Story 7

It all began when one day the four Regiis children were on their way to the tree house.

“It’s such a nice day; I hope it doesn’t rain again. It ruined my dress yesterday when it did.” A small girl with a braid of Raven hair turned her soft, purple eyes to her brother.

“It would be a shame if it rained again, as it is though I don’t think it will.” Samuel continued along the birch path with his younger sister. His crisp blue eyes looked down the path as he ran his hand through his shaggy hair.

“It amazes me how this path never seems to change; don’t you think it's odd Kitty?”

“Indeed, yet I hope it stays like this forever. It’s so peaceful.”Samuel and Kitty continued along the sunlight dappled path.

“Hey slow-pokes!” Kitty looked away from the arching trees to see her other brother, Carter, just off the path. The boy used to look like Samuel and herself, with their raven hair, yet he had recently dyed his hair a sky blue that matched his eyes. Carter was the third child of the Regiis family with Samuel and Allisa being the first and second children. Kitty herself was glad to be the youngest, at eight years of age she was considered too young to be concerned with mundane tasks that her peers were, yet she also resented it as she was often not allowed to adventure with her older siblings.

“Come on you guys!! Allisa is already ahead!!” Carter called to them once again before disappearing off the path toward their tree house. Samuel started off on a brisk jog followed by Kitty. When they reached the tree house they saw Carter waiting on the ground while Allisa climbed up the ladder, disappearing into the trees foliage.

The tree house was placed in an old oak tree that seemed to climb forever into the sky. The house itself was set into the meeting point of all the branches on the trunk and was made out of driftwood and scrap wood that their father helped put together. The inside was adorned with homemade furniture such as, four driftwood chairs, a scrap wood table, a shelf that ran the length of one wall,and a basket lift. On top of the furniture was scrap fabric cushions, old cups, a bar of soap, fire starter, flint, plates,  blankets, and a picnic lunch from home that Carter and mom packed.

Carter and Samuel deposited their bags and baskets of food and started up the ladder.

“Lower the basket for the food!”  Kitty cried from below sitting on the rock next to the basket, rag bag, and metal bucket. A wicker basket was lowered with a thump from the branches which Kitty put in all the containers and then waited as the basket was raised, emptied, then lowered again. She sat in the basket and was raised up through the branches until she came to the landing. She was met by two shining green eyes which belonged to  her sister Allisa. The girls went into the main area and started setting the tables and prepping the food with the boys. There were crackers and cheese followed by some homemade fruit tarts for dessert and some cold turkey or chicken salad with rolls for lunch. Samuel put the bottles of lemonade that Kitty and Carter had just made, on top the table.

“Can we eat now?” Asked Carter, he was always hungry and somehow never got any plumper for it.

“Yes Carter..” Samuel rolled his eyes as he answered him. As they sat down to eat all four kids looked at the food, mentally picking out what they would eat first.

Meanwhile down the birch path near the quarry wall  a strange group of strange figures disappeared from the forest after crossing a line of stone that had been within the forest for years. As they left a low quiet humming, similar to the sound of gurgling water, and a sweet smell, quite like the smell of pine trees and cookies appeared. The sound grew in volume while the scent grew stronger as time passed. The children were completely unaware of this and continued to eat, joke, laugh, and joke and eat some more. Towards the end of the meal the children fell silent, sitting content and reading. Waiting until they felt like eating the rest of their meal.

“Hey what’s that noise?...” Samuel cocked his head to hear it better. The children sat still for a minute listening.

“Sounds like water running, or something humming” Kitty stood up and looked out from the balcony.

“Do you see anything?” Carter went to stand up but froze as he twitched his nose.

“HEY!” Exclaimed Carter “What’s that wonderful smell?”

“It’s almost like fresh baked cookies and some kind of pine..” Sniffed Allisa

“Baked or burnt.” Stated Samuel panic slowly spreading on his face “It could be a forest fire!”

“I think it's coming from the end of the Birch path.” Stated Carter

“Should we go check it out?” Kitty suggested tentatively

“ALREADY THERE!!!” Shouted Allisa as she leaped past Kitty, grabbing the pulley rope and began to quickly rappel down, her red hair flying behind her.

“This isn’t wise!!” Shouted Samuel as he hurried to raise and lower the lift with Kitty inside. Then rushed down the ladder followed by a reluctant Carter.

“We haven’t eaten dessert yet though! You guys!!!” Carter said as he touched the ground, but the other three were already far ahead. As the children came farther down the Birch path the smell of pine became overwhelming, while the sound grew louder and louder, soon filling their ears and drowning out every other sound in the forest.

“LOOK THERE'S ALISSA!!” Shouted Samuel. Allisa was standing at the end of the path and looked back at her siblings.

“HOW IS SHE NOT COVERING HER EARS!?” Screamed Carter, they were all covering their ears in an attempt to quiet the noise

“I HAVE NO CL-..ue” Kitty’s voice ended in a whisper as when they reached Allisa the sound and smell stopped leaving an odd silence  and a blandness to the air.

“ Guys...” started Allisa “ What made these..?” Allisa was staring at the ground where there were four sets of  prints of what seemed a large deer or wolves.

“A deer perhaps?” Stated Carter in a mocking way, as Allisa prided herself for her knowledge of animals.

“They're too big and too close together.” Scoffed Allisa protectively “and those aren't of a wolf either so don't even.”

“That’s not what’s bothering me..” Whispered Samuel, he was staring at the line of stone in the ground where all the prints seemed to vanish. “It goes in a path towards it but there's nothing on the other side.”

“OH YEAH!?!” Carter and Allisa had begun fighting again.

“WELL I’M THE ANIMAL EXSP-OOF!!”

Allisa stumbled backwards after being shoved by Carter crossed the line... and disappeared. The others looked at each other then the line then at each other again. This went on for some time then...

“Allisa!!!” Yelled Samuel in a state of panic “ Oh mum and dad are going to kill me!!”

“Kill you!? I’m the one who pushed her over the line!” Carter had begun his nervous habit. Running around in circles while screaming. The thing is that as Carter was running in circles he got closer and closer to the line, until he tripped over a conveniently placed root and fell over the line. Also disappearing.

“AHHHH!!!” Screamed Samuel, as he began to panic more and more. Kitty on the other hand was quiet and calm. Samuel continued to scream while Kitty continued to look at the line where her siblings had vanished.  This, like most things when involving Samuel and Kitty, without Allisa or Carter, went on until Samuel had had enough.

“All right then!” He declared standing up “We shall conduct multiple experiments to figure out how to get both of them back!”

Then Kitty grabbing her brother’s hand said “Or we can do this.” Kitty then jumped over the line pulling Samuel with her. Once all four were across the line the noise and smell disappeared completely. The line vanished and time began to slow, crawling to a halt, as time stopped until they returned.. or died you know, It really could go either way.