The Calling Forest

Chapter 8- The Mask

It was now the Do-Mlid, or month of the wildlife, the humid wind flew in the 14 year-old Zuccia's face. 

They sat in the lowest branch of Ah-chon, eating an Ah-sivant. He looked over at Tul-Luh, who was doing the same. They both smiled at each other. Zuccia looked out and closed his eyes on the setting sun, a memory flashing in his mind like a movie.

Zuccia was four, maybe five, and was in his shared room with a nine or ten year old Chris. "Chris?" Zuccia asked.

Chris looked up from his book about wolves "Yeah Zuccia?"

"Why am I called Zuccia?" he asked, Chris looked at him for a moment and started laughing. 

"Grandpa Jayson named you, he just looked at you and said 'Name him Zuccia, it'll serve him well.' I think it was because you looked like a zucchini when you were born. Didn't help that dad insisted on getting you a green swaddle that covered most of your head." Zuccia thought for a moment.

He then relaxed as he smelled chocolate and a brand of deodorant that Chris used, it was one that was nice on Zuccia's nose. Chris tilted his head, looking at something "Hey, Zuccia, open a window would you please? There is a fly around." He said.

Zuccia nodded and opened the window of their room before sitting back down "what do you think grandpa's green light phrase means?" Zuccia asked as he looked at the sun setting while listening to his brother.

"Honestly, I think he just says that to refer to the green light on our porch." Chris said.

"One day, I'm going to go into the forest and see if the stories grandpa tells are true." Zuccia looked at his brother with a bright smile.

"And I'll go with you," Chris said as he placed a hand on Zuccia's shoulder. "Promise." 

Zuccia heard the door open, then saw his dad and ran to hug him, the smell of chocolate and a strawberry-like scent flooded his nose "what are you in here talking about, huh?" He asked as Chris also hugged their dad. 

"We were talking about grandpa's stories!" Zuccia cheered. "Chris and I are going to see if they are true when we're big people!"

"I'll save you time, you silly kids." Zuccia heard his mother spit out sarcastically "they are the stories of a senile, old-"

"Mary. I need to talk to you in our room." Zuccia's dad said, he pointed away from the room as the two left.

Zuccia looked up at Chris with worry, Chris' eyes were wide with realization. He looked down at Zuccia and picked him up, holding him close. 

It wasn't very long before Chris set Zuccia back down and covered his ears, his eyes squeezing tightly shut. Zuccia ran over to Chris' drawer and grabbed his headphones. While Zuccia had a strong sense of smell and increased stamina, Chris had strong hearing and sight. Zuccia handed Chris the headphones, the older brother putting them on as his eyes opened a little and Zuccia could smell tears in his eyes. "Chris? What's going on?" Zuccia whispered as he looked to the elder. 

"Mom and dad are fighting again...Dad is really mad..." he said softly. Zuccia looked confused.

"But Dad doesn't get mad?" He asked. Chris got down on his knees and held Zuccia close "I'll always be here for you. Zucci, I promise" He whispered as Zuccia opened his eyes. 

Zuccia saw Tul-Luh waving her human hand in front of his face as he was waking up "you okay, big brother?" she asked. Zuccia sat up. 

"yeah sis, I am okay." he said, then smiling and rubbing his eyes "Just thinking." They looked at her "What do you need, Tul-Luh?" he asked, then yawning. Tul-Luh handed something to him, and Zuccia grabbed it then looked down at it. 

"I made it for you!" She said with a bright smile. Zuccia smiled back. "Since you came from the outside, I thought that this might help to have outsiders not recognize you...especially your brother. He's mean and I don't want you hurt because someone recognizes you." She said softly. 

"Thank you, Tul-Luh." He said. He looked down at it, a mask. 

It had two almond shaped eye holes that matched Zuccia's eyes. The mask was made of dark oak wood that was carved and painted to look like a brown wolf with a few distinct features. There was twine around the back to hold it on Zuccia's face. the most distinct feature was Zuccia's symbol written on the middle of the forehead. The whole mask also had a green shine to it.

Zuccia smiled and put it on "I love it sis"  He said as they both stood up on the branch. "Race you back to Thimil-tak?" he asked. Tul-Luh smirked and nodded. 

Zuccia smiled and stepped back off the branch while grabbing a vine. He swung towards the cave as Tul-Luh had to climb down and then start running. "You jerk!" she shouted playfully as the 14-year-old laughed while swinging through the trees on vines.

After a while, Zuccia was pretty sure he was about half way to the cave, and he looked down to see Tul-Luh right under him "How are you keeping up?" He shouted in shock. 

Tul-Luh looked up, smiled and shouted back "I got better, brother!" Zuccia immediately looked around as he thought about how he's gonna win this time. 

That's when Zuccia noticed a vine swinging differently than the vines around it. They smirked and reached out, grabbing the vine as it led to him swinging westward. He held onto it with both hands and kept going the way the vine took him until he noticed another vine swinging, almost like it was reaching out to him. 

Zuccia reached and grabbed that one too as it took him back northward. They kept grabbing every vine that stood out to him until he was at Thimil-Tak once again. He got down on the ground and looked for their younger sister. 

She came running out in her panda form, transforming back to her human form as she took deep breaths then looked up and groaned, falling to the ground as she looked up at Zuccia. she blinked rapidly for a few moments, rubbed her eyes, and looked back at Zuccia. "How did you do it this time!?" she shouted to him. Zuccia laughed. 

"The forest helped me" he said happily as he bowed and gestured his hand out, as if motioning to Ah-Hont around them.

Tul-Luh rolled her eyes and gave a half-hearted laugh "It looks ridiculous when you are also wearing the mask as you do that." She said.

Zuccia straightened up and laughed while taking off the mask "Speaking of the mask- why did you decide to make it a wolf?" he asked, turning to Tul-Luh. 

Tul-Luh stood up and looked at him. She rested a hand on her hip and pointed to him as she spoke "You are asking that?" She questioned. Zuccia nodded. "Your entire family is associated with wolves. From your sense of smell and your speed to the fact that your grandfather was literally a wolf Tak-Pena" She poked his chest as she spoke. "What do you mean on why did I make your mask a wolf?" she nearly shouted.

Zuccia laughed and rubbed his neck as Tul-Luh crossed her arms and looked away "Plus, wolves represent security in numbers, leaders, and protectors of the helpless." She said "Which makes me think of you and how you try to help everyone and want to do as little harm as possible to others." she admitted. 

"I love it sis, Thank you." Zuccia smiled. 'maybe, just maybe' He thought to himself 'this is where the green light was leading me that night seven years ago'. 

Zuccia laughed and went into the cave with a bright hope, carrying his mask with him.