Understanding Gregory

Chapter 12

After Gregory walked past trees there were always more trees. Thousands and they seemed to go on forever, and although Gregory had walked miles, in dangerous places, this was different. This forest, held secrets, and secrets are dangerous things. Gregory did not like the creatures, or the mushrooms, the squirrels were scary and the snails vibrated. Gregory stopped to exam one, sitting on a tree vibrating. A very faint ring perturbing from. Gregory, did not like the snails.

The forest shook, and Gregory grabbed a hold of a tree. Was it an earthquake? A sharp wind blew Gregory's hair back making her eyes water, she stumbled back, putting her hands to her eyes and looked about. It landed. Three meters in front of her. But - what was it? It was pink, not a pure pink, but faded as though it had once been red. It had the back legs of a hawk, and although its front legs had human hands they were far too long to be that. It had wings on it's back, and a figure of a horse. It's neck was attached to a large head. Gregory carefully tip toed to see what it's head looked like, despite feeling that, this was something she should not be looking at. It had once had a feather mane but they were torn and broken. It's face looked... human. The eyes mostly. If you were to take a human face, and from nose downwards, pulled that human face down, like a blur, until the face became a long sharp skin made beak - thats what Gregory was looking at.

Gregory's heart fluttered. It was huge and dangerous and terrifying. It was not something Gregory should been examining. He should have ignored it like the creaks you ignore in your house when your home alone. But it was mesmerising and Gregory, was young. The creatures face turned and it saw Gregory quaking in her shoes.

    "What?" Asked the creature in a firm fluent intelligent voice that the snake had not quite mastered.

    "H-Hello" Gregory said. The creature's beak smiled.

    "Is it you Twelve?" The creature asked "the one of murder, you've been missing so long I thought Chaos must have finally got you."

    "I am not a Twelve" Gregory said carefully this time deciding to tell the truth.

    "Oh, then, it is likely he has perished" the creature said and began to wonder. Gregory walked slowly behind the creature, just fast enough so that it would not disappear from sight.

    "What are you?" Gregory asked.

    "What am I?" The creature asked without turning an eye "it is politer to ask one's name. My name is HawkFire."

Gregory nodded thoughtfully "well hello, I am Gregory."

The creature turned and eyed him suspiciously "and what are you Gregory."

    "I am a girl, and I'm eleven years old" Gregory said pleased "and I'll be twelve come the ninth months." The creature eyed her suspiciously, turning, it sat like a cat looking up at her.

    "What brings you here, to this forest, of all them Gregory? Are you lost from your world?"

    "Oh no" Gregory said pleased sitting cross legged "ow ow ow" she said the gashes on her ankles far too big. Gregory sat with legs outstretched instead.

    "This is my world, I'm from a small village. If I had not heard of these lands I may think myself lost and would question why this forest is so... so..."

    "I too find it hard, to find a word for this forest, yet if you're stable within yourself most won't will harm you. Yet, nothing here is quiet terrifying is it Gregory? There is nothing to fear, but they have a wrongness in them,"

    "I do understand that" Gregory said "but I don't - it's that, I think the creatures are sad. I think this is a sad forest full of loss and the lost."