Hey! NEW STORY! WOO!
So, my boyfriend has really been getting into foreign films and he found one that he really liked and shared it with me. It was scary, and so awesome! I loved the plot of the movie and the story, and an idea formed in my head. If it's itching you to know this movie that formed this idea, it is Pan's Labyrinth. Loved it! It's not gonna be an exact copy of the movie, but it does follow the same ideas.
She was told to not enter the dark forest, but something was calling her. When she goes in, she finds there is more to one of the trees than meets the eye. She finds a different world . . . a world she once belonged to. Now, a certain guy is helping her get back. But, what happens when she finds out the challenges she faces aren't so easy.
So, this first chapter is almost like a pre-chapter. I hope you enjoy!
Please review, favorite, follow and love (:
Chapter 1: What's on the Other Side?
In the dark forest there are many trees, but one of the trees is very special. It is called the Hollow Tree. The trunk of this tree is twisted and has been spilt so there is a large hole in the trunk. Over this hole it looks like a glass film. What exists on the other side of the Hollow Tree, you ask. This tree is the doorway to another world. No one on the other side can see it, but we can. We see a world like ours, but different. Our world is a magical one, and their world is a human one. This human world is a strange place. And if you did leave our world and go into theirs' you must be careful and not leave the dark forest. For if you do, you will be gone forever.
. . .
Jacqueline opened her eyes and smiled at the light streaming in her bedroom window. It would be another beautiful day! She quickly threw the blankets off her body and changed into her favorite purple dress with a gold trim. She quickly brushed her hair and ran out of her bedroom and down the steps. She was so happy to play outside. When she got to the door, she slowly let it creep open and she peaked out. Right away she saw her mother looking at the flowers in the garden. She was wearing her favorite deep red dress, with gold trim. Her dark hair wounded in curls that ran down her back. She was truly beautiful. Jacqueline smiled deviously to herself as she squeezed herself through the crack in the doorway and crept up behind her mother.
"Boo!" Jacqueline screamed and her mother jumped in the air and spun around. She was laughing and smiling as she picked up her nine year old daughter in her arms.
"You frightened me, my love!" She said in between laughed. Jacqueline loved her mother's laugh and her smile. "Tell me, my dear, what do you plan to do with yourself today?" She asked her child.
"It's such a beautiful day, I want to explore it!" Jacqueline was always curious, she loved to explore and spend her time in nature.
"Alright, well you be good and remember," She set Jacqueline back down on the ground and knelt so she could be at eye level. In a very serious tone, she warned: "Do not go into the forest and do not cross through the Hollow Tree."
"But Mama, what is on the other side?" She pleaded. "Grandmother used to tell me stories of another world on the other side. She told me how amazing and different the world is."
Though her mother was worried about Jacqueline's curiosity, she smiled and said, "my dear, sweet, curious child, promise me you won't cross through the Hollow Tree."
"I promise," Jacqueline said, nodding to her mother.
"That's my girl," she kissed Jacqueline's forehead and stood up, brushing off the skirt of her dress.
"Your highness!" Jacqueline and her mother turned their gaze to see Red, the Queen's head advisor, coming toward them. The Queen turned to face Red.
"Red, you are looking well today." She said, smiling at him.
"Thank you, your majesty." He said, bowing a little to her. "And I hope you are well today, Princess Jacqueline." He said, smiling and bowing to her as well. Jacqueline giggled and curtsied back. Red than turned his attention back to the Queen. "Queen Viola, they are almost here." He said.
"Who is?" Jacqueline asked, feeling very curious now.
"Oh, I wanted to surprise you!" Viola said, again she knelt down. "We have visitors coming."
"Who?" Jacqueline felt very curious, but also excited. She loved visitors.
"Guess," her mother said, smiling at her. Jacqueline saw in her mother's smile exactly who was coming.
She began to jump up and down in all her excitement. "Steven's coming!" Steven, the prince of their sister kingdom, was Jacqueline's greatest friend.
Her mother laughed at her excitement. "Yes, he and his father, King William, are coming to see us." She stood up. "Thank you, Red."
He bowed again. "Now if you excuse me, I have some dumbasses in the forest I need to deal with." He said, and then walked off.
"Now my dear," the Queen started, looking at her daughter. "Don't get too far." She said to her daughter.
"I promise, mama." She said. She kissed her mother's cheek and then ran off so she could play. Her mother smiled and went back to looking at her flowers.
. . .
Jacqueline played with two of her fairy friends in the garden. The flied around and Jackie watched them. She laughed as they moved all around. She loved playing with them. But then, Jacqueline felt two hands go over her eyes, without even needing to guess who it was, she spun around and wrapped her arms around his neck. Steven's arms went around her back.
"Steven!" She shouted for joy at seeing her friend again. He was a couple years older and a little bit taller than her, but he was great company.
"What are you doing, Jacks?" He asked her.
