Monster
The smell of decaying leaves was overwhelmed in the small town of Puzzlewood. Dry, rich, and oddly sweet; the air had seemed to choke the town, and steal its very breath. Puzzlewood was a small and forgettable town, only a small pit stop on the a scenic route down the coast of Oregon. Weather worn stores and homes, were washed out and flattened by the neverending swirling clouds. The light of the sun had been taken captive. Violet, the newest citizen and student of Puzzlewood Elementy, thought that she may never see sunlight again.
Violet’s pale eyes searched for any sign of a chance of light in the empty grey sky. A cold breeze swirled around her, wrapping her blue coat tightly around her in a cold hug. She wrapped her arms wrapped around her small frame. Taking a deep breath she looked back at her yellow rain boots she kicked a pile of dead leaves, and let out a huff.
The dead leaves turned into dust under her feet. A pressure had started to build behind her eyes. She looked up and tried to catch her breath. Her eyes looked on to the winding road that stood before her. Two rows of houses moved around the slender road, twisting around the edges of the towering forest of Puzzlewood before it disappeared from view.
There was something off about the forest. The homes stood just far enough away not to be touched by a single branch. The branches of the trees were bare of leaves, and with skeleton like fingers, they reached towards the tops of the homes. However what caught Violet’s eye was the long old fence that stood guard between the forest and the homes.
An old iron gate stood there as if it was waiting to be opened.
“Violet! I thought I said we will meet up at the school!” a voice yelled behind her.
Turning her gaze, she isn’t surprised to see a pale face boy making his way up the road. Oliver was an average looking boy, with scraggly blond hair and large brown eyes that reminded Violet of a scared deer. His thick rimmed bottle capped glasses made his eyes look twice their size. He didn’t look 10. At least he didn’t look 4 months older than Violet. He had always been shorter than her, and even though her mother had told her that all boys started out shorter than girls, Violet highly doubted that her cousin would ever be taller her.
“Hi, Oliver,” Violet sighed, her eyes glancing back towards the road.
“Did you forget we are going home together? You have only been here for a week. What if you got lost?” Oliver asked, adjusting his back pack on his shoulders.
“Oliver, who could get lost in Puzzlewood?”
“It’s still not safe to go out on your own.”
She didn’t care. She lived in scarier towns then little old Puzzlewood. In fact, her family had once lived in a city. That was until her dad disappeared one night without a word. Her mom had packed up a week after that and decided to move in with Violet’s Aunt while the police went on their manhunt. People disappeared in the last place she called home.
“Whatever, you are just scared.” Violet said, stepping away from him.
“So what if I am? It is alright to be scared sometimes.” Oliver stated, giving her a glare that might scare a baby.
“Yeah, sometimes,” Violet mumbled to herself.
A breaking twig echoes through the eerie silence. Violet quickly snapped her head into the direction the sound. The branches were reaching out towards her. Dark wooden fingers dangled helplessly in the wind. The old iron gate standing against it in contrast. A feeling began to bubble up inside of her. Maybe the woods wasn’t trying to scare her away, maybe it was asking her to come closer, past the gate, and to step into it’s begging arms.
“What do you think you are doing?” Oliver snapped as his hand caught Violet’s arm.
“What do you mean? I am not doing anything.” Shaking her arm free from his coiled hand.
Oliver’s face was grave. It pulled on Violet’s thoughts. He was terrified. His face which had already looked pale, looked paperish. He was not looking at her anymore. His eyes where on the old gate.
“You were walking towards the forest, Violet, if you stare at it too long you’ll be pulled into it.” Oliver stammered.
“What so bad about that?”
Oliver stared at her, mouth agape. His eye glimmered as he looked at Violet.
“You haven’t heard about the creature that lives there. Who ever goes through the gate, never comes back.” Oliver stated, color yet coming back to his face.
“A ghost story. You believe in make believe stories?” Violet stated, looking back at the gate.
“They aren’t ghost stories Violet. There is a creature in the forest.”
“How do you know? Have you seen it?”
Oliver paused for a moment, thinking about how to respond . Violet sighed and stepped towards it. The branches seemed even closer now. Taking a deep breath, Violet took another forward. Feeling the leaves crumple loudly under her boots. Making her way towards it’s open arms, Violet could clearly see the small metal gate. It had old white paint. Pock marks of rust cut into its surface. There was no lock on the gate,only a simple handle. Her hand traced the small handle.
“Come on Violet let’s go home.” Oliver stated as he made his way towards her.
“Have you ever wondered if the stories are true?” Violet asked her hand lifting the latch.
The sound of chimes carried by the wind. A sound coming from the a house maybe. The chilled air swept around her as she pulled the gate open.
