World Of Worlds (Arula: One)

Chapter 20

Dennis ran through the woods until he tripped on a root falling face first into the soft soil. Breathing hard, he took a moment to observed his surroundings. The trees slowly swayed with the autumn breeze. Orange, red, and brown leaves shook from their branches and floated down to the bottom. As Dennis looked around, he noticed where the ground was patted down and darker than the rest of soiled ground. An Indian trial, he thought. This must be where Karma walks. Stepping on the trail, Dennis followed it deeper in the woods. He crossed a small creek with a bridge that was built across it. Afraid at first, Dennis took careful steps across. When he knew that it wasn't going to fall underneath him, he walked little faster.

The more that Dennis entered the woods, the denser and darker it became. Why on Earth would Karma ever want to come this deep into these woods? Dennis thought with uneasiness. Dennis stopped dead center on the trail and looked up. A treehouse had caught his eye. Dennis tilted his head as he went closer and closer to the old wooden box. He looked around the tree to find a way up inside but could not find one. How did you get up there? The question seemed to burn in his head. But the most serious question was: what could be hidden inside that would acquire no way in?

He suddenly heard the sound of leaves crunching and branches being broken. Spinning around, Dennis saw Alice and Star making their way toward him. "There you are!" Alice said once she saw him, eyes blazing. "What in God's name are you doing out here? You know well enough that mom and dad don't want us in here. We could get in big trouble, mister."

"I just wanted look." Dennis said stomping a foot on the ground. "And I intend to found out." Then turning on his heels, Dennis began to his search for a way up inside the treehouse.

"Urgh!" Alice screamed. "You bull-headed freak! Why don't you ever listen to me?" Star placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Let's just humor your brother," Star said. "If we help him up in that tree and find nothing there, he'll have to come back." Alice sighed. Her friend was right, of course.

"Fine, you little troll, we'll help you." Alice said as she searched for a way in. Star helped as well, looking under leaves and inside tree knolls. As they searched, Dennis began to feel helpless. How was he supposed to know what happened to his sister if he couldn't even figure out how to get up inside a treehouse? He sat down beneath the treehouse with a huff. Dennis buried his face in his knees as the feeling of hopelessness settled in.

"Hey guys!" Dennis heard Star called. "I think I found something. Come here!" Dennis jumped up at once and ran toward Star. She stood by a tree not too far away from the treehouse holding a stick that curved at one end.

"A stick? Seriously, Star?" Alice said annoyed. Star rolled her eyes at Alice.

"Yes, I'm serious. Looked at this," she held out the stick to them. "The stick has little craving markings on them. This stick was carved out like this."

"So?" Alice said crossing her arms.

"So, what if it's a way to get into that treehouse." Without further explanation, Dennis took the stick and ran to the treehouse. Looking up, Dennis spotted what looked to be a hatch. Dennis squinted his eyes and tilted his head to get a better look. He spotted a little latch that hung from the hatch. Dennis looked from the latch to the stick then back to latch. Smiling, he lifted the stick up to latch and once Dennis hooked it, he pulled. The latch fell open with a rope ladder in toll. Dennis smiled even wider as he turned toward his sister and her friend. Almost immediately, Dennis began to climb up the rope ladder. Alice and Star soon followed. For the most part, the treehouse was plain, all except for the multiple pieces of paper that littered the ground and the huge paper map the filled one wall.