forest adventures

Part 1: Stephan

"STEPHAN" beckons my mother.
"yes mama?" I called down the stairs.

I heard no reply. *sigh* I got up from my desk and headed down to my mother.

*thwomp thwomp thwomp* my feet went on the carpet.

entering the kitchen I asked again "yes mama?"
"ah, finally. come and look at this" she pointed into the sink.
"it's just a mug mama" I said, confused.
"and who was the one that put it there? hmm" she stared at me with an eyebrow raised and wide eyes.
"it's just a mug mama" I replied. yes it was my mug, but I was going to do the dishes later, after dinner.

Although, I do deeply regret calling it 'just a mug' because I know exactly what's about to happen.

my mother started one of her rants about how nothing is ever done and she's always the one doing everything for everybody in the house. she went on to say that "I am sick and tired of everyone's laziness around the place" and how she is always doing so much and getting nothing for it.
"you're 17 for crying out loud Stephan. clean up after yourself for once."

I cut her off "mama please, calm down. if it is this important to you, I will clean the mug now. and I planned on doing the dishes after dinner too."
"thanks" she snapped at me, strutting off to her office.

I let out a small 'phew' and poured some dish soap into the mug, rinsing it with water and cleaning it with a cloth. I placed the mug into the dish wrack and went back up to my room.

my room was my safe space, a place I keep my important things, a peaceful place I can be myself without the world looking at me funny for it.
on my walls I had posters of the bands I liked, there were some photos of me and my friends.

'man I miss those guys' I grew up with my friends in a small town further south, but then I moved when I was 14 and I hadn't really met any people my age out here in the country.

out here is very beautiful though, I have a large window that overlooks a hillside covered in luscious forestry. I'm not allowed in there, my mother says that there are too many wild animals that could hurt me. I'm 17. I'm sure I can defend myself now mama.

my bed sits below the window, covered in the softest sheets and pillows in the prettiest shades of green, tying in so well with my walls. they're painted in a very pale, almost white colour of green, it looked almsot pastel.

my desk is in the corner furthest from my door. it has all the basic stuff really; my laptop, some pens, pencils, you know, all that stationary stuff. oh! can't forget my drawing books. I love to draw.
my window brings the perfect amount of light in my room during the day when I'm drawing.

I love to draw all the little things and critters I find when I wander around outside. my books are filled with pretty little mushrooms, frogs, some mice even, stunning flowers I find, and some larger things like trees, foxes and a whole bunch of other animals too.

although not a fan of my immediate cleaning of dishes, my mama adores my artworks. she's put them in frames and scattered them all over the house. she's always asking me when I'm going on my next walk, and if I'm taking my art things with me.

sometimes I feel my paintings are the only things that keep her from sending me away somewhere. she's made it very clear in the past she doesn't like having me around, but I bring her a painting or drawing and she's overjoyed.

to be honest, I've thought about leaving maybe one too many times. it's been very tempting, to get away from my mother.

but enough of all this negativity. getting back to my room. my room gives me lots of quiet to let me think. sometimes I think too much. it's a very self-deprecating thing I do.

I've recently been getting very much into drawing animals that I imagine would live in the forest. my mother keeping me from exploring only makes me so much more eager to enter and discover new plants and creatures to add to my books.

the only way I can get any clues is from my mama, so I've asked her what was in there and all I got in response was "big hairy beasts that will mangle you up so bad you won't be fixable." or, this one really detailed it perfectly for me... not "Stephan. it's 3am. GO TO BED"

honestly that last one speaks for itself. the night I got that response I couldn't sleep. it was only a few weeks ago. I was so awake, filled with curiosity, I couldn't shut my eyes without answers. so I put on my dressing gown and scooted down the hallway to my mamas room.
*knock knock* I carefully peeped my head through the door and saw my mother shuffling about.
"mama"
"w-whos there? what's going on" she had mumbled.
"it's just me mama" she let out a big grunt.
"what do you want Stephan?" she had clearly sounded a little annoyed already. it was pretty late after all.
"what animals are in the forest ma-" I was cut off
"Stephan. its 3am. GO TO BED" she flopped back down onto her pillows and I headed back to my room.

but thinking about that now, I understand why she would have been a tad bit angry with me.

never the less, I drew mystical creatures, some with lots of fur, others with big teeth and claws, I even painted some with big wings, although I've never seen anything flying out of the forest. using my imagination gave me so much more freedom than a simple mushroom or rabbit would allow.

I spent the rest of the evening drawing, having dinner, and then drawing until I eventually fell asleep at my desk. again.