"Thicket, it's getting rather hard to see..." Edward said as the sky darkened considerably fast. Edward and Thicket had traveled quite far in the span of time they had walked. They were in sight of the glowing Crystal Forest.
"Edward, it's only a little ways off. It is unsafe to stop here. We'll make camp at the edge of the forest. There is a protective barrier around the outside so we can't be harmed," said Thicket as he climbed to the top of Edward's hat.
They were both quite tired as they dragged on, led only by the light of the Crystal Forest. The River flowed to the left of them, babbling softly the way that water does when it flows over a bed. Edward sighed and dragged his feet down the dirt road. They came upon the forest at last, and Edward collapsed on a mossy bed next to a towering tree.
"Goodnight, Thicket," he murmered as he fell asleep.
"Goodnight, my strange boy."
Night settled around them in a velverty purple blanket, serenading them with a cricket's tune and the voice of the insects. The trees swayed, wind whistling as it flew through the turqoise leaves. Edward was sound asleep under the stars that winked at the moon the way that stars do, with Thicket curled up in a spider kind of way in his hat. The two friends slept peacefully until the dawn came, painting purples and pinks, and a tropical array of colors across the morning sky, and the stars faded away as the moon bid farewell to the sleepy Earth, the sun taking over it's post.
Edward rubbed his eyes as soon as the first bird chirped, sat up, and looked at Thicket, who was still curled up asleep in his hat. He smiled a strange smile and poked his furry, eight-legged friend, waking him from his spider slumber.
"Thicket, my friend. Come and greet the new day. There is much to be done," Edward said, his voice still below a whisper. Thicket opened his many eyes and yawned the way that spiders yawn and stretched his eight legs.
"Good morning, my boy. I don't suppose you would have the pocket map that you always had in your coat?" he said, cutting right to the point.
"I do, friend," Edward pulled out the small map, "and I would much like to know where we're headed to."
Edward rolled out the map and secured it with two stones. Thicket walked onto the map and thought.
"Well, if we're here," he said, pointing to the Cystal Forest, "then the Faerys' Realm should only be a ways away. I'm sure they wouldn't in until we're ready to move on to the North." He smiled and so did Edward.
Edward stood up, brushed off his pants, and bent down and picked up Thicket, who crawled up Edward's arm and up onto his hat. They began to walk down the path at a respectable pace, Edward marveling at the tall trees that towered over him.
"Thicket?" he asked, still looking up. He couldn't see the tops of the trees.
"Yes, dear boy?" answered his eight-legged companion.
"How far up do you suppose those trees go? I can't seem to see the tops of them."
Thicket thought for a moment and then smiled, looking up at Edward.
"They say that the trees go up as far as the clouds. Some say that dragons live up in the canopy levels. My father swore he climbed all the way up and saw a dragon once," Thicket answered.
Edward marveled at the thought. "Dragons? That's really something, Thicket!"
Thicket smiled and climbed to the very top of Edward's hat and looked out.
"There should be a fork in the road, coming up. Take a left and we'll come upon the Forest Gate."
Edward walked, marveling at the trees until he came to the fork in the road. A sign stood at the center, with large, red letters.
DANGER LEFT, BANNEL RIGHT.
Edward stopped, worried.
"Are you sure we should go left? The sign says not to..."
Thicket smiled a spider kind of smile and assured the boy, "Yes, Edward. We dont want to go to the town of Bannel. Thieves, you know."
Edwarr trusted Thicket and began walking down the dark path to the Forest Gate. All around him, animals cackled and growled and rustled the dead leave that crunched on the ground. Eyes, yellow, red, and green alike stared at him through the darkness. His brow was furrowed in worry and he walked timidly down the path until he came to a fence gate.
"Thicket... This can't be the Faeries' Realm... It's dark and cold and this fence is covered in thorns and ivy."
And indeed, it was. The fence was black, towered to a height at least 25 feet. Little Edward looked up and began to feel light headed, so he looked at the gate a pushed it open.
It squeaked and creaked as it turned on its hinges. Bats flew out of the thick ivy. Edward walked through its opening as the gate crashed against the bars of the fence.
"Thicket... what's that sound?" Edward asked as he listened to what sounded like distant screams coming from the hill that loomed in the distance.
"Nothing, my dear boy," said Thicket as he smiled a spider kind of smile and creeped unnoticed down Edward's back and leg and onto the ground.
"Thicket, are you sure?" said the boy timidly, who was answered by silence. "Thicket?" Edward squeaked quietly.
"SEIZE THE BOY!!"
YOU ARE READING
Edward the Strange
AdventureThere once was a strange little town, on a strange little hill. The people were strange, the cars were strange, the pets, e houses, the sky was strange. And in a corner of the strange town, in a tall house, lived a boy. He never went out; he enjoyed...