"Playing with Lilith and Rosemary." She said, smiling at the fairies that now sat in one of the flower beds, watching these children interact. "How are you?" She asked him.
"Better now." He said, smiling at her. Jacqueline smiled back and remembered her mother telling her that she and Steven were destined for one another. Jacqueline loved Steven and she knew he loved her back.
Suddenly, in the distance, somewhere deep in the forest a light shined through. "What do you suppose that is?" She asked him, staring at the light.
"It's the magic of the forest." He said, smiling as he looked at it.
"Steven?" He turned his vision back to her. "Have you ever wondered about the Hollow Tree?" She asked him.
"Sometimes, but I try not to think about it." He explained.
"Why?" She asked.
"Well, because, of the rumors." He explained. This made Jacqueline's curiosity spark even more.
"What rumors?" She asked.
"Of people crossing through the tree and disappearing." He whispered to her. "And they are never able to return."
"Really?" She responded, a little frightened, but still curious.
"That's what I've been told by my father anyway." He said, shrugging. "Trust me, Jacks, don't go near that place. It's not safe." He advised her. Everyone knew how her curiosity could sometime get the best of her.
"I already promised my mother I wouldn't, but" She looked back at the shining light coming from the forest. "I still wonder about it." Sometimes her curiosity would get the best of her, and she knew this would be one of those many times. She was so interested in the stories and rumors; what other secrets lied behind this tree? She just wanted to see it. All the stories her grandmother used to tell her would make her so curious and she felt like it was something she had to see.
Suddenly, Steven could hear his father calling his name. "I better find my father." He started to walk away, but then looked back. "Are you coming?" He asked her. His eyes were almost begging her to follow him.
"I'll be there in a minute." She said, smiling at him. He smile back, but then continued to walk away. She let her gaze go back to the forest. The light seemed to dim now, but her curiosity was still sparked. Lilith and Rosemary had started flying around her again, but it was like she couldn't see them. Slowly, she started to walk toward the forest. The fairies followed her, feeling very worried.
As Jacqueline walked into the forest she saw the trees as if the stretched up to the sky. The bark was a greyish black color and the leaves were a deep green. The bushes were a matching deep green. The sky almost seemed like a snow. It was more than she expected. She saw a family of deer, and they seemed calm. It made Jacqueline so happy to be in nature. She didn't know how long she'd been walking, but she knew she was deep in the forest by know, and the sun was setting in the distance. The sky started turning more into a grayish dark color. She hadn't realized it was so late. She knew she should turn back now; her mother would be worried about her.
But right then, she stopped in her tracks. Right there, with the light shining on it, was the Hollow Tree. It was amazing. It was twisted around with the trunk separated in the middle. The hole looked large enough for someone to step through. There was a shiny looking film over the hole. Jackie was lost in thought by her curiosity. In all her imagination she never thought it would look like this. She stared at it for a while, not remembering how to look away.
Lilith feeling worried, started pulling on Jacqueline's sleeve. Jacqueline looked away from the tree to look at her small friends. "I just want to look at it." She said. She took a few steps forward and soon she was right in front of it.
*At the Same time*
Queen Viola was pacing along with King William and Prince Steven. It had been hours since anyone saw Jacqueline and she was nowhere to be found. Viola knew her daughter could be very curious and get lost sometimes, but she had never been gone this long. Red then approached quickly.
"I'm sorry, your Highness, but nobody has been able to find her." Red said. He seemed tired from searching. The Queen wasn't able to relax now.
"Where could she be?" She asked herself. She was so lost in her worry that her gaze fell to the ground.
"Your Highness," Steven spoke up. Viola looked up from the ground to the young boy standing close by. "When I was last with Jacqueline, she was talking about the Hollow Tree." He was worried about leaving her there. He should've stayed with her.
Viola sighed to herself. "I was worried." She regained her composure and looked at Red. "Send for the foresters and tell them to guard the tree, if she's there, then hopefully they will arrive in time to stop her." Red quickly bowed and ran off. "We'll have to hurry." She said, picking up the hem of her dress and hurrying away. William and Steven followed.
"What's going on?" King William asked her.
"My daughter's curiosity might get the best of her." She said, biting her lip. She had a gut wrenching feeling of where is my baby.
*At the Same time*
The film over the hole was so shiny as the sunlight gleamed off it, it seemed so inviting. Jacqueline couldn't really see the other side very well. She felt her heart and mind racing. All the stories her grandmother used to tell her rushing through her mind. Lilith and Rosemary were flying around in the background, trying to figure out a way to get her away from the tree. Jacqueline lightly put her hand up to the film, and her fingers slipped through. She gasped and quickly pulled her hand back. She looked at her fingers. They weren't hurt, or broken, they looked the same. She looked back at the film. Her mind was racing now. Lilith and Rosemary flew up and started tugging on her sleeves, pleading with her to stop.
"I just want to see it." She said to them. "I'll only be a minute." Without another thought she put one foot through the film of the tree and stepped through.
