He was in the middle and he couldn't turn back and he couldn't jump off sideways either because it was too far, and when he looked at all the red and all the black that lay ahead of him, he felt that old sickening surge of panic of panic in his chest-like last Easter time, that afternoon when he got lost all alone in Piper's Wood.
Standing up on the picnic mat he watched his cousins run off. They scattered in all directions. He headed his own way, slowly, with excitement plastered on his face. He watched the ground with every step he took; in hope he would catch a glimpse of shining paper. A sparkle, it caught his eye, slightly to his right. Turning the boy ran to the tuft of grass where an egg was hidden. Grabbing the egg he jumped up excited, running in that direction hoping to find another. He wasn't looking where he was going and he bumped into a tree.
Rubbing his head he looked up to the tree he had just bumped into. That's it he thought standing up, egg clutched tightly in his hand. The perfect hiding place, here would be many eggs would be hidden in the woods before him. It was a game, an assignment.
His white hair waved in the breeze. The small boy stood staring at the trees looming over him. His assignment was to locate and collect all of the egg shaped information capsules before the enemy. If he succeeded he would have a basket of chocolate eggs for himself on the way home, but if he failed he would be dead before dinner.
The mission coordinator said the eggs were hidden in this area and the best hiding spot the boy could see was the trees in front of him. He glanced around quickly checking for any of the bad guys that might be following him. When it was all clear, gulping, he took the first steps into the shadows of the trees.
Hiding behind a tree he was invisible to everyone. A smile appeared on his face, his nerves making his hands shake. Pausing and taking a deep breath calmed him for a moment. Crouching down he searched the bush at his feet for a capsule of information. Finding none he moved to the next bush and the next and the next. Turning around he could still see where the light touched the edges of the wood, none of the enemy were following him, and he was safe for the moment.
He followed the path of bushes deeper and deeper into the forest. He checked every bush, and tree, every tuff of grass. Yet he found nothing. He had to keep going, he could not fail. There was no return now; he was too far into the woods to stop his chase. Too far into the woods, the thought echoed through the boy's mind, too far in. A sickening feeling of panic entered his chest. He dropped to his knees at this new sensation. Panicked and scared, the little boy turned hoping to see the light at the edge of the trees. But all he could see was the darkness, the shadows of the trees. The horrid shadows of the trees, their shapes twisted into the monsters of nightmares, some were bigger then the monster in his closest. The boy panicked, crawled away from the shadows trembling, trying to call for his parents, his cousins anyone who could guide him out of the trees. The tall horrid dark and scary trees, the trees that would swallow him whole if he got too close. I'm not touching you, the words echoed in his head, as they would not fall out of his mouth. You can't hurt me he begged in his head.
'Are you lost little boy?'
The boy's turned around to find the voice, in hope that the owner of the voice could help him. In hope that the voice could free him from this terrible place.
'Follow me little boy, I will help you get home."
The child looking for whom the voice belonged to stood up slowly, pushing himself off the forest floor.
'This way,' came a whisper that the boy could barely hear. The boy followed the voice as it's owner ducked behind trees. A shadowy figure with dark hair and menacing eyes, but the naive boy followed unaware of the danger that he was in. He followed the gentle sound of the voice coaching him out of the woods.
The boy saw a light at the edges of the trees; it grew slightly larger with each step. A small smile appeared on the child's face as he broke into a run. A few steps into the run he tripped over a tree root. Sitting himself up he looked at his now bleeding knee. Wiping the tears from his eyes, the boy placed his slightly grazed hands on the ground, pushing himself up. Again he started heading towards the light.
Finding his forgotten egg clutched in his hand he held it tighter so he would still have something to show for his adventure, so his mummy would be proud of him. The boy had forgotten about the whispering voice, he had forgotten the panic he had felt, he had forgotten his bleeding knee. A small smile on his face showed the joy that he was almost out of the forest, about to see his mum and maybe eat some chocolate.
Stepping out into the light, between the last row of trees in the woods his smile increased. But the smile was seen by no one as he was enveloped by the darkness once again, this time a suffocating darkness.
It was in the papers that week, on the TV, his parents pleading him to come home. But he was home; they just couldn't see him there.
He took another step, placing his foot carefully upon the only little piece of yellow within reach, and at this time the point of the foot came within a centimeter of some black.