Ms. Morrison forced herself to hold back a chuckle. Instead she kept herself together, her face stern. “Well, why did you not go to the restroom during recess?”
Billy twirled his fingers together, his face now pointed towards the ground. “I don’t know.” The red haired freckled child was truly adorable in his uncertain state.
Ms. Morrison debated for a moment. Typically she would tell him to wait till the next class break in an hour; her goal to teach him self-discipline and the importance of organizing one’s time. However, she was in a particularly good mood today and decided to cut the children a small bit of slack. Looking up from Billy, she addressed the entire class. “Ok everyone, in our march we will pass the restrooms and anyone who needs to use the facilities may do so when I say ‘release.’ Are there any questions?”
“No ma’am!” chirped the voices of 15 shocked children. They normally received a lecture when such events arose; the pleasant surprise was quite nice.
Acknowledging her assistant for the first time in over an hour, Ms. Morrison looked to her right, partially addressing her, while still speaking to the class. “Now, Ms. Wilkins will be waiting outside the restrooms. I expect you all to line up properly for her and show her your respect.” With that, she turned around and gave the signal to start the procession back into class, “March.”
All of the 30 small feet began pounding on the ground, following as though obedient, loyal soldiers. Little did they know what the events of the week would have in store for them.
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6. Entrapment
Beep….beep….beep…the sound was like a distant hum. Emily tried to open her eyes, but everything was like a fog. Light streamed in and all she could make out was white all around her. Am I dead? After the events of the last few years, the thought was almost comforting.
“Hurry, I said now!” The voice was distant but definitely that of a man, one completely unfamiliar to her.
Blocking out the light, Emily shut her eyes tightly. When she opened them again, several spikes met her gaze.
“Ahh!!” Emily reared up, moving her upper body too quickly. Her mind and world spun. She closed her eyes once more, desperately hoping for some new result at their opening. The spikes remained. In fact, she realized they completely surrounded her. She was in a cage.
The apparatus consisted of small logs bound together with leather roping. The spikes jutted through the small gaps in the wood. Each of these pointed stakes consisted of one end planted into the ground while the other sharpened edge shot up towards Emily’s cage. How could this have…Before the thought could be finished, her body over-ruled her mind. Pain shot up all her limbs, particularly her left arm, and as her eyes comprehended what the rest of her was feeling, she knew it was broken. Despite the pain, her arm somehow felt disconnected from her entirely. I must be in shock. Oh God! Just as the panic began to soak in and overtake her, Emily heard footsteps.
Looking up, three distinctive things caught her attention. The first is that she was, in fact, trapped in a cage. Secondly, she could see two giant tents. One lay to her right side and the other directly in front of her, blocking her view of what was beyond. Finally, on her left side was a massive open field followed by woods that stretched as far as she could see. There was no remnant of the strange, yet familiar, apartment where she was just moments before. Had it been moments…..or possibly days….or even weeks? Blood was clearly not the only thing draining from Emily. Her hope quickly faded.
“What use do we have of her?!” A burly man’s voice rang from the tent to her right.
“She might prove handy in….” The second voice, one of a woman, faded to a mere whisper and Emily could not make out the final words. The burly man chuckled in response; his laugh cruel and evil in nature. He was clearly hardened by life…or was it something more?
“How would a damn gimp be useful? She would do nothing but slow us down!”
The woman let out a long sigh, Emily imagined her rolling her eyes. “You are a fool. If nothing else, she would make a perfect symbol….” There was a pause. Emily pictured the brute lifting a quizzical brow.
His burly tone insisted. “Look at her…..surely you know she must be one of them!”
“All the more reason she’d be perfect….after all, only we can show her where the true power lies.”
Loud footsteps began heading towards what Emily theorized was the front of the tent. “Stop!” The woman's authority was apparent for the steps ceased immediately.
“Why?” The burly man’s tone was clearly one of annoyance.
