I was on a walk, following a leafy trail into a forest. I carried a leather bag at my side with sugar cakes and fresh strawberries. I passed a rabbit, hiding under a bush. Then I passed another, this one closer to the trail. Two squirrels raced up a tall Birchwood. They weren’t running away from me; one was chasing the other. Mushrooms dotted the ground under the trees. I stooped down and put some in my bag. I followed the path again, and I heard a hawk give a happy cry above. I looked up. The tall, slender trees shot into a blue sky, and there was one ball of cloud near the middle of the sky, moving slowly to the left. Wind blew my hair into my eyes. Then, the trees got thicker, until I walked in their shade. I could smell a sweet aroma, like flowers. When I turned a corner, I saw a cluster of bushes, bright with fuchsia, red and white. They huddled near a thick oak tree. It looked old, but strong, with knots near its base and roots diving into the ground and coming up for air, leaving tall arches on the forest floor. I sat on one root that was thick enough, and laid my bag against the tree. While opening my first sugar cake, I heard the creak of a door opening. I looked up, startled, expecting a deer, or maybe a curious raccoon. A different sight met my eyes. There was a door in the oak tree, and it was open. A short creature clothed in a bright yellow jacket came out. I put my food back into my bag, grabbed it and stood up. The creature had a short snout, covered with fur. Its whole face was covered with fur, and its legs, and its hands. The fur looked silky. It was brown, and had spots and stripes of white, mixed with tan and dark brown. Its eyes were huge and black, staring at my bag. “You brought food!” it was overjoyed. “Do you live here?” I asked. “And are you hungry?”
It nodded. It sniffed at my bag. “I didn’t make sugar cakes this morning, just blueberry chocolate muffins and spiced apple pie. Of course I live here. Now come in and bring your food.” it turned around and disappeared into the gaping hole in the oak tree. I bent over just a little and followed it through. There was a faint light coming from the bottom of a stair case. “Close the door please.” it bellowed from somewhere down inside. I walked down the steps and felt the wall of the hallway. It was wooden. A polished wood that felt warm, different from the cool surfaces of the church pews I was so used to feeling. I went through another doorway and the first thing I noticed was the smell. There was the smell of apple and chocolate. And spices and roots, and flowers too. The creature’s jacket lay on a short, wide couch in a room to my left. I went over and sat down on it. A fire burnt in a hole in the wall to my right. “Take off your shoes, your feet are wet.” it said from what looked like a kitchen. It was scurrying around, opening and closing the stove, cutting the butter, taking out dishes. I looked down. It was right. My dark blue slip-ons were completely wet. I hadn’t noticed how wet the leaves had been on the trail. I laid my shoes against the couch and turned nearer to the fire. Then I surveyed the little house I’d been led into. The walls of the living room were the same wood I’d felt in the hallway, but I could see them better now. Their texture was bumpy, yet smooth, like the grooves and craters had been carved into the wood and then polished over. The walls curved into the ceiling, from which hung glass lamps. The lamps were a creamy white color, with candles inside. They were oval shaped, with holes in the top and bottom. They cast light on the two rooms I could see from where I sat, though there were other doors, one in the kitchen and one beside a bookcase that stood in the living room, near the fireplace. The bookcase was packed with books. They were thick books, and worn, but not ripped. There were dark red books, and grey books. Brown books and some where muddled orange. I looked back at the creature; it heaved a deliciously smelling pie out of the oven. “The spiced apple pie is ready.” it sung. “Come and sit, talk with me while it cools. And bring your food.” I skipped over to a table in the middle of the kitchen with my bag and sat in a wooden chair, at a tall table, definitely too tall for the creature. It climbed up onto another chair and folded its hands… paws on the table, looking at me expectantly. I wasn’t uncomfortable. There was something about this place that made me feel welcome. “What’s your name?’ it asked me. “Emily” I answered, smiling. My bare feet swept across the smooth floor. “Very well.” its eyes twinkled.
Then my alarm went off. I went downstairs and mom was making blueberry chocolate chip pancakes. Breakfast was great, and I was quiet, thinking about my dream. Sometimes I’d like to stay asleep; to stay in my dreams for a little longer. Not that I don’t appreciate my life, but I like my other worlds. I like the way they make me feel. It’s like I lose the burdens attached to my consciousness. I don’t have to press for thoughts; they just come. And I can express myself with less difficulty.
Alice and I are going out this Saturday. We’ve grown closer to lately, after what happened. She switched classes to Psychology with Mr. Pole, but she’s still in my Trig class. Even if I don’t understand why she believes what she does, she’s a great person to know. On the surface, she’s light and happy, and I can’t help but smile when she’s around. She has depth, though. She’s more than meets the eye.
I glanced at the cover of a book today that read The Best Gift of Life is Friendship. I might write my own book about friendship.
