The Cryptic Evergreen

The Nightmares that won't Cease

One peaceful evening, a teenage girl named Abilene Jereen, who looked to be lost in thought, was taking a walk through her large backyard. 

She had walked herself into a part of the backyard that she had never seen before, what looked like a Forest.

All covered by branches big and small. Abilene immediately stopped walking to take it all in.

Curiously, she took another step forward and peered inside the forest's branches, carefully pushing them aside.

Her mouth fell open in awe, as she saw the pine trees as tall as she could imagine.
Dirt, as soft as sand almost gentle to the touch.

At that moment, Abilene thought she was in pure heaven. Until that moment was cut short.

"Abilene, dinner's ready! Where did you run off to this time?" A gentle, but stern voice hollered from the distance.

Abilene gasped, as she quickly stepped out of the forest, and pushed the branches back where they were originally placed.

"Coming!" Abilene replied, nearly tripping over herself as she ran back to her house.

She slightly turned her head back to take another look at the forest. But before she even blinked, it was gone.

'Huh? Where'd it go?' She asked herself quietly.

"Where did what go?" Asked the voice that called her before.

"What?" Abilene responded blankly.

Abilene looked up, seeing her father, and noticed she was already at the dining table.

She looked around her surroundings, confused.

"When did I get here?" She asked.

"Just a few minutes ago.." Her father said slowly with a hint of confusion.

"Hon, are you alright? You've been acting a bit strange ever since you went outside." He asked his daughter, resting one of his hands on top of hers.

Abilene looked back down at her plate, and started eating with a nod.

Her dad sighed.

"Look, I understand things have been hard since your mother died, but I need you to understand that you can open up to me. You don't have to keep your feelings bottled up all the time."

Abilene's fork fell by the side of her plate, as her body slightly tensed up.

The last conversation her father or Abilene ever talked about her mother, was at her funeral.

Which was exactly 6 years ago, she was only 10 years old when her mother died.

"Dad, we don't have to talk about this.."  Abilene started.

"Yes, I think we do. It's been six years, not only since your mom's death, but six years since we had a proper conversation." He said.

"That's not true." Abilene said.

"Me calling you down for dinner, or doing your homework doesn't count." He continued frankly.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't." Abilene mumbled.

"So? Talk. What's on your mind?" Her father said.

Abilene sat back in her chair with a groan. "Why do I have to talk first?"

"Because you always seem to have the most interesting things TO say." Her father chuckled.

"Like?" Abilene questioned.

"Like more things then I could count!" The man sighed. "The point is, you have a lot going on in your mind than you let people realize."

Abilene tilted her head. "So you're calling me crazy?"