A forest can always be a frightening place. With tall trees
and pathways that turn into mazes. They
told me to never go into the forest because the forest was a bad place.
I asked them many times why the forest was so bad. “That forest has monsters Lydia!” My older sister Claudia would say. I asked my mother why the forest had Monsters. “The forest does not have Monsters Lydia, it has bears. You can get lost in a forest like that.” My mother would say. For years I believed that only bears lived in the forest. I didn’t know how wrong I was.
“I DARE YOU!” Gregory points into the trees. We are ten feet away from the forest and my heart is pounding. “NO! I’m not getting the stupid ball. There are bears in the forest, my mother told me!” I tell him, my face heating up. He scoffs at me. “Bears? Please! That’s a myth. What are you a chicken?” He asks. I furrow my brow, and I can feel my cheeks getting hotter. “NO!” I yell at him. I want to throw a stick at his face.
“Then get the ball! I DARE YOU!” He says again. I shouldn’t let him bully me around, but deep in my stomach I can feel my curiosity bubbling. “Fine!” I say and turn on my heel. I take one last look at Gregory, who now has a shocked expression. I smile and continue closer to the forest. The trees slowly sway in the afternoon breeze, and I take a deep breath before I enter. Twigs crunch underneath my feet as I walk. I look for the ball as I walk. The forest is eerily quiet and soon my curiosity turns into fear. I turn around to yell at Gregory, but he’s gone. The entrance is no longer there, but instead rows and rows of trees. My heartbeat picks up as I begin to panic. I swivel around, looking for the entrance, but all I see are trees. “GREGORY!” I try yelling. I am met with silence and I can feel my eyes begin to water. “GREGORY!!!” I yell again, louder this time making my voice crack. The tears are warm on my face as they begin to fall faster. I yell until my throat becomes sore and finally I sink to the ground.
The only sound is my sobbing and it echoes up into the trees. I’m lost and alone and I believe I am going to die. A twig snaps and I whip my head around to face the sound. A boy stands near the trees and I scream when I see him. His eyes go wide and he runs behind the nearest tree and hides. I stand up and start running, but I have no idea where I’m going. I whip around to face him again. He peeks out from behind the tree and I stare at him. He stares back at me, his eyes moving up and down. “Who are you?” I ask. My voice startles him. “Gabriel.” He whispers. He seems as scared of me as I am of him. “Do you know how to get out of here Gabriel?” I ask. He comes out from behind the trees and I stare at his clothes. He’s wearing a green dress shirt and dark brown pants and his feet are bare. He shakes his head and shrugs. I sigh in frustration. “Of course not.” I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes again. He comes closer to me. “Don’t cry.” He says wiping away my tear with his sleeve. Up close I can see his eyes, they are a stunning shade of green. They remind me of the leaves that populate the trees. “I just want to go home.” I sob. He grabs my hand and his palm is soft in mine. “Then let’s find home.” He says and we begin walking.
We walk for what seems like hours, passing more and more trees. The sky above us stays the same. We are silent as we walk. Up ahead we see the smoke from my chimney and I scream with joy. “THERE IT IS! The Entrance” I yell. We begin to run, hand in hand. He smiles at me and we begin to laugh. The feeling of panic that once overcame me now dissipates and is replaced with relief. We’re almost to the entrance when I see something red, laying by one of trees. “Hey there’s my ball.” I let go of his hand and rush over to it. At first it seems like nothing is wrong, but when I get closer I notice the changes. The ball is half deflated and it looks as though it’s been sitting here years rather than hours. “Gabriel..come here.” I say. He walks over to ball and stares at it with curiosity. “How can it be like this? It’s brand new! I just got it yesterday…” He grabs the ball from my hands and turns it over. “I’m..I’m not sure.” He says. “Maybe an animal got to it?” He suggests.
