Karel climbed out of her window and scaled the wall beneath, her
movements silenced by grasshoppers and other singing insects. She hit the
ground running. I love this woods…too bad *she* thinks something will eat
me in it… She navigated the thorny undergrowth competently, slipping in
and out like a deer, always heading east.
Two months ago, Karel had moved into her "grandfather"s house with her mother, because "Mom" (privately called Helen) thought Grandpa needed someone to look after him. Karel snorted silently. Duo no more needed or wanted someone looking after him than he wanted to be called grandfather!
But two months ago, in her forest forays, Karel had discovered perfection in nature. A tree, which beckoned to her, perfect for climbing into, sitting for hours, hiding, even for writing in, she'd discovered recently. But tonight, her goal was not the waterproof bag of creativity hanging from one branch. Her goal was something Duo had told her lay hidden there, something he could no longer reach, because of his disability.
Karel abandoned thinking, and just ran. The cicadas sang faster, as if responding to the pounding of her feet. She left no trail behind her, and only she could perceive the trail before her. All too soon, it rose before her, crowning the horizon with its odd virtues. Karel swarmed up the soft gray-brown bark like a squirrel, inhaling the scent of the long, smooth pine needles. As she reached the nest-like crown, she paused at the warning chirrup of another cicada. This should be written
She sat, and pulled out her notebook, but didn't open it yet. The waving branches beguiled her, the faint breeze soothed her. Slowly, Karel let go of her daily worries; let her eyes close in contentment. The whisper of the forest filled her mind. As Karel caught and held the peace of the surrounding land, she carefully opened her notebook and picked up her pen.
Long after the scritch of writing discontinued though, Karel continued to sit. The moon rose ever higher, its rays caressing her face. The brightness of the rays was what finally woke her. That, and a stray disturbing thought that would not go away.
Helen would sell this. She will, as soon as she can prove Duo is senile. That's really why we are here. Sharply, Karel shook her head to clear it's tainted thoughts, focusing instead on the cicada's song. She stood up, as high as she could, grabbed a branch, stepped up a foot higher. She did this until any higher would have passed dangerous and become suicidal. Then, she reached around the trunk, and found a thick branch right where Duo had told her it would be. The fact he can give directions so clear disproves every theory Helen has. Carefully feeling to the base of the branch without losing her balance, Karel came upon a distinctly foreign metallic knot. Her fingers paused for a minute, then recognized the bowline knot and quickly undid it. Unwrapping the chain carefully, Karel looked at her prize.
A silver line of light lay seductively across her hand. The links were so small they ran into one another, and as the moon glinted off of its small facets Karel could swear she held a moonbeam. She brought it closer, turning it over, and blinked in surprise. The other side was as sun-golden as the first moon-blessed! Karel tilted her head and brushed some dirt off the enigma. One side of the links were still silvery-white, the other side still golden.
The answer dawned on Karel. The sun and moon, after all these years, must have bleached the chain itself. I didn't know gold could be bleached. She sat back into her seat in the tree, and put the chain on. She started putting away her writing tools, but stopped. The tree again beckoned her, demanded something. Something substantial, something binding. Karel reached slowly into her pocket, and pulled out a pendant she never dared wear. Carefully, she caressed the worn smooth surface of the pentacle, then placed it into a crevice she'd discovered a long time ago. It fit perfectly, and would not come out accidentally. And Helen would sell this place to a strip mall company…
"I'll save it. I'll save you. Before the Summerland's take me, this place will be safe forever." She spoke, beginning in a whisper, but Karel's voice swelled on the last few words, startling her with the realization on how much she meant it. Swiftly, before she felt embarrassed, Karel descended and trudged back to the house.
* * *
"Duo." Karel crept into his room later that night.
"Yeah Karel?" Duo sounded as though he'd been awake the entire time.
"I found it. I…" Karel paused.
"You what?" Duo asked gently.
"Would you… give this place to me? In your will? The house and the land you own, everything? It's important." Karel said hesitantly. It sounded so greedy…
"Why is it so important?" Duo asked carefully.
"Helen will sell it. Probably to a strip mall or a lumber company. That must *never* happen." Karel said desperately.
"Yes, I know. And she tries to even before I'm rolled into my grave, am I right?" Duo sounded like he knew everything, even unto her hidden notebook and the tree-claimed pentacle.
"Yes. She's trying to get you proved mentally incompetent through senility…" Karel choked over the words.
"She can't. Government is protecting my interests, 'cause they owe me big one. And the will… of course. It's already been done. And the interesting thing is… if land is heired through a family over three generations, it by law becomes a historical park." Duo stated this almost randomly.
"Does that mean… if I will it to my children…?"
"Yes. Untouchable. How convenient, neh?" Duo smiled at the happiness suffusing Karel's face.
"Thank you Duo. Our tree will be safe!" Karel heard a noise in the hallway, and fled back to her room, lest Helen catch them conspirating. Duo went back to sleep.