*At the Same time*
Eric, Kelso and Fez, the guards of the forest had just gotten word from Red to guard the Hollow Tree and keep Princess Jacqueline away from it. They were racing to the tree, all afraid of what would happen. What if she already crossed through? They didn't know what they would need to do to stop her?
"Remember we need to stop Princess Jacqueline!" Eric said to his friends. They were all concerned and they weren't sure what they would need to do.
*At the Same time*
Viola, William and Steven were racing into the forest. Viola didn't think her heart could stop racing. Tears were in the ducts of her eyes. She needed to hold her daughter and know she was safe. She was praying that Jacqueline would remember her promise and everything would be alright. She loved her so much.
Steven was just as worried and he felt so guilt ridden. He should've stayed with her or made sure she wouldn't go into the forest alone. Even if Rosemary and Lilith were with her they were too small to be able to stop her. She was so curious there was no way she would have been able to resist seeing the Hollow Tree and all its mystery. He felt so bonded to her and he felt his heart breaking with worry.
Would everything be alright? They all hoped so.
*At the Same time*
Jacqueline's feet touched the dirt on the other side of the tree as she stepped through. The dirt felt somewhat the same, the trees looked the same, the sunset looked the same. She didn't understand, it didn't seem different at all. She remembered her grandmother telling her that this other side was the same, but also different. But so far, she didn't see the differences. She then looked up from the soil beneath her feet to the sunlight peering through the trees. It was pulling her in a way. She took a step forward to look at it and then another.
She then saw something very strange. There was a clear line between the forest floor and a grass field. Where the forest ended, the field began. The grass seemed so green and crisp. What would it feel like? She kept stepping forward. Her curiosity drawing her to the edge of the forest.
*At the Same time*
Eric, Kelso and Fez had just arrived at the Hollow Tree, but there was no sign of Jacqueline. They knew she would at least be nearby. They all looked around, desperate for some sign of her. Suddenly, two fairies started flying around their heads, pulling them toward the tree. Eric realized what they were doing. He looked into the film and saw her silhouette. He saw she was approaching the edge of the forest. He was about the shout for her to stop, but before he could she had stepped out of the forest.
The second she was fully outside the forest, her body turned to butterflies that all flew away. Eric felt his heart break. He wasn't able to stop her. He turned around and looked at his friends and the fairies. All were looking desperate at him for answers. He weakly shook his head.
Just then Queen Viola, King William, Prince Steven and Red had arrived. None said a word just glanced in between everyone hoping for an answer. Eric shook his head at them. Viola put a hand over her mouth as the tears streamed down her face. Her daughter was gone. She left the group and stared off into the tree. It took her away.
"I am so sorry, my Queen." Red said, breaking the horrible silence.
She took a deep breath before turning back to the group and replying. "I know, I will miss her. But, she will return to us, someday." She walked slowly away.
Steven felt so confused. "I don't understand, your highness." He said, making her pause in her strides. "What do you mean she will return?" He asked. His heart had been breaking as well. His love was gone.
"Steven, what stories have you heard of this place?" She asked, turning toward him.
"Just that people who go through the tree disappear . . . forever." He felt like those words were so hard to say.
"Well, sadly, they do disappear." She said. "But, not forever." She said, smiling a little. "She will be gone from us for some time, but she will return and find her way back." She pulled Steven into a hug. He didn't hug her back at first, but he did soon. "I know it hurts right now, and I know you love her. I love her too. But, she will come back and we will help her so she can be with us once again."
"Viola, I'm afraid I don't understand as well." William spoke. Viola smiled to herself and released her hold of Steven before she spoke.
"My mother told me many stories of this place. She would describe another world on the other side and tell me that if I ever crossed over and left our world entirely, I would be gone. But, she explained that someday I would find my way back, but I would not see the tree for what it really was." She looked at the group. "She will need to prove herself before she can return to our world and we will help her in any way we can."
"How long til she returns?" Steven asked his voice very weak and tired.
"It could be days or months or years, we won't know, but we will be ready." She turned to look at Eric. "Eric, I'm appointing you Guardian of the Hollow Tree. You are to make sure no one else crosses through without my permission." Eric bowed himself to her. "And when Jacqueline returns, you are to alert us immediately." She walked away from Eric and back to Steven. She placed her hand on his cheek. "Don't worry, my dear." She said, her voice kind and gentle. "I promise you she will come back." With that the Queen walked back to her castle. Everyone, expect Eric, followed her. They would await the day that Jacqueline would reappear and be a part of their world once again.
What did you think? I'm so curious and excited!
For updates on this story check my profile page, where I will be posting weekly updates! AND also monthly news as well, just so you guys know what's going on and know about my ideas and works (:
Also, check out my other story: Sing Another Song! It a musical story of awesomeness (:
Please review, favorite, follow, send me a message, or dance with butterflies! (: Or all of the above!
~Spencer