Frostfallen

Chapter Two: Like a Fantasy

            Once I started walking through the forest, I decided to take off my denim jacket and put in in my backpack. I also decided that when you're not racing to get to school the forest is peaceful, even though I keep getting shivers up my spine and feeling like something is watching me at every step. Luckily though I can take my sweet time walking back to the house since my parents don't usually get home until after sunset and seeing that my watch says its only about 2pm and the sun doesn't set this time of year until around 6pm I have about maybe 4 hours of time that I can spend avoiding those white walls. I know in forests you shouldn't stray from the path... But... Well you see... I uh must be having one of those days where I make bad decisions because now, I'm somewhere exploring the dark spooky forest, all while wearing some not so white anymore sandals and a white sundress. As someone who doesn't spend much time outside, the forest is nice because of all the colors, the sound of birds and the scent of all the plants is new but at the same time familiar and comforting.

            I must've ended up in daydream land while exploring because once I exited daydream land I found myself still in the forest and in the middle of a clearing and face to uh well face to rock with a giant stone pillar where it became very clear from the lighting it was almost sunset, and after checking my watch I came to realize I have maybe an hour and a half before my parents would get home. But I was also presented with another problem... I had absolutely no clue where I was in the forest or what direction I should walk in... I know, I know I could see the headlines now: 'Teenage girl found dead in woods due to stupidity and inability to follow predetermined forest trails.'

            I'm not sure when it happened but the forest was silent again just like it had done in the morning which didn't really help with the spooky vibes from the forest and being lost. I decided the best course of action would be to just turn around and hope that I didn't take any random turns and just walked in a straight line. By some sort of miracle after walking for almost 30 minutes I saw something I recognized. A tree stump who I had deemed my nemesis after I had almost tripped on it. I guess that you could probably say it was warning me to not go off the path, but since when do I listen to trees that had probably been dead as long as I've been alive? If it had good advice it'd still be alive... If people didn't chop it down anyways.

            After another 10 or so minutes walking I found myself back on the trail and in the direction of the entrance I took this morning to get into the forest and oh boy was I relieved that I found the path otherwise I'd really have become wolf food. Because I could almost swear that in the distance after I exited the forest, I could hear a wolf howl and then a few more howls in response. The forest was such a nice escape from the silent house I live in I thought to myself as I sighed.

            I stared humming as I walked along the sidewalk and into my neighborhood to keep myself from going back into daydream land. I happened to look down to keep myself from tripping over the tree root again when I realized that my sandals and dress were dirty and would be a dead giveaway that I had gone into the forest and not straight home like my parents had wanted, which meant that the moment I got home I'd have to shower and change my clothes to keep them from knowing about my adventure.

            A quick hop, skip and jump later I was a house or two away from my own when I decided to take off my sandals and walk barefoot the rest of the way because not only is the inside of the house white but so it the outside which also means the porch, so me walking up those steps with dirty shoes would be just as bad as them seeing my dirty dress. Once the sandals were in my hands rather than my feet I walked up the steps and went to unlock the door when I realized that I didn't bring my house key with me anymore since my parents got a finger print scanner lock and said that me carrying a key was more dangerous since it'd be easier for someone to steal a key than my hand. I held my thumb to the scanner and once it beeped signaling that it unlocked the door I raced inside and locked the door using a button on the wall next to the door.