There was an almost growl-like response to his question, followed by the woman’s voice again. “I do not believe she knows who we are…as we brought her here, she mumbled something about a boyfriend. It is still possible her memory has been distorted from the….transition…” The woman’s tone was calm, solid and it rang with an eerie comfort. Emily cringed. The woman continued on. “At all costs, we must not reveal….” Again she reverted to a whisper Emily could not hear. What?! What must they not reveal?! Emily felt nauseous at her mental question.
“Understood.” Something about the way he stated the word so plainly was off. Of course, all of this felt wrong, severely wrong. The footsteps once again started approaching her so Emily hastily lay down and shut her eyes, terrified of what would come next.
Stomp….stomp….stomp…based on the sound, the footsteps of the brute were moving away. Eyes still closed, Emily dared to release a sigh of relief.
“Wonderful, you’re awake.” Emily’s eyes flew open at the sound of the voice. There, a mere two feet away from her entrapping device, stood a lovely woman. Her long, blonde hair flowed over her voluptuous chest down to her waistline. A paper thin, silk dress lined her seemingly perfect curves. Her face was composed of light blue eyes and thick, lovely lips.
Staring at this strangely gorgeous, yet intimidating woman, two distinctive thoughts ran through Emily’s mind. The first was….How did I not hear her approaching? The next thought began consuming her mind. She is so beautiful. Why can I not look like that? Insecurities Emily attempted to hide came rushing to the surface. Growing up, she was always a slightly thicker girl. Though in recent years, she did everything possible to improve her weight, she still despised herself. Her own self revelations and hatred emerged some years ago, after the death of a close friend. Since then, guilt followed her like a plague and Emily sought out every reason to disapprove of herself. It was one thing she and her father seemed to agree on; she was worthless.
Her self image started to improve slightly a few months prior when she met her boyfriend, Kyle. He assured her of her beauty, complimenting her daily. It helped, some, but Emily’s true self thoughts remained locked in stone. At first, she convinced herself Kyle’s words were for one purpose only. After all, every man just wanted to get laid, right? However, after holding off for several months, preserving her remaining ounce of purity, Emily finally decided this was not his primary intention. She promised him her eighteenth birthday would be their special day.
“It’s my birthday…” Having gotten lost in thought, the words seemed to slip out like spilled milk. Emily’s mind was then instantly drawn back to her current predicament.
“Well, isn’t that something?” Nothing about the woman’s words sounded harsh, but there was a cruelty in her voice that frightened Emily.
“What do you want with me? Why have you trapped me like an animal?!” The boldness of her words shocked even Emily. Perhaps it was the growing pain in her arm that caused her give-a-shit factor to decrease so rapidly.
“I do apologize about the way you were brought here. My men were uncertain where your loyalty in this land lies. I can see, however, that you are absolutely no threat to us.” With the last words breathed, the woman leaned over, her enormous breasts directly in Emily’s line of sight. Emily blushed and turned away, instantaneously aware of her own B-size cups. The woman lifted the latch on the cage and opened the door, rem
oving a side of the spikes surrounding her. Hesitantly, Emily leaned forward.
“Come on, my dear, I will not bite.” Her words were not reassuring. Nevertheless, Emily felt somewhat relieved to crawl out of the horrendous trap. The woman’s hand was resting by the cage door and Emily, believing it to be an offer of assistance, reached out towards it.
Hiss!
The woman drew her hand back instantly, seemingly out of pure reaction. For a split second, her soft, blue eyes transformed into a tsunami-like state in her skull; hatred filling them. She looked away. Was that shame? No, that was something else. Emily could not pinpoint it.
“Oh I’m so sorry. I just really do not like to be touched.” The phrase was logical and sounded genuine enough but Emily was no fool. There is definitely something off about her.
Emily put on a façade and smiled vividly. “Oh it’s fine, I understand.” She was not about to grant the woman any indication of the hidden thoughts beneath her own shining, brown eyes. The woman’s face glazed over with a lovely smile in response.
