A Little Adventure

Chapter 2

It was very late, and I couldn't sleep. Yesterday, Vanessa and I had explored the woods, and for the first time, I knew that magic was real. Until now I had thought that things like magic were just for little kids-real little, like Vanessa. I was wrong though, and now, I could not stop thinking about all the mysteries that existed outside my window. The moon was very bright tonight and almost full, but not quite. I crept quietly down the ladder of my bunk, careful to not make any noise so that I didn't wake Vanessa. I opened my curtain just enough to allow a beam of moonlight into my room. I crouched down low, because who knows what was really outside now, and I peered out the window. Everything was lit up bright- not like day, where the sun colors everything with its warm golden rays, but like an old black and white picture, where everything was a different shade of white, black, and gray. It was very still and I looked at the fence where the owl had left us. I wanted desperately to see him again. I had so many questions.

I noticed that the river was starting to look hazy. The fog was rising from the stream and creeping up the bank. First, it was thin, like the steam rising from a pot of boiling water, but as I sat peeking out my window, I saw it change. The fog gathered together and grew thicker. It crept like a dark misty blanket being sleepily pulled up, covering the edges of the bank, and slowly rising higher and higher. I watched as the dark haze drew closer to the house-now at the fence only about a foot high. It rolled forward, still coming closer to the house. I began to feel frightened. Why was the fog out in the dead of winter? That was something that did not make sense, especially since much of the creek was frozen over. I pulled my blanket to my face and pressed my head against the windowpane to see where the fog was now. It was just beneath the window, crawling up the side of the house like morning glories climb a fence in the summer. I trembled with anxiety, but I stayed quiet-I would be in trouble with mom for horsing around in the middle of the night for sure. Finally, the fog covered my window. I could see nothing outside. I pulled the curtain back further, and what I saw startled me so much that I stumbled backward and tripped over a doll, crashing into Vanessa’s bed. There, inside the fog, just outside the window, was the outline of what looked like a boy. I heard a knock at the door. I scrambled to my feet and opened the door.

“Everything alright?” my mother asked, standing there covered with a long dark blue blanket that was acting as a robe. She looked funny at night. Her hair stuck up all over, and her eyes looked tired and half-open.

“Yes, mom. I'm sorry,” I kept the fog and what I thought I had seen too myself. Do adults know about magic I wondered? It seemed unlikely. I pulled the curtain back after she had left, but the fog was gone. Everything had returned to normal and the moon was as big as ever.

“What’s on the window?” I heard a groggy voice and realized I had woken Vanessa.

“Huh?” At first, I didn't see it but as I pulled the curtain back again I saw what Vanessa was talking about. There, on the window, were the words “Come Back” written in frost. Moonlight filled our room, and I looked at my sister.

“It says come back.” I was afraid and eager and confused. Who wanted us to come back? Isiah? Did someone need our help? Was everyone in the living forest good? Did all the other animals talk? Did trees talk to? I turned from the window to look at Ness, who was, at the moment, putting her coat on. “What. What on earth are you doing?!” I stammered.

“It said to come back. We should go. It could be important.” She zipped her coat and went to slip her hat and mittens on.

“No. Absolutely not. We are not going outside in the middle of the night to see what the crazy haze monster wants.”

“It wasn't a monster. It was a message from the owl.” She seemed pretty at ease for a kid who had been woke up in the middle of the night to a weird message frosted on our window by who knows who.

“We can go tomorrow after school if mom will let us explore again. I’m sure it will be fine to wait, and I think that is the safest way to do this.” None of this was safe. We were in completely uncharted territory. Truthfully, I was scared of what was outside in the dark long before I knew magic was real. Now an entirely new realm of what-ifs entered my head, and now, I couldn't help but worry about what was in each shadow. Were we even safe in our home? Were there actually monsters under the bed or in the closet?

“Ok.” She sounded reluctant, but she started taking her coat off as she sat back in her bed. “I can’t wait to explore again. Do you think anyone else knows about the magic creek?”

“Maybe Ness, but it’s best to be careful with these matters. Don’t tell anyone at school. We need to keep this a secret for now.” She agreed, and only moments later I heard her snoring so loudly I thought I’d be sucked into her bed. I thought of having my own bedroom and my own bed, but right now, I was happy to have someone in the room with me, even if it was just little Ness.