The Child That Never Was (NaNoWriMo 2014)

Chapter Eight

\The sun rose and alarm clock went off.  “Come and play, children!  Today is another day!  Let’s go play our game.  Come on, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” the voice rang through our ears.  I woke up startled, then remembering the previous day.  That’s right; I had been going through random portals, falling asleep in an enchanted forest which randomly had camping gear and food, and made a new friend, who is suffering with a lot of insecurities about she is.  My goal is to make her feel welcomed in her own skin and community.  I’m not sure how I’m going to achieve this, but I know that I can help her at least start to feel a little more comfortable.

           

            “Are you guys up yet?” rang a little voice.  I looked over at Bethany who was laying in her sleeping bag look as annoyed as ever by the fact that she had been woken up.  I gave her an empathetic look before unzipping the tent to reveal Benny looking at us.  “I’m hungry,” he whined.

            “We all are,” I smiled and walked outside to the cabinet.  Inside I found a few eggs and a frying pan.  “Looks like we’re having eggs for breakfast!  Benny, can you go find some wood so we can start the fire to cook the food?”  Benny nodded and ran off, while Bethany slowly emerged from the tent.  “Sleep okay?”

            “You snore so loud,” Bethany shook her head, fighting a yawn.

            “I do not!” I tried to defend myself, but from the look on her face and the amount of sleep it looked like she had, I figured that she wasn’t far off from the truth.  “Okay, maybe I do, but how would I know?  I was sleeping.”

            Bethany gave me a dirty look.  “Yeah, I noticed.”

            “Why do I snore all the time, you ask?  I don’t know, Bethany, it’s just human nature, I suppose,” I shrugged my shoulders.

           

            “You are so weird,” Bethany laughed.  Benny came back with the firewood and set it down into the fire pit.  Bethany assisted him in setting up the fire and igniting it, which I used to cook the food.  We ate our food in peace, which was a nice change, considering the tone of yesterday.  All we needed to retain just a bit of strength was silence, all but the birds chirping in the background.  I laid myself down onto the ground, not caring how much of the forest floor would end up in my clothes or tangled in my hair.  The breeze was cool against my forehead and back, giving me a relaxing sensation, calming me enough so that when I saw a flash of light appear before my eyes, I didn’t freak out.

            “Another portal,” I nodded.  Bethany was already next to the portal, peering inside.

            “Who knows what’s behind that portal.  It could be anything- a lion, a dinosaur, our death!” she exclaimed.

            I raised an eyebrow.  “You do realize that dinosaurs became extinct a long time ago, right?”

            She nodded.  “At this point, anything is possible, I suppose.”

           

            I laughed.  “I suppose that you’re right.  Should we go now?”

            “Do we have a choice?” Bethany sighed, taking Benny’s hand.  With one last look at me, she stepped through the portal.  I sighed looking back at our campsite.  I didn’t want to leave the comfort of the camp, which felt secure and comforting.  I looked back at wistfully, hoping that it would return soon, unless we were to reach home first.  For the first time in my life, I began to miss my parents and Lindsey.  I even missed Ashley Wince, for the first time in my life.  I just wanted to return to the familiarity of ignorance I felt whenever I walked through the school hallway.