Status: Hiatus until further notice.
Just Let It Go
Eleven
“Why are you so slow? Hurry up!” Paul demanded as I locked the door behind me. Paul was very impatient today. A soon as I put the keys in my pocket, he grabbed my hand and tugged my in the direction of my school. My small hand fit perfectly in his large one but I tried not to notice. I also tried not to show my disappointment when he let go.
“I thought a lot about what you told me,” he said and I frowned. What did I say? He saw my confusion and rushed to explain. “You're scared of something in the woods, not the actual place, right?” I shrugged in agreement, not sure of my answer.
“What if someone went inside with you? What if I went with you?” he asked. I was surprised at his words. Paul looked at me with anticipation.
“I'm not sure if that would change anything,” I said. “I just don't want to go there.” Paul took my hand and held it between his.
“I promise I won't let anything happen to you,” he said. I might have protested some more but feeling my hand between his and having him look at me so pleadingly, I couldn't help but nod. He beamed and pulled me along to the forest.
“Whoa, hey, slow down!” I yelped and tugged my hand out of his. I shook my head. “I don't want to go now.”
“You have to start someday,” Paul pointed out. I looked down and kicked a nearby pebble. I really wasn't ready yet. I was still terrified but I took a deep breath. I was going to go inside that awful place.
Paul gave me a smile and I walked in front of him. He put his hand on the small of my back to guide me. I stopped just before entering the forest and felt Paul nudge me a bit.
The leaves rustled as we walked inside. I was aware of every sound around me. The forest seemed to breath around me. I closed my eyes. I wasn't aware of Paul next to me, I wasn't aware of anything. I just wanted to turn around and bolt from this place. My breathing was getting shallow.
“You're doing great, keep going,” Paul said into my ear. I opened my eyes and unwillingly proceeded forward. I kept my eyes glued to the forest floor. We probably walked for about 5 minutes before we stopped. I felt Paul move away from me and I had half a mind to yell for him not to move.
“Look up Sophie,” he said and I did as told. He was standing a few feet away from me between two giant trees. “Try to look at the forest as your friend.” I couldn't help but laugh at his words; he sounded like a psychologist. Paul ignored me.
“Try to see how beautiful it is,” he said as I walked to him. “It's a really is peaceful.” He had a smile on his face as he looked around him. “And if you stay still long enough, you might see the animals here.” The smile on my face dropped.
“I'd rather not,” I said quickly. Animals were different. There were small, furry, cute animals but then there were giant, vicious, aggressive ones. Paul must have sensed the panic behind my words.
“I want out, Paul,” I said calmly but with force. Paul started to protest but I shot him a stern look and he nodded. We made our way back to the road and exited near my school.
I let out a long sigh. It felt much easier to breath here. My head was spinning a bit but I was happy to be out of the woods. Paul draped an arm around me.
“See? That was nothing, right?” he beamed down at me. I couldn't help but smile back.
I wasn't going to admit it to him how much energy and courage it took for me to enter that horrible place.
“Yeah, piece of cake.”
“I thought a lot about what you told me,” he said and I frowned. What did I say? He saw my confusion and rushed to explain. “You're scared of something in the woods, not the actual place, right?” I shrugged in agreement, not sure of my answer.
“What if someone went inside with you? What if I went with you?” he asked. I was surprised at his words. Paul looked at me with anticipation.
“I'm not sure if that would change anything,” I said. “I just don't want to go there.” Paul took my hand and held it between his.
“I promise I won't let anything happen to you,” he said. I might have protested some more but feeling my hand between his and having him look at me so pleadingly, I couldn't help but nod. He beamed and pulled me along to the forest.
“Whoa, hey, slow down!” I yelped and tugged my hand out of his. I shook my head. “I don't want to go now.”
“You have to start someday,” Paul pointed out. I looked down and kicked a nearby pebble. I really wasn't ready yet. I was still terrified but I took a deep breath. I was going to go inside that awful place.
Paul gave me a smile and I walked in front of him. He put his hand on the small of my back to guide me. I stopped just before entering the forest and felt Paul nudge me a bit.
The leaves rustled as we walked inside. I was aware of every sound around me. The forest seemed to breath around me. I closed my eyes. I wasn't aware of Paul next to me, I wasn't aware of anything. I just wanted to turn around and bolt from this place. My breathing was getting shallow.
“You're doing great, keep going,” Paul said into my ear. I opened my eyes and unwillingly proceeded forward. I kept my eyes glued to the forest floor. We probably walked for about 5 minutes before we stopped. I felt Paul move away from me and I had half a mind to yell for him not to move.
“Look up Sophie,” he said and I did as told. He was standing a few feet away from me between two giant trees. “Try to look at the forest as your friend.” I couldn't help but laugh at his words; he sounded like a psychologist. Paul ignored me.
“Try to see how beautiful it is,” he said as I walked to him. “It's a really is peaceful.” He had a smile on his face as he looked around him. “And if you stay still long enough, you might see the animals here.” The smile on my face dropped.
“I'd rather not,” I said quickly. Animals were different. There were small, furry, cute animals but then there were giant, vicious, aggressive ones. Paul must have sensed the panic behind my words.
“I want out, Paul,” I said calmly but with force. Paul started to protest but I shot him a stern look and he nodded. We made our way back to the road and exited near my school.
I let out a long sigh. It felt much easier to breath here. My head was spinning a bit but I was happy to be out of the woods. Paul draped an arm around me.
“See? That was nothing, right?” he beamed down at me. I couldn't help but smile back.
I wasn't going to admit it to him how much energy and courage it took for me to enter that horrible place.
“Yeah, piece of cake.”
♠ ♠ ♠
:]Outfit