Forest Secrets

*Six years later*

I shoved some t-shirts into an extra duffel bag and looked around my room; once again I was moving and had to make sure I hadn’t left anything behind.

My entire life had revolved around packing and moving; I’ve been to so many different family members the past few years and hadn’t really felt the feeling of a real home yet.

But this time was different, I wasn’t being sent off to another family member or foster home. I had gotten accepted into a college about five hours away into the art program I had always dreamed of going to.

Best part of all this was, that I was free.

The past two years, I had lived with my Aunt Bethany; she was the worst of all the places I had ever been. Aunt Bethany was crazy, she never gave me a chance and shouted at me for practically everything I did even when I had tried to help out around the house. I was thrilled to get away from her.

She was constantly snooping in my room and stealing my hard earned possessions to sell for drugs, I had put a lock on my door but she still found her way in and broke through it all the time.

Doesn’t help that her and my Uncle where constantly fighting every damn day either, like not just screaming and slamming doors but actual fighting. She would kick him and call him names; he never laid a hand on her though. Due to possible domestic violence charges, my Aunt would make stuff up just to get money from the government. My Uncle was the nicest man in my entire family, he was the only reason why I stayed for so long and didn’t leave long ago.

I had one friend here, I had known her from High school and she had been my friend ever since the first day when I met her on the bus and had no place to sit, her name was Taylor and it was going to hurt leaving her.

I saw the open suitcase lying on my bed; I had more stuff to pack and had to make sure it was done soon. I was leaving in the morning for the bus; I

I hadn’t heard from my brother or my sister in years, Macie was six when it happened and my brother was off to college and living his dreams. I had hoped they were doing okay, I missed them so badly.

Ever since that night I’ve been able to do some pretty interesting things, I was able to make things levitate off tables and read peoples mind if I concentrated hard enough. It was cool but scared me at times.

*Buzz*

I heard my phone going off from the other side of the room loudly; I went over and saw the caller ID was the bar I had previously worked on up until my move.

“Hey Charlies! What’s up man?”

“Listen you little shit, I’m not going to ask you again get the fu--, dammit sorry Jewels I need a huge favor. I know you’re leaving in the morning and what not but I have to step out for a bit. Can you come in for a few hours you can keep all the tips?” I thought it over for a moment and figured I could use a break from all the packing.

“I sure can Charlies, I’ll be there in like 15 minutes I need to stop at the bank.” I told him and I could hear a huge sigh of relief on the other end.

“Fabulous, there was a reason you always were my favorite.” I laughed as I heard a click when he hung up. I plugged my phone into the charger for a few moments while I got ready and blasted my favorite music.

I looked over myself in the mirror; I was wearing my favorite outfit; some plain jeans and a sparkly top with black boots that cut off just below the knees. My hair rested just below my shoulders fresh from the haircut I received last Saturday, along with the new dark brown color and purple highlights to go with it. I grabbed my jean jacket and slid it on before heading down the stairs to head to the bar. I saw a familiar sight once I reached the living room of our second story house; my Aunt was sitting on the couch smoking from her bong again.

“Where you going dressed like that?” She questioned as I grabbed my car keys off the counter.

“You look like a dumb tramp! Put some clothes on!”

She was one to talk; lying on the couch not even wearing pants.

“None of your business, and I would really appreciate it if you would stop stealing my money!” I shouted at her realizing she had my wallet out on the table, I snatched it and stormed out of the house and got into my car.

I pulled up to the bank and realized that it had said it was out of order; I sighed and parked close to the door to go inside and grab money. I waited in the line and felt my phone buzzing in my pocket.

“Don’t mean to rush you, but hurry up.’ It was from Charlies.

‘I’m just at the bank. Be there soon!’

“I can help whose next!” The bank teller shouted and I made my way up to where she was.

“I’ll just take out 50.” I said sliding my debit card into the machine.

“Sounds, good.” She replied typing in a few things on her computer, then getting up. “I’ll just be a moment dear.”

I nodded and played around with my phone for a moment while I waited for her to return. Just then I got a sharp pain in my head and started seeing weird images, I couldn’t place as to what I was seeing but my head throbbed so badly. Suddenly I saw a boy’s face, he seemed to be angry and screaming about something and next I saw a large fire in an apartment, the image faded as quickly as it came.

“AUUGGGGHHH!” I screamed in pain, holding my head in my hands.

“Everything okay miss?” The bank teller asked me returning with my money, I looked around and saw that everyone was staring at me.

“I’m okay, sorry just a headache.” I replied taking my money from her and running back to my car trying to recover from what just happened.

