The trees were taller than I remembered.
josh
They loomed over me like castle towers - once intended for safety, but increasingly they had made me feel trapped. Our village was planted in the centre of a sprawling woodland - one road in, one road out, and today we were going to use the fortress of trees to escape. Our route firmly outlined, we headed back towards the village. Bonnie scarpered ahead but I took my time, basking in the silence that hung in the air. With all the excitement of planning our adventure over the past few months, I had forgotten to really open my eyes and take it all in. Everything around me had changed with the seasons and I hadn’t noticed any of it. The leaves had grown back a deep, watery green; branches felt fuller, more purposeful. Even the wildlife had transformed into species more mature than those who graced the forest when I last took notice.
Although only slightly warmer than the brutal months of Winter, Spring still brought on a bite of chill as the evening grew; dusk was creeping in from the East. We had to make it home before dark, and when the village lay still, we would finally put our plan into action. The country lanes bent and swerved with the Earth, and we dutifully followed their course. Again I lost myself in the height of the trees and didn’t realise that Bonnie had come to a sudden stop. I connected with her frame with a determined thud.
“Whoa, look out, Crazy!” I feigned a stumble and it didn’t even garner a smile. “Hey, you okay?”
“She knows I’m going to run away.” Her face was cold, entirely deadpan.
“Who knows?” She didn’t respond, but remained frozen. “Come on, Crazy, we’ve not got much time.”
Later that evening, as my family slept, I grabbed my bag when a scream and sudden commotion pulled me to the window where I ripped back the curtain. Before me, a fiery blaze rose among the rooftops, and at once I knew where they were coming from.
“She was right.” I whispered, as my heart raced.
I flew out the front door and ran towards the blaring heat. Everyone had started rushing out of their houses, and I saw Bonnie standing on the edge of the path. My pounding heart slowed. As I diverted towards her I looked down at her quivering hands. My heartbeat spiked once more.
“What did you do?” I grabbed her wrists and pulled her towards me. She dropped a can and lighter fluid spilled on our shoes, its smell contorting my face with displeasure.
“She was going to kill me.” Bonnie’s face was as still and cold as it had been a few hours earlier, but something malignant had grown in her eyes. I looked towards Bonnie’s house and saw her father on his knees, howling at the moon, his wife in his arms. A gentle smoke rose from her torso, and the smell of singed life broke through the gasoline.