Chapter 1

Waking up I knew that it was exactly 12:02 pm. Don't ask me how I knew, I just did. It was one of my 'querks' as my mum told me when I was younger. I took my time sitting up and rubbing my grey eyes whilst regretting not tying my dark blonde hair up for bed as it hung like a birds nest all around my head. Sighing I picked out some random jeans and a T-shirt from my bedroom floor before putting on some fluffy boot slippers, grabbing my, at the time, current book and heading towards the door.  

Stifling a yawn I opened my bedroom door and quietly walked across the landing past my parents bedroom door. I knew that they weren't in. They were never in. I was lucky if I saw them twice a week. They'd get in late at night and leave before I got up. Before you start wondering why I wasn't in school, it was summer. The best time of the year. I could sleep for as long as I wanted and then read and eat and pretty much do whatever I wanted all day.  

As I made my way into the kitchen I took no notice of the usual post it note stuck on the door; today it was pink. "Yes mum, I know that you both love me, and I know not to wait up for you tonight" I said to myself rolling my eyes. It was the same every day. The last time I had really seen them was my seventeenth birthday in April (about 3 months before). But oh well. I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and headed into the living room. Once there I turned the TV on quietly and flicked to the music channel before sitting in 'my chair' and curling up like a cat, opening the pages and starting my afternoon of reading.   

I barely noticed when Nippy, my cat, jumped onto the chair and curled up next to me as I read.   

  

Before I knew it, it was 6 o'clock and I had finished my book. Nippy gave a disgruntled meow and I knew instantly she wanted food.  

"Sorry Puss... I didn't realise I left you so long. Come on then." I got up out of the chair Nippy following close to my ankles as I walked into the kitchen. I grabbed a tin of cat food (her favourite, tuna in jelly) and a tin opener and got to work on the tin, giving her half and putting the rest in the fridge for later. She gave a happy sound, that wasn't quite a purr, but not quite a meow and tucked in as I got to work making myself some food. I stuck to simple pasta with barbeque sauce and cheese.  

 It didn't take long and as soon as I was done I was eating. I sat at the table and Nippy sat on the chair next to me. She curled up and fell asleep quicker that I thought possible; even for a cat. But she was weird like that. I guess we used to rub off on each other, in the weirdness sense anyway.  

If you hadn't guessed I was going to be a crazy cat lady, or at least, that was my plan. I didn't really have any friends, I'd had friends, but they thought I was weird and ditched me once we got to high school, so I just didn't bother making new friends and instead I pretty much blended into the wall. I was between my first and second year at sixth form. But  I wasn't really planning on going to university, or getting an apprenticeship or a job. I really didn't know what I wanted to do, I'd probably go to university just because it would give me something to fall back on. But I didn't feel old enough to have to make those decisions for myself. I mean, what would I study? I did biology, chemistry, physics and maths at the time but I didn't really want to study any of those for 3 or 4 years, I didn't know what I would want to study for 3 or 4 years? I was pretty sure I would get bored of doing one thing for so long. But science just happened to be what I was best at. I Know that I would decide what I want to do at some point.   

My thought processes tended to end up at " can you get a degree in crazy cat lady studies? Because I'd be good at that... Or skittles... can I get a degree that means that I get to eat skittles like all the time? I would never get bored of that...". At this point I would give up thinking about it and forget about it for a while.  

I went to shovel more pasta into my mouth only to realise that I had eaten it all. Laughing quietly at myself I picked up my bowl up put it into the sink to clean up at some point.  

When I got back into the living room I turned the volume of the TV up and flicked through the channels until I found a C-list film about some crazy natural disaster and lay down; Nippy snuggled up next to my chest. It wasn't long before we were both out like a light.  

I didn't completely wake up, but my dream was somewhat interrupted as I felt myself being lifted from my uncomfortable position. I cuddled into the surprisingly soft giant tree man (at least that’s what my sleep induced brain thought it was) as I was moved. After that all I remember is the giant tree man saying he loved me and then the rest of my dream world was restored.   

In my dream the giant tree man was sad. I didn't know why at first, but then I realised that he was lonely. For some reason he chose to help me. But he didn't know how to act or how to talk to me. He didn’t think that I would understand. His leaves were not the glorious green of the other trees in the woods, His were yellow tinted and slightly shrivelled. Some were even  falling from his branches.  

