So, I was re-reading one of my all-time favourite books--Back of Beyond by Sarah Ellis--and I thought, hey, why not write one of these kind of stories myself? I've always been fascinated with the supernatural--ghosts, faeries, aliens, the unexplained. May as well write about it myself, right?
This particular story is partially based (subconsciously) on one of the stories in Back of Beyond, "Happen". I hope I didn't make it too similar to the original. :)
“Here we are, in the sticks,” sighed Chris.
Mom rolled her eyes and got out of the car. I followed her around to the back. She opened the hatch.
“Find a good spot to pitch this, will you?” she asked, hefting a tent bag out of the trunk and handing it to me. I took it, staggering slightly under its weight.
Waddling across the damp clearing, I managed to lug the bag to the edge of the forest. Already, my socks were wet, the dew soaking through my sneakers. I grimaced, dropping the bag beside a towering redwood. Standing up, I massaged my back. I looked into the forest.
The leaves looked bright, the way they do after rain. Mist paled the depths of the woods, the dark shadows of cedars turning silvery in the distance. I wondered what was there, deep in the woods.
“Need help?”
I jumped. “Chris! Stop sneaking up on me.”
My little brother shrugged. “I can’t help it. You were off in la-la land; why not? It’s the perfect opportunity.” He gestured toward the forest. “You wanna go gather firestarter? I’ll set up the tent.”
“Um, the sticks are all wet, genius.”
Chris made a face. “Mom only brought logs. She’s clueless. We need something...just see if any are dry at all.”
“Chris—”
“Chloe, I’m giving you an out here.”
I glanced at the tent. No way was I setting that up.
“Fine.”
“Watch out for slugs!”
It had only just stopped raining as we pulled into the campground; the forest floor was quite damp. My shoes sank into the spongy earth as I walked. Ferns left streaks of water on my jeans as I brushed past. It smelled like earth and rain. I’d always loved the smell of rain.
“Hi.”
I started, spinning around. A guy’s voice. Not Chris.
“Hello?”
“Behind you.
I whirled around again. He was smirking at me, his bright yellow eyes crinkling with amusement. I noticed that his canines were rather long for a human. My heart sped up.
“Vampire,” I gasped, stepping back.
He gave me a look. “Vampires don’t exist, Chloe. That’s silly.”
“Who are you?”
Without answering, he turned and leapt gracefully into the tree behind him. I blinked—he’d landed about fifteen feet above me.
“What—”
“Follow me.”
He sprung off his branch, flying into the next tree. Bounding through the air like a gazelle, he soared from branch to branch, glancing to see that I was following.
I was, but not easily. I kept tripping over roots and chunks of wet moss, having to dodge trunks at the last minute when I noticed them in the corner of my eye. I watched the boy, only the boy. I felt like if I looked away, he would disappear. I don’t know why, but I desperately wanted to follow him, to see where--
I stopped, confused. I stared up, scanning the treetops, hoping to glimpse him.
Just like that, he was gone.
“Where are you?” I called.
“Shh,” he hissed in my ear. Strangely, I’d expected it. I turned, meeting his gaze. I realized, for the first time, that his short-cropped hair was striped black and grey.
“Follow me. Quietly,” he whispered, slinking into the bushes soundlessly. I climbed through the bush behind him.
I quickly learned that bushwhacking is horribly uncomfortable and I don’t understand why anyone would do it willingly. Unless, of course, they were insane. I must’ve acquired a good two dozen scratches and countless pokes in the eye before I got stuck halfway in.
“Um, a little help here?”
“Here.” A pair of strong, rough-skinned hands pulled me through. I scrambled to my feet, smiling gratefully at him. He grinned back, flashing his long fangs.
“Look,” he said, holding my gaze. I turned, the forest to my back, the boy at my side.
The mountains, blue and silver, loomed above us, standing stoically on the opposite shore of the lake. A thick layer of mist rested on the water’s flat surface, the base of the mountain disappearing into the silvery cloud, its reflection clear and sharp... like the lake was a gaping chasm, ringed with emerald cedars, opening into an inverted world of mountains like stalactites clinging to the earth’s ceiling, and a void filled with blue sky and diamond stars and grey clouds that rumbled ominously, promising a storm.
“It’s beautiful.”
“No, it’s not.”
“But—”
He pressed a finger to his lips. “Don’t spoil it with words.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it. I nodded.
We stared over the water for a while. A light rain started to fall. Little ripples slid over the water’s surface, blurring the crystal-clear reflection.
“Goodbye, Chloe.”
I turned. He was walking away.
“What? Why?” I asked. “Wait!”
He stopped. He wasn’t looking at me.
“Where are you going?”
“To the forest,” he said simply.
“You’re leaving already, and I don’t even know your name,” I stalled.
There was a short pause.
He turned around.
“Lynx,” said the cat.
For a moment, we stared at each other. I felt like saying goodbye, but I knew I didn’t need to. I nodded once.