Looking in between large trucks of trees she could barely make the moss covered floor which laid untouched.
“You can’t go in there!”
She hesitated, only for a second, before taking a step inside. Once she was on the other side she glanced back at Oliver.
“I don’t have go in alone,” Violet said and carefully she took another step into the forest.
The moss was so soft under her boots. Everything looked different here. The trees had lost their terrifying look and the leaves that fell in the woods seemed to dance, dressed in vibrant red. Their silent free fall looked like falling flakes in a snow globe. The trees stood as sleeping giants. Reaching higher then her eyes could see, the trees branches bending and curving like reaching arms. The sound of a distant chime caused her head to spin.
“Wait up!” Oliver yelled running towards her.
Giving him a half smile she brought her attention back into the forest. Everything seemed to be just as it was outside the forest. The autumn death seemed to have struck this part of Puzzlewood too. Then a whisper in chimes that sung in the wind. A soft sound that seemed to be calling her deeper into the forest.
“Violet, this forest might seem alright right now, but we should really start heading back.”
Ignoring Oliver, Violet walked past him. The trees seeming to spread themselves farther and farther apart. There was a rich light peaking right through the branches like through a curtain. The moss glowed warm green from this unseen light.
“Violet.”
“Come on Oliver, You know you want to come with.”
Weeping willows stood in its borders. Wispy branches swirled around Violet and Oliver, caught in a soft wind. Glimmers of light danced across her face as she pushed forward. The chimes singing quietly.
When she made her way past the branches, the warm light covered the a small valley which laid quietly in sleep. A large bloder sat patiently in the center of the field. Small shrubs covered in purple flowers dotted the landscape.
“What is this place?” Oliver asked as he stared down at the field before them.
“I don’t know, you live here.”
Violet made her way down through the long grass that had been covered in due. She made her way to the boulder and stood in front of it. It had been covered in rich green moss. The boulder itself seemed grey with a hint of blue. Her fingers lightly grazed the stone. Half expecting it to be cold and damp. A strange warmth rose from the stone.
Oliver screamed.
He was trembling like a leaf. His legs had given under him and his eyes seemed to be glued to the boulder that she was touching.
“Come on, what is the matter with you?” Violet groaned in frustration as she made her way towards Oliver.
Oliver didn’t say anything. His eyes never leaving the boulder. Violet looked him over and then back at the boulder. Nothing.
“You scared me half to death.What’s wrong?” Violet said.
“The boulder has eyes.” Oliver mumbled.
Violet turned to look at the boulder again. It still looked the same. Covered with moss and a little lumpy. It moved. Violet let out a scream, and the boulder backed itself up, and curled back into a lumpy rock. Oliver pulled Violet beside him.
The boulder didn’t move while Oliver began to pray. His eyes tightly closed and him himself closely wrapped in a tight ball like the boulder.
“The boulder is alive.” Violet said breaking the silence.
“Yeah, and if we stay very still we might not get eaten!”
Violet glanced at the boulder who was still curled but now looking at them. Two mud like eyes blinked at them in confusion. Violet glanced back at Oliver who looked just like the boulder. Carefully she began to crawl towards it.
“What do you think your doing?”
“I don’t think it wants to hurt us.”
“You idiot, you are going to get us killed!”
Violet crawled closer and closer. The boulder watching her in wonder as she stopped before it. Only a few feet away. Painfully slowly she raised one hand. Closing her eyes as her heart beated painfully in her chest.
Waiting for the moment she was either proven right or wrong. There was only moment or two of complete silence. Not a sound came from Oliver nor the boulder. Then there was a sound of shifting weight and a gasp from Oliver behind her. Opening her eyes she could see that the boulder was sitting up right. Its boulder had changed. Sitting on its knees, vines twisted tightly around it. Two large hands, attached by off shots of vines, helped lift itself off of the floor. Turning its head to the side as it looked her over. Lifting slightly, he pulled the arm out and stared down its own four fingered hand, then the boulder reached out towards Violet’s open hand. One clay covered finger brushed her hand and quickly pulled away. The boulder stared down at its hand again and let out a gurgling sound. Showing off a small smile with toothless gums.
“You were right.” Oliver said now beside her.
He didn’t look as pale and pasty as he had only a short few moments ago. A strange glow rested on his cheeks. The boulder seemed just as interested in Oliver as Violet was. The boulder reached out his hand like Violet had done and stared at Oliver, waiting to see what he would do. Oliver hand reached to touch the boulders open hand. The boulder gave a gargle and pulled away. Looking between the two.
“I don’t believe it.” Oliver said.
“This is your scary creature. Honestly, I’m not disappointed.”
“ No, this is the creature, but something else.”
