Peace of the Forest

I came into the forest to get away from everyone: my parents always asking me to do chores, my younger brother Max who constantly wants to play, the random people from our village who have something to share with me, and by far the worst my twin sister Nik. Nik is constantly asking me how I'm doing and if I want a hug. She doesn't seem to understand that I just want her and everyone else to leave me alone.

My thoughts are swept away as I hear the wind whistling through the trees and catch a whiff of my favorite scent in the world, pine needles. I've gone deep enough into the forest that all I can see in any direction are trees and the only sounds are those made by nature. I put my hand on the fallen over log I'm sitting on and feel the rough bark beneath my fingertips. This is my favorite place to be. Just like this, no one around to be annoying and no work to have to do. I'm completely alone and am savoring this one lovely moment.

I remember a time about 6 years ago, when I was 10 and would sneak out into the forest at night. I would bring a blanket to lay on and just gaze up at the stars all night. I also remember Nik finding me and starting to yap away about something completely random, breaking the peace. Maybe that's when I started to dislike her so much.

Now I look up at the pale blue sky and wonder what life would be like if it was just me and the forest. My parents wouldn't bug me over silly things like tending the fire or watching Max. Nik wouldn't be there to interrupt my quiet time alone or ask if I wanted a hug. I wouldn't have to play stupid little kid games with Max all the time. I especially hate Max's new favorite where he pretends he's deathly sick and I have to fetch different plants to be fake medicines to heal him. Even then he always likes to "die" at the end just to make it dramatic.

I can see the sun starting to set in the distance and know I better head back to the village before Nik comes looking for me and discovers my new secret place. I stand up from the fallen tree and head dejectedly out of the forest.

As soon as I get back to the village I know something's wrong. I look around and see the usually teeming with life village completely empty. I know there are still people here because I can hear faint voices in the distance but if not for that you would think it was abandoned. The shacks that serve as our houses make a ring around a circle of crushed grass where the town meets if we have to discuss something or spread some news. Some of the shacks are made of wood while others are made of cloths hanging from some poles like tents. The shacks are all about the same size and most consist of just one giant room with no walls to separate a part of the house from another part.

I walk across the crushed grass circle and stand in front of my cabin. It's made of all wood with a green faded quilt covering a hole as a door and two smaller holes covered by equally smaller quilts as window. My father keeps saying he'll get us a door, but no luck with that yet.

I push back the quilt and hear someone sobbing. I look around and see the burned out fire pit we use for cooking, my mother's wooden rocking chair with her knitting needles and halfway done socks for Max sitting on top, the pillows and blankets laying on the floor that serve as me and my siblings' beds, and the giant patchwork quilt my Gran made for us that blocks off the back corner of the house. I walk over to it and gently pull it aside while stepping underneath it.

Behind it I see the hay stuffed mattress my parents sleep on laying next to one wall and my mother's carved wooden dresser my father made her next to the other wall. Sitting on top of the mattress with her head in her hands is Nik. She's crying so hard that she's shaking while her long, straight black hair hangs around her face and hands like a veil.

"What's up with you?" I ask not too gently.

She looks up at me and her face is covered in tears. She gives me a weird look, then shakes her head and starts to cry even harder.

"What?" I ask now starting to get curious.

"It's awful Colin," she whimpers barely getting out my name. "There... there..."

"Just spit it out already," I tell her getting impatient.

"There's some kind of disease," she says. "Beth has it. Dr. Ben thinks it might be a plague, but he said he's never seen anything like it before." Beth is one of our neighbors who always comes over to cook and sew with our mom.

"Where is everyone at?" I ask.

"Mom and Dad are down at Beth's cabin along with most of the town," she replies sniffling. "They're waiting to see what will happen to her and what Dr. Ben will do. Max is at Gran's house so she can look after him." I think of Max, recently he's been coughing and getting light headed a lot. My mom just said it was a cold because winter is almost here but Gran doesn't think so. Gran is my Mom's mom and they get into fights about almost everything. That's why Gran lives alone and not with her children's family like most of the other elders in the village do.

Just then I hear shouts from outside the house. Nik and I give each other a look of concern and then head towards the makeshift door. When we step outside I see Gran running from her cabin on one side of the village to Beth's cabin, which is next to ours, on the other side. She's screaming something but the words get lost in the wind and are indecipherable. My parents, Dr. Ben, and everyone else who was at Beth's house come out all looking somber and walk towards where Gran is standing clutching her stomach and breathing hard. They exchange a few words we I can't hear and then I see my parent's faces fall as if they've been sentenced to death. They gloomily look towards Gran's house on the opposite side of the village and take off running in that direction. Dr. Ben follows closely behind with half of the people there while the other half heads back into Beth's house dejectedly. I see a flash of black as Nik takes off after our parent's her long hair flowing behind her. I race to catch up to her and we reach Gran's house at the same time.

We push our way through the crowds gathering inside until we make it to our Gran's bed. Lying on top of it is Max. His blonde hair is soaked with sweat and his usually tan face is so pale it is as white as the bedsheet. His eyes are closed like he's sleeping but he's shaking so badly he shouldn't be able to sleep. Dr. Ben is feeling Max's head with his hand and looks grim.

I hear my Gran standing to the side mumbling and can just make out some of the words. "He was fine... went away for just a second... he passed out... didn't know what to do..."

"Is he going to be alright?" Nik asks toward our parents who are kneeling at the head of the bed looking fearfully at Max. They don't reply and instead just bow their heads and move their lips as if they are praying.

A sudden realization hits me. Max is going to die. My cute innocent little brother who's only lived through five years of his life is going to die. I know he's been infected by this stupid plague that had to come to our village and I also know he can't be cured. It's like one of his sick games he always makes me play. He's deathly ill and no matter what I do or Dr. Ben does or anyone does he's still going to die his dramatic death.

I turn to face Nik. Tears are dripping down her face and she doesn't even bother to wipe them away. Her hands hang limp at her sides and she keeps shaking her head and whispering the word no.

I look at my twin sister whom I've been with since birth, the one that I have constantly pushed away, and realize that I love her. I love Nik and I love my parents and I love Max who is lying on a bed dying. I look back at him and he suddenly stops shaking. My parents continue to pray and Dr. Ben just looks at Max and shakes his head. I taste salt on my lips and realize that I'm crying.

I turn back to Nik and say silently, "I could use a hug now."

She looks up at me with surprise and love all over her face. Then she opens her arms and I fall into them. We hug each other hard, holding the other one up. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I notice for the first time that she smells like pine needles. She smells like home.