“Hm I guess so.” I say. He drops the ball back to the ground, once again grabbing my hand. “Come on let’s get out of here.” He replies. We half run half walk the rest of the way to the entrance and I sigh when we finally reach it. Gregory is nowhere to be found. I look over at Gabriel to say thank you, but it gets caught in my throat. The thirteen year old boy is no longer standing beside me, but in his place is an older boy. He is wearing the same clothes as Gabriel and he has the same looks. He is staring back at me with the same shocked expression. I look down at myself and gasp. My hand-me-down dress that used to be too big for me is now tight. “What-What happened?” I ask. Gabriel bites his lip as if he knows something. “I’m sorry..I’m so sorry.” He replies. “We’ve been in the forest longer than we thought we were.” He says, looking back towards the trees. My hair that once was short, brushes against my shoulders. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!” I protest. He frowns at me. “We haven’t been in there hours…we’ve been in there years.” He says. My legs feel wobbly and I want to scream and tell him he’s wrong. But deep down I know he’s right. I am much taller than I was before. I am no longer thirteen I am much older. I don’t know how I know, but I do.
My eyes roam over the eerie forest until they land back on Gabriel. “Who are you?” I ask him once again. He looks at me and I stare into those green eyes. Those eyes that seem so much like the trees. “Someone who shouldn’t exist.” He confesses before turning and running back into the forest. I stand there shocked, watching him disappear into the mysterious forest.
“Lydia! Are you going to get the ball?” I turn around and Gregory is standing behind me. He is the same as when I left him. He looks at me confused. “Are you okay?” He asks. I look down at myself. I am thirteen again, but my mind..it feels different. My body is young, but my mind is older. It was as if it never happened, as if I never went into the forest at all. I turn back around to stare into the forest and I will myself to remember him. “Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel.His name was Gabriel.” I chant his name over and over in my head. “I will not forget Gabriel.” I push past Gregory. “I don’t feel like playing anymore.” I say as I head back toward the cottage. He calls me a chicken, but I ignore him.
I asked them many times why the forest was so bad. “That forest has monsters Lydia!” My older sister Claudia would say. I asked my mother why the forest had Monsters. “The forest does not have Monsters Lydia, it has bears. You can get lost in a forest like that.” My mother would say. For years I believed that only bears lived in the forest. I didn’t know how wrong I was.
“I DARE YOU!” Gregory points into the trees. We are ten feet away from the forest and my heart is pounding. “NO! I’m not getting the stupid ball. There are bears in the forest, my mother told me!” I tell him, my face heating up. He scoffs at me. “Bears? Please! That’s a myth. What are you a chicken?” He asks. I furrow my brow, and I can feel my cheeks getting hotter. “NO!” I yell at him. I want to throw a stick at his face.
“Then get the ball! I DARE YOU!” He says again. I shouldn’t let him bully me around, but deep in my stomach I can feel my curiosity bubbling. “Fine!” I say and turn on my heel. I take one last look at Gregory, who now has a shocked expression. I smile and continue closer to the forest. The trees slowly sway in the afternoon breeze, and I take a deep breath before I enter. Twigs crunch underneath my feet as I walk. I look for the ball as I walk. The forest is eerily quiet and soon my curiosity turns into fear. I turn around to yell at Gregory, but he’s gone. The entrance is no longer there, but instead rows and rows of trees. My heartbeat picks up as I begin to panic. I swivel around, looking for the entrance, but all I see are trees. “GREGORY!” I try yelling. I am met with silence and I can feel my eyes begin to water. “GREGORY!!!” I yell again, louder this time making my voice crack. The tears are warm on my face as they begin to fall faster. I yell until my throat becomes sore and finally I sink to the ground.
