Shine

I landed to the bottom of the hole with a thud. My muscles contracted and I lay on the soft moss for a few minutes trying to make myself realize I was still alive. The question would be though- how to get back up the massive hole? I starred at the black ceiling that left a tiny piece of light from where I had fallen. My blood raced and I panicked. I sprung to my feet in a flash and felt the walls that still seemed to be the tree.

That’s funny; I should be completely underground by now.

I looked up and pressed my palms against the bark. I attached my feet to the sides and hoisted myself up the sides of the trunk.

My hand slipped on some broken bark and my feet slid down the sides of the trunk, scratching them so hard I screamed again. I fell to the moss in a “clunk.”

I brushed myself off and tried again. Tears threatened my eyes, and I wished so desperately that I could get out of here and in my safe home again. No one would ever find me down here, this deep in the wood. I failed and fell again scraping my arm.

Frustrated I kicked the trunk of the tree. I soon regretted it when my toes began to throb. The trunk shook and made a strange creaking noise.

I braced for the worse, “It’s all going to cave!” I thought and covered my head. When nothing happened I kicked and shoved the trunk. A seeping of light peered through a crack of the trunk. I cocked my head to once side.

There couldn’t possibly be light this far down.

I focused hard on that tiny bit of light. I focused harder than I ever have on light. My fists clenched and the crack began to get bigger. I smiled, it was working! My eyes began to adjust to the seeping light and the crack widened enough for me to see green grass and grey skies. I opened my fists with energy shooting from my fingers and used it to shatter the rest of the trunk. I rolled out from the tree and looked back at the smoking hole I had just left.

I felt suddenly sick again and clutched my stomach waiting for the nausea to pass. When it finally did I looked around at the open green. Confused, I stepped forward and then cringed as my feet seared in agonizing pain. I brought up my foot and looked at the cuts that were across them. I continued my cringe as I stumbled around wondering which part of the woods I had gotten too.

The sun began to fade away behind the clouds and I knew I had to get home before the rain began. My sweatpants had ripped in the process of falling thousands of feet and my jacket must have been ripped off me during the fall. My shirt was dirty and my hair must have looked wind-blown and crazy. I pressed forward searching for any town.

It seemed like I had been walking for hours and my feet were hurting so badly I could barely walk any longer. A loud crack of thunder ripped through the sky and I muttered, “Great, just fucking great.” If I wasn’t so tired and fatigued I would have thought I heard music. I sat down on a log and held my now aching head in my hands. I heard leaves on the ground crinkle behind me and I quickly got to my feet and looked around. I saw four men standing in the distance talking under the light of a lantern. I forced my tired legs to move closer to them and I took my hiding space behind a tree. I watched a man with a large scar across his forehead step forward and point a finger angrily at another tall lanky man.

“The hole from the human world has been opened.” He spat angrily. The man cowered in fear. “Do you know why, guard?”

The man who I assumed was the guard shook his head. “I-I It wasn’t my turn to post, sir.”

“Then who was it, Guard?” The man yelled forcing his hand upon the Guards white shirt and yanking him upward so his feet barely hit the ground. He choked and trembled at his grasp. “There are rumors that The Prophesy is soon to be filled. The Princess may be here. Do you know what that means, Guard?”

The guard nodded, and the man with the scar threw him to the ground. He gasped for air. “It means that the heir will fulfill the throne and all my work will be for nothing. I will be nothing.” He screamed causing an echo to escape through the woods.

A few birds chirped and flew up into the air. My skin grew goose bumps and I caught my breath in my throat and swung my head back towards the other side of the tree. “You will never leave that post, the entry to the human world. Do you understand? I will not risk the Princess’s return.”

“Yes sir.” The man trembled and backed away to the other scared looking men. They helped him from the ground. The scar man got into a wagon and whipped his horse to move along. He sped out of there. The rest of the men returned to the opposite direction.

I began to breathe again and noticed the rain begin to shoot down in pellets. The lightning struck quick a lot quicker than I had ever seen in my life. I felt the energy in my fingers and toes strike just as the lightening had. I shuddered at the unusual feeling and walked briskly away from the trees. Rain shot down faster and I missed the sunshine I had once seen.

My feet had become muddied and I could feel it slipping into the cuts I had from the tree. I winced in pain as I continued to walk in a random direction.

By about an hour of searching desperately through the rain, I was beginning to believe I would never find anyone, or my home. I took my shirt in my hands and wrung it out, just for the rain to soak it up again. I was weary, and cold from the walking but I knew I could not sit down. Sitting down would get me nowhere.

I wiped some rain off of my face so I could see clearly and I looked around. Just in the distance were a few lights. I could see them spotted through the trees.

My heart raced, was I finally home?

I shakily began to sprint. My legs wobbling as I ran, I curved around the trees and slipped on a puddle of mud. That was when I hit the village. I quickly realized that this was not my home. The water mixed with my tears.

“Miss?” A girl who looked maybe five years older than me was standing at the entrance of what looked like one of the homes. I looked up slowly taking in how tall she was. “Miss?” She repeated and motioned for me to come closer to her. She yelled out again, “It’s a horrid storm out here. What are you doing?” She asked folding her hands in her skirt while she slowly slithered back into the house.

I suddenly stumbled towards her. A cart slipped behind me, with a horse at its front. It seemed to be carrying wheels of some sort.

I'm confused, where are the cars?

I felt as if I were flung back a couple centuries. The woman began to shut her door.

“Wait!” I yelled out hoarsely. She paused, slowly opening the door again. I waited for her approval before she suddenly ushered me inside the house quickly.