Mysteries of the Mountain

There is a time and a place for everything. There are times when fate catches up with you and you meet your end. There are times you make a choice that leads you down a completely different path. And there are times when you say things that affect the future for the entire world. One phrase, one statement said to a particular person could alter the course of history forever. It only takes one person for the entire world to be affected. However, neither of the three girls chasing each other through the streets of Hollidaysville, Pennsylvania will have discovered that yet. In fact, none of them would know what was about to happen, what was about to change their lives forever... Instead they spent their days laughing and joking all over town, just reveling in each other’s company. “I bet you can’t climb that tree.” Lilly said to Liz one day as they walked past a particularly bent looking tree with branches sticking up all over the place. Quirking her eyebrows with the challenge, Liz launched herself at the tree and pulled herself up onto the first branch. Sticking her tongue out at Lilly, she sprang upwards once again and continued climbing until she was out of sight. Liz loved proving Lilly wrong, especially when it was about something Lilly didn’t know she could actually do. “Wow.” Oaka breathed, actually looking up from her book for once. Although all three girls enjoyed reading, Oaka almost always carried a book with her and rarely ever did anything without one. Liz was the explorer and adventurer of the trio, always doing dare-devilish things and causing havoc around town. However, she never lacked in her school work and was always getting A’s in all her classes so that her parents were never worried. She was the peacemaker of the trio and somewhat of their leader although each of them was independent in their own ways. And Lilly was the gentlest of the three. She was the artist and sometimes could be quite air-headed, although she was always considerate when it came to other’s feelings. Surprisingly though, she had a quick temper and constantly got into fights with Oaka about one thing or another. Together they were a great team and were as thick as thieves, each very content with what they got out of life. Liz had climbed back down from the tree and Lilly was cross that she had lost the dare but each immediately brightened when they remembered the two dollars they had in their pockets, enough for each of them to get an ice cream. The three friends locked arms with each other and skipped off towards the ice cream parlor, happily fooling around. Little did each of them know that their perfect little lives were about to be destroyed forever... ~~~~~~~~~~~~ “You need to focus more on school work, Matthew.” Matthew Khoury’s mother scolded him from across the dinner table. “And you really should stop messing around with your little inventions and spend more time outside!” His father added, frowning with disapproval before returning his attention to the work computer he never seemed to let out of his sight. Matthew glowered at them both and continued picking at his dinner, his anger and resentment bubbling up inside of him. He hated his parents and family, they never understood him! He was always being bullied and never fit in anywhere! He hated this town he lived in and the entire world as it was. All he wanted in life was to be understood but that was never going to happen. Nobody could understand why he was constantly finding ways to get revenge. They never understood why the weird boy who lived in the shack at the end of town was always picking fights he couldn’t possibly win. And they didn’t understand why Matthew had never smiled in his entire life. Matthew was just an unhappy and lonely boy, who wished someone in the world would open up and let him in. He wished that someone would understand him and he wished that he could be treated like everyone else instead of like a weird little freak. After another sleepless night, Matthew stumbled into school and mumbled a hello to his teacher before sitting in the far back of the classroom. He ignored the whispering and finger pointing as he pulled his blank notebook from his bag and rummaged around for a pencil, despite the fact that he never took notes in class. The school day went by in a blur and finally it was recess time, the only freedom Matthew got all day and the time when he was bullied the most. Matthew walked across the basketball court and went to grab a ball to dribble, the only activity that involved him not talking to anyone. Dribbling the basketball as the sun hit his back, he frowned and concentrated, wishing that he was back home in his lab, working on his various contraptions. His mind began to wander and before long, Matthew was in his own world, thinking of the latest editions he would add to his current invention, the book scrambler. The ball rolled away from Matthew, breaking him from his thoughts and he quickly ran after it, grabbing it just before it rolled into the fence at the far corner of the playground. “Well, well, well... look at what we’ve got here. Icky little Matthew!” A voice sneered from behind him and Matthew turned to face Tim Herks, the biggest bully in the school. Although Matthew tried to stand up to himself his brain always seemed to shut down when it came to interactions with Tim. In fact, he was pretty much terrified of all the Herks brothers and Tim was no exception. “Leave me alone, Tim.” He grumbled, trying not to let a quiver of fear sneak into his voice. He hated that he let people like Tim get to him but he was still determined to try not to sound scared, despite how minuscule the attempt was. “Leave you alone?” Tim asked, his voice raising in mock disbelief “How rude!” Matthew tried to make a run for it but Tim tripped him and he fell to the pavement, skinning his already scabbed knees. Now Tim was looming over him and Matthew knew that he was about to have a black eye again. Closing his eyes, he waited for the punch to come but it never did. “Leave him alone!” A voice rang out and Matthew blinked open his eyes in surprise to see a girl marching towards them. She wore a brown monkey shirt, blue shorts and black converse sneakers, a big frown on her pretty face. “What did you just say?” Tim growled, his eyes narrowing to slits. Nobody ever stood up to Tim Herks and now Matthew was sure he was dreaming. Nobody had ever stood up to him before so why were things finally changing? What was going on? “I said to leave him alone!” The girl yelled back and stood in front of Matthew, not an ounce of fear eminent in her voice. Matthew just stared at the back of her in shock, wondering if his brain was computing this right. “And who are you?” Tim snarled, his fists clenched “Icky-Mathew’s girl friend???” “Liz Pearlou.” Liz said defiantly, not even flinching at Tim’s harsh voice or his false accusation. Ignoring his last statement she continued to stare up at him, her shadow falling over Matthew in what seemed to be a bubble of protection. “Well then Liz.” He sneered a little when he said her name “I suggest you leave right now unless you want to get beat up too.” “No I don’t think so. You are just a big bully and Mathew has done nothing wrong!” Liz yelled and glared up at Tim who was at least a head taller than her. Her flaming red hair was glinting in the sun and when Matthew looked up at her again she seemed to be in an aura of light. How had he not noticed this amazing girl before? Tim snarled and lunged at Liz but she ducked and he went sprawling in the dirt. The following seconds seemed to be in slow motion as Liz and Tim punched and kicked each other on the ground, clouds of dirt billowing up into the air. Finally Liz managed to latch onto Tim’s ear and tugged him so hard that he squealed in pain. Before he even had a chance to run, she strengthened her grip on his ear and marched him over to the teacher before turning and walking back to Matthew. Matthew sighed and stood up, accepting Liz’s outstretched hand for help. He still wasn’t sure quite what had happened but he was glad it had because he was sure he would have been dead by now if it weren’t for her. “Thanks.” He mumbled, not sure what else to say. He could only count a handful of times he had talked to a classmate and none of them had looked at him the same way Liz was looking at him right now. Matthew didn’t know if it was his imagination or not but he was quite sure that Liz was actually looking like she understood him. “No problem.” Liz said, looping her thumbs through her belt “But you’ve got to learn to stand up for yourself. Don’t let people walk all over you! Put your chin up and do what’s right, no matter what the consequences! Okay?” Matthew nodded and watched as Liz walked away to join her friends on the swings. She had somehow struck a nerve in his body and he was jumping with newfound excitement. Now he finally knew how to get his revenge and ‘stand up for himself’ and it was all thanks to Liz. Smiling, Matthew staggered home and shut himself in his lab, where he stayed until morning. He drew up blueprints and sketches, ordered materials using his parent’s credit card, and was rarely seen at school again until just over a year later, continental drift sped up and all seven continents were forced into a single landmass, killing over six billion people. Matthew Khoury had finally gotten his revenge...