Go Somewhere Alone

Chapter 3

The path covered in leaves crunched under their feet as they walked deeper and deeper in the forest. Light shone through the hood of the trees that stood high over them. Bushes rustled and it felt as if fairies and goblins watched them through the brush.

"I wonder if the rumours are actually true?" Kiku pondered as he knelt in front of a single flower in the soft grass. He plucked it and examined it before looking back at Alfred, who was trying to climb one of the trees.

Sticking the flower behind his ear, Kiku walked over to Alfred and gave him a boost, and he heaved himself up onto the first branch. "Hey, Keeks, climb up too," he said with a grin and held his hand out for Kiku to grab.

Kiku rested his hand on the trunk and leaned. "No," he shook his head. "You can climb up though, just in case."

It wasn't that he was afraid. No, far from it. Just it didn't sound excited, and Kiku was more focused on seeing if there was magic.

Kiku climbed atop a stump in a patch of ferns and watched Alfred climb up the tree until he reached near the tip. Alfred looked down at Kiku, a large smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear. "Hey! Look at me!" He laughed loudly, and it seemed to echo through the forest.

A breeze blew and Alfred's hair flowed in the wind, and if he wore a cape, he looked like a superhero. Something Alfred wishes to be.

"You look cool!" Encouraged Kiku. He knew Alfred thought he looked like a superhero, too. So what kind of friend would he be if he didn't encourage him?

Alfred began to climb down slowly, an unreadable expression on his face as he planted his feet on the soft ground. He gave Kiku a thumbs up, and Kiku flashed him a thumbs up back.

"Ready to continue?" Asked Alfred as Kiku got off his stump.

"Of course," assured Kiku and they began walking, the forest getting thicker and thicker as they made their way. Light to started to disappear, even.

Alfred awkwardly coughed and said, "Do you believe it?" He looked around. "The rumours about the forest being magical, I mean."

Flowers appeared more often, and they came in a large variety of blues, yellows, pinks, oranges, and purples. Kiku picked up a bluebell as they walked.

"Pretty flower. Looks nice, nestled in your hair like that," complimented Alfred.

Before Kiku could reply, Kiku tripped over a fallen tree branch, and it caused him to see a hole in a tree. Large enough they could fit.

Alfred was about to ask Kiku if he was all right before Kiku dropped his bluebell and darted to the hole and crawled through it. Alfred followed right behind.

When Kiku crawled out, he saw a large meadow. A beautiful meadow, an enchanting meadow, a marvelous meadow. Many words could describe it, but not enough words can express it.

Alfred appeared beside Kiku, and a small little gasp left his lips.

It wasn't large, no, it was not. However, it reminded Kiku of the little hideouts kids in fairytales would have, and a kid would dream of having but never could.

A pile of rocks were in the far left, a single bluebell flower peeking through the cracks, near dead. A small little waterfall over the sides of the meadow dripped into a tiny pond. Kiku rushed to look at the pond, and minnows swam around in it. The grass was lush and vibrant, and vines covered the area.

"Like a movie, huh? It's so cool!" Commented Alfred as if he could read Kiku's mind.

Alfred sat himself down on one of the rocks and playfully kicked his legs. "Like a hideout, right? We should make one!" It sounded like a joke, but Kiku knew Alfred was not kidding.