Seed

Chapter 3

My eyes flutter open and adjust to my surroundings. I glance around me, expecting to see the towering stone walls of the sewer. Instead, I see clusters of a grass-like plant, swaying in the gentle breeze.

I slowly rise to my feet and take in this unusual environment and stare at my reflection in the clear water. Trees stand tall, providing shade for the riverbank I am standing in.

A young, snow-white baboon emerges from the river. His fur is dripping wet and he looks concerned. Upon spotting me, his little pink face lightens up.

"Allie!" he shouts with immense excitement, running towards me.

"Alfie?" I ask. "But...how did you get here?"

"You took me with you, remember?" he stands up on his hind legs and jumps up onto a small tree.

"But...you're not real."

"Well, I am now." he says, jumping onto my shoulder. He pulls a silly face, to which I laugh. "Is that real enough?"

"Yes." I laugh. Alfie returns to the ground and wanders away. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going to explore. Would you like to come?"

I laugh and follow him. He swings from tree to tree as I sprint after him. The ground feels increasingly like a spring with each step I take. I feel so free, so fast. Something I have never felt before.

We keep running up to a clearing, opening up into a large field of tall grass and little red poppies. Alfie launches himself out of the trees to rest comfortably on the top of my head. I continue running further into the field of poppies, which is as soft as silk. The field stretches all the way to the horizon, which intrigues me. Where does it end? Will it end?

My curiosity leads me further away from the maze of trees behind me. Alfie and I eventually arrive at a small hut composed of tree branches and grass. It is so eye opening that I enter, like I had entered my father's workshop earlier. Inside, I am greeted by a small wooden table and a map on the wall about a ruler length above.

I cautiously step forward and retrieve the map from the wall. I see tiny writing labelling each area: forest, riverbank, poppy field, hut...I immediately recognise it as a map of this mysterious world.

"Alfie!" I exclaim. "Look what I found!"

"I can see it." Alfie as if he is sounds deep in thought. "I'm just thinking about this hut and the map. If there is a hut here, wouldn't that mean that there are other people on this island?"

I contemplate what he has just said. I stare at the map and then notice the title – 'Allie's Seed'. Wait a second...

"Alfie, I don't believe we'll find any other people here." I say, trying to work this out in my head. "It's just you and me sharing this one."

"And besides, the sun's starting to set and I don't really want to go back in the dark." Alfie nods towards the entrance of the hut. "We'll stay here overnight and explore in the morning before we head back. Cool?"

"Cool." I repeat. "Do you want to go and find a bed?"

Together, we exit the hut and pluck a few poppies and grass strands from the field. Alfie finds a huge leaf behind the hut. We lay the poppies, grass and leaves down on the floor of the hut.

"Where are you going to sleep?" I ask Alfie, nestling into my makeshift bed.

"I'll sleep on the table or on a tree outside somewhere." Alfie closes off the entrance to the hut. "Don't worry about me, Allie. Goodnight."