All the small people

Chapter 4

We dropped the kids back home and Rani pedalled us to the woods just on the outskirts of town.

We left their bike and walked in, ducking under low hanging branches on the familiar trip into the centre of the woodlands where there was a small circle clearing surrounded by trees. But since our town was shitty, people had trashed it. White plastic bags from tesco were strewn in the trees like little tiny ghosts of shoppers past and things dumped here from all over.

"Ugh, this is some dank nature," I said of the dirty mattress and full black rubbish bags.

"Dank nature and a crap ton of shit."

"Wait," I said and pointed to the two abandoned shopping trolleys that were tipped and stacked on top of each other. "Are those Morrisons trolleys?"

Rani's voice came from behind me. "That's all the way across town!"

"That's... dedication right there!" The leaves were just turning and the cold air bit into my face and the tips of my fingers. I waited for Rani to start speaking, or frankly do anything other than linger behind me but when nothing happened for a moment, I spoke again. "Well?" I asked to see just why they'd brought me out here and turned around, only to spot Rani balancing on a nearby tree that had been either knocked over or felled.

It wasn't the sturdiest and looked to bend more and more with each shuffle Rani made to the middle. They pointed a thin stick they'd picked up at me.

"Log bridge to Narnia! Cross at your own peril, mortal."

My eyes rolled in their sockets. "Narnia was entered through a wardrobe, dumbass."

"Not in the second movie, or the third," they sneered back and did a wobbly twirl. "Now get up here and fight me or I'll come over there and you'll meet your death at the hands of my wooden blade." They threw it up like a baton for special effect and caught it easily.

I grunted and mused over some sticks on the ground, picking up one that seemed good and got up onto the stupid tree. It groaned at the extra weight.

"This log will snap and we're going to break some bones. You'll break your legs and I'll break my arms. You'll have to cling onto me like a backpack just to get back into town."

"Maybe we can just die of cold and starvation instead?"

The log made an eerie creak from under us.

They shook their head, eyes narrowing once more, getting back into character. "Narnia remains protected, fiend." Rani actually looked kind of like someone you'd find in Narnia, their long hair blowing loose in the breeze, cat-like eyes trained on me. "You wish to enter the sacred lands? You'll have to cross me first!"

They lunged and struck me on my outer arm with their weapon. It stung.

I growled and tried to jab them in the stomach but they jumped back, laughing.

"You'll have to try harder than that to defeat a sentry of the sacred place!"

We both moved at the same time, sticks aiming for the other. I went high and Rani swooped down to try and knock my ankle. I jumped to avoid it then landed.

A split second passed, then a deafening crack shattered the woodlands and we were both suddenly on the floor, splintered wood raining down around us.

My heart pounded and there was static in my ears. "Woah."

"Yeah," they breathed, their eyes wide. A moment passed, silence suddenly looming. "Ya know, Taylor Wright told me that people used to keep porn magazines in a hollowed out log somewhere in these woods in the 80's."

I imagined kids like us trekking through the wilderness just to jack off. Ah, to be human. "Yeah, that seems legit."

"It would be awkward if you were like... hiking out to the porn and some dude was already there and they were all like 'sup' with that awkward nod and smile us Brits do when we want to die from embarrassment?"

I breathed out a laugh. "That totally happened. I bet they became friends."

"Hashtag Pornlogbros4ever."

"Toootally."

A birds' caw came from somewhere nearby and shook the air a little.

"We are not dying in these woods, come on." Rani got up and grabbed my hand to help me stand. I brushed myself off and ran my fingers through my hair to get out any leaves or critters that might've snuck on for a free ride.

My body felt heavy but in a good way. "Lake?" I asked them.

"Lake." They nodded.

We took a mildly hidden path further in, the sun shining through the gaps in the canopy and there was birdsong coming from somewhere far away and echoey. The ground was a little mushy, but we trekked on to our favourite spot. Mostly because it was untouched by other people. No trash. No signs for people to pick up their dog's crap. A little slice of nowhere.

It wasn't really much of a lake, maybe just a big pond but a few ducks passed by on it from time to time. We got closer and the sun rippled off of the still water. I got to a patch of grass that seemed dry enough and let my knees fall out from under me until I was on my back, staring up at the leaves and the branches and sun spots.

Rani fell down beside me. "So, not to be nosy, but I am. You seem up and down today."

"Yeah," I said. "Just one of those days I think..."

Their fingers brushed the side of my head and I closed my eyes. "Yeah. Well. Anyone would be stupid to ask why."

The ground felt so stiff but suffocating all at the same time like I was being pulled and pushed into the Earth and the elements and I just wanted to lie here and drift away for a while to let this mind of mine wander through the cosmos and not have to think or decide things or breathe even. For a little while.

Just... peace.

Always, peace.

"HONK!"

I startled awake, not realising I'd fallen asleep and soon shifted into focus a Goose peering down at me with an expression that could only have meant, 'What the hell are you doing here?!'

Rani and I scrambled to our feet, the sun was setting and air bristled and whipped through our clothes. The sleep shook off fast and I was shivering, watching as one, no, two Geese monitored us.

Rani and I exchanged a glance. "There are two Geese there, right?" I asked, not sure if I was still dreaming.

They nodded and clutching their chest, sleep still in their eyes. "Little fuckers. What a horrible way to wake up."

I h'mmed in agreement, my own heart raging under my ribs.

The bigger Goose of the two narrowed it's eyes at us and gave a low hiss of warning.

Rani scoffed and put their hands on their hips. "They think they're all that." They bent down to get eye level with the Goose. "BOO!" They shouted at it which was the last thing they should've done because it sent the little fucker into a rampage, hissing and cawing after us, flapping its wings all the way back through the dimming woodlands to Rani's bike and all we could do was run and laugh like the maniacs we were.