Kristina Hanson

    Lillian loved the smell of peppermints. It reminded her of her father and better times. Not times like this. Meeting strange people with lab coats and doing things she didn't want to do with bigger stronger men. It made her sad to think of what she had gone through and wonder why her mother liked drugs and men so much. Why a woman would let her daughter go through what she had gone through. It was incompressible to Lillian. She missed her father. He was her rock. The one who watched and took care of her. The one that showed her the world for what it was. A beautiful place to cherish and use to one's advantage. She wanted to plant vegetables and fruits. She wanted to smell the dirt and see the vibrant colors of her fathers greenhouse back when he was alive and see him again. He had died three years ago of cancer but she could still hear his voice and peppermint scented aftershave.         Lillian shook herself out of the past and paid better attention to her surroundings. Her mother had let a man in a white lab coat take her away in a black shiny new SUV for some money and Lillian wasn't even surprised. She just hoped she wouldn't be gone for long. If this would take long she at least hoped for good sleeping arrangements. Anything was better then the rat infested room she called home at her mothers apartment. Lillian sighed and listened closely to the mens conversation. "This one better pick the swamp habitat or I swear we might have to put that one down." The other man made a slashing motion and shoved his face into the other mans face to angrily proclaim, "No one is going to 'put down' one of my test subjects. Not even a scientist with your prestige. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"      The lab coat guy shook his head vigorously in agreement and motioned for Lillian to come closer to the two larger men. Lillian was intimidated immediately and timidly walked forward with her hands nervously bunching up her shirt. With big eyes she said, "Yes?"      He waved her forward again and moved for her to get in front of him to let her look at the doors in front of her. It was six doors in close proximity and they all had different designs. The one farthest to the left had a wintery design with snowflakes and an iced over lake in the background. It was marked with a red light on the top of the door frame. The next was woodsy but had a labyrinth as its defining feature. It two had a red light. The next one was a cave system that had moss going over the terrain and a beautiful waterfall going in the distance. She could almost see the water flowing down. It had a red light glowing so she looked at the last three doors. The next one was a swamp oasis and had pretty hanging weeping willows but she grew interested when she saw it had a green light. This was the one the lab coat guy was talking about but she looked at the next door and instantly rushed forward. She saw multiple plants and trees she recognized from her time with her father and quickly looked at the last door and instantly looked back at the fifth door when she saw the last door was a dessert habitat.      She looked back at the lab coat guy because thats what she was calling him now and looked at the door to see if she had permission to go in since that was all she figured he would want from her. He scowled and looked at the fourth door but still motioned for her to go through the door. She opened the door calmly and walked over the threshold but as soon as the door clicked shut behind her she made a very loud childlike squeal and ran to the closest tree. She hugged the tree lovingly and smelled the first fresh air she had had in a very long time. Usually she was out in the big city and rarely got to see the stars or clouds in the sky and she looked up expecting the sky but all she saw was clear blue artificial light. It was a very strange unexpected sight to see but that wouldn't dampen her mood. She was determined to find a peppermint plant and just stare at all the plant life and fresh air around her. She could hear wild life and flowing water so she was in a complete ecosystem and was vaguely aware that predators might be around but she wanted to be a child for once and let herself enjoy this one chance she had at being normal. Being a kid.     She wondered around looking at the ground and smelling the air for the faint smell of her favorite plant when she saw the prettiest tree she'd ever seen. It was very tall and had a wide base so much so that she knew she could climb the tree if she wanted to. Lillian put her right foot in a groove and lifted herself up a foot to climb to the nearest branch when she saw a very large treehouse made within the tree itself. She squealed and almost lost her footing but she calmed herself enough to realize that she was alone in these strange woods and wouldn't get help even if she really needed it. She sobered at the thought and concentrated on getting to the treehouse and making it out alive. She climbed the tree until she made it into an opening into the treehouse and threw her small leg over the opening and pulled her way into the living area. She stood straight up and looked at the area with a critical eye. She looked at the dark enclosed space and saw nothing but musty areas and much needed homey work done to the spaces. It needed tones of work to even be livable. She squealed in excitement and jumped up and down from side to side spinning in a blind circle so much so that she didn't see that the resident had dropped down from his perch from the ceiling and landed three feet away from her c*****g his head.  Lillian stopped her excited dance and looked at the area again in a new light. She had multiple ideas running through her head about what she would need to make the treehouse comfortable and how she would make it her home when she turned to the area she'd make her room and saw a boy not a couple years older then her. She made a frightened squeal and jumped back making him scowl at her and scratch his head in annoyance. His hair did look very matted and she could tell he was the reason it smelled so bad so she determined that he would need lots of work but he was manageable and she would keep him in her treehouse. It was in his eyes, the way he carried himself. He was a wounded soul like her and she needed to put him under her wing because she would have wanted someone to do that for her. Besides he looked like he was going to grow larger then most men in the way his shoulders were so she wanted him on her side.      She raised her hand to shake hands with him in a friendly matter and he hesitantly wrapped his hand around hers for a very awkward first hand shake. She smiled brightly at the taller boy and said in a very cheerful matter. "I think we should be friends. I could help you make this place a complete home and you can help me find a plant that smells very good and when mixed with tea leaves tastes very good. You do know where most plant life is here don't you?" At his firm nod she smiled and said, "Good, but first lets get you a nice bath to freshen you shall we?"     He nodded eagerly and motioned for her to go before him to the window to go outside and motioned for her to climb on his back. She stared at him in utter shock then shook her head no but he was having none of her protests and took the decision out of her hands by picking her up and sliding her to his back. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and he secured her by holding her legs against his back and scared her beyond words by jumping out of the treehouse into the next tree. She held on tight then she opened her eyes and looked at how effortlessly he swung from one tree to the next. She smiled and said, "You wouldn't happen to be Tarzan now would you?" He looked back at her mid swing and said speaking for the first time, "Tarzan good guy right?" She smiled and said, "He is one of my favorite super hero characters in kid movies. Right after beast of course." He smiled and grabbed ahold of the next tree branch then said, "I will be this beast character then for you. Call me beast." Lillian couldn't possibly call him beast from now on but the way he said it with such pride and happiness she couldn't see anything else to do but agree for now. "Later we'll pick you out a real name, but beast is good for now."