Tree Whisperer

Chapter Six: Nathan

Chapter Six: Nathan 

"Ummm, hi. Sorry I was in there so late! I-I couldn't keep today out of my head and sort of got in trouble because I said the capital of Ohio was Columbia." I babbled. Even to my own ears that sounded pathetic. Then again, receiving a torturous detention for saying the capital of a state incorrectly was also pointless.

I could tell she was trying to hide a smile though. I tried changing the subject before I could embarrass myself any further.

"So what is it that you had to wait until we were alone that you had to tell me?" I asked. I could tell she got nervous about my teasing tone. Shoot, that was supposed to lighten the mood, not kill it. Today was not my day. I needed a break.

She started rattling off, "I didn't mean it to be this late, it was supposed to be day light and I had to tell you when we were alone because it would look like you were talking to an imaginary friend. That's how it probably looked when you told me to get on the bus. And- and..."

"Okay, what is it that you look so guilty about telling me? You know it's not that late. Only," I checked my cell phone, "about 6:31." Brenda started getting nervous again. She squirmed under my close scrutiny. "If you can't tell me now, how about after I show you this," I said. I started walking towards the forest I went to every time I had a problem.

It took a few minutes to arrive. I glanced around at the familiar scenery. We were walking along a narrow and small dirt path. I led the way, as there was only room for one person to walk on the width of the path. There were also a few shrubs along the sides of the path and little flowers poking their heads out of the soil.

This place I was leading Brenda to was extremely relaxing. It was special to me and I thought she might like it. Wow, does that sound pathetic or what? I wouldn’t tell anybody about why I came here, obviously. That would just make me look stupid. We turned along a v=curve in the path, and the clearing was almost in view.

When we arrived at the end of the dirt road into a spacious clearing, I noticed that it looked the same as last time I was here. Last I had been here I think I was eight. Except last time I was petrified. This time, I was comforted.

Yeah, my parents had taken the family on camping trip. I remember being petrified at the slightest sounds. Michael, my brother, had teased me about it relentlessly. At about two in the morning, I had thought I heard a bear and ran to my parent’s tent. They were sharing a tent and Michael and I were sharing a tent. It turns out, my dad had to go to the bathroom, so he went to a port-a-potty that had been there when this place had more visitors. Coming back, he tripped on a twig and the sound had resonated throughout the clearing. Come to think of it, I wondered why this place had a calming effect on me. Maybe I was just no longer scared to death.

 In the clearing, there was a large patch of empty space before trees abruptly led into a forest. The forest was full of large, looming trees full of dark shades of green. It was rather beautiful at night. Or spooky. Depends on how you look at it. All of a sudden. Brenda’s voice shattered the peaceful silence.  

"Nathan, I can't go in there."

"Why not?" I asked curiously. Was she afraid of grass or something? I internally sighed. Maybe she was just afraid of the dark.

"I-I can't. Trust me, please," she began pleading.

"A small walk won't hurt, will it?" If she was afraid of the dark, I could always take my phone out and use that as light.

She was getting nervous again. Shoot, I really didn’t know how to shut my mouth sometimes, did I?

"Nathan, I'm sorry, I can't go in there." Brenda said, "Let me show you something instead." I guess I would have to settle with a compromise.

We walked a short distance from the forest. Brenda sat on a nearby log, and I soon followed suit. She jutted her wrist out. On it, there was a very simple bracelet. It had a thin, black band and a charm hanging off the end. The charm looked similar to a yin-yang. There was a line directly down the center, dividing a greenish-blue color and a faded looking brown. At the very center, the two colors merged, combing to make a pasty looking gray.

“This was my father’s,”Brenda stated, as if she was talking to herself now, more than to me.

“Okay…”I said, hoping she might continue.

“I just thought you might like to know something about me. My dad is really sick right now, and I’m not even sure if he’s alive.”It looked as if Brenda was about to cry, but I had absolutely no idea what to say. Her dad was going to die? Why would she just tell me that? Still in a daze, she grabbed my hand.

We started walking. Time had passed, and light was rapidly leaving us. She led me back up the path past the shrubs and flowers. She continued walking towards what appeared to be our school. Before we arrived within a hundred feet, she veered off in the other direction. A forest was soon swallowing us. It was a small forest, granted, but the shadows seemed ominous and large. Wait! Maybe this was her special calming place. The place she could be alone at last.

She said, "Wait one second. I'll be right back." She jumped, as her hair swished in the air. Her fingertips grazed a few leaves of the mighty oak tree. There was a blinding flash, and she escaped. Again. I regretted coming here. I had known all along she could disappear into thin air. But what did her disappearing have to do with anything? Coming here was pointless. Trying to find out what she was had been an idiotic idea. With a shrug of annoyance and regret, I started leaving, my hollow footsteps resonating in throughout the clearing. There was another blinding flash and Brenda reappeared. So she could disappear and reappear? But then she started speaking.

"Where are you going? Do you understand what I just did? I-I'm a.... tree."

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