Boy Of The Forest [Malum]

Chapter 12

        "What do you mean my dog isn't hear Alex?" Michael questioned sitting up in his bed.

        "Ollie isn't here Michael. I don't know where he is. So why don't you get up and go look for him?" Alex stood there with his arms crossed over his chest looking at his nephew in annoyance. He watched as Michael slowly got out of his bed grabbing his shoes and coat, walking past him. Alex followed the younger boy down the stairs and to the porch, but didn't move another foot.

       Michael stood at the edge of the forest, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go in or not. He was scared, truly terrified; he didn't know what he would run into. He didn't know the forest, he can't even remember the path that he took the last time he was in the. Michael closed his eyes, taking deep breaths, he had been in them so many times in his dreams, he had to know them, at least in the slightest. He had to find Ollie and maybe even Calum, if the boy would take him back.

        "Go straight, than take a left because there's big Ant Hill and you don't want to fall in."

        The words echoed in Michael's mind, remembering his forest boy telling him how to get through the forest to find him if he wasn't there at the time when Michael wanted to see him. He knew exactly how to get to where Calum would hopefully be. From there he could find Ollie. He hoped.

        "Go past the cave, I'm not completely sure what lives in there, so stay kinda far away from it, but don't lose the trail. Follow the carvings in the trees, they should bring you to a little stream, jump the stream and follow it going right. At the fallen log that looks like a bear go the way that it's nose it pointing, that's where I live."

        The forest boys -or as Michael now knew, Calum's words led him all the way to the stream. He jumped over, going right he easily found the "Bear Log" after about 50 yards. He looked at the way it was pointing, Michael didn't think that it had been moved anytime in the last week or so. He followed this trail just last week. He walked straight watching his step so he didn't hurt himself. He soon came to the small cabin that he knew. 

        Walking to the door, he knew there was no lock, but he knocked, to see if Calum was there. When there was no answer he pushed the door open, finding that it was empty, much to his dismay. He didn't know what to do now. His options were, wait for Calum to come back, or go out to look for both Calum and Ollie and get himself lost. The first option seemed the best, but Michael didn't just want to sit there for hours and not have Calum come back. 

        In the end Michael stayed at Calum's small cabin waiting until the boy would come back. For the past hour Michael's been spooked by squirrels and other small animals, along with a small herd of Deer. He was happy none of them took interest in him, or wasn't some animal that might hurt him for no reason. He wished Calum would show up, even if he didn't want to see Michael, he needed Calum's help. The thought of what if Calum had come back but seen Michael and turned around, not wanting to know why he was there.

      Michael contemplated on going to look for Ollie without Calum's help, maybe he could do someone on his own for once. He always had someone looking over his shoulder, maybe just this once he didn't need that. Though Michael's thought process changed when a loud crack from a break breaking sounded from behind him. 

        "Shit." Michael cursed under his breath, soon holding it as loud foot steps followed with twigs snapping. Michael pulled his knees to his chest thinking of his new options. Now what was he going to do? Run? Whatever it was would chase after him. Hide in the cabin? Yeah that was manly, but that's like running, so manly. Like Michael was ever a manly person though.

        "Michael?" His head snapped up seeing the younger boy he was praying for.

        "Calum! Oh thank god!" Michael exclaims jumping to his feet and pulling the boy into a hug. Calum stood there like a tree, he was shocked to see Michael. Why was he here? He thought that Michael hated him.

        "Calum, I can't find Ollie. He ran off while I was crying, and I didn't realize it until my uncle showed up and said something and I'm freaking out. Please help me find him Calum! He's one of the last things that I have left that care about me. Please help me Calum." Michael pleaded to him. There was no one else for Michael to turn to for help like this, Alex didn't know the forest, Michael slightly knew it from his dreams. Calum was the only person that knew the forest well enough.

        "How did you get here? How do you know Ollie's out here? Again how did you get here?!" Calum asked the older boy.

       "I remember you telling and showing me, you know in our dreams. It was kinda hard to remember, but I got here and I knew that if I left here that I would just get lost." Michael blushed slightly when saying that. "Ollie wouldn't go anywhere else. I- I think he was looking for you Calum..." He whispered the last part, he felt stupid for it. He still hated himself for hurting Calum, even if he didn't mean too.

        "Please, Calum, just help me find Ollie that's all I'm asking for."

        "Alright, come on." Calum grabbed Michael's hand pulling him along to where he thought they should start looking.