Beyond The Stars

Tree dangling and Coffee Talks

Raif's pov

I woke up with the biggest headache known to man. One worse than the ones you get after drinking; I don't even know how those ones feel since I don't drink, but I don't doubt that this one is worse.

And it was all because I was dangling from a tree. Which is quite weird because I slightly remember drawing something like this happening in my other journal which I left at home.

I groaned as I rubbed my bloodshot eyes and tried tilting my head up to see what's holding me up. Yelping I tried to control my swaying body which was bundled up in my big jacket and a scarf which I soon realized was on the ground right under me. I was scared of shifting my legs, the branches that they were tangled in looked as if they could snap with just a single move.

Sighing I tried to remember how I even got in this mess. All my brain could wrap up was that I had climbed up the tree to scout some place out and then my phone had binged and I somehow ended up nearly falling but getting caught up in the branches. I must've fell asleep right after. I patted my jacket pocket and then inserted my hand to grab my phone, all while gently swaying back and forth... This was definitely not good for my health.

I managed to squint hard enough to make out the words. It was a message from my mom, barged up with all the other 276 ones. Sighing I clicked it open readying myself for the capitalized words which would garble themselves into curse words which would then turn into 'come back Raify Mama misses you, I love you, I'll buy you anything you want just come back home!'. But I was actually met with a normal non-capitalized paragraph.

"Mikhail and Rafa ran away to find me?!" I screeched, my voice hoarse and small from the coldness.

Those little haraamis, don't they know they're not supposed to be wandering all over by themselves, just them two! When I get a hold of them I'm killing Mikhail first.

It's not possible to find the great Raif though! Especially when he's stuck in a tree...

Grumbling in pain I tried swinging myself towards the tree trunk, ready to grab a hold of it and then tug my legs free. This was all my mother's fault if she hadn't messaged me I would've been at the top and when I would've been at the top I would've easily found my route.

I ended up swaying too hard and my pudgy arms didn't wrap themselves around the tree causing my head to smack right against the trunk. I winced in pain rubbing the spot, knowing a bruise was going to form any time soon.

I growled in anger trying to untangle myself but still not trying hard enough because if my feet were to to be untangled I would fall to my doom. Sighing I craned my neck left and right trying to see if anyone was walking nearby.

After a few minutes the figure of a man, tall and lean, came stomping through the thick snow. He had a thick black knit scarf on and a camel coloured jacket. He seemed to be a bit older than my father with dark brown and grey wavy hair.

I coughed a few times trying to raise my voice before calling out to the man, he looked around a few times before looking up at me. I sighed in relief as I yelled down, "could you please help me?"

The man seemed as if he looked bothered but nonetheless he waved his arms and said, "sure mate hold on."

The accent seemed Australian or maybe Scottish, "how'd you even manage to do that?" He yelled up as he looked around for who knows what. I rubbed my aching forehead as I said, "long story."

After a few more minutes he gave up trying to find whatever he was looking for and I whined asking him to hurry up. The man humphed at me and waggled a finger, "do you want to get down or what?" I nodded reluctantly and he went around and around the tree before hugging it.

I sighed to myself wondering why he had to be the one to wander upon this path. I was soon pulled out of my thoughts though as I saw him leap up a branch and causally sit onto the one I was dangling from. An awed expression rested on my face as he rubbed his chin, how in the world did he do that?

Before I could say anything he took out a knife from his many pockets and began cutting the branches my feet were stuck in. I shook my head panicking, "wait sir no no no don't--" it was too late, he managed to free both my legs and I felt my body fall though the air, I quickly said my shahada readying myself for death.

But instead I was met with a cushion like pillow, and no pain anywhere. I let out huge breaths of air smiling once I felt all my limbs intact. I had landed in a bank of fluffy snow and realized that the man had been doing this; making a soft landing, when I thought he was looking for something.

I rolled from left to right trying to get out of the white fluff, a hand reached down and I grabbed onto it as the man pulled me up. Grinning I said, "thank you so much sir you're climbing skills are incredible."

He laughed and shrugged, "why thank you." I shook his hand  and said, "here, let me treat you to some hot coffee to show my gratitude, my name is Raif by the way."

The man nodded hesitantly before saying, "alright, and no need for the 'sir' I'm not that old, you can call me Aladdin."

He started down the path and I quickly grabbed my stuff before rushing to catch up, "is that really your name?" It reminded me off my favourite childhood movie, with the genie and the man who was coincidentally named this and had a monkey.

He nodded with a smile, "yeah, reminds you off that movie doesn't it?"

I nodded laughing and he said, "I actually even had a monkey, I named him Abu."

"Had? Did he pass away?" I asked curiously wishing to meet the fella but the man frowned and nodded, "Yupp, died two years ago." The rest of the walk was quite and I inwardly smacked myself for asking him about his dead monkey.

"So why were you dangling from that tree back there?" Aladdin asked as we sat in the small place with steaming hot mugs in our hands. I ran a hand through my hair which had grown out a lot, "I'm trying to fulfill my dream."

"Your dream is to hang upside down from a tree?" He asked awkwardly and I laughed shaking my head.

"No sir-- sorry, uhm but no I'm trying to reach the stars. Sounds weird I know but I have everything set." I said trying to explain but not being broad enough, he gives me a look before nodding his head slowly, "okay I see..so where's the spaceship then?"

I chuckled shaking my head, "no spaceship."

His face frowned in confusion, "then how are you--"

"Here let me show you." With that I pulled out my journal and explained as much as I could seeing if there was anyone out here ready to believe in me and not be sarcastic buttholes like Rafa and Mikhail.

After almost half an hour he finally grinned, "you are going to go far in life mate, this is incredible, especially how you plan on doing little things in between." I smiled, beaming in joy, "thank you," he leaned back as I put my journal back into my bag.

"You remind me of myself, when I was younger I trekked across the desert of Australia, just me and Abu, there would be little towns in between that I would settle myself in for months at times and this was all done because I wanted to fulfill this thing inside me, this feeling off just doing something. I helped a lot of people in between, from people in towns to these two lovebirds that were lost."

I smiled taking a sip from my mug, "that's really nice, I actually ran away trying to finish my adventure, however there's just one thing holding me back.." and after saying that, Aladdin and I talked for a long time. I finally realized that the feeling of wanting to accomplish everything in my journal shouldn't go to waste at all.

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