The Way Home

[YanYanGanaffi]

Robert Hale stood on the small hill over looking the huge clay pit before him. The edge of the clay pit was encircled by scrub oaks and dark, flimsy pine trees. The evening air was cool as the stars struggled to shine against the dying light of the sunset. A half moon was visible high in the sky. Of all the places Robert had been, this was by far his favorite. For him, this muddy clearing was a place of childhood memories. It was a place of magic and wonder for him and his friends, Josh and Mandy. How many years had it been since he was last here? At least twelve now. The last time he had been here was when Josh died.

 

Robert and Mandy said that they had gotten seperate in the woods. It was partly true, for all three of them had gotten lost together. It's funny how years can melt away when one stops to remember. They fall like the petals of a cherry blossum, peeling away from the newly forming fruit. Josh had died to save not only Mandy and himself, but countless others. Taking a deep breath, Robert closed his eyes, the begining mist of a tear forming. Over the years, he wondered if there was anything he could have done, but he knew there wasn't.

 

It had all started back when Robert was about twelve. That's when he had met Josh and his sister Mandy. Josh was tall, lanky, and wore glass with dark, curly hair. He was two years older then Robert and about six inches taller. Mandy was Robert's age with shoulder length hair , moon pale skin, and dark, raven like eyes. They were poor, like Robert's family, but that didn't really matter to them. Josh and Mandy's older brother, Aaron, was into fantasy role playing games with some of the older guys in the neighborhood. Robert later became friends with them when he turned about fifteen. However, they were seen with contept by the older kids as being 'in the way'.

 

This didn't stop the three from forming their own 'live' version of the games that they played in the clay hole, known as the 'Cow Hole', for it had been a former cow pasture back around the turn of the century. There was no trace of the old homestead save the rusted metal frame of an old tractor wheel half buried in the clay. Deeper in the woods, they had discovered an old abandoned farm house complete with tobacco house and well. The house had no running water or electricity, yet was in good condition dispite the many years of neglect. The old farm house, which was called the House of Whispers because of the ghostly whispers one heard when there. In order to get to the House of Whispers, one had to first cross Red Water Gulley. Red Water Gulley had a strange red muck at the bottom of the stream that flowwed lazily through the gulley; giving the place it's name. To cross, you had to step from cypress knee to cypress knee, praying the whole time that you didn't disturb a water moccassion or slip and go into the water. The last place of note in the woods was simply known as the 'Green Place'. In all of Robert's travels, which took him to all parts of the world, he had never experienced a place like that. Looking back, Robert know that the place had drawn them there.

 

It was like any other Summer day. They were exploring yet another deer trail in hopes of finding another of the wood's many secrets. They had been the first to find the House of Whispers.

 

It didn't remain a secret long as Aaron had over heard Josh and Mandy talk about it. He then relayed the information to his friends, who made it into their hang out. About two years later, while playing with a spirit board, they invoked a powerful and angry forest spirit. Aaron and his friends never talked about what happened, but the house looked like a bomb had went off inside it. All that was left was the foundation, some charred wood, and scraps of tin that had once been the roof. If you went to the sight now, you got a deep feeling of spent rage. Robert and his friends had pretended to fight evil spirits and dark creatures, but never realised that these beings actually crept in the shadows of the woods, always watching. Always waiting.

 

Robert was in the lead as they walked along the narrow path of the old deer trail. Mandy complained that she should have worn jeans instead of shorts, as the sand spurs and thorny vines North Florida was notorious for plagued the pale flesh of her legs. With walking sticks that doubled as staves, wands, or swords in the imagination of the trio, they pressed on. The under growth began to give way and be slowly replaced by a carpet of thick, green moss. The deer trail widened into a foot path as the trees, their branches high and towering, had beautiful cascades of thin, leafy vines flowing down their trunks like fountains of green. The harsh light of the sun was dimmed by the twilight caused by the botanical display. A sense of peace and tranquility radiated from this place as they continued along the footpath. Mandy stumbled a little, kicking over a small clump of moss. Underneath revealed what looked like stone. "Are you okay, Mandy," Robert asked.

 

"Yeah, I'm fine," She replied,"I tripped."

 

Josh, glancing briefly, noticed then uncovered stone. Furrowing his brow, he pulled a little more of the moss away, revealing smooth stone blicks, slate grey in color. He pulled a little more way, uncovering more of the footpath. The stone bricks, which resembled small, square flagstones, kept going down the path before them. The path curved into a sharp bend ahead of them. Silently, their minds prodded them to continue. "What is this place," Josh asked no one in particular. Robert and Mandy looked at Josh, sharing his same lost look.

 

"Do you guys want to continue," Robert asked. Without speaking, Mandy walked down the path. Josh strugged and followed, trailed by Robert. Rounding the bend, they saw the path straighten before them. the path sloped slightly to a small stone bridge that crossed a narrow stream barely wider then a man's forearm. Small shafts of light shot through the canopy of branches onto the floor of a small grotto. it smelled like rain here. the distant sounds of birds could be heard, echoing from somewhere deep in the woods. Like the walls of a natural cathedral, the trees, with vines rippling down their trunks, formed a thrity foot diameter circle. In the center, on the floor of the grotto, was a round, grey stone surface; rising slightly out of the sea of moss.

 

For a moment or two, the three children looked at this place in awe. There was strong undercurrent of energy here that was almost tangible. All three looked down at the stone. It was flat, save for a small raised dome in the center. A groove came from the outer edge of the stone and formed a spiral to the dome. Looking closely, Robert saw some strange markings along the groove carved into the stone. The characters looked like something out of a Tolken book. With fine, almost elegant form, the strange letters ran along the groove almost to the central dome. Josh bent down and touched the stone, running a finger along the groove. Inhaling sharply, he pulled back his finger, a small rivit of blood slowliy welling up, not quite enough for a drop. "Ouch," he muttered,"I cut myself."

 

"How the hell did you do that," Mandy asked.

 

"I don't know. It must be something in the groove."

 

Robert took a closer look, spying a tiny set of needle sharp spines lining the bottom of the groove, barely visible to the naked eye. "No wonder," Robert stated as he pointed out the spines," Look at that."

 

Mandy took a look and gingerly traced her finger along the edge of the groove. "Who do you think made this," she asked.

 

"I have no idea," Josh answered," It looks way to complicated to be Indian." Just then, the dome on the stone hummed slightly. A pale silvey blue luminance shined front it, bathing the whole grotto in it's light. The dome's glow began to flow down the channel, causing the glyphs to alight in the same blue glow. Soon, the light reached the edge of the stone circle, the humming soft. A coolness fell upon them, like standing in front of a half open refidgerator. As the humming grew, the huge stone disk began to slowly spin. The three children took a couple of steps back away from the rotating stone. The light pulsed like a heart beat, the humming ebbing and building with the light's flashing.