Walter is unusually quiet today. He hasn't even turned on the TV. The snow has stopped falling. Kids laughter soak through the walls, everyone is outside enjoying the snow day. Alyssa is outside too, but instead of throwing snowballs and making snow angels she is staring up at Walter's bedroom window. She has a orange ribbon holding her hair up in her signature bun. She stands there for a brief moment then she cracks a smile, and continues to play. Walter's blue footy pajamas aren't as snug fit as they used to be. His blue baseball cap rests atop the shelf by the TV, along with his baby pictures, a deck of playing cards with the ace of spades on top, and birthday card signed by Alyssa.
Walter chops his way through the dense tall grass with his mighty machete. The blistering sun is gleaming onto Walter's bald head. He takes a second to wipe the trickling sweat from his forehead, then continued to hack away the tall grass.
Azul, still laying on the floor alongside the bed, yawns loudly. Walter chuckles, and reaches over to grab the bag of Swedish fish from the bedside table. He throws a handful of fish on the floor for Azul and stuffs a handful into his own mouth. The sound of Azul chewing the gummy candy and the slow rhythmic mechanical beeps occupy the bedroom. Walter glances over to the nearest window. Snow is falling, and the vague sound of laughter from the kids playing outside still gains admission into Walter's bedroom.
Oodles of prodigious trees litter the jungle. Walter is besieged within the vast trees, screeches from various wildlife orchestrate through the jungle. The sun is blocked by the enormous trees, but its light still glistens through. Walter continued to trek through the jungle, slapping his neck every time a mosquito lands on him. There's a faint resonance of raging water ahead. After climbing over a fallen tree and chopping through some low branches and bushes; Walter arrived at the source of the raging water. He's standing at the top of a immense waterfall. The roaring water falling and crashing into the jagged rocks at the base of the waterfall is oddly comforting. Walter slowly shimmies to the edge of the waterfall and looks down over the peak. Water mist sprays his face. The top of the waterfall provides a beautiful vista of the mesmerizing lake below, which is populated with numerous blueberry bushes. Walter steps back, his legs get shaky and palms start sweating.
Walter's dad comes into the room and checks the monitors then lays in bed next to Walter.
"You okay dad? You look really tired. Must be from all the shoveling." Walter said as he scooted over to make room for his giant dad.
"Yeah, I've been doing a lot of running around today trying to make sure everything is taken care of." Walter's dad replied removing his hat from his head and throwing it onto Azul. His head is freshly cleaned shaved, to match Walter.
"You'll be okay, just have to keep on pushing. Everything will be okay in the end. How's mommy? Walter replied
"She's downstairs making dinner now. She's doing good and is beautiful as always. Me and her are gonna.. Uh.. Wrestle tonight. So don't mind any screaming you're going to hear. That's just going to be your mom getting slammed." Walter's dad said chuckling
They both lay in bed and laugh hard, Azul stands up and stretches.
"What's up with you and your little friend Alyssa?" Walter's dad asks
Walter gets a overwhelming tickling sensation in his stomach and can't stop smiling. Azul covers his face with his paw.
"Ahh so you do like her. You two get along so well, and she's a very pretty girl. Keep her close, every man needs a special woman in his life. Words of advice, girls are always right so get used to it." Walter's dad said.
Walter sat and thought for a few seconds.
"Make sure you just be yourself and always no matter what respect her. And showing her how you feel is better than saying it. You're a great kid, and you have a huge heart. I'm glad you're my son. I love you to the moon and back, and even more than Scooby snacks." Walter's dad said as he kissed him on the forehead and got out of bed.
"I love you too dad." Walter said wiping tears from his eyes.
"Okay I'm going to go and see what the ole lady is cooking and sneak up a couple bags of blueberries so we can watch a movie." Walter's dad said leaving out the room.
He called Azul to come help him but he didn't move. Instead he stood staring up at Walter with a sad face. Walter stared back and stuck his tongue out at him.
The endless rushing water running down the waterfall delivers a content consciousness to Walter. He's laying down on a flat boulder near the edge of the waterfall. He stares down the waterfall contemplating as the plummeting water strikes the rocks at the base. You can also see catfish, tuna, and swordfish swim around in the lake below. A minor breeze goes by shaping tiny waves in the lake, they quickly vanish. In the corner of his eye Walter perceives a silhouette of a hooded figure. He turned to look but it was no longer there. Instantaneously Walter sustains a piercing headache. His vision becomes blurred and he clutches his jaw because it becomes too harrowing. A forceful mechanical beep echoes through the jungle. Sending various birds soaring into the sky. A raven lands a couple of inches away from Walter. It has a distinctive pastel purple stripe horizontally across its back. The raven gazes at Walter who is wincing in pain.
"Everything will be okay Walter, you no longer have to bear this pain. You can rest easy now. Close your eyes. You're in blueberry jungle now." The raven said, seemingly growing in size.
Walter's heart begins to beat downtempo, his breathing becomes more forced. Another mechanical beep shoots through the jungle, this time the beep isn't on rhythm and it's further apart than the other ones. Walter lays atop the waterfall with tears escaping his eyes, but his mouth generates a satisfying smile. He turns his head to the left and there's a massive blueberry bush beside him. Walter closed his eyes. All his pain washed away. Still smiling. One last gentle breeze glides against his skin. the divine sun begins to set, it disappears behind the tall trees. Casting an ever-so glorious tint of orange in the sky. The raven, now standing six feet tall, picks up Walter in his black feathered wings and slowly rocks him.
"You can finally rest now Walter." The raven said cloaking Walter in its wings.
Walter laid clinched in the raven's wings. Eyes closed and his smile still on his face. A final mechanical beep shook the jungle. Everything settled, then there was complete silence.
The End.
YOU ARE READING
Blueberry Jungle
Short StoryA little boy named Walter is on winter break, sadly he is very ill and he is stuck in bed and can't leave his room. But that doesn't stop his imagination from running wild and going on crazy adventures.