The corners of the lynx’s mouth lifted. He turned tail and fled into the forest beyond.
I always love feedback or a critic's opinion. It will help HUGELY. ty :D
This particular story is partially based (subconsciously) on one of the stories in Back of Beyond, "Happen". I hope I didn't make it too similar to the original. :)
“Here we are, in the sticks,” sighed Chris.
Mom rolled her eyes and got out of the car. I followed her around to the back. She opened the hatch.
“Find a good spot to pitch this, will you?” she asked, hefting a tent bag out of the trunk and handing it to me. I took it, staggering slightly under its weight.
Waddling across the damp clearing, I managed to lug the bag to the edge of the forest. Already, my socks were wet, the dew soaking through my sneakers. I grimaced, dropping the bag beside a towering redwood. Standing up, I massaged my back. I looked into the forest.
The leaves looked bright, the way they do after rain. Mist paled the depths of the woods, the dark shadows of cedars turning silvery in the distance. I wondered what was there, deep in the woods.
“Need help?”
I jumped. “Chris! Stop sneaking up on me.”
My little brother shrugged. “I can’t help it. You were off in la-la land; why not? It’s the perfect opportunity.” He gestured toward the forest. “You wanna go gather firestarter? I’ll set up the tent.”
“Um, the sticks are all wet, genius.”
Chris made a face. “Mom only brought logs. She’s clueless. We need something...just see if any are dry at all.”
“Chris—”
“Chloe, I’m giving you an out here.”
I glanced at the tent. No way was I setting that up.
“Fine.”
“Watch out for slugs!”
It had only just stopped raining as we pulled into the campground; the forest floor was quite damp. My shoes sank into the spongy earth as I walked. Ferns left streaks of water on my jeans as I brushed past. It smelled like earth and rain. I’d always loved the smell of rain.
“Hi.”
I started, spinning around. A guy’s voice. Not Chris.
“Hello?”
“Behind you.
I whirled around again. He was smirking at me, his bright yellow eyes crinkling with amusement. I noticed that his canines were rather long for a human. My heart sped up.
“Vampire,” I gasped, stepping back.
He gave me a look. “Vampires don’t exist, Chloe. That’s silly.”
“Who are you?”
Without answering, he turned and leapt gracefully into the tree behind him. I blinked—he’d landed about fifteen feet above me.
“What—”
“Follow me.”
He sprung off his branch, flying into the next tree. Bounding through the air like a gazelle, he soared from branch to branch, glancing to see that I was following.
I was, but not easily. I kept tripping over roots and chunks of wet moss, having to dodge trunks at the last minute when I noticed them in the corner of my eye. I watched the boy, only the boy. I felt like if I looked away, he would disappear. I don’t know why, but I desperately wanted to follow him, to see where--
I stopped, confused. I stared up, scanning the treetops, hoping to glimpse him.
Just like that, he was gone.
“Where are you?” I called.
“Shh,” he hissed in my ear. Strangely, I’d expected it. I turned, meeting his gaze. I realized, for the first time, that his short-cropped hair was striped black and grey.
“Follow me. Quietly,” he whispered, slinking into the bushes soundlessly. I climbed through the bush behind him.
I quickly learned that bushwhacking is horribly uncomfortable and I don’t understand why anyone would do it willingly. Unless, of course, they were insane. I must’ve acquired a good two dozen scratches and countless pokes in the eye before I got stuck halfway in.
“Um, a little help here?”
“Here.” A pair of strong, rough-skinned hands pulled me through. I scrambled to my feet, smiling gratefully at him. He grinned back, flashing his long fangs.
“Look,” he said, holding my gaze. I turned, the forest to my back, the boy at my side.
The mountains, blue and silver, loomed above us, standing stoically on the opposite shore of the lake. A thick layer of mist rested on the water’s flat surface, the base of the mountain disappearing into the silvery cloud, its reflection clear and sharp... like the lake was a gaping chasm, ringed with emerald cedars, opening into an inverted world of mountains like stalactites clinging to the earth’s ceiling, and a void filled with blue sky and diamond stars and grey clouds that rumbled ominously, promising a storm.
“It’s beautiful.”
“No, it’s not.”
“But—”
He pressed a finger to his lips. “Don’t spoil it with words.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it. I nodded.
We stared over the water for a while. A light rain started to fall. Little ripples slid over the water’s surface, blurring the crystal-clear reflection.
“Goodbye, Chloe.”
I turned. He was walking away.
“What? Why?” I asked. “Wait!”
He stopped. He wasn’t looking at me.
“Where are you going?”
“To the forest,” he said simply.
“You’re leaving already, and I don’t even know your name,” I stalled.
There was a short pause.
He turned around.
“Lynx,” said the cat.
For a moment, we stared at each other. I felt like saying goodbye, but I knew I didn’t need to. I nodded once.
The corners of the lynx’s mouth lifted. He turned tail and fled into the forest beyond.
I always love feedback or a critic's opinion. It will help HUGELY. ty :D