And somewhere in the forest, a tree bowed to the wind and a cicada sung of an unbreakable pledge… fulfilled.
Fin.
Two months ago, Karel had moved into her "grandfather"s house with her mother, because "Mom" (privately called Helen) thought Grandpa needed someone to look after him. Karel snorted silently. Duo no more needed or wanted someone looking after him than he wanted to be called grandfather!
But two months ago, in her forest forays, Karel had discovered perfection in nature. A tree, which beckoned to her, perfect for climbing into, sitting for hours, hiding, even for writing in, she'd discovered recently. But tonight, her goal was not the waterproof bag of creativity hanging from one branch. Her goal was something Duo had told her lay hidden there, something he could no longer reach, because of his disability.
Karel abandoned thinking, and just ran. The cicadas sang faster, as if responding to the pounding of her feet. She left no trail behind her, and only she could perceive the trail before her. All too soon, it rose before her, crowning the horizon with its odd virtues. Karel swarmed up the soft gray-brown bark like a squirrel, inhaling the scent of the long, smooth pine needles. As she reached the nest-like crown, she paused at the warning chirrup of another cicada. This should be written
She sat, and pulled out her notebook, but didn't open it yet. The waving branches beguiled her, the faint breeze soothed her. Slowly, Karel let go of her daily worries; let her eyes close in contentment. The whisper of the forest filled her mind. As Karel caught and held the peace of the surrounding land, she carefully opened her notebook and picked up her pen.
Long after the scritch of writing discontinued though, Karel continued to sit. The moon rose ever higher, its rays caressing her face. The brightness of the rays was what finally woke her. That, and a stray disturbing thought that would not go away.
Helen would sell this. She will, as soon as she can prove Duo is senile. That's really why we are here. Sharply, Karel shook her head to clear it's tainted thoughts, focusing instead on the cicada's song. She stood up, as high as she could, grabbed a branch, stepped up a foot higher. She did this until any higher would have passed dangerous and become suicidal. Then, she reached around the trunk, and found a thick branch right where Duo had told her it would be. The fact he can give directions so clear disproves every theory Helen has. Carefully feeling to the base of the branch without losing her balance, Karel came upon a distinctly foreign metallic knot. Her fingers paused for a minute, then recognized the bowline knot and quickly undid it. Unwrapping the chain carefully, Karel looked at her prize.
A silver line of light lay seductively across her hand. The links were so small they ran into one another, and as the moon glinted off of its small facets Karel could swear she held a moonbeam. She brought it closer, turning it over, and blinked in surprise. The other side was as sun-golden as the first moon-blessed! Karel tilted her head and brushed some dirt off the enigma. One side of the links were still silvery-white, the other side still golden.
The answer dawned on Karel. The sun and moon, after all these years, must have bleached the chain itself. I didn't know gold could be bleached. She sat back into her seat in the tree, and put the chain on. She started putting away her writing tools, but stopped. The tree again beckoned her, demanded something. Something substantial, something binding. Karel reached slowly into her pocket, and pulled out a pendant she never dared wear. Carefully, she caressed the worn smooth surface of the pentacle, then placed it into a crevice she'd discovered a long time ago. It fit perfectly, and would not come out accidentally. And Helen would sell this place to a strip mall company…
"I'll save it. I'll save you. Before the Summerland's take me, this place will be safe forever." She spoke, beginning in a whisper, but Karel's voice swelled on the last few words, startling her with the realization on how much she meant it. Swiftly, before she felt embarrassed, Karel descended and trudged back to the house.
* * *
"Duo." Karel crept into his room later that night.
"Yeah Karel?" Duo sounded as though he'd been awake the entire time.
"I found it. I…" Karel paused.
"You what?" Duo asked gently.
"Would you… give this place to me? In your will? The house and the land you own, everything? It's important." Karel said hesitantly. It sounded so greedy…
"Why is it so important?" Duo asked carefully.
"Helen will sell it. Probably to a strip mall or a lumber company. That must *never* happen." Karel said desperately.
"Yes, I know. And she tries to even before I'm rolled into my grave, am I right?" Duo sounded like he knew everything, even unto her hidden notebook and the tree-claimed pentacle.
"Yes. She's trying to get you proved mentally incompetent through senility…" Karel choked over the words.
"She can't. Government is protecting my interests, 'cause they owe me big one. And the will… of course. It's already been done. And the interesting thing is… if land is heired through a family over three generations, it by law becomes a historical park." Duo stated this almost randomly.
"Does that mean… if I will it to my children…?"
"Yes. Untouchable. How convenient, neh?" Duo smiled at the happiness suffusing Karel's face.
"Thank you Duo. Our tree will be safe!" Karel heard a noise in the hallway, and fled back to her room, lest Helen catch them conspirating. Duo went back to sleep.
And somewhere in the forest, a tree bowed to the wind and a cicada sung of an unbreakable pledge… fulfilled.
Fin.