The only sound is my sobbing and it echoes up into the trees. I’m lost and alone and I believe I am going to die. A twig snaps and I whip my head around to face the sound. A boy stands near the trees and I scream when I see him. His eyes go wide and he runs behind the nearest tree and hides. I stand up and start running, but I have no idea where I’m going. I whip around to face him again. He peeks out from behind the tree and I stare at him. He stares back at me, his eyes moving up and down. “Who are you?” I ask. My voice startles him. “Gabriel.” He whispers. He seems as scared of me as I am of him. “Do you know how to get out of here Gabriel?” I ask. He comes out from behind the trees and I stare at his clothes. He’s wearing a green dress shirt and dark brown pants and his feet are bare. He shakes his head and shrugs. I sigh in frustration. “Of course not.” I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes again. He comes closer to me. “Don’t cry.” He says wiping away my tear with his sleeve. Up close I can see his eyes, they are a stunning shade of green. They remind me of the leaves that populate the trees. “I just want to go home.” I sob. He grabs my hand and his palm is soft in mine. “Then let’s find home.” He says and we begin walking.
We walk for what seems like hours, passing more and more trees. The sky above us stays the same. We are silent as we walk. Up ahead we see the smoke from my chimney and I scream with joy. “THERE IT IS! The Entrance” I yell. We begin to run, hand in hand. He smiles at me and we begin to laugh. The feeling of panic that once overcame me now dissipates and is replaced with relief. We’re almost to the entrance when I see something red, laying by one of trees. “Hey there’s my ball.” I let go of his hand and rush over to it. At first it seems like nothing is wrong, but when I get closer I notice the changes. The ball is half deflated and it looks as though it’s been sitting here years rather than hours. “Gabriel..come here.” I say. He walks over to ball and stares at it with curiosity. “How can it be like this? It’s brand new! I just got it yesterday…” He grabs the ball from my hands and turns it over. “I’m..I’m not sure.” He says. “Maybe an animal got to it?” He suggests.
“Hm I guess so.” I say. He drops the ball back to the ground, once again grabbing my hand. “Come on let’s get out of here.” He replies. We half run half walk the rest of the way to the entrance and I sigh when we finally reach it. Gregory is nowhere to be found. I look over at Gabriel to say thank you, but it gets caught in my throat. The thirteen year old boy is no longer standing beside me, but in his place is an older boy. He is wearing the same clothes as Gabriel and he has the same looks. He is staring back at me with the same shocked expression. I look down at myself and gasp. My hand-me-down dress that used to be too big for me is now tight. “What-What happened?” I ask. Gabriel bites his lip as if he knows something. “I’m sorry..I’m so sorry.” He replies. “We’ve been in the forest longer than we thought we were.” He says, looking back towards the trees. My hair that once was short, brushes against my shoulders. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!” I protest. He frowns at me. “We haven’t been in there hours…we’ve been in there years.” He says. My legs feel wobbly and I want to scream and tell him he’s wrong. But deep down I know he’s right. I am much taller than I was before. I am no longer thirteen I am much older. I don’t know how I know, but I do.
My eyes roam over the eerie forest until they land back on Gabriel. “Who are you?” I ask him once again. He looks at me and I stare into those green eyes. Those eyes that seem so much like the trees. “Someone who shouldn’t exist.” He confesses before turning and running back into the forest. I stand there shocked, watching him disappear into the mysterious forest.
“Lydia! Are you going to get the ball?” I turn around and Gregory is standing behind me. He is the same as when I left him. He looks at me confused. “Are you okay?” He asks. I look down at myself. I am thirteen again, but my mind..it feels different. My body is young, but my mind is older. It was as if it never happened, as if I never went into the forest at all. I turn back around to stare into the forest and I will myself to remember him. “Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel.His name was Gabriel.” I chant his name over and over in my head. “I will not forget Gabriel.” I push past Gregory. “I don’t feel like playing anymore.” I say as I head back toward the cottage. He calls me a chicken, but I ignore him.
~~~
Every year I go to entrance of the forest. I stare into it
and call his name. “GABRIEL!” It echoes between the trees until I can no longer
hear it. Each year he does not show.
