Tree Dreamer

Chapter One 1

2

I sat down on the floor of the cold ice cave. There was not much else that needed to be done except to wait for Sabrina and Briana to arrive. Once they did, we could begin our transformation. The night, I realized, was young as I looked up through the skylight window I had carved into the ceiling. The stars twinkled only fairly as if threatening to burn out. I smiled. It was so beautiful here. I never wanted to leave my home in the ice cave for anything in the world.
My thoughts were interrupted by a soft muffle of footsteps from down the hall. I stood up just in time to see Sabrina and Briana walk slowly into the roofless room. Not a word nor a smile was exchanged as we walked together towards the corner of the wall. It was cold in the cave tonight and I suddenly wished I had brought a jacket or a sweater to wear during my transformation.3

But it was too late, for the half moon had risen high into the night sky and imediately, we all sat in a circle. Sabrina, Briana, and I closed our eyes and layed down. The moon's light struck our backs and, as if it were the most normal thing in the world (which it was), branches sprouted from each of our spines. They grew taller and higher, making us a full tree. The blood red leaves of Sabrina's cherry tree took form and created a full blossom of flowers and buds. Briana's muddy brown leaves weaved together to make a wonderous collection of vines and branches. And finally, the long wispy branches of my willow tree turned a bright green and swayed softly with the wind on my back.4

Quite suddenly, it started to rain. A soft pitter patter was to be heard as the drops hit my branches lightly. It was as if they were saying "Hello, dear friend. How are you this evening?" With each drop of the precious rain that hit my branches, a splash of color trickled down my trunk, each time different. I saw blues and reds and even purples as the rain came down and splashed my leaves.5

That was when the strangest thing happened.6

My good friend, English walked briskly into the room. She started to say something, but since we had all transformed into trees we had not an idea of what she was saying. She was making strange hand gestures and pointing to a poster of a carnival man that she held up for us to see. Her eyes were wide with terror and it looked as if she had just seen a ghost.7

But all her motions made sense when suddenly the man in the poster came to life and grabbed English! I tried to move but when I looked down, my roots were implanted in the ground. I couldn't budge.8

"English!" I cried out, but of course, she couldn't understand me. I struggled to at least loosen my roots and reached out as far as I could towards my friend but the harder I tried the more I felt defeated. The carnival man then sucked English into the poster with him, and the paper, floating slowly to the ground, dissolved quickly in the midst of the rain.9

10

Chapter Two11

12

"Don't worry, Kali. We'll find him and English," Briana said while trying to reasure me. Last night, my younger brother, Brett had been kidnapped by the carnival man as well. It had been two weeks since English's abduction and no one had any sightings of her.13

Briana and I sat at a large round table in the cafeteria of our school. No one knew about Sabrina and our transformations, except English and Brett. That had to have been why the carnival man captured them, I thought. I had thought about this and came to a conclusion that that was the case when I saw a nightmare before my eyes.14

"The carnival man," I whispered. Indeed, the cruel monster sat only a few tables away from Briana and I, his eyes set on me. I nearly screamed in horror as he whispered something to his accomplice, his eyes still feasted upon me. I did the only thing I could at a time like this.15

"Briana, I'll be back," I told her, and bolted. But before I got too far, I spotted someone under the table. Just a glance and I knew who it was. A sudden joy welled up inside me. I turned towards the person and beemed. It was my brother.16

I shouted, "BRETT!" and ran to him, showering the boy with hugs and kisses. But my welcome didn't last long for he interupted me saying, "Where am I? I was in paradise and then it was gone! I want to go back! Who are you? Take me back! I hate you!"17

Shocked, I took a step back. "But Brett...you were kidnapped-"18

"TAKE ME BACK! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" he screamed.19

I looked around. People had started to stare. The carnival man stood behind me. "Your choice, my darling. He can stay or go."20

I mumbled, "Go." and my dear brother who I thought I knew, vanished.21

"This is what happens when families don't deal with eachother correctly. They forget eachother as easily as they forget the time they woke up that morning, the day they had their first party-"22

But before the evil man could say much more, I ran. There was no stopping the tears that flowed down my cheeks like the color that streamed off my branches the night English disapeared. If this is what Brett was like, would my dearest friend English have the same reaction? Would she even remember? What would happen if people I loved kept disapearing? Would I ever have friends again?23

