Luminari

Chapter seventeen

Walking with human Seth was strange I was used to him being a dog only two feet tall with four legs, his tongue hanging out, drooling at my side. He walked upright on two legs with ease and when he talked instead of looking to the floor I looked up to the sky.

"I know this area, this way is much shorter," he said pointing to a path that led away from the real path.

If Seth had still been a dog, I would have questioned him, but Seth was now a man and for a kid like me to tell him he was wrong just didn't seem right. He was in his late twenties if not early thirties, he was my mom's age. As a dog he seemed like a child and for a while it was like we were the same age.

We took Seth's shortcut, and it led us through a very thick part of the forest. The light from the sky was crushed by the thick trees it was almost like night it was so dark. We wouldn't have been able to see our own two feet if it wasn't for the break between the branches that let in little strips of sunlight.

"I've got to pee," Seth said then he walked off into the woods.

I stood on the path alone waiting for Seth. He was taking an awfully long time. The wind rustled the leaves of the trees and made me shiver. Not only did the trees block the light from the sun they also blocked its warmth. I was about to call out to Seth too see if he was alright when an eerie sound poured out from behind me.

I turned to see a bush rustle then the sound was back it was a growl. I backed away from the bush careful not to trip over my own feet. The growl was getting louder, what was that thing? The bush shook some more, and I caught sight of two yellow eyes poking out from behind its heavy green leaves. Could it be a wolf according to Ollie and Seth this was wolf country.

Too scared to stay and find out I ran with all my might. I ran as fast as I could forcing my way through the air as if it were water. I risked a quick glance at my shoulder and smiled once I realized nothing was following me. But while I was looking over my shoulder my foot caught on something.

I fell forward fast and hard hitting the ground like a stone. I picked myself up and hissed when I realized I had cut my hand. I held my hand as I looked behind me to see that my tennis shoe was stuck under a root reaching out from one of the massive trees.

I untangled myself and stood up dusting the dirt off of my clothes with my uninjured hand. I looked around and realized I was standing only a few feet from a house hidden behind the forest. I headed towards the house pulled in by curiosity.

It was a wooden house made from the same dark bark of the trees that surrounded it. A massive swing hung from a large tree in front of the house. It was two stories tall with colorful curtains in the many windows, the yard was way overgrown with four-foot-tall grass, there were cobwebs in the eves and windows, and the door was left open. The house looked strangely familiar, but I couldn't remember why, it was like I had seen a picture of it before. I carefully walked up a ramp built on the side of the staircase.

"Hello," I called out but there was no answer.

I stepped inside the open doorway and looked around curiously, the house was old and run down there were animals living in the corners and mold on the walls. The living room was big and comfortable. I almost screamed when I accidentally stepped near a skeleton laying across the floor. I wandered around the house with a strange air of familiarity. I went into the kitchen where I found a large oven the door had been left open and a little pink teddy bear was sitting in the corner covered in ash. The dining room was empty except for two shoes one turned upside down and the other had a small toad living inside.

Everything was getting really strange, I walked up the stairs with a special chair and pulley system built into them to carry someone in a wheelchair. I got to the top of the stairs and found some bedrooms, the first one I went in was the master bedroom, the closet was full of women's clothes and empty hangers where the man's clothes had been removed. Dresser draws were left open, and a broken suitcase had been left on the bed. There was a painted picture on the desk of a little blonde boy holding a baby girl, the picture looked so much like me and Brandy it was creepy.