All stories need to start somewhere, this one starts in a small village of stone and straw. The townspeople were bustling around, wearing patched up clothes which were clean, and well-cared for. . The adults walked with baskets to hold their things and the children ran around barefoot getting their clean clothes filthy in the dirt and water left from the recent rainfall.
A boy, , absurdly bundled up as if a winter storm was on it's way t, came running out of a nearby house. He had a rust colored scarf around his neck which hung down to his waist. His dirty brown coat hung loosely above the same hue of pants. His bare feet were splattered and dusty like the rest of his pale skin. His clear, blue eyes popped against the grime that covered his faceHis name was Peter, Peter Perra, the boy with unruly brown hair. He running to catch up to his long-time friend, Angel Stride. . Her hair was short and wavy, it clung to her face like moss and complemented her soft green eyes and tan skin. Her dress hung down to her knees which were slightly muddy as well as her bare feet. Angel smiled as she watched him make his way over to meet her.
"Oi! Peter! What's taken you? Aren't you ready?" She asked teasingly as Peter hunched over to catch his breath.
"Of course I am! I should be asking you. you're the one in the dress." He replied straightening after regaining air.
"You know I don't have anything else to wear!" Angel jokingly protested. She laughed before running over to grab a grey ball and bring it back to him, setting it on the ground,"I can still beat you just fine anyway."
"Not today! Go!" He yelled out the command and instantly swooped his foot in and captured the ball, heading towards his goal.
"Hey I wasn't ready!" Angel said as she, ran after Peter to try and get the ball.
He expertly blocked her attempts to steal the ball from him, and kept the ball going forward. Finally, Angel made a last attempt to get the ball. She swung her foot in his path and made him lose his balance. He tripped over the ball and landed on the ground and Angel snatched the ball. Peter, stubbornly kicked the ball and sent it rolling away and out the front gates of the town.
"Aw Peter,," Angel said stopping at the gates. She helplessly watched the ball roll away. ,"Now we can't play."
"Yes we can!" Peter exclaimed jumping up," We just have to go get it!"
"But shouldn't we tell our parents?" Angel asked worried.
"It will only be a minute. We'll be down and back in a heartbeat. Come on don't be a chicken." Peter walked slowly heading towards the entrance.
"Oh fine if we must," Angel complained following behind,
The outside was covered in grass that rolled into the horizon. the lake glimmered in the sun to the west and the woods stretched to the north.
"It's too bad those woods are rotten, ." Peter commented as they walked down the hill.
Their walking pace turned into an uncontrolled run as the slope of the hill made it harder for them to keep their footage. Soon they were at the bottom and they took a few more strides to slow themselves on the flatter ground.
"The ball is over there" Angel said pointing over to the trunk of a withered tree that hung outside the forest edge. The ball still at the trunk, if the tree hadn't been there the ball would've surely rolled into the forest and there would've been no getting it then, or so they thought.
Peter ran over and grabbed the grassed stained ball in his hands and put it under his arm in a cupped position.
"Let's get going then," Angel said, eager to go back to the same confines of the town and play ball again.
Peter was intent at the forest, he had never been so close to it before, it was huge. He could only see about a yard in, but he imagined it to go on for miles. Miles of forest to explore and discover. It was hard not resist, so hard that he felt his arm being yanked back by Angel because he had started to walk into it's depths.
"Are you crazy? We can't go in there! Let's just go back already!" Angel said with a stern look on her face.
"Oh come on, aren't you a little curious?" Peter asked placing his free arm on his hip like a mother asking their kid to clear their supper plate before they went to play.
"Not really, no." Angel replied, peering into the dark forest and shivering.
"Well, I guess I can't make you," Peter sighed, tossing her the ball,"Head back to town, I'll explore myself."
Angel caught the ball just in time to see Peter run into the forest.
"Of all the stupid- Peter come back!" She called after him, dropping the ball and following him into the forest.
Peter ran until he made it about a yard in and stopped to look around. Though there wasn't much to look at, all the trees were dead like the ones at the front. Peter wondered how they had stayed standing for so long. He heard heavy breathing grow louder and closer to him and he turned to see Angel running towards him and stooping over to catch her breath.
"I thought you weren't coming," He said questionably as she regained her breath.
"I wasn't!" She huffed," But of course I have to watch you because you have to go and do something stupid."