I got in my car and tried to catch my breath before starting it up and pulling out of the bank parking lot, I couldn’t at all understand what just happened, it’s not something that had ever happened before, and who was that boy I was seeing? Did he start that fire?

I had about a thousand questions racing through my mind as I pulled up into the bar of the parking lot, it seemed to be rather empty for a Friday night and all the lights where off in the building. I shrugged it off and made my way up to the doors, it was locked but I still had my key that I was meaning to bring back. I wandered into the building and turned on the lights and looked around in shock.

“SURPRIIIISSSEEEE!” A bunch of voices screamed out in surprised at me. My best friend Taylor ran up to me and hugged me.

“Are you behind this?” I asked my face still red from embarrassment.

“Well, I mean it was my idea but Casey suggested we do it here, I can’t let my best friend go off to college without a surprise party now can I?” She said jumping back from the hug and reaching into the cooler to grab me a drink. “Try this, Casey makes the best drinks.”

“Thanks, it’s not bad… not enough vodka though.” I said taking a sip of the drink. “I barely know anybody here.” I laughed realizing almost half the people in the room where complete strangers to me.

“They were just hanging out and we told them to play along, they’re all from High school though, mingle, and have some fun jeezz.” She laughed taking off to go talk to Casey who was standing at the bar mixing a drink.

I sat down at a table and began scrolling through my phone, I hated parties it was always awkward and the music was way too loud.

“Jewels….Jewels….” I heard a voice in the back of my mind whisper.

“Who said that!?” I screamed out loud jumping up from the table.

“Jewels! What’s wrong?” Taylor shouted running up to where I was standing.

I started panicking and looking around the room, I realized I was at the bar and again everyone was staring at me.

“Oh yeah, I’m okay… just my phone went off and I got a weird call.” I lied putting my phone back into my purse. Taylor looked at me weirdly but put her arm around my back and dragged me to the bar; I plumped down next to her and sighed.

“Are you sure that’s what happened? You looked a lit bit spooked.” She muttered. I could never lie to her so I decided to tell her what has been happening, starting from what happened to the bank to what just happened now. Once I was finished she seemed to have understood but didn’t seem like she didn’t believed me.

“Oh c’mon, that’s crazy. You’re probably stressing out about leaving for college tomorrow. Just try to relax and have a good time.” She reassured me.

“I’m not stressed out about leaving for college, I’m honestly thrilled. I can’t wait to get out of this crappy city!” I said grabbing my phone out of my purse.

She looked a little bit hurt that I said I was happy to be leaving so I quickly fixed what I said, “I mean leaving you I’m not looking forward to, but I will come and visit.” She laughed, then smiled when a guy she liked walked by our table.

“He’s the guy I told you about, the one I went out for coffee with the other day.”

“Isn’t he dating that girl from our science class?” I asked curiously.

“Oh, they broke up. She left him for the gym teacher!” She said laughing.

“Go talk to him then girl!” I said nudging her towards the guy, she giggled and got up and made her way over to the blond haired guy sitting alone by a pool table.

I looked at the time on my phone and saw that it was beginning to get late, and I needed to go finish packing so I started getting myself up and ready to go when I heard a laughter of sorts from behind me. I nervously looked behind me and saw that nothing was there; I shivered and made my way over to Taylor.

“Taylor, I’m heading home I need to finish packing. You’re coming to get me around 9 right?” I asked her before going out to my car. She was barely paying attention as she was giggling with that guy, who seemed to be very into her. She looked up slightly and nodded.

“See you then!” She laughed as I left.

***

*BEEP- BEEP- BEEP- *

I heard my alarm clock go off at the side of my bed signalling it was time to get up; I stretched and smiled to myself as I realized that today was the day that I could finally be free.

I got up and did a double and triple check around my room to make sure everything has been packed, and I didn’t forget anything. I wasn’t planning on coming back here anytime soon, after making sure everything was packed up I made my way down stairs and waited for Taylor to show up to bring me to the bus station.

My aunt was nowhere in sight thankfully, which was great I didn’t care either way about saying goodbye to her. She didn’t care I was leaving at this point anyway. My uncle on the other hand was watching TV in the living room, I knew I had to say goodbye to him.

“Excited for the big day Jewels?” He asked getting up to hug me.

I shrugged “I suppose so.”

“If you ever get into any trouble, just give me a call and I’ll come and get you. Or kick somebodies ass if I need to.” He laughed pulling away from our hug.

“Well do, thank you for everything.” I told him.

“Anytime kiddo, stay out of trouble and do your homework!” He snickered. I heard a honk in the driveway signifying that Taylor had pulled up to our driveway; I ran to the front and got my bags to put in the back of her car.

“You ready?” She yelled from the driveway opening up the trunk of her car. I shuffled out with my suitcases and she grabbed one from me.

