This lake isn’t like quicksand and won’t devour you. Don’t worry. Just listen to my instructions, and you’ll get out real soon.” The tour members weren’t reassured, but wanted to be, so they had no choice but to believe every word the guide said.
The guide said, “Everyone, please walk calmly and slowly towards the shore, and don’t make any sudden or swift movements…or…IT will see you.” The tension in the lake grew. The tour members’ faces all turned as white as chalk, and looked a bit greener than usual. The tour members all moved, with caution, towards the shore. The tour guide, all of a sudden, went under the surface and vanished. The tour members saw what happened and ignored all that he had said, and ran, as fast as they could, towards the shore. Something pulled a few other tour members under the surface, but Annabel, four tour members, and I survived. We were on the shore, soaking wet, feeling cold. The cold Costa Rican wind blew and blew and sent chills down our spines.
It was close to night now. I took my warm jacket off of my shoulders and wrapped it around Annabel and me. Our lips had turned a sickly purple because of the cold. We had little food in the caravan, but it was enough to support all six of us for a day. The horizon couldn’t be seen, but the sky was a blend of radiant color: cherry blossom pink, purple passion, lemon yellow, goldenrod, and sea foam.
In the morning, I was awoken by the howling of monkeys. As I rubbed my eyes, I could see them hopping from one tree to another. When they got to another tree, they hurried down the tree and sat and relaxed on a thick branch. Annabel had already awoken. She was staring into the muddy swamp, probably remembering what had happened to the other tour members. As I moved my eyes where she was looking, I wondered what “IT” was, but I didn’t intend to find out.
Evening came, and we were all exhausted and hungry. We had traveled north from the heart of the Costa Rican forest ever since everyone woke up that morning. We had wandered to a nearby stream, and decided to take in a bit of water before we continued or camped for the night. The stream looked exactly the opposite of that lake; it was clear and purified. The stream looked unusually deep, but that didn’t matter. After drinking as much as we could, we set out again; northwards.
Night was almost here. All of us were injured from some sort of slip or fall. I had tripped over a root and landed flat on my face, so now I had scratches and bruises all over myself. Annabel seemed to be unhurt, besides her slight limping. The other tour members trailed behind and sulked slowly forwards. We settled down and made camp with the few resources we had: some wood, some dried canopy leaves, some vines, and some stones. The night was very bitter. The wind blew through our canopy leave walls and made us shiver.
The next morning, we walked and walked and walked; there seemed to be no end to this forest; it was ever so long. The other tour members seemed to have given up all hope of surviving, so they didn’t use much energy. Annabel and I still had hope, so we traveled forward, pushing ourselves to the limit. We soon emerged through the forest foliage into a small clearing that had a lake in the middle. The six of us were filthy, so we decided to bathe a bit. But before I was done, I saw a huge lump come out of the water. It was “IT.”
The tour members sat in silence and watched the animals roam and thrive as the caravan stopped next to a murky, cloudy lake. What we saw was an amazing phenomenon; a Jesus Christ Lizard glided on the smooth surface of the lake and skidded to a halt on the shore of the water. It hurried up a tree and vanished from sight. Annabel tapped me on the shoulder and pointed her index finger at a nearby tree. She climbed out of the caravan and I followed. I saw a little green bump on the brown bark of the fir tree. It was tiny and not very distinctive, but Annabel is known to have very sharp eyes. We walked closer and recognized a gecko. Geckos were very rare and small. The gecko seemed to have sensed us observing it, because it tilted its head and sprinted up the rough bark into the top canopy.
To this day, I still don’t know how we ended up in that lake, but we did. Seconds after we saw that gecko glide up the tree, we were all in that lake. It didn’t feel like much of a lake, but a muddy, marshy swamp. The tour members had started to panic, because they were starting to get tired and weary. The tour guide, with unbelievable calmness, said, “Everyone, please calm down. It isn’t the end of the world. This lake isn’t like quicksand and won’t devour you. Don’t worry. Just listen to my instructions, and you’ll get out real soon.” The tour members weren’t reassured, but wanted to be, so they had no choice but to believe every word the guide said.
The guide said, “Everyone, please walk calmly and slowly towards the shore, and don’t make any sudden or swift movements…or…IT will see you.” The tension in the lake grew. The tour members’ faces all turned as white as chalk, and looked a bit greener than usual. The tour members all moved, with caution, towards the shore. The tour guide, all of a sudden, went under the surface and vanished. The tour members saw what happened and ignored all that he had said, and ran, as fast as they could, towards the shore. Something pulled a few other tour members under the surface, but Annabel, four tour members, and I survived. We were on the shore, soaking wet, feeling cold. The cold Costa Rican wind blew and blew and sent chills down our spines.
It was close to night now. I took my warm jacket off of my shoulders and wrapped it around Annabel and me. Our lips had turned a sickly purple because of the cold. We had little food in the caravan, but it was enough to support all six of us for a day. The horizon couldn’t be seen, but the sky was a blend of radiant color: cherry blossom pink, purple passion, lemon yellow, goldenrod, and sea foam.
In the morning, I was awoken by the howling of monkeys. As I rubbed my eyes, I could see them hopping from one tree to another. When they got to another tree, they hurried down the tree and sat and relaxed on a thick branch. Annabel had already awoken. She was staring into the muddy swamp, probably remembering what had happened to the other tour members. As I moved my eyes where she was looking, I wondered what “IT” was, but I didn’t intend to find out.
Evening came, and we were all exhausted and hungry. We had traveled north from the heart of the Costa Rican forest ever since everyone woke up that morning. We had wandered to a nearby stream, and decided to take in a bit of water before we continued or camped for the night. The stream looked exactly the opposite of that lake; it was clear and purified. The stream looked unusually deep, but that didn’t matter. After drinking as much as we could, we set out again; northwards.
Night was almost here. All of us were injured from some sort of slip or fall. I had tripped over a root and landed flat on my face, so now I had scratches and bruises all over myself. Annabel seemed to be unhurt, besides her slight limping. The other tour members trailed behind and sulked slowly forwards. We settled down and made camp with the few resources we had: some wood, some dried canopy leaves, some vines, and some stones. The night was very bitter. The wind blew through our canopy leave walls and made us shiver.
The next morning, we walked and walked and walked; there seemed to be no end to this forest; it was ever so long. The other tour members seemed to have given up all hope of surviving, so they didn’t use much energy. Annabel and I still had hope, so we traveled forward, pushing ourselves to the limit. We soon emerged through the forest foliage into a small clearing that had a lake in the middle. The six of us were filthy, so we decided to bathe a bit. But before I was done, I saw a huge lump come out of the water. It was “IT.”
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