The boulder was sitting down, with a wide smile on its face. Looking towards them it let out another gurgle. Putting its hands together with a clap, a strange glow started grow there. Pulling them apart, the boulder reached forward towards Violet.
Uncurling its fingers, a small glittering flower moved on its fingers. Setting it on the grass, it began to grow. Stepping backwards, the boulder pointed at the new glowing flower. With a gargle it looked to Violet and then back towards the flower.
“So, do any of your ghost stories say the creature can make flowers?” Violet asked.
“I said that this isn’t the creature.” Oliver said behind her. “ I have never heard about a boulder who could make flowers. Have you?”
Never. Violet’s dad had talked about magical beings before. Fairy tales that had been used as bedtime stories, however they had been mostly about goblins, princesses, and knights. There had never been anything about magic boulders who created flowers.
“Maybe we discovered something new? Should we name it” Violet asked.
“I don’t think we should call it anything.”
“How come? I don’t think it would be polite to just call it the creature.”
"Boulder?"
"That is terrible name."
"Why, it’s part Boulder."
"Well, I don't call you eyeballs. And that is part of you."
"I'm trying, I... I don't know, what would you name it?"
Violet sat there for a moment. Staring at the boulder’s eyes. They seemed so warm, and it was a warm name that came to Violet’s mind. "Sam."
"Sam, this is a fantastic, boulder who can make flowers just appear, which hides in a haunted forest and you chose the all powerful name, Sam?"
"Yeah, I think it suits it just right. What do you think, Sam?"
The boulder looked down at Violet. With a great throw of it's head, nodded. Giving Violet a large view of its toothless mouth.
"That looks like a yes."
"It wouldn't know that meant yes.” Oliver stated.
It was then the boulder started looking around. Its eyes searching for something in the distance.The light which had been shining on the meadow had dissolved. The grass color faded and the glowing flower turned into a dull blue.
“Violet, do you hear that?” Oliver asked looking around as well.
Chimes. The sound of chimes was louder now. Singing a quiet song on the wind. Suddenly the boulder stood up and started to walk away. Motioning the children to follow it. Violet glanced back at the clearing, a dark edge coming towards her as they walked away. Looking at the sky, she could see that the light beam in the clouds seemed to follow them to the forest edge. Fear squealed in her gut as made sure to keep close to Sam.
While they walk pass the forest seemed to have quieted down. If possible the dancing leaves, seemed to just fall. Hitting the forest floor without a sound. A silent death perhaps.The wonder seems to have died. The leaves didn’t crunch under Oliver’s and Violet's feet and the fence is just in sight when Sam stopped.
Its eyes scan the forest. Motioning Oliver to stand next to Violet. The forest laid still.
Stepping on top of the hill that Oliver and Violet had climbed up to was a dark figure.A strange mist floated in the air around it, causing the leaves below their feet turn to dust. The trees cracked a moaned, shrinking itself before the creature.
Violet glanced at Oliver who was looking right at her. His eyes screaming fear.
Violet glanced back towards the hill. A chill ran down her spine as she didn’t see the creature. The sound howling chimes caught on the air. Soundlessly, Sam points towards the gate. Violet, however, is frozen in fear when she sees a dark creature peeking it's way through the trees, only a few feet from them. Red glowing eyes, peering at her soul.
Bounding towards them, the creature lets out a ear splitting scream of chimes. Sam lets out a grumble that seems to cause the forest floor to rumble below it. A glowing light surrounded Sam as it pressed its hands to the forest floor. A large stone ripped itself from the earth. Sam tossed the boulder, flies into the air, causing a sickening crack as the creature, flies back hitting one of dying trees. Staggering, the creature stands up before letting out a eary hiss. It’s eyes glued to the boulder monster.
Oliver's hand grabs a hold of Violet's and he drags her away. Violet's feet move on their own, while Violet never removes her eyes from the creature.
Suddenly Oliver and Violet find themselves on the ground. Trimmed grass soft below their fingers. Violet wheezes as her eyes are still glued to the forest.
"Violet, we should go!" Oliver yells.
“But Sam." Violet stammered her eyes never leaving the forest gate.
"Violet, Sam wants us to go!" Oliver snaps. His hand still on her arm. Pulling her up on her feet.
Violet never looked away from the forest as Oliver pulled her up the street. The trees shook and waved it’s branches wildly. The sound of the cracking of trees and the chimes on the wind caused Violet’s head to swim. Then it was over. The sounds of the wind and the trees had died down.
For just a moment, Violet and Oliver stopped. They stared at the motionless trees that hung completely limp. Oliver pulled at her hand to follow him home. In their silence, Violet’s mind kept whirling. A soft cold breath of air swirled around her head. The quite sound of chimes, whispering in her ears