“You know it!” I winked heading out to grab another one; my uncle met me at the door with two suitcases ready to hand to me.

“Take care of yourself Kiddo, love you!” He said as I retrieved the last of my belongings from the staircase.

I nodded and hugged him one last time before he closed the door; I shuffled my way down the stairs and met Taylor at the car ready to start my new adventure.

***

The bus ride was long, longer than any other trip I’ve been on. I had grown very anxious and there was a sleeping old man sitting next to me, I had planned to sit alone but the bus was so crowded and there was nowhere else for him to sit so I had let him sit next to me for now.

Looking out the window I watched as the houses and stores turned into trees and rivers, I started to get bored so I pulled my sketchbook out of my backpack and began drawing everything that was seeing, drawing and creating was always something that had created interest for me. Which is why I was going into the Art program at the College I was attending, the professors who saw my work where astounded it showed so much creativity to it. I was accepted almost immediately after applying, with a full scholarship covering all of the costs. People always took great interest in my work and I had won many contests from things I had drawn.

I flipped to a new page of my sketchpad; I started drawing something new, something very new. I drew a fire, and a boy it was pretty much the same image from what I saw the other day. I had no idea what I had drawn until it was complete, I looked over it in shock why was this continuing to appear to me? Who was this guy? Someone I knew? Someone I was going to meet?

The bus came to a stop at a café, I didn’t quite want to get off of it yet but I was hungry. The sleeping old man next to me still hasn’t moved yet and he was rather large so I couldn’t even squeeze past him, I tapped his shoulder lightly so he would move for me, but he just grumbled and kept sleeping. I decided I would have to crawl under the seats if I wanted to get off the bus at that particular spot.

I knelled down and starting making my way under the seats, my back aching from how heavy my bags where on my back. When I was finally free I looked around and noticed people were staring at me amused from having to crawl underneath the seat. I shrugged it off and walked off the bus, breathing in the crisp fall air. I stretched and took in my surroundings, people where moving fast everywhere trying to get to their destinations in a quick timing, unlike my town where no one rushed to get anywhere. I walked into the small café and made myself a small French Vanilla Cappuccino and grabbed a chocolate chip muffin, I looked outside the window as my cappuccino was pouring and was surprised to see someone staring at me. He looked like the same boy from the visions I was having, and he was surrounded by fire. I blinked and he instantly disappeared.

“You okay miss?” A voice suddenly spoke from behind me; blond haired women looked shocked at my reaction to absolutely nothing being there.

“Oh…yea, I’m alright. Did you happen to see a boy standing outside there; he was wearing a black sweater and jeans.”

“No, I didn’t see anybody maybe he was just walking past for a second. Are you looking for somebody?” The lady wondered curiously.

“Oh… no, I’m just leaving…” I said taking my items to the front to pay for them, the lady stared at me before going about her own business.

“Well that be everything today mam?” The cashier asked me, and I nodded and took out a five and handed it to her.

“Keep the change.”

He was nowhere to be seen, there was no sign of him or a fire or anything relating to that whatsoever, he had just vanished. Like he had never been there in the first place, I shrugged it off and made my way back onto the bus, there was about another hour or so to the trip left to go.
I got on the bus and noticed the seat I was in moments before had been taken, I sighed in relief glad I didn’t have to be seated next to the sleeping old man again. I picked a seat to myself near the back of the bus and placed my bags on the seat next to me, hoping to give the hint to anyone else that I wasn’t interested in anybody else sitting with me.

I put in my earphones and started listening to music and began sketching the trees and the surroundings in my sketchbook, my eyelids began to get droop and become heavy and I started dozing off gradually.

***

“Ladies and Gentleman we have reached the town of Huntington, please proceed to the checkout to retrieve your extra belongings, our next departure will be in two hours if you are going to the next stop at Bloomington town. Thank you for choosing Partridge Fast Travel and have a nice day.”

The loud speaker boomed over the bus jolting me awake suddenly, sleep had taken over me the rest of the ride into the town. Noticing that everyone else had gotten up to retrieve their belongings, I got up put my bags over my shoulder and made my way to the side of the bus to grab my suitcase.

“Name please?” The bus driver asked once he noticed me approaching him.

“Jewel Hamilton, my bag is the purple one with the zebra stripes.”

He handed me my suitcase and carried on with taking care of the other people in the line, I made my way inside the bus station to call a taxi to take me to my dorm. I looked around the busy area, excited that I was finally able to make a new start in life.

A cab quickly approached and I threw my bags into the back and hopped into the front of the taxi, sitting next to the driver. He smiled at me and we took off down the street.

“Where too young lady?” He questioned as I made myself comfortable.