"You won't be saying that once we explore some more," Peter claimed looking up at the small streams of sunlight protruding through the branches.
Angel didn't get another chance to speak because something had caught Peter's eye and he bound over to it immediately. It was a soft, rich birch tree standing in the midst of its dead brethren. Peter didn't know how it was possible, how did this tree survive. He looked around and in an instant he was in awe as well as Angel who had caught up to him. For what they saw ahead wasn't another bundle of dead trees, but a fountain of rich, beautiful trees like the first one they saw. Peter leaned onto his toes and picked a rich, red apple. It smelled of sweet and crisp like pie. He placed it in his coat pocket.
"It's magnificent!" Angel cried looking at it all.
There were birds flying through the trees to perch in their nests. Small animals bound by, nibbling on bushes and berries. A deer zipped by the children making them jump as it continued to leap out of sight.
"How did we not see this?" Peter asked excited.
More creatures came by, but they were like none they'd ever seen or heard of. One, the top half of a man and the bottom the legs of a goat. Unruly curly hair like Peter's, and horns barely escaping their tangle. Two of them walked by and glanced at them curiously before scurrying off in a different direction.
"Oh goodness Peter look!" Angel exclaimed urging Peter to turn around.
He did so and saw that the once forest of dead, lifeless wood was now too a fountain of beauty. It couldn't be possible.
A calming voice interrupted their pure astonishment, "Hello young children," they turned to see a creature almost like what they had seen before, but instead of goat legs he had the body of a magnificent chestnut horse. A neat head of hair on his head and a small tuff hanging off his chin.
The children didn't know what to think of the creature, whether it would hurt them or not was the question. The creature saw their worried faces and continued.
"Do not worry, I will not harm you, we are more lenient towards small ones." His voice was so calming that they trusted him instantly.
"I should've known that our veil wouldn't forever hide our world from the humans," He continued, not speaking directly to anyone, more to the sky that shone through the trees which had more warmth than the light they had seen coming through before. He looked back at the children, as if he had forgotten they were there and his face changed to a slightly concerned, hopeful look,"Young children, this is our world, as you have yours. There are few places where our kind can live peacefully and escape from the humans growing need for the resources that make up our home."
He paused, waiting for them to say something. When they didn't, he continued," So I hope that you understand, that what you have seen here today we wish to keep a secret. I know younger ones like you are more understanding and considerate, so I ask you again, tell no one of this place. Don't try to come back, for they will see you and follow. Please children," His voice was pleading, even though they had only met this creature, he acted as if he was saying goodbye after knowing them since they were small and innocent.
The forest creatures had gathered around now, watching the two humans curiously. For them, seeing something like a human was like a human seeing something like them. It was strange.
Angel, being as kind-hearted as she was, nodded and smiled up at the majestic creature. She looked over at Peter to make sure he too agreed to keeping this secret. He stood, pale, clenching his fist. For Peter this was a gold mine, all this wood. His father had told his that they were in need of wood deeply. They only got the small supply of it every month or so shipped from the bigger towns miles away from them. To him, seeing something like this and ignoring it, not telling anyone, because some half horse guy told him to, was madness in itself. He felt Angel's stare pere into his thoughts and it horrified him. He let out a less than truthful nod, looking down at his mud dried feet.
"Thank you, now, return to your land. And don't turn back." He said repeated straightening up after leaning over to meet the children's eyes.
"Come on Peter let's go," Angel said without a second thought, turning around and heading back the way they came.
Peter stared one last time, thinking about the outcomes. Then slowly turned and followed Angel out of the forest. The leaves slid instead of crumble under their feet as they ran through the multitudes of differently barked trees and berry bushes. The sunlight greeted them like a morning wake up call. It managed to make it's way into their eyes making the instinctively move their hands up to block it. The light had been less violent through the roof of the leaves and branches inside the forest.
"That was amazing!" Angel exclaimed as she met the mid-morning sun with outstretched arms,"It's a pity we can't go back."
Peter was in his own world, continuing to stare into the woods, which had returned to their dry, husks as soon as they were out of its depths. Angel didn't give him a notice as she went over to get the ball, a little ways off, they had exited little ways off from where they entered.
Peter changed his glance to the town at the top of the hill and with a deep breath and sigh outwards he sprinted towards it.