~~~
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR LYDIA! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!” My
family sings and claps. I smile and blow out the candles. Today I turn twenty
and it’s the first time since the incident that I actually feel my age. We pass
pieces of the cinnamon cake mother made me. After we eat I open my presents. I
thank everyone for my presents, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is
missing. As if sensing something is wrong, my sister pats my back. “Lydia, you
must cheer up! It’s your birthday after all!” She says. I give her a smile, but
it doesn’t feel genuine. “I’m fine Claudia. What makes you think I’m sad?” I
ask. She gives me a look and I sigh. “Okay, Okay..I guess I do feel a bit off
today.” I confess. She grabs my hand and looks into my eyes. “Tell me.” She
urges, her eyes filled with sympathy. I’ve never told my family about that day,
nor have I told them about Gabriel. “I just have a stomach ache is all.” I lie.
I know she doesn’t believe me, but she doesn’t push the matter. “Well alright.
Happy Birthday Little Sister.” She kisses my cheek before walking to the
kitchen. My mother insists that we at least play a game, for what is a birthday
celebration without a game? But before we can’t start there is a knock at the
door. My father over to the door and when he opens it my heart drops. There
standing in the doorway is Gabriel. He is the same as when I last saw him, and
in his hands is a present. Suddenly I feel light-headed as If I’m going to pass
out. “Hello, sorry I’m late. I’m here to see Lydia. I was told it was her
birthday today.” Gabriel says. My father turns to me. “Do you know this boy
Lydia?” He asks. It feels as though the room is spinning. “Uh..y-y-yes.” I
stutter. My father shakes Gabriel’s hand and invites him inside. I jump to my
feet and almost fall over doing so. Gabriel grabs my arm, helping me balance. I
look up at him, his eyes are the same vivid green as I remember. “Gabriel.” His
name comes out in a whisper and he smiles at me. “You didn’t think I would
forget today did you?” He asks. My heart is pounding so loud that I can hear it
in my ears. I feel my cheeks getting warm. He hands me the present. “Happy
Birthday Lydia.”
The present is wrapped in a paper made from different leaves and petals and it is tied together with dried grass. I carefully unwrap it. Inside is a leather bound journal with a tree burnt into the cover. My eyes begin to well up with tears, but I swipe them away quickly. “Thank you Gabriel. It’s beautiful.” I say. “I wrote on one of the pages and I hope that it will help explain everything.” He says before kissing my forehead. My family is torn between staring in awe, and looking away. He turns toward the door.
“Wait!” I say, grabbing his hand. “You can’t leave again.”
He taps the cover of the journal. “Unfortunately I must. But don’t worry, I’ll see you again in seven years.” With that he says goodbye to my family and walks out the door. Everyone’s eyes fall on me, but I turn and run up to my room, locking the door behind me. I jump on my bed and flip open the journal, turning the pages until I get to his page. I read the entry and smile. My heart fills with hope and I look out my window to where the forest is. “Seven years.” I whisper.
The present is wrapped in a paper made from different leaves and petals and it is tied together with dried grass. I carefully unwrap it. Inside is a leather bound journal with a tree burnt into the cover. My eyes begin to well up with tears, but I swipe them away quickly. “Thank you Gabriel. It’s beautiful.” I say. “I wrote on one of the pages and I hope that it will help explain everything.” He says before kissing my forehead. My family is torn between staring in awe, and looking away. He turns toward the door.
“Wait!” I say, grabbing his hand. “You can’t leave again.”
He taps the cover of the journal. “Unfortunately I must. But don’t worry, I’ll see you again in seven years.” With that he says goodbye to my family and walks out the door. Everyone’s eyes fall on me, but I turn and run up to my room, locking the door behind me. I jump on my bed and flip open the journal, turning the pages until I get to his page. I read the entry and smile. My heart fills with hope and I look out my window to where the forest is. “Seven years.” I whisper.
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