Looking at the sheet with the information for the dorms, I found the address needed. The sheet was a little bit confusing to follow along at first but it became much easier to make sense of.

“Kings St East please front entrance.”

Everything in this town was so beautiful and different to me, I loved everything I saw and made a mental note to take a tour once I got myself settled in. There were so many places to go shopping here, we already passed like three malls so far and a beautiful courthouse with a pond covering the front lawn.

The cab eventually pulled up into a big building, it looked like a castle or a mansion. It was bigger than any kind of house that I had ever lived in my entire life.

“How much do I owe you?” I asked pulling my wallet out getting ready to pay the driver.

“Consider it on the house today!” He smiled signifying I didn’t have to pay at all.

“Oh, thank you. That’s very kind of you!” I said getting out of the vehicle; everyone seemed so nice in this town.

***

“We will be splitting you all up into two groups, the first group will be touring the dorms and the other will tour the main college building. After the tours we will all be meeting up back here and heading to the main cafeteria for an all you can eat buffet for opening night.” A tall and rather skinny man explained as the entire freshman piled up into the lobby of the dorm building, he explained about the tour and the dinner afterwards and some history about the building and the city for those who weren’t from here like me.

Looking around the room saw all different types of individuals, some appeared older and some were younger. We all had name tags on with the program that we were starting.

The groups were made and I followed the group I was put it to, we made our way to the main building of the college. It was a very large building with five floors filled with classrooms and other rooms made for studies. Everything was going relatively normal until we turned a corner I bumped - into someone rather abruptly. I apologized but he still was rather angry about the whole ordeal.

“Ugh, watch where you are going next time!” He shouted at me after I turned away from, but as he caught my eyes he looked as if he knew me from somewhere but still seemed angry.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t see you when I turned the corner.” I stammered my heart racing at his gaze.

“Wasn’t he just a ray of sunshine?” A girl about my age spoke behind me, I had gotten to talking to her before; her name was Samantha, long flowy blond hair and a skinny but fit physique, she wore light blue jeans and a purple school hoodie. She just lived in the next town over, she informed me she was only staying at the school during the week and going home on the weekends, she seemed pretty friendly but very snobby to the other girls in the group. I made a mental note to myself not to make her upset.

Once the tour was finished we ended up in the main part of the building, I seen the boy from earlier sitting on a couch by himself; his face engrossed in the book he was reading. He looked up at me almost immediately and looked like he was studying my every move, but scowled and went back to his book.

“That concludes part 1 of our tour, part 2 will be tomorrow. You are free to go and find your dorm room and come back down to the cafeteria for dinner around 5:30.”

“Where’s your dorm room?” Samantha asked me approaching my side as everyone fled off off.

Glancing at the sheet of paper I realized I had no idea where my dorm room was located but there was a name and a number written on the top of it, “Bear-Paw 303, I have no idea where that is.”

“Looks like where roomies!” She laughed leading the way up to our dorm.

***

“I’ll take the window bed if you don’t mind; I always like looking out the window before I go to sleep.” She had declared that bed before even asking me which one I had wanted. I looked around the room and saw that there were two more beds left over, one which was located by a heater and another on the other side of the apartment by a closet door.

“Oh, that’s okay; I’ll just take this one by the heater.” I smiled placing my bags on the bed and opening up the dresser that was standing right by it.

“Perfect, so do you have a boyfriend?” She asked me while unpacking her stuff.

“Nope, and don’t really plan to; how about you?”

“Damn girl, you’re so pretty; you can totally borrow my clothes if you want! And yes, I do; he’s the president of the school and will be getting accepted into the biggest university of the country next year.” I pretended to listen to her rambling but I drowned it out, she seemed to like to brag.

“Oh that’s cool, so what program are you taking here?” I asked trying to get to know her, but I wasn’t sure if I even liked her quite yet.

“I’m taking law, my boyfriend helped get me into it; isn’t he the greatest.” There she was, bragging again.

“Just the greatest, I’m taking art; I got accepted on a scholarship.” I told her, taking out my sketchpad to show her my work; she smiled but didn’t seem all that impressed.

“Oh, that’s nice. I’m sure you will do great, you’re drawings are fabulous!” She grinned handing it back to me. “We have to get you a boyfriend.”

“I really don’t want one; I’m here to focus on school not boys.” I told her and she frowned.

‘Well, considering you’re just taking Art I’m sure you will have lots of time for boys; since art will be so easy compared to law!’ She thought to herself which instantly made me irritated.

“Really, you think you’re so superior to me just because you’re taking Law and I’m taking Art? Get over yourself princess, I’m out of here!” I shouted slamming the door on my way out of the room.