The DeJa vu of turning around with the ball in hand to see Peter running off without her, for Angel, was uncanny and shocking. She kept the ball in her arms this time and ran after him yelling, "Peter wait up! What's the hurry?"
He didn't stop, he had about a half a mile head start and wasn't stopping. He made it through the gates and maneuvered his way through the onslaught of people. Angel struggling to do the same while also keeping sure she didn't lose him.
He made it all the way to the other side of town before he stopped, clenching his dry throat as the air made it's way back into it painfully. He looked up at the building, larger and mightier than the others. He banged on the door with his bare knuckles and waited as patiently as he could for the door to creak open. When it did he saw the figure of a tall, jolly looking man. A soft prickle of hair on his chin and small bits missing from on top.
He peered down at Peter questionably and puffed out, "What is it Peter? Found a dead rodent again?" He asked, chuckling a bit.
Angel had caught up, but was stopped a few feet away, watching with interest.
"No sir, much better!" Peter exclaimed,"The forest! There's wood! Loads of it! Hidden where we can't see it, there's got to be enough to supply us for years! Y-"
He was cut off by the man's stern voice," Peter, there is no wood there, it's a dead and gone. And if I find that you've left the village without authority and entered the forest, I-"
It was Peter's turn to interrupt, " No sir, it's true I swear! Look, see!" He pulled out the rich red apple from his pocket and held it out with pride," See! It's from there! There's wood! Theirs life!"
"Peter…." Angel mouthed quietly, a saddened expression taped to her face.
The man's expression turned from annoyance, to interest. He straightened up,"I'll bring the men, If I find you've been telling fairy tales, Peter. It won't be a good day for you."
Peter nodded and the man stepped outside his porch and began to gather the men and the axes. Angel ran up to Peter and reeled him around.
"Peter, what have you done?" Her face was hurt and sad. Peter had never seen it act that way before. It frightened him.
"We need this Angel, we can't live on coal and leaves for fuel. We need the wood." He sounded so much more mature, like an adult almost.
"Peter you idiot it's their home you just killed!" She retaliated, her voice raised a pitch," You said you wouldn't tell!"
"Sometimes you have to lie to help," Peter said, trying to make himself feel like what he was doing was right.
Angel shook her head, "Selfish." She pushed passed him and ran in front of the groups of men wielding axes. She yelled after them,"Stop! Don't! Don't do it, please!"
"Move out of the way little miss," one of the men ordered, pushing Angel slightly to the side.
"So, my boy, where is it," The man asked when they reached the bottom.
"Inside! Follow me!" He ran into the forest with the men following him with large amounts of doubt.
"No! Please!" Angel shouted trailing after them.
They made it a yard in like Peter had done only an hour before,"There should be one… Ah! There There!" He pointed frantically to a soft burch tree to their left. The men were flabbergasted as they made their way over to the small tree. And just like Angel and Peter, seeing more and more stretching onwards.
"It's true!" Said the man, dropping his axe at his side,"Men! Get as much as you can!"
"NO don't! Please! I'm begging you don't do it!" Angel could see the animals gathering around and staring at the scene with interest. They didn't know what was happening and that made it all the worse.
Moment's later the tip of an axe thanked against the bark of a tree and made a mark in it's surface. And that's when it all went wrong. Before the axeman could release his axe from the tree the ground started to shake. Humans and animals alike started to panic as it grew more and more until it's source protruded out of the ground in a large, sickly dark green vine. More and more came, the men took no time to start running for their precious lives out the way they came. Some were blocked and trapped, some managed to get out of sight.
"Idiot!" Angel screamed at Peter over the rumbling and vines," This is why! The forest is protecting itself and destroying and hurting everything! It doesn't know! And you had to go and set it off by telling them!" Hot tears were swimming in eyes and refusing to fall down as if to make it harder for her to see on purpose.
Peter said nothing, but truly did feel stupid for doing what he did, he wish he could take it back.
The vines over time had escaped the forest and woven their way to the village, crushing it and blocking the roads. Most of the town escaped, if now killed by oncoming vines or rubble from the wreckage.
The town's people dispersed into different towns around the area if they could make it. Angel didn't look at Peter Perra the same after the day. Never again. No one did.
And no one saw the forest of vines as anything more than a hideous disaster. Or the secrets that used to be held inside it were now only a myth. A myth destroyed by greed and lies.