The house on Maple Street

4

Aric grabbed my hand, pulling me into the unknown of the forest. I felt the rush inside of me, pulsing threw my veins. I knew I should look back, but the feeling of the wind against my face and the dirt underneath my feet told me otherwise.
As we reached the heart of the forest, we stopped, panting from the running we had just endured.

"Where are we" I spoke, curiosity filling every word.

"Follow me" Aric said, his voice laced with mystery, further feeding my aching curiosity.
He started walking, his steps harder to keep up with due to the darkness of the night, I relied on the sound of the leaves cracking underneath his feet. I saw light, peeking through the trees only a few metres away. Aric walked ahead.

"You ready.." he said smiling, I wasn't sure whether I was, but when he pulled back the leaves covering the light...

It was beautiful, stuff I had only ever read about in the books mum gave me to study. The tall street lights, burning bright like the glow bugs that filled the beach at night. The small little buildings each having a different coloured roof, stuff I've only ever dreamed of, filled each and every window. Cookies, cakes and toys. Everything I've ever wondered and dreamed about. I was speechless, blown away.

"I knew you would love it, I used to come here when I needed to get away. I would sit and just watch the street come alive" Aric said, looking at me watching my cheeks hurt from smiling.

"What is it" I spoke, my words coming out more as a choke than anything else.

"It's a town, pretty much all we have here" I felt myself stepping forward almost as if I was hypnotised, Aric grabbed my wrist snapping me back to reality.

"Eden, we can't go there, it's a risk to everything mum has ever taught us, I wouldn't of brought you here if I knew you would actually want to go" Aric looked almost annoyed at me for something I couldn't help but naturally feel.

"Sorry, I've just never seen anything like this, ever" he smiled again the annoyance fading out of his face.

I heard a voice in the distance of this 'town' and poked my head next to Aric's my feet getting sore from being on my tip toes for so long, and there he was, walking out of one of the small buildings laughing with who I assumed was his father. I felt my stomach drop as I watched his lips curl into a smile and his brown curls sitting on top of his head bouncing as he walked, and the way his veins popped through his built long arms... I stood there thinking to myself, this might be the death of me.