“Happy birthday, by the way.” Her words seemed more forced than genuine. Emily’s mind reverted back to a school play years before. She noticed one particular student, Rob Dean, who stood out to her. He desired to move to Hollywood and pursue acting as a career. He studied his lines over and over and rehearsed them hundreds of times. When the day of the play arrived, every word was correct but he lost a critical element. He knew his lines so well, he lost the natural flow of them and sounded much like a robot spewing out terms. This woman’s ‘by the way’ sounded very similar.
What is she trying to hide? Wait. What if she was the woman in the tent? Emily was disappointed it took her so long to acknowledge the possibility. She needed to get to the bottom of this. “Well thank you. May I ask your nam….” A random jolt of pain shot up her arm, cutting her question short.
“Oh dear, you need help with that.” Once again, the woman was using an actor’s tone. She seemed to be contemplating how to handle the situation. “Follow me….uhm...” The woman gestured with her hand as though with an unspoken query. It was the same question Emily attempted to ask of this stranger.
“Emily. My name is Emily.” She saw no harm in giving such minor information, especially since it was not her full name.
“Emily, that is a lovely name. For now, you may call me Lucy.”
You may call me? For now? What is this woman’s game? Emily was clueless as to why ‘Lucy’ was being so secretive, but at the moment, her arm needed some attention and this was her only option. Hesitantly, she stood to her feet, prepared to follow her odd, new acquaintance.
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7. Alone
The forest surrounding Renee glistened with the sparkle of a newborn child. Its branches and mossy floor refreshed by the morning dew, still resting in slumber. Everything was perfect, absolute perfection for a sheer moment. Then arose a question.
How did I get here? Renee’s mind felt foggy. The lack of clarity increased as a wave of pain jolted through her head. Her fingertips reached toward the source and met an unpleasant discovery. There, on the tip of her temple, rested a giant whelp. What happened? Calm down Renee, examine your surroundings. At least her father did done something right; he always enforced that she be on guard and aware of her environment. Renee leaned up, her bottom still resting against soft ground. She scanned the moist forest. It was fairly standard as far as woods are concerned. Giant trees looked over her, their branches interlocking in an epic battle for the sun’s nourishing embrace. They stretched on for what seemed like an eternity.
Oh no, Sam! The thought interrupted all others. He was right beside me and then…..then what?! She struggled to regain lost thoughts. Her eyes scanned the entire area. We started jogging through the woods and everything was fine…..but then…then what? There was no sign of her lost friend anywhere. Trees surrounded her on all sides. Their autumn colors and scattered fallen leaves seemed to imply death was in the air. Oh God…what if the stories were right….what if something took him?
Realizing the seriousness of her situation, Renee's entire body began to shake and she gave way to tears that longed to pour. What have I done? I should’ve never left home…“God, if you’re really up there, please help me….I just want my mom!”
Snap!
“Who’s there?” Renee was immediately defensive, ceasing the tears from their release. She quickly stood to her feet and armed herself with a nearby branch. A few feet away, a rustling sound arose from the bushes. Renee braced, grasping the branch like a sword and facing the unknown source of the noise. Her imagination began to run wild. Perhaps the woman whose voice created their argument took Sam. What if I'm next? It's also possible that Sam is still somewhere close by....maybe even unconscious. Of course if the noise wasn't Sam then Renee was likely about to face some form of wild beast. Somehow despite her worries, Renee suddenly felt invincible. Perhaps the cause of this sensation was directly related to Sam. After all, if something happened to him, Renee’s would be the only one who could save him. Her own well being was instantaneously irrelevant. With that line of thought in place, Renee believed she was prepared for anything.
A small cardinal then leaped out of the bushes. "Whew! It was just a bird." The cardinal's feathers were a vibrant red that contrasted brilliantly with the brown and green forest palate. He landed ever-so-delicately on a nearby branch and turned so he was facing her directly. His demure was unlike any ordinary bird. He did not ruffle his feathers, or rapidly scan the forest chirping. Instead, for several moments, the little winged creature simply stood on his branch and stared Renee’s direction.
