Mocheann
The Wall
A boy and girl walked side by side through the grass; grass which was still overgrown despite the two having walked down this path many times. Trees laden with fruit enclosed them almost all around. Sunshine cascaded through the leaves to bounce off the boy’s bronze skin. The girl’s skin was stark in comparison and it glowed pale in the light.
They continued on down the path in silence until they reached two gaps between trees which formed a fork in the path.
The girl spoke.
“Jonah,” she said. “Can we not take the right path today?”
Jonah hesitated before answering. “We don’t know what’s down there. It might be dangerous.”
They both turned to stare down the unfamiliar path. Jonah’s expression was contemplative whereas the girl’s appeared excited.
“Follow me unless you’re scared of a little adventure.” The girl smirked and took off at a run, leaving her older brother behind.
Jonah, frustrated, called after his sister. “Cerise!,” he shouted. Exasperated when she didn’t stop he had no option but to chase after her, the wind tousling his brown hair.
Cerise could be heard laughing a few feet ahead, always out of sight. Suddenly, the laughter stopped and worry drove Jonah faster. Panting, he finally caught up with her.
Running a hand through his hair, Jonah glanced at the clearing he had followed his sister into. It took him a second before he noticed what had stopped her laughter and he did a double-take when he saw it, surprised it was not the first thing he saw.
A large, grey, stone wall stood mightily a hundred yards from where they stood. It was so high up it nearly blocked out the sunlight.
“What is that?” Cerise whispered in the gloom. She shivered. For some reason she felt that the wall was threatening.
“It’s nothing,” Jonah replied. “Just a wall. Now come on, let’s go back. We can still take our normal route.
He grabbed his sister’s elbow and turned to go back. There was no response from Cerise as she stared, transfixed, at the wall. Jonah tugged harder on her arm.
“Cerise!” a note of urgency rang in his voice. This seemed to snap her out of her reverie and she turned her head to look at Jonah. She shook her blonde tresses as if trying to dislodge a fly.
“Sorry,” she said. “I just think it’s odd, a wall out here with no reason.”
“Yeah, well let’s just head back, OK?”
This time it was Cerise’s turn to follow as the siblings wandered back the way they came. She was no fool. She had lived alone long enough with her brother to know when he was withholding information from her. When Jonah had seen the wall his face, if only for a moment, had hardened into a mask of fear and this worried Cerise. It was just a wall, she thought. So why was he so afraid? Why doesn’t he just tell me what it is?
However, no more time could be dwelt on this as they had cleared the wood they were walking in. Jonah’s friend and employer, Michael, soon approached them.
“Hello,” he waved over at both of them. “Where were you today, Jonah? I looked over half the town for you.”
Jonah clapped hands with him while saying, “Oh come off it. You know I usually go walking with Cerise on my free days!”
“I’d forgotten about that,” Michael admitted. “And to think of all the places I searched for you,” he laughed aloud.
He turned to Cerise. “How are you today?” he asked, always polite.
“I’m great, thank you.” She smiled broadly as did everyone in the company of someone as exuberant as Michael.
He then turned back to Jonah and the two discussed plans to go fishing which they had made last week. This allowed Cerise’s thoughts to wander, wander back to the wall and it’s purpose. She was able to see in her brother’s eyes that he knew what it was and she felt a need to know as well. A wall that large must have a great purpose, she thought.
As Cerise began nearing the town she lived in, she looked over at Jonah, still chatting continuously with Michael, and she vowed that she would make him tell her what it was.
They continued on down the path in silence until they reached two gaps between trees which formed a fork in the path.
The girl spoke.
“Jonah,” she said. “Can we not take the right path today?”
Jonah hesitated before answering. “We don’t know what’s down there. It might be dangerous.”
They both turned to stare down the unfamiliar path. Jonah’s expression was contemplative whereas the girl’s appeared excited.
“Follow me unless you’re scared of a little adventure.” The girl smirked and took off at a run, leaving her older brother behind.
Jonah, frustrated, called after his sister. “Cerise!,” he shouted. Exasperated when she didn’t stop he had no option but to chase after her, the wind tousling his brown hair.
Cerise could be heard laughing a few feet ahead, always out of sight. Suddenly, the laughter stopped and worry drove Jonah faster. Panting, he finally caught up with her.
Running a hand through his hair, Jonah glanced at the clearing he had followed his sister into. It took him a second before he noticed what had stopped her laughter and he did a double-take when he saw it, surprised it was not the first thing he saw.
A large, grey, stone wall stood mightily a hundred yards from where they stood. It was so high up it nearly blocked out the sunlight.
“What is that?” Cerise whispered in the gloom. She shivered. For some reason she felt that the wall was threatening.
“It’s nothing,” Jonah replied. “Just a wall. Now come on, let’s go back. We can still take our normal route.
He grabbed his sister’s elbow and turned to go back. There was no response from Cerise as she stared, transfixed, at the wall. Jonah tugged harder on her arm.
“Cerise!” a note of urgency rang in his voice. This seemed to snap her out of her reverie and she turned her head to look at Jonah. She shook her blonde tresses as if trying to dislodge a fly.
“Sorry,” she said. “I just think it’s odd, a wall out here with no reason.”
“Yeah, well let’s just head back, OK?”
This time it was Cerise’s turn to follow as the siblings wandered back the way they came. She was no fool. She had lived alone long enough with her brother to know when he was withholding information from her. When Jonah had seen the wall his face, if only for a moment, had hardened into a mask of fear and this worried Cerise. It was just a wall, she thought. So why was he so afraid? Why doesn’t he just tell me what it is?
However, no more time could be dwelt on this as they had cleared the wood they were walking in. Jonah’s friend and employer, Michael, soon approached them.
“Hello,” he waved over at both of them. “Where were you today, Jonah? I looked over half the town for you.”
Jonah clapped hands with him while saying, “Oh come off it. You know I usually go walking with Cerise on my free days!”
“I’d forgotten about that,” Michael admitted. “And to think of all the places I searched for you,” he laughed aloud.
He turned to Cerise. “How are you today?” he asked, always polite.
“I’m great, thank you.” She smiled broadly as did everyone in the company of someone as exuberant as Michael.
He then turned back to Jonah and the two discussed plans to go fishing which they had made last week. This allowed Cerise’s thoughts to wander, wander back to the wall and it’s purpose. She was able to see in her brother’s eyes that he knew what it was and she felt a need to know as well. A wall that large must have a great purpose, she thought.
As Cerise began nearing the town she lived in, she looked over at Jonah, still chatting continuously with Michael, and she vowed that she would make him tell her what it was.