Emily's House: Book 1 of the Akasha Chronicles

Chapter 37: Akasha

Chapter 37: Akasha

 I walked for what seemed like days. I never saw light shining from outside the thick wood. After a long while, I saw a clearing and I ran. I was so excited that I might finally be out of the woods.

When I got to the clearing I cried. I wasn’t out of the woods after all. I was right back at the same clearing where Madame Wong had left me. I’d walked in circles.

I sat down with my head in my hands. “Get a grip Emily,” I said to myself. I had to find a way out of that place.

I was determined not to go in circles. I got up and walked in a direction that was at a ninety-degree angle from the direction I had traveled last time. There was no way to end up back in the same place going in that direction. And as added insurance, I thought about a large bagful of peanuts in the shell. A bag materialized in my hand. Something to eat and something to mark my way.

Off I went again. I ate the peanuts and dropped the shells as I went. I walked like that for many hours. The supply of peanuts was endless. My stomach hurt from the pain of eating too much. I have to be out of these woods soon. I looked down and could not believe my eyes. I was walking on a path littered with peanut shells. And in just a few minutes I was back to that same clearing.

I had felt sad before, even depressed, but until then I’d never felt complete despair. I felt like I was at the end of my rope and it would never get any better. I was beyond tears. What’s the point of even crying? I was in a living hell. I’d wandered in circles in a dark, cold wood, all alone. Utterly, completely, helplessly alone. And my friends were out there, somewhere, in our world wondering what had happened to me. By now Dughall has probably succeeded in whatever evil plan he has.

What can I do? What’s the point of any of it? It was clear that I wasn’t getting out of there by walking out. I’d just end up in circles again. I sat down on the ground and curled up in a ball and tried to sleep. I was lying there thinking about how pleasant it would be to at least have a comfy beanbag chair to lie on when one appeared. It was all fuzzy and so comfy.

Now that’s more like it. Funny how a stupid beanbag chair could make life seem a little less hopeless. “How about a warm blanket,” I said aloud. Bam, there it was. I’d conjured a fuzzy, peachy soft blanket. Now for a nap.

I lay there, curled up on the beanbag, snuggled in my blanket. I wanted so badly to sleep. But sleep didn’t come. Instead, I just lie there fully awake.

“What am I supposed to do here?” I screamed into the woods.

No answer.

I’d rather spend my days facing Madame Wong’s blade than sit alone in these dark woods by myself.

I was one hundred percent alone. No T.V. No cell phone. No computer. No people. Just completely, totally, utterly alone.

There were many times, living with Muriel the Mean and Zombie Man, that I thought it would be much better to live alone. But my experience of alone? Well, it’s not what it’s cracked up to be.

“Apparently I’m supposed to sit in this stupid clearing until I figure out – what was it that I was supposed to figure out? Oh yeah, who I am,” I said aloud to no one but myself. Talking to yourself – not a good sign.

I sat on the beanbag chair, not quite asleep, but not quite awake either. I heard the sound of wind in the trees surrounding me. I thought I heard a voice. It sounded like it came from the trees. The breathy voice sounded like it was saying ‘breathe’. “Listen to the trees,” Madame Wong had said. So I closed my eyes and did what I thought I’d heard the trees say. I breathed. Open the receiver.