Bow Ties and Chickens

Forest

"Abigail!" 

Forest sat up straight, cold sweat running down his face. 

He stared blankly at the blue walls of his bedroom for a moment, then quietly got out of bed and tiptoed down the hall. 

Maybe it had all been a dream. Just a dream. 

He suddenly had the impulse to check his watch. 

3:00 a.m. 

Why was he not surprised? 

He opened the door to his younger sister's room slowly, hoping that she would be sleeping soundly inside. 

Instead he found a perfectly clean room with neatly done bed sheets awaiting her return. The floor was unnaturally white and free of debris. Forest left silently and slipped back into his own bed. 

He pulled out a book to take his mind off of it. It was a completely random choice, grabbing a story from his shelf. 

On the cover was a blue box, whirring through space. This was his sister's favorite book, more so even than those silly dragon books she liked. She must've left it in his room before she disappeared three days ago. He opened it up. 

Forest didn't even remember what the words said, he was so lost in his own thoughts. He was so, so, worried about Abigail. Would she come back? Had she run away? Was she kidnapped? 

Finally he couldn't take it anymore. 

Forest set down the book, his emerald eyes instead looking up to his closet. He put on some street clothes and exited the house. 

The cold night air helped his mind calm down. He walked around the silent streets, eyeing the lamps that illuminated them with ease. 

After a few laps around the neighborhood, Forest returned to his bed, finding a small piece of paper on his pillow. He gingerly picked it up and unfolded it. It was the first page of the newspaper, the one about the dinosaur. 

At that moment, he decided that that was what he would do. Tomorrow he would go to the museum, look at the dinosaur, and watch the play. Besides, his friend Karen had the star role. 

And for the rest of the night, Forest's sleep was pleasant and dreamless.