Child's Sanctuary: Part One: Light

The wood was dark; the trees seemed to come together at the top, building a green net to capture all who entered below the grey limbs. The path was muddy, so muddy that it seemed to suck in anyone who walked on it. There were several lost pairs of sandals beneath the layers of muck. 1

Julie, a 16-year old girl with short black hair and dark gray eyes, tread on the path through the forest. She was looking for something.2

“I know I saw a light somewhere out here last night when I was looking out my bedroom window. I know it. What is it?” She spoke inside her mind, where three other people listened. Julie worried often if she was mad, talking to people in her head, but she couldn’t help but do it anyway – she’d done it since she was very young. 3

Well I didn’t see it, I was too busy catching a nice juicy fish, replied Cat, who was a particularly smart cat that could talk to humans, and lived somewhere by the ocean. He had no humans to look after, so he talked to Julie instead. 4

Why ask me? I’m not there. But tell me, what did it look like? answered Soldier, who was an infantry man in a war going on somewhere, Julie imagined.5

Yes, do tell! I am most curious! responded Child, who was bedridden with a strange illness and suffered from utmost boredom. 6

“Well, it was bright,” Julie started, frowning with thought, “and it was purple. It seemed to expand, and I felt something should explode, but then it faded suddenly. What do you make of it?”7

How odd. That’s not like anything I have ever seen, Cat said. 8

I agree. It’s not like any kind of weapon that I have heard of. Soldier replied.9

“Goodness! I would hope it wasn’t some kind of weapon.” Julie added.10

Maybe….Child seemed to be gathering his thoughts. Maybe it was an alien.11

Silence.12

An alien? What nonsense. snorted Cat.13

Soldier didn’t reply. He did this from time to time, and Julie assumed he was in combat at those moments. Either that or he was dumbfounded for words.14

Well, you never know! It could have been the light of the spaceship blasting off. And what do you know, you’re just a cat! Child retorted.15

I may be just a cat, but I have seen things you would never believe. You, my friend, are only a child after all. I am seventy years older than you! Cat sniffed. 16

“Oh please, stop bickering, both of you!” Julie worried she was truly insane, having voices in her head that bicker and take on thoughts of their own. She really should have it checked, but at the same time she liked having them there. They helped her cope with tough times, and with times like these. 17

All three voices remained silent as Julie searched for any sign of something different, or changed. About a quarter of an hour later, Julie found a black ring of charred trees, and in the center was a pool of strange, oily liquid. It shone many shades of purple, wriggling and moving, even though there was no wind. Julie could see something in the oily liquid, like pictures of places flashing by. 18

Be careful! Cat warned. 19

Don’t get close! It could be radioactive. Soldier warned.20

Touch it! I wanna know what happens. Child commanded. 21

Julie was greatly curious, but at the same time, she felt that it would be a very bad idea to touch strange, wriggling oil that has a seven foot ring of charred forest surrounding it. 22

She decided she wouldn’t touch it just yet, and she leaned a little closer. The images flashed by, and they were difficult to see. Julie wanted to get a better view, so she leaned a little closer again. Suddenly she felt a push from behind, and she turned her head over her shoulder as she fell, to see herself staring back at her, with a cold grin on her face. 23

Julie stuck her hands out to brace herself from the fall, and she saw her hands go through the pool of oil. She clenched her eyes tight, and she felt a breeze on her face. She had not hit the ground yet. Julie opened her eyes, and she was falling. Everything was black around her, with swirling bits of green, and flat prisms floated everywhere. Julie decided to grab one to hold on to, and she reached for a trapezoid-shaped one, and suddenly she felt a harsh tug on her midsection. She was sucked into the prism. 24