The Place On The Other Side

The Beginning

　Outside a small village named Haren, with only a few nearby farms, not far from a dark forest that is said to be enchanted by evil. Dolyia, a young child at the age of eight, was wandering along the edge of the forest with a deep, yet odd feeling of being drawn to something. She had been told very firmly several times to NEVER go into this forest for any reason, so she kept her distance as she followed the line of trees.

The padlock of sheep and goats lay on the right side of a large barn, on the left and behind the barn were the pigs mud pen and the dandelion covered field where the horses grazed. Inside the barn housed the hens and a rooster, with only one cow. 　

　　~ It feels like I'm being called. As if I needed to find something important, Dolyia thought as she turned and ran home to help her Ma. Dolyia’s ma was a short woman with long bright blonde reddish hair that wrapped into braids. She often wore a hand sewn dress and woven shoes.

　　As she ran around the barn, she noticed her Pa putting the carriage and horse away after his journey to the village, which had taken over a full day. Pa was a tall slender man, with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes. He had a five o'clock shadow on his face. He was wearing his straw hat, suspenders, a brown flannel shirt, and boots.

Dolyia met up with him after he was finished. They went and washed up at the water basin together, then sat at the dinner table as Ma laid their plates with potatoes, elk steak, and corn. Ma went back and grabbed their cups with tea, then sat with Dolyia and Pa. They held hands, prayed and ate the wonderful meal Ma had made.

　　The cottage windows in both the sitting area and kitchen were so large they let in the evening light. There were two sitting chairs next to the wooden stove that was burning hot, keeping the home nicely warm in the cold autumn months.

The cottage as you walk through the front door only had a few small rooms. Straight ahead was the sitting area, which had a dining table for eating, a chair with Ma's handcrafted cushions for reading, and Ma's sewing and knitting. On the left was the tiny kitchen area with an open fire pit and cooking pot, shelves for storing small food items, and cupboards Pa built for large food items.

Outside in a cellar type room was a "cooler" as some would call it where Pa stored Ice from the village to keep meats, and liquids cool for a short amount of time. Dolyia and her parents had a bedroom each down a short hallway to the right.

　　Dolyia's room was the smallest, her tiny bed, dresser and writing desk barely fit in it, but she managed it. She only had her two sets of sheets, one comforter, and pillow Ma made, and a desk Pa built her so she could write and draw. She loved to write stories and draw pictures in her spare time, though she hardly had time for them with the daily chores she had to do on the farm.

　　While eating supper, a question went through Dolyia’s mind, she couldn't resist asking Pa about it.

　 　"Pa, what lies beyond the forest edge?" Dolyia asked.

　　Lowering her voice she added, "I had a strange feeling as I walked along the tree line."

　Pa's face turned into a confused look and sternly replied, "You are not to go into those woods ever. It is not safe and you can easily get lost."

　　Then added with an angry expression, "The forest is OFF LIMITS!" he looked back at his plate and continued eating as if she didn't say anything in the first place.

　Dolyia hadn't gotten the answer that she was hoping for, but she was not about to argue with her Pa. She finished her supper and went straight to bed that night with an odd feeling and not much to say to her parents. Pa and Ma sat at the table still finishing their supper, quietly looking at each other with worry about their daughter.

　　The next week went well. Dolyia kept up on her work around the farm and cottage. Ma and her had picked many wild flowers that Saturday afternoon after feeding the animals and tending to the morning chores. They sat together in the field weaving the flowers into their hair, looking out into the distance towards the forest. Again Dolyia's mind began to wonder, she looked to her Ma after weaving the last flower she had into Ma's hair.

　　”Ma, I was hoping you could explain to me why I feel such odd feelings when I'm near the forbidden forest." Dolyia sheepishly asked her Ma as she looked to the ground.

　　With a concerned but understanding type of look Ma responded kindly. Ma wrapped Dolyia up into her arms in a big hug.

　　"I can not explain the reasons for your feelings as they are not my own. But I can be understanding as I get many feelings from the forest as well that I can not explain for myself."

　　Dolyia interrupted, “But that means you also believe the forest causes us odd thoughts and feelings.”

　　~ I'm sure she feels the same as I do. A calling, a need to go past the tree line and find out more. I'm sure of it. Dolyia's mind was wondering again. Ma spoke again, stopping Dolyia's thoughts.

　　"We do have that in common. I don't remember most of my childhood. To be truthful, I don't even remember how I met your Pa. I love him, but I have always felt I am meant to be somewhere else and with someone different."

　　Ma spoke these words with pain in her eyes. It seemed she hadn't told anyone else about these feelings before now. Dolyia was seeing her Ma's true side, she hardly spoke so openly to anyone. Dolyia sat and listened to every word intently, finding out more about her Ma was what she needed.

　　"I recall finding out I was pregnant with you shortly after meeting your Pa. I remember having you and being so happy your Pa and I had a daughter. One I could teach the ways in and out of the home. To make cute clothing for you and Pa. I loved making dolls for you." Ma continued, then added, "but that's enough of my memories, let's head home to fix up supper before Pa comes to wash up."

　　Dolyia and Ma got up, brushed themselves off, turned around and raced each other home. They managed to get supper done and served on the table as Pa walked in. They sat and ate in silence that night, Ma and Dolyia's minds off in another time thinking of the past, present and what may lie in the future and what all was said today.

　　Pa went straight to bed after finishing his supper. Dolyia helped Ma clean up the dishes and the dining table. Afterwards they sat together near the wooden stove, and started pulling the flowers out of each other's hair to get ready for bed.

　　~I wonder how Ma could have forgotten her childhood. Or where she was really from? How had she forgotten how she met Pa?~

　　Dolyia's mind was racing. She was getting quite tired with all the thoughts and questions she's been having. And her feelings about the forest were growing stronger everyday. Ma and Dolyia finally went to bed after finishing up their hair and getting dressed, and washed up. Both with good but weary thoughts.

　　Dolyia didn't sleep well that night with many dreams of who her Ma could really be. Over in Ma and Pa's room, Ma also tossed and turned that night with dreams of her past and where she came from.

As time went on, Dolyia grew but never lost the thoughts of her ma and life before her, the feelings and dreams just grew more and more over the years.