Chapter 1

The trees swallowed Diana-- alive.

How many times was I worried at those words, turning these words over and over again each day until they shine like silver?

  I was walking from boarding school to home, once I reached the corner of the short-cut that Diana and I once walked on so many years ago, I could feel the familiar lure of the trees, the forest whole. I could hear laughter and the sound of children playing nearby the forest--or in the forest...Or was it all in my head? I wasn't sure, I was never sure. No matter where I was, where the trees were, it always called out to me, lured me forward, telling me to go and look for Diana. However, I never did, I was always so scared to enter any of the forests. But here... where it had happened-- where the trees took her sister alive...the force much stronger here, wanting me to go in, deep into the forest.

  Diana had laughed when she walked ahead of me. Come on Ashley! Don't be such a scaredy-cat, there’s nothing in the forest except for trees and leaves, everything is completely safe. And the trees swallowed her whole, didn’t it?

  My throat closed up at that reminder that it was all because of me. Panic rose up inside of me and I tried to ignore the whispers of the forests. I suddenly remembered the frantic search of Diana in the forest that night. I was only eight, blinded by my tears I walked blindly until I collapsed underneath the canopy of leaves. When that happened, Diana was fifteen. I can still hear her last, desperate order ringing out. Run Ashley! and save your life…

  I could never forget that day even though it’s been almost ten years.

  I walked down the path-- the short-cut that I had walked on long ago… I was coming back home from school-- boarding school. That same path, tho now old and mostly covered with debris, still had some kind of charm— that still lures me forward, inside the embrace of the monster inside it…

  I walked the opposite path, down to the cemetery, but the forest is vast— it reaches the cemetery. As I walked, I remember memories from my childhood, memories that ached to my heart.

  Sometimes, it was supposedly best to move on but… Diana was my sister, the only one who understood me-- the only one who had supported me…

  And that just made things harder, I walked. I struggled. I cried.

  After a while of walking, I reached my destination-- Diana’s grave.

  Everyone thought that Diana had died, but I know, I’m certain that she was swallowed by the trees! I--

  I thought that she was swallowed by the trees. No… no, I saw it, I did, didn’t I? Yes, I did… I did, I did. I did.

  But no one believed me, they claimed that Diana died, she didn’t die, she’s just swallowed by the trees… yes, just swallowed by the trees.

  And you say that as if it’s a good thing, Ashley.   Well, better alive than dead right?

  And you say that with uncertainty.

  I’m just scared… yeah, just scared…

  This whole incident brought me many bad memories, of course, it did, if you saw your sister or your loved one get swallowed by something that you used to enjoy so… so much. How would you feel? But that wasn’t really the case.

  I remember last year when my class had a field trip to the national rainforest. I managed to walk *14 fee*t before the whole class ended up hearing my scream. When the whole trip was over, the bus was filled with laughter of all sorts.

  Can this get any better?

  I wonder how it would’ve been if… if Diana and I took the other way that day… if, we did.

  The flashback ended.

  I placed the wrinkled flower on my sister’s grave, “Hey, Diana, it’s me… Ashley. How are you now? I just wanted to say that…” what? What did I want to say? That I’d passed high school and now I’m going to college? That I’m 18 now? That… I wanted her back so, so, much?

  I sighed.

  “Diana, it’s been a while, happy birthday, happy 23rd birthday. How are you? I’ve graduated. And I’m growing, growing up! But, you’re not with me… where are you?” I felt a tear on my eyes, “I- I…”

  I heard a sudden violin note-- no, no, it can't be...

  I... I know the tune, I remember it, it's very familiar, that’s the…

  “Diana…”

  I couldn’t think at all, I ran, into the woods, into that murderous place, the same place that I’ve been dreading the most.

  But, I couldn’t, I simply couldn’t. I turned back after running for a while. I turned back…

  I turned back.

  But… was that really Diana? Maybe I’m hallucinating, maybe I’m…

  I’m too late.

  I know, I should go back, I… but, I wanted Diana back, she’s my sister and my best friend! I can’t turn back now… or should I?

  No, the thought of my mother, sick and aged, and my father, prescription pills, and all those… I can’t, I can’t, I…

  I don’t know… what do I want to do?

  Crying is useless…

  But… Can I turn back?

  Or…

  “Ash! Let’s go!”

  Huh?

  Ashey, can’t you hear me?”

  Mother is here?

  “O-oh, I’m coming mother,”

  “Finally! You answered, I almost thought that you were going deaf,” Mother wasn’t happy with me.

  “When’d you get here?”

  “Oh about a few minutes ago,”

  I sighed, “Do you want some privacy, mother?”

  “Go to the car, we’ll be leaving this place soon,”

  What? Leaving this place? The place that memories with my sister have built up?

  M-mother? What… what do you mean by leave?”

  She sighed, she looked at me with despair, and also with regret, “Well, we’ll be moving to somewhere else… somewhere far from this grave,”

  Leave? Leave, this place that I’ve been living in for 19 years? From birth to now? No, this is unacceptable…

  “Mother! But, but, this—“

  “No, be quiet and go back to the car, I’ll be there soon, we’ll leave tomorrow morning, we’ll be staying at a hotel room in the meantime,”

  I couldn’t refuse anyway, and I was glad that I came back from that nightmare place before she’d arrived.

  I left, mother needed privacy too.

  “I can’t believe it, we’re moving?” I muttered to myself the whole way back to the car…

  But that violin struck me again.

  I hear the melody of Bach - Partita No. 2, Chaconne, coming to me, a melody that must be played with harmony. Although Diana only played her part, she did pretty well doing half of the music…

  Memories, memories are what breaks hearts, some memories are forgettable, others are permanent.

  I heard my mother coming back.

  I sighed, it would be awkward together.

  Sure, I tried to make up my mistakes a few times, but, still, our bonds were not getting any closer. I tried a ‘girls-night-out’ and also a ‘family-fun-night’ with both my parents but… that just drifted my hopes farther and farther…

  I wonder if…

  If what? If Diana was back, we'd be a happy, no, jolliest family in our neighborhood... if that was possible anyway

"Ashley, do you mind going outside? I need to kick the engine for a while," my mother kicked the car a few times, the car was pretty old... 4 years actually.

Ah, good old days.

I got up, and out of the car. I looked around, but all I could see is--

Was that a... a bat?

I heard the car's roar.

"Ashley! Get in!"

"Coming!"

"Now, Ashley, as you know about the fact that you are--"

"No, we are," seriously? you're the one that wanted to move and now you're--

"Ah, sorry, we are, now, since we are moving somewhere else, you need to pack early tomorrow morning okay?"

"Yes, mother," agh, I don't want to move but... what choice did I have?

"Thank you,"

"Your welcome mother"

It was awkward, as expected.

When we reached the hotel, it was pretty cheap, as expected too.

"Go pick a room and prepare for tomorrow,"

"Sure, sure..."

I'm just, not in the mood I guess.

I entered the room, the room was fine, plain enough. I walked around, not really satisfied.

But still, I decided to sleep...

* * *

I fell asleep right? Then why... am I still awake? What a silly question Ash, you woke up of course!

But still... why do I hear a violin?

I sat up, why on earth, and who on earth could play the violin like--

Like Diana...

No, no, no, Diana is gone, remember Ashley? Remember? She's gone, so get over it!

But...

"I hear Diana clearly..."

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