The Desolate Dream

 

She stood in the middle of a clearing. Dark and twisted trees surrounded her in a perfect circle, reaching out their gnarled arms towards her. A dead, stale tasting wind whistled through leafless branches, like a whispered song, beckoning her forwards, into the dark of the forest. She felt as though she couldn’t control her muscles and even as she begged them not to carry her toward the darkness, she felt her body take its first step forwards. The trees seemed to move, their arms waving more and more greedily the closer she got to them as though unable to contain themselves. She felt their desire to have her in their black broken branches increase with every ripple that passed through the forest.

No, she breathed, as the first of the twisted arms brushed her pale cheek. She moved slower now, fighting harder against the force pulling her forwards, but still it wasn’t long before she felt the crushing strength of ancient trees around her throat and waist, her arms and legs breaking, her chest caving in. Her brain seemed to be screaming from the pain, her head feeling like it would burst. And then the darkness swallowed her, tendrils of despair and desolation wrapping around her heart, until she could feel nothing but a solitude so deep that she felt barely there herself.

Then through the darkness she felt the brush of something warm against her closed eyelids and opened her eyes to a room bright with afternoon sunlight.

She sat up suddenly, her breathing shallow, and looked around her at the sunlit room, so different from the darkness of the malicious forest. Sweat trickled down her back and her face was damp with it. Her headphones were caught around her neck, throttling her, and several blankets had become twisted around her torso and legs. Lizzie sat on Ciara’s cheek, her antennae waving softly in greeting, her wings spread wide and brushing lightly against the girls skin.

Untangling herself, Ciara got out of bed and went to sit at her piano. Ever since she could remember she had always gone to her piano when something was wrong, it had never ceased to work as a remedy to all problems. When her dad had died six years before she had gone to her piano; when her mother tried to sell all her fathers old books she had locked herself, and the books, in her room and played the piano; and when, only recently, she had first started hearing the dark voices she had gone to her piano, getting lost in the notes and patterns of the music.

Now she placed her hands on the keys and played a slow tune, the same one she had played that morning when her mother had come to see her. But thinking back on the dark dream and the voices of that morning the song sounded suddenly sad and lonely, and she stopped playing. Frowning she searched through the sheet music piled on top of the piano next to her bonsai tree, until she found a cheery fast-paced piece, and started to play. But the mood was all wrong and she couldn’t stop thinking of creepy clowns with fake painted smiles hiding warped expressions, and she stopped playing that too.

Ciara stared down at her pale, long fingered hands, and tried to remember a time when the piano had not succeeded in making her feel better. She could not think of any such time.

As she stood up Lizzie flew onto her hand, batting her wings and waggling her antennae, trying to get her attention. But Ciara ignored her, her eyes glazing over as she backed away from the piano.

Grabbing a pair of trainers off the floor she unlocked her door, and ran down the stairs, heading for the front door. It was already open, two people standing talking in the doorway. One was her mother. The other, her friend Grace.

They both looked at her as she skidded to a stop halfway down the stairs. Her mother looked pleased if a little surprised, while Grace looked curious but friendly.

“Hi” She said with a warm smile.

Ciara stood frozen still too confused to form an intelligible greeting.

“Grace stopped by to see you. She wants to know if you would like to go to the beach, she was thinking of getting the train to the station in the little village down there.” Her mother had a slightly smug smile on her face.

Ciara just stood there, still staring at Grace and her mother.

“Ciara?” Her mother asked, “Hello?”

“I…”

But she was saved by Grace who stepped forwards and took a tight hold of her arm and steered her down the stairs.

“The fresh air will do you good.” She said for the benefit of Ciara’s mother, “Come quietly and you’ll save us all the trouble of any more awkwardness.” She whispered more quietly in her ear.

Ciara followed after her out the door, Lizzie still on her hand.

“Bye Sarah, I’ll bring her home later.” Grace called over her shoulder as they walked away along the road and across the common into the woods on the other side.

When they were under the trees Grace turned to look at her.

“So.” Grace said her eyes boring into Ciara’s skull, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

Ciara looked at her, taking in the bright green eyes, long black hair, eyeliner; she saw the thin wrists and pale skin, the sad turn to her lips and tight black clothes.

“Nothings ‘going on’.” She said, finally waking from her reverie.

Grace eyed her suspiciously for a moment before sighing.

“Okay well if you ever feel like talking to anyone about what’s happening-”

“Nothing’s happening.”

“Well if anything does ever happen just know that you can talk to me okay? And if you don’t feel like talking that’s fine too.”

She nodded and tried to smile gratefully, but in truth she felt more like crying and it ended up a grimace.

“I know you aren’t really going to come to the beach, and that’s okay, but I told your mum that we would be back by eight at the latest, so just make sure your home by then okay?”

She nodded again.

“Thanks Grace.”

Grace smiled.

“No problem, Ci. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Yeh, bye.”

Ciara walked away, making her way deeper into the forest. She had five hours before she needed to be home, and she was going to make the most of them.

She didn't even notice the trees at first, it wasn't until half an hour later, when she was already deep in the woods, that a gnarled blackened branch happened to brush against her. It was then that she turned to find herself surrounded by twisted trees she hadn't seen when she had passed where they now stood.

Reviews

[Beatrice Mars]

Creepy, what will happen? update soon!

[Eira Anchor]

yay! I've been waiting for this all day!
I want to know how Poppa Killick died!
I have a friend called Grace who invited me to the beach tomorrow! Spoooky. She doesn't sound much like the character though.
And you know my mums name was Sarah didn't you? It's not just a spooky coincidence, is it?