I must be losing my mind….is he actually looking right at me? Wait, there’s no way…As the thought passed through her mind, the cardinal released a loud whistle. The small creature then made one of the strangest of movements. Still staring at her, he lifted one wing in an almost wave-like motion. Did he just wave at me?
Next, the bird set flight and flew to another branch about ten feet away. He landed and once again turned toward Renee lifting his wing in a wave-like manner. This time, however, he remained there staring at her for several seconds as though waiting for a reaction. I guess he wants me to follow him…Renee realized how preposterous the idea of following a bird was. However, she also knew she shouldn’t possibly stay there and continue crying. Besides, she needed to find Sam. Well, what do I have left to lose anyway?
She lifted a foot from its muddy stance and proceeded to approach her new feathered friend. When she was within a few feet of him, the bird moved to another branch, just slightly further into….or was it out of....the woods. This process continued on for some time with the bird consistently flying to neighboring branches, and then waiting for Renee to follow.
During this process, Renee’s mind began to wander and she randomly felt the desire to start talking to her animal friend. “You know, my mom and I recently started coming out into the woods to bike. Of course I suppose you don’t know what a bike is, huh?” The cardinal’s only response was to fly to another nearby branch. Renee continued on, undeterred. “It’s a metal contraption with wheels…..I suppose you don’t know what wheels are either, huh? Well, anyway, the last time she and I went biking, we weren’t in this section of the woods. We were on the northern trail….too bad there isn’t a trail here…then you wouldn’t even need to lead me…..leading…..oh dear….” Renee’s eyes started to water up again as she considered the fact she had been the one leading Sam.
This time the cardinal rested on his chosen branch for quite some time, as though intrigued by her tale. It was not until Renee was a foot away that he finally flew to another tree. Renee felt the breeze off his wings this time. Somehow, despite the autumn chill, it was comforting in a way. Her tears lessened and she continued with her monologue. “I’m sorry….it’s just, you see, it was my idea to run away. I was even the one who decided on the direction. Sam, he was just being a good friend. He was worried about me and th
at’s the only reason he followed me in the first place. Everything was fine though. I really don’t even understand what happened. I’ve…I’ve lost my memory it seems. Perhaps I’ve lost my mind too. This morning I just woke up with this giant bump on my head. I don’t even remember falling asleep or the last moment I saw Sam. Yesterday he was just there and now….well, now he’s not. I have to find him little guy….” Renee looked up at the cardinal who was tilting his head down towards her in an almost sad posture, the branch he landed on still waivered under his unexpected weight. With her rant at a seeming end, the cardinal set flight again toward another tree.
They continued on for what seemed like hours with the wind intermittently tickling Renee’s face. She constantly adjusted her flying hair from blocking her view. The sunlight peeped through the tree branches, as though just enough to reassure her of its presence. Renee’s hearing was now heightened as a large pile of leaves crunched under her shoes. The sound drew her attention to a new concern at hand. It was just now she realized the pain in her feet. They silently screamed at her with an aching sensation that shot up her legs. “Little guy, I think I need a break….” As she spoke the words, Renee’s eyes caught sight of a nearby stone and her body willingly plopped onto its welcoming surface.
As though in an instant panic, the bird flew around her and began rapidly flapping his wings within inches from her face……“Ugh! What’s your problem?!” She waved her arms in the air, trying to shoo the bird away. Then she realized the cause of his outburst.
The surface Renee just sat upon started moving. Between her feet, a wrinkled, rough turtle head birthed itself. The turtle’s eyes stared up at her with a furious hatred. “Oh dear! I’m so sorry.” Renee rushed off the surface, standing back onto her feet in an instant. Wait, why am I apologizing to an animal? It’s not like he can actually hear…As though he read her mind, the turtle’s eyes softened and his lips seemed to move ever so slightly upward in the shape of a smile. No way!...Then again…I have been talking to a bird and following his every direction…..
R.E.M.: The Hidden World Page 4
