Gnomes
The girl stood in the middle of a freshly mowed field. The sun warmed her skin like a hug from her mother. The wind blew faintly, but enough to make her curls sway and wiggle. Her father and his two brothers called to her and motion for her to join their game of Frisbee. The light from the sun fell in sheets of gold silk. A deep and slow voice whispered her name, it left goose bumps on her arms. As she turned to look at the person who spoke, a cold burst of wind pushed her back. Dark clouds covered the sky. She saw a thick forest that was as black as midnight. Standing next to a pine tree her cousin beckoned. The girl was compelled to move towards the narrow labyrinth. When she entered the tree infested land she saw her cousin standing in a tiny beam of light that seemed to break through the branches of the mighty evergreens. She called his name and he turned his head looking to the left. She followed his gaze and came upon the faces of the trees. They looked elderly and weak. They were brittle and filled with sorrow. Thunder sounded above them and lighting cracked echoing through the darkness. Her cousin once again caller for her to follow him. The girl followed insilence. They walked over fallen trees with blank sad dead faces. Their feet snapped their branches. They weaved in between trees and bushes. They came to a small handmade cave. The girl shudderedin the breeze as it began to rain. It fell in icy streams, like icicles about to pierce your skin. The girls cousin went to crawl inside the cave.
She shouted, “No Donny.” he turned and struck her with the most horrific glare. “That’s where the gnome lives.” she said as her tone lowered. Donny continued inside. The girl followed. Inside was quite larger than she expected. “Donny,” she cried in a whisper, “They get mad when you destroy their homes.” she looked around the room, and then back to Donny, he was now holding a bright red sludge hammer. He struck a small tree stump in the middle of the room it burst in to shatters and splinters. They exploded and fell in slow motion in the girls eyes. He began to go for walls and furniture. A tiny fierce growl came from behind her. She turned around to see the furious gnome standing in the doorway. The growl began to increase in volume and anger. He began to scream. The scream rattled through the air. He sprinted at the girl. She flinched in horror. He jumped over her and dashed for Donny. Donny ran out the door with the gnome following him. They left the girl dazed. After she came out of her state of confusion, she bolted after them. The gnome chased Donny furiously. The girl beganto panic, she didn’t know what to do. Donny darted past her out of breath and with a look of fear pasted on his face. The gnome was close behind and ran into the girl knocking her down to the ground, leaving her dizzy, her vision was blurred and her ears began to ring slowly like wind chimes. Her sight started to clear and in front of her eyes she saw a large screw, it was about four inches in length and covered in rust and grime.
A voice echoed in the back of her mind, her father’s voice, “Don’t touch that.” In a furious rage the girl thrust out her hand and grasped the screw in her right hand. Squeezing it firmly she felt the rivets dig into her skin. She lifted her self off the forest floor and sprinted towards the gnome who almost had Donny pinned to the ground. Donny was trying as hard as he could to not let the gnome hold him down. The girl kicked the gnome off her cousin. The gnome quickly got up and focused on her. The girl held out her hand releasing her grip on the screw. White lines appeared where the rivets were. The gnome cocked his head. He slowly crept over to her, and with a small ceramic hand he grabbed the screw. He stared at in for ten seconds and then looked up at the girl with glazed eyes and a faint grin. The ground began to spin and fog closed in around her. She collapsed to the ground right next to Donny, as he rested out of breath and relieved.
