World Of Worlds (Arula: One)

chapter 19

The cool autumn breeze blew past the small-town, Lake Side, Georgia. The wind blew past the small boy Dennis as he sat on his wooden swing in the backyard of his home. He dug his shoe into the mud below him, making small circles. The swing next to him swung by itself, as if it had a mind of its own. Dennis could feel the tears as they began to well up in his eyes. He missed Karma. His sister had been gone for half a year now and life had not gotten better for him. Dennis often got bullied by this. They would laugh and push him around, they would say mean things about his sister and when Dennis couldn't hold it in anymore, he gave a wild punch at Randall Harrison, the school bully.

The fight spread like wildfire over the school's playground and every kid stood in a wide circle and watched the two boys fight. It ended with Dennis curled on in a ball on the asphalt ground being kicked repeatedly by Randall. One of the teachers finally broke it up. Randall went home with a few scratches and bruises, while Dennis went home with a blackeye, busted up lip and a broken heart. Soon he began to feel empty and started to careless whether Karma came home or not.

Staring off at the woods where his sister often disappeared to, he wondered what was so wonderful about those woods that made her want to leave home and never come back. People who often go into woods, such as this one, disappear all the time. Usually kidnapped or worse. The police found no body or any traces of struggle. Karma had completely disappeared. The police asked Dennis' parents if there was any reason to why Karma would suddenly disappear like this. His parents had no clue. All they knew was that Karma had been acting strange. And when they said how, his parents answered by saying Karma was getting these headaches that wouldn't go away. And that when she got them, Karma spent hours in her sketchbook. She wouldn't sleep or eat.

The police asked one more question that not even Dennis could answer. "When we searched the woods, the only thing we could find was an old treehouse. Did Karma often go into that?" Dennis' parents gave the policemen a confused look.

"What treehouse?" They asked in unison. One of the officers took out a picture from his briefcase and handed it to them. His parents shook their heads and asked why would their daughter go into such a dangerous looking thing? The police had no answers, they were hoping that they would tell them. After the police had left, his mother broke into tears.

Dennis jabbed his foot deeper into the mud in anger. Well good! He thought. I hope she never comes back! Not after what you had caused us! Didn't you consider how we would feel? He paused as the tears threatened to come out. How I would feel? Dennis sniffed and wiped away the tears. Looking at the woods then at his house where he could his other sister, Alice, by the window of her room with her friend, Star.

Jumping off the swing, Dennis ran into the house, but not before he took off his shoes. He ran upstairs and to his sister's room, but when he went to open it, the door was locked. Dennis was thrown into the door by the force. "Hey!" He heard Alice said on the other side of the door. Alice swung open the door and glanced at her brother, who was rubbing his arm in pain. "What do you want?" She snipped at him.

"I-I uh," Dennis stammered, which made Alice roll her eyes.

"Oh, be nice, Ali, let your brother be." Said Star. A tall African American, who enjoys too much music and isn't so scary when you get to know her. She stood just behind Alice, smiling down at Dennis. Growling, Alice let Dennis into the room. In Alice's room, Dennis could hear Alice's favorite music genre, country, playing in the room. Alice's room looked as if a tornado had gone through and messed up her bed, dresser, and floor.

"fine, now what do you want?" Alice said, clearly not happy about her little brother intruding on her and her friend's time.

"I-I think I know where to find Karma." Dennis said in a low voice.

"Excuse me?" Alice said dangerous voice. "I think I do recall Karma running away and is never coming back." Those words hit Dennis hard. He hated when everyone says that Karma isn't coming back. That she's adult now and she can make her own choices.

"Well there's this treehouse in the woods I remember the police talking about it and I'm sure that Karma has been in there. And I'm positive that we just might find out where she is. Maybe then we can-"

"Dennis just stop," Alice said. "Just stop. We've been over this over a zillion time. Karma was having her own little problems and whatever demon decided to chase her made her leave and not come back. And yes, I know the years are going to rough because we have no idea is to why Karma decided to run off, but she did. So, let's leave it at that and don't you dare say anything to mom or dad. Or I will come after you quicker than you can scream." The words hit hard, harder than anything. It made Star gape at her friend and made the tears come to Dennis' eyes. But Alice was right. Karma was never coming back. No matter what he could do or say, she will never come back.

"Alice!" Star said.

"Well, Star, it's true and I'm not taking any of it back." Then facing her brother, she said, "so why don't get out of my room and do something else besides bother me and my friend." Holding back the tears, Dennis ran out of his sister's room. He went outside, put on his shoes, and then ran into the woods.

Back in Alice's room, Star stood by the window and looked outside. "You were really mean to your little brother." Star said.

"What do you want me to do, Star? Say that my idiot of a sister is coming back when clearly she isn't?" Alice huffed.

"Well you could've said it nicer." Star said as she watched her best friend's brother run across the yard and into the woods. "Um, Ali, I think you might want to see this."

"What?" Alice said as she came to the window and looked outside. She caught the blur of her brother running into woods and Alice cursed Dennis. "Why that little..." Alice said as she turned to leave her room.

"Where you're going?" Star asked.

"To make sure that Dennis doesn't kill himself," Alice answered. "You're coming or not?"