The Forest We Share

Secrets

Eli was chasing Cameron through the forest trying to find a new place to explore. The uneven terrain was no match for their experience in the woods.

After 15 years of running through these woods, they know every trail, every tree and cliff. It was the first day of summer and they wanted to be freed from their plans by running in the woods.

Cameron and Eli had been friends since they were 2, they were neighbours and their parents were friends. The way the houses were, there were only one on either side of the road and the forest separates their houses from the rest of the world it felt.

They both had big houses and both live simply but instead of using technology like the other kids their age, they prefer the freedom of nature.

There was only one part in that forest they had been before, a cave hidden underground and beneath the water in a grove.

Their parents had been there before and had warned their children of it not giving out details of their experience, but every time its brought up, they get a strange look on their face as if they were remembering something horrid.

The only thing the Cam and Eli knew were that there parents went in with some friends but only the 4 of them came back.

Cam’s gran, Mrs. Kantin, was old and seemingly careless to the point she accidentally released some of the secrets.

“I know your mom and dad went there with Mr. and Mrs. Carmichelle and some other friends from school during March break of their Freshman year. But the others... they disappeared into the cake and never resurfaced.” Granny K had never been so solemn, as she continued with the story. “Your mom, when she got back she described, what I had thought were hallucinations but she kept reassuring me they weren’t. She still gets nightmares about how Jamie Harrison and the others who were with them, were killed by people they’ve never seen and weapons they didn’t know existed. “

Mrs. Kantin walked in the room after Granny K had finished the story. Unaware that her mother had told them.

There was a knock on the door and that’s where I come in. I’m Eli’s little brother and I came to fetch him home.

Eli is female to male transgender but of course I didn’t find that out till Eli came to high school. You might be wondering why I said “came” rather than went to. I made it to high school before Eli and Cam even though they are older by 2 years.

I’ve always been the type to study for fun, but it got to the point I always got mom to buy me textbooks till grade 9 and learned everything they learned but quicker than my brother. Our school did a placement test in order to see what grade I would be because for grades 1-5 I was homeschooled but mom got too busy and I had to go to school now.

So I had grade 8’s school book knowledge already in my head even though I was just supposed to have finished grade 5. So they sent me to high school as a special case, since I already had all the prerequisites.

Cam and Eli both aren’t that studious... That’s a lie Cam studies a lot but bot enough to surpass their grade level, now Eli trues not study unless Cam is the one who tutors him. Small secret, Eli has a crush a Cam. Big surprise right? Not really.