Their life was flipped upside down at the age of 8, after the disappearance of their older brother. 10 years later Ari is still feeling the effects as they watches their parents marriage crumble around them. All they have left is their friends, pote...
We continued along the path, the light danced in our eyes. Despite our shared journey, a heavy silence hung in the air, each of us lost in our thoughts until Mike's voice broke through. "So, what do you guys think this is?" His gaze remained fixated on the radiant material.
Ollie's response was swift and filled with enthusiasm, "Something magical!" Her eyes sparkled with wonder, embracing the enchanting possibilities that lay before us. But before the excitement could fully settle in, I couldn't help but interject. "No, it's not," A collective pause followed, as all heads turned in my direction. "What? Magic doesn't exist," I stated, a touch of embarrassment colouring my words. The weight of the past decade loomed over me, reminding me of the harsh reality that I had come to accept.
Cody, surprisingly, was the one to challenge my assertion. "That's not true!" he declared, his voice holding a determined edge. The fact that he, the oldest among us, was the one to defend the idea of magic surprised me. "We all know that it's real! You should know that especially, after Daniel's disappearance." Frustration laced his words, and the mention of my brother's name sent a shiver down my spine. Cody's unwavering conviction was a stark contrast to my own doubt, a testament to the way each of us had coped with the unexplainable loss.
The mention of Daniel, my brother, hung heavily in the air. Yes, he disappeared, but I couldn't let myself believe that magic had any part in it. "It's not that simple," I replied, my voice a mixture of sadness and frustration. "It's probably like a chemical leak or something"
Cody's gaze softened, an unspoken understanding passing between us. He had been there with me through all the searching, the nights of hoping against hope. But now, even he seemed to consider the possibility that the strange glowing substance before us might be something beyond the ordinary.
Blair, always the practical one, chimed in, "Ari's got a point. Let's not jump to conclusions. It could be something scientific, like a chemical reaction."
"Maybe we can figure it out," Ollie mused, her eyes gleaming with a sense of adventure. "Like amateur detectives or something." We all chuckled, the tension easing as the atmosphere lightened.
After about ten minutes of silence, walking along the winding path of the glowing substance, Ollie broke the quiet. "Is it just me, or is the glowing stuff slowly getting less and less as we go on?" We all looked ahead and then behind us, confirming that the luminous trail was indeed diminishing. "Crap, you're right!" Blair's voice tinged with panic. "Don't worry," Cody reassured her. "We'll be okay. We can turn back if the path ends."
As we deliberated our next steps, a sudden burst of brilliance beckoned us from the distance. Fueled by curiosity, we made our way toward the light. As we rounded the side of a massive tree, a sight that left us in awe was revealed—a glowing tree!!
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The tree stood before us like a radiant sentinel, its luminous aura casting a surreal glow upon its surroundings. Its bark, normally rough and textured, was now a canvas of softly pulsating light as if it were the heartbeat of the forest itself. As we approached the tree, we noticed that the glow seemed to emanate from beneath the surface of the bark, creating an otherworldly effect that almost seemed to dance in response to our presence. The leaves, once ordinary and green, were now bathed in iridescence as if they were catching the shimmering reflections of a hidden starry sky.
The scene was nothing short of captivating, an inexplicable phenomenon that defied understanding. However, as I gazed at the glowing tree, a strange sensation washed over me. My vision blurred, and dizziness enveloped me. I staggered, reaching out to steady myself by clutching onto the nearest object. Strong arms enveloped me, preventing me from falling.
Amidst the concerned voices of my friends calling out my name, my consciousness wavered. The world around me faded to black, the echoes of their voices gradually dissipating until everything was enveloped in silence.
