The Whispering Tree

Hope

Me and Jane deicided to go ahead of our parents a bit. Stopping every now and then. We found a small tree trunk laying on the ground and decided to sit down and wait for our parents to catch up. After a couple of minutes, we saw them walking together in a deep coversation.

"Yes, you're here! Come on Michael let's keep going!"
Jane said pushing off the log they were sitting on.

"Ok. But wait one secon-"

"Hurry Up!" Jane said cutting off her brother.

"I saw something I wanna check out!"

"What?" Michael said confused.

"I don't know, I couldn't see it very well but it looked amazing!"

"Was it a... uh... animal or flower, or maybe just a rock?

"No. it was kind of like a.... gasp! There it is!"
Jane ran towards a tall shrub, pointed at one of the branches.
"It's up there!"

"Want me to go get it?" Michael said curiously.

"No, I think I got it." Jan said with a struggle in her voice as she began to climb up the bush-like plant.
She went up only a few branches.
She put her foot on a branch that snapped forward like a lever, leaving a small scar on her left leg.
"Oh Jane, you ok?!" Michael said starting to climb up.

"Yeah. I can barley feel it anyway.
But..... I think.... I can now... just barley reach...this!!" Jane said grabbing the thing she was looking for.
"Got it!"

"Can I see it!??" Michael said almost excited.

"Wow," Jane said looking at the object. "Its beautiful." She climbed down, not even looking where she was going, only looking at the object.

Michael put his hand on his sister's shoulder and peeked over her head to see a small, pretty, almost magical-like gem, or maybe a crystal, fancilly wrapped in a long silver coil hanging on a necklace.

"It is. " Michael said staring deeply at the object.

"Well, we should get back on the path. Mum and dad have probably caught up by now." Michael said snapping back into reality.

"But could I hold it?"

"Yeah, but be careful!" Jane said carefully, slowly handing the gem to Michael as if it were her own child.

Michael reached for the gem and put his hand on it. That's when it happened. Voices, ringing inside him. Everything happening at once. He felt dizzy, almost faint. He wanted to rip his ears off of his head, then he saw something in front of him. It looked like a sparkle, racing right into and around his eyes. It was horrible. Now he wanted to scratch his eyes out. It felt less painful once he let go and hit the ground. He then realized a bit of the noise had been coming from Jane, screaming his name, but only he could hear it. His eyes began to focus, and the ringing had stopped. It all happened so fast. He got up confused and dazed. He felt Controled. Scared. But over all, Refreshed, new.

"Let's go." Michael said getting up.

"Where?! Michael are you ok? What happened?!?"

"Everything. But I get it now." The words were spilling out of his mouth like a waterfall, but slower. And just like a waterfall, he was unable to control it.

"Get what?" Jane said looking scared.

"We need to help."

"Who? Michael what going on?"

"Them. The People."

"The What?"

"But not really people. The people in the the Shadows. In the forest. The Hope."