7:29 PM
There was once a small forest in my neighbourhood. Many adults forbid
their children from playing in it. All they told us was that ‘a big scary thing
was waiting in there to eat us’. So none of us kids ever dared to go inside. If
a ball was to have rolled into the forest, we would have to leave it be. It
does not exist anymore. Once, a friend of mine was bullied by a few boys and
her beloved doll was thrown into the forest. All she could do was cry. No one
dared to go and take it back – not even the grown ups.
I was six when a new girl moved into the house next to mine. She was
slightly eccentric – a lot smart-mouthed than most of us kids. I was her only
friend; and that is only because I cannot stand watching her play alone in her
backyard. My old friends started isolating me, but I did not mind. I had
Estrella – that was her name – with me.
One day, we were playing in the park near the forest. We were running
around with our dolls when suddenly Estrella stopped in her tracks, and just
stared off into the forest. Bushes surrounded its edge, it’s mid-height trees
seen not far away from us. The forest was thick, taking away our sight from
whatever was inside the forest. I shook Estrella a couple of times, confused as
to why she’s acting like this. She asked me, “Do you see it?”
“See what?” I asked, glancing into the forest. A spark caught my
attention. I frowned. Another spark appeared. Suddenly, a tiny figure, not more
than four inches tall appeared from behind a tree trunk. It’s skin glowed a
purple shade, its dress glittering white and its hair a thick purple bundle
tied into a bun on top of its head. It was hard to ignore the translucent wings
growing on her back too, fluttering to keep her afloat. Its eyes had no pupils.
It smiled at us, a playful smile.
“Hello,” it said in a soft, almost childish voice.
“Are you a fairy?” Estrella asked. I looked at her with a frantic look.
She should ot have responded. That creature came from the forest, and anything
from the forest is not safe, because the forest itself is not safe. But
obviously I could not say that in front of the creature itself.
The creature did not reply. It only giggled and waved us into the
forest, then disappeared behind another tree trunk. Full of curiosity, Estrella
started to walk towards the forest.
“Wait!” I exclaimed, stopping her in her tracks. “We’re not supposed to
play in the forest!”
“Says who?” Estrella asked, frowning.
“Says… everyone,” I told her. “My mom, my dad. Bella. Christina.” Those
were my old friends’ names.
“Well my parents never said so, so I’m going in,” she said stubbornly.
As she was about to pass through the bushes, she asked me, “Are you going to
stay here alone, Johanna?”
I bit my lip, hesitating. Estrella stepped further into the forest and
when she was out of sight, I panicked and ran after here. “Wait! Estrella,
wait!” I ran by the thick trees, franctically searching for Estrella. When I
found her, I ran and gave her arm a tug. She glanced at me then asked, “Where
did she go?”
We stood there in the forest, looking around for the creature. Suddenly,
sparks flew across our face. “Over here!” the creature’s voice called from
behind a tree on our right. We caught a short glimpse of her waving at us
before she disappears again. Curious of the creature, Estrella went on after
her. Not wanting to be left alone, I followed Estrella.
The game of hide and seek went on for awhile, until one point the forest
started clearing up and became less thick. The ground became greener and the
dirt below it less visible. At that point, the creature showed herself more
often, smiling at us playfully every time. Eventually we reached a clearing the
size of my backyard. There, a medium sized tree with a big thick trunk stood in
the middle – its leaves glistening blue-ish green, its branches strong and
thick. Among the branches was a tree house made of thick planks. It looked a
bit old and worn out, but it does not seem like it was going to collapse
anytime soon.
The creature flew above our heads towards the tree house and waved her
delicate arms at it. As if by magic, the tree started glowing with colours – so
many colours that you would have never imagined. The creature looked down at
us, proud of her work. Estrella asked, “So you really are a fairy?”
“I wouldn’t say that,” the creature told, flying towards us. “I’m much
too weak to be at any standards of a fairy. But I do love magic! Do you see
that house up there?”
The creature pointed at the tree house.
“That’s where I keep all my magic. Do you want to see more of what I can
do?”
“Oh yes!” Estrella exclaimed. “I would love to!”
The creature smiled. A spark glinted in her eyes that I have never seen
before, and suddenly I noticed that her teeth were rather sharp. The longer I looked
at her, the more chills I got at the back of my neck.
“Then come, dear!” the creature invited. Planks morphed onto the trunk
of the tree, creating stairs to climb up to the tree house. “Come and let’s see
how magic really happens.”
Estrella did not hesitate to climb uup the plank. “Are you coming,
Johanna?”
I did not want to see magic. I did not believe the creature, neither did
I like it very much. Not one bit, from her glittery dress to her bunned hair. But
I could not say so. So I just shook my head. The creature glared at me, and I swear
I saw red pupils forming in her eyes. I avoided looking at her and just kept
silent.
“Okay then,” Estrella shrugged, then continued her way up. The creature
flew with ease up to a window of the house while Estrella entered through a
hole at the bottom of the house. I looked around and started feeling scared. I was
the only one down here. I glanced up at the house and listened to Estrella’s
footsteps as she paced around.
“There isn’t much to see here,” I heard Estrella say, doubt in her
voice.
“You just haven’t seen the magic yet,” I heard the creature say. “Just,
relax and you’ll see it soon.”
“Hey, did you just grow taller?” You see a lot bigger than just now.”
“Don’t worry, Estrella. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“How did you know – wait, what are you doing?! Let go of me! Stop!!”
Those were the last words that I heard from Estrella. After that, she
only screamed.
I ran towards the tree and started climbing up the planks when suddenly I
felt a drop of cold liquid fall onto my forearm. I glanced at it and saw the thick
red blood streaming down towards gravity. I screamed and released my grip on
the planks. I started towards the forest, passing thick trees, frantically
searching for a wa out. When I saw a glimpse of light, I ran towards it. It was
when I heard a loud screech saying “YOU’RE NEVER LEAVING THIS FOREST” that I knew
that my life was at risk.
I ran as fast as I could, trampling over my own steps once in awhile,
but never looking back. When I finally reached the bushed that marked the edge
of the forest, I jumped over them and landed on my side. When I could finally
sit up, I glared at the forest. Nothing. I glanced at my arm and wiped off the
blood. Suddenly I heard the screech again, only weaker. When I looked up, the
creature had already disappeared.
Now, I am twenty years old. I am now in college, and I have come back
for the summer break. The incident that happened fourteen years ago still
haunts me in my dreams, the creature consistently changing from the innocent
fairy to a monster with sharp, bloody teeth, a sheet of cloth from Estrella’s
skirt stuck in between them. I never told anyone about what had happened. I just
said Estrella wanted to play a little longer so I left her alone at the park. Her
parents mourned at the fact that they never got their daughter back – no one
found a body, a clue, nothing. But it was better than knowing what had really
happened.
Now, I am standing along at the park where I last played with Estrella. I
face the forest with much courage. I know that Estrella was still somewhere in
the forest – lost, unable to find a way out. Even if she did, it would not
matter – she does not exist in our world anymore. I see the spark that had
caught Estrella’s attention in the first place. I am not scared or curious
though. I knew.
I remember entering the forest in the first place. That was a bad
decision to begin with, but seeing where Estrella is now, I know that refusing
the creature’s invitation was the best decision I had ever made.
[A/N : I wrote this for my English class. The question was to end the story with "it was the best decision I had eve made" so bare with the suck-ish ending, please and thank you ><]
Labels: death, fantasy, the unreal
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