I ran all the way back to my own home. There was one room in the house that was designed to look just like an ordinary room, not made out of ice. It had a couch with a television set and a coffee table. I ran to that room and sat down on the sofa. I sobbed and sobbed as I changed into a bright blue camisole. Just as I finished weeping, I stood up...and imediately dropped to the floor.24

The carnival man and his accomplice were walking around the other room. 25

There was no escape. I had to get out somehow. But there was no other way besides through the room he stood in now. I was about to reveal myself and surrender when I heard him speak to his friend.26

"Just don't touch it. Whatever you do, don't touch it. You'll be banned there forever and never want to come back. It's not exactly a paradise if you know what I mean..." he said.27

I listened closely, and peeked around the wall. Both their backs were facing me. It was time to make my escape. I started to run but tripped stupidly over my own feet and fell down again. The men spun around, surprised. The man who kidnapped English and Brett held a loaded gun and immediately pointed it at me. "Don't even think about touching it!" he shouted at me.28

I looked around and saw a small purple crayon lying on the floor. Was this what he was talking about? Could this be the portal to the world where English and Brett lay brainwashed?
I decided to take my chances. Lunging for the crayon, I heard the carnival man cry out, "NO!", felt a large body collapse on top of me and then everything went black.29

30

Chapter Three31

32

I awoke suddenly by a sudden pain in my side. Someone was kicking me, hard. I grumbled but only recieved a harder kick to which I then replied with a yelp.33

"Well, get up then!" a voice answered. "Do you want to die out here?"34

My eyes shot open, though they did not much good. It was night and no stars twinkled in the sky. I saw not a moon nor clouds nor anything. The sky was pitch black like it was painted and I knew something was wrong. I took in my surroundings. I was in a neighborhood of some type. The streets looked ordinary except that there were no lamposts, which I thought odd. All the houses had lawns but they were unkept and overgrown. The grass was soft, however, like cotton candy. Also, every house in the neighborhood, it seemed, was black and they all looked exactly alike. There were no lights on in any house nor was there any sound. I licked the tip of my finger and put it up to the air. No wind. A chill ran down my spine. There was something different about this place. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was not right.35

"What are you waiting for? Hurry!" shouted the voice.36

I turned to see a few things. One was that the voice, unfortunately belonged to the carnival man. The second was that I was wrong about the houses. Not all of them were black; this one I was looking at was white. And it had all it's lights on. Strange, I thought. It's as if this is the only house in the neighborhood with something in it.37

Not wanting to be out in this odd neighborhood any longer, I ran towards the door of the white house. Once inside, I heard music and laughter, talking and the sound of chairs moving across the floorboards. I looked into a room with a table and saw about a dozen human-sized vegtables! I rubbed my eyes and looked again. I must have been dreaming. It was impossible! Not only did they talk, but they were also playing a strange game of cards. We watched them in silence and before long, the carnival man turned to me and asked, "Wondering how it's played?"38

"I think I understand," I answered promptly.39

After a few more moments of silence between us and the man announced he had to stop at the restroom and that I should stay put. But me being a rebellious young teenager, bolted for the door as soon as he was out of sight. I ran out of the white house and across the lawn. I was headed towards one of the black houses, though I had no idea of what was in store for me there. I was frightened suddenly, and so instead of going inside the house, I hid in a ditch between the lawns.40

After a while I heard the carnival man call out, "KALI! COME BACK! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S OUT THERE! DON'T ENTER THE HOUSES!"41

I glanced back at the house I was about to enter. I loomed over me like a vulture circling its prey. I quite suddenly felt small and intimidated. Overwhelmed by its ferociousness I sprinted back to the carnival man, waiting for me at the door to the white house.42

"I knew you'd come back," he said with a cruel smile as he grabbed my shoulder and shoved me inside. "They always do."43

He walked briskly away and I stood just inside the doorway as it started to rain. While I stared at the deserted houses, a redheaded maid came up behind me and said, "I understand. We were all sent here by that man once in our lifetime."44

I smiled at her. "Thank you," I whispered.45