On the Other Side

Dark Forest

Liby

Mom will be home late this evening. I know this isn’t right, but I have no choice. She won’t believe me anyway. I leave the note on the table and hurried outside. The wind is chilly, the moon is bright. I can hear the crickets and the peaceful night. Something tells me that it’s gonna be a great night and I’m counting on it. I drove my bike inhaling the fresh air on my way to Margaret’s house. As I reached Margaret’s house, she’s already outside waiting for me. “ Are you okay Lib?”, she asked. “ Yeah, it’s just that mom don’t believe me”, I said. “ You mean you ran away ?”, she asked. “ Sort of. I tried to tell her Margaret, but she thinks I make up stories. I won’t stay here when I know where’s my dad. I will find him even if he’s on other dimension”, I declared. “I won’t tolerate you for running away, but you tried and never be ashamed of that”, she said. We headed to the old bench and meet Amber. She was with the red headed woman. The woman was very pretty, brunette hair that looks like a princess. I think that was Amber’s mother, but she looks like her older sister. I felt the same feeling I feel when I saw Amber at the flower shop. I can feel it that she’s not a human. Margaret was a Carian, but why is it I can’t feel something strange about her?

“ You must be Liby”, the woman said. “ I am”, I smiled. “ Liby, this is my mother Haraya”, Amber said. Amber’s mother bowed and I do the same. I think this is what they do when they were glad to meet somebody. From what I observed, Haraya and Margaret have known each other for a long time. “ Did you bring the red scarf Liby?”, Margaret asked. Thankfully, I packed it in my back pack.” Yes, I have it with me”, I said.” Good, because we’ll need that”, Margaret said.

Margaret put her palm on the narra tree. The tree started to light up, it was like the light combined all the fireflies, but even lighter and brighter. Then a strange place appeared on the tree. It looks like a mirror built on the tree. “ I thought the portal was the one on the lake?”, I asked. “ Yeah. The portal straight to Caria and this one is to dark forest”, Margaret said. I didn’t know Grandelbrooke was this strange. Too many portals and too many strange places . Margaret entered on the portal, Amber and I followed her.

The Dark forest was far from my imagination. It’s too foggy and dark . I was scared, but there’s no going back. I closed my eyes and inhale. “ Whatever you see or hear Liby, don’t come and reach for them. This forest will trick you with the things you wanted. Do not be tempted or you’ll stuck here forever”, Amber said. Maybe this forest was cursed… and if it was cursed we need to find a way to break it. As we keep on walking, I saw something at a distance. “ What was that? Are trees supposed to walk on this forest ?”, I asked. I was shaking with fear. Amber and Margaret looked at each other. “ Hide!”, they said in unison.