"Why?" He asked me. His voice was deep and I heard the cry in his voice. He was holding back the water from leaking from his xylem (haha! Biology for the win) "Why do I have to go? Why do my leaves fall? Why can I not stay all year round?" His voice became stronger as the sadness was replaced with anger.  

"I don't know. But won't you be back when winter is over?" The tree shook his branches and planted his roots into the ground,  

"No, This was my last summer. My magic is too little. I'm running out. The darkness in the world is draining my energy. I must store it. I have to." Without warning the trees massive roots dug into the ground making it shake, I barely prevented myself from falling. "I must store my last source of energy. It will one day be used for good. I cannot allow it to contribute to this awful darkness. You will understand one day. I've seen it." With that his eyes closed and braches still as the atmosphere became cold and harsh. 

Chapter 2

I woke up confused and in my bed. Nippy scratching at the door wanting out. I got up and opened the door for her, before following her lead down the stairs towards the front door. After unlocking it and letting her out I closed it leaving her outside. I could remember the dream clearly. I couldn't figure it out. But I just ignored the feeling it gave me and went into the kitchen, seeing that mum had left a note as usual, a different coloured sticky note, green, the only indication that it was not the same one as the previous day.  

I had a strange urge to sketch instead of read that day. I didn't feel like sitting in the house all day. Instead I decided to try to find a place where I could sketch. So I went upstairs and got dressed into some black leggings and a band T-shirt that was extra large so it went down to the middle of my thighs, even though I was 5'7". I put on a black cardigan and grabbed my sketchpad and pencil case from my desk before grabbing my messenger bag from the back of my door.  I brushed my teeth and put on some eyeliner In the bathroom before taking the stairs two at a time.  

 I put my pad and things into my bag before grabbing my underused iPod from the bookcase in the living room, luckily it was about half charged. I put it in my pocket and put the earbuds in putting it on shuffle. Some song with lots of screaming came on and I sighed in content. I grabbed an apple and brushed my hair before grabbing my key and heading out of the door. I locked up and walked up the driveway. Normally I would turn left when I came out of my house but I decided to go left, I don't know why and I had no idea where I was going. I just decided to trust my instincts. Nippy gladly followed me as I walked, meowing in complaint whenever I crossed a road. She would stay on the other side of the road meowing at me before tentatively crossing when she was absolutely certain there were no cars coming to squish her.  

Fourteen minutes later I was at he edge of a path behind a group of buildings which looked nearly forgotten about. As I walked along it, it becomes clear that this is a small section of woods that was forgotten about when the rest was cut down to make way for buildings and carparks. The trees and wildflowers were in full bloom, and there was a surprising lack of nettles. There was a gentle pull, almost like an invisible hand gently guiding me to where it wanted to take me. Having nothing to lose I followed its gentle pull as it led me further along the overgrown path. Having forgotten Nippy I was surprised to see that she was right in front of me, staring at the branches of a large tree. It's branches were easily spread twice as far as any other tree's dared to. I was instantly pulled to its branches as I climbed up easily; settling for the second branch up. I took off my bag and hooked the strap over a conveniently placed branch to my right side before getting out my sketchpad and a sharp pencil.   

I didn't know what to expect as I was sketching, I just let the pencil guide my hand and I was sure that I closed my eyes at least once as I was busy drawing. My mind was blank and I don't think I would have been able to sense what time it was if I had tried, which I didn't. When I was finished I was shocked to recognise the tree from my dream not only on the paper in my lap, but also the tree that I was sitting in. 

"That can't be real. I must just be imagining that they're the same... you can't remember things you see in your dreams, you make things up afterwards... yeah, that must be it." I stuck to that thought as I heard Nippy meowing in reply to my voice. She had been sitting next to the tree between chasing small mammals and bugs all afternoon. I decided that it was time to get back home and get us both some food, so I grabbed my bag and made my way down from the tree, being careful not to hurt myself. Nippy greeted me enthusiastically and jumped onto my shirt clambering up me to my shoulder. Let me tell you, she was no kitten. She somehow managed to find a position where she wasn't going to fall off and I began the short walk through the woods and back home. She stayed on my shoulders the whole way back; only jumping down when we could see the front door.   

I unlocked it and she instantly ran through the porch and into the kitchen, meowing at her empty bowl. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" I shouted to her.  

"Hey hun," The voice made me jump. Probably because I hadn't heard it in so long,   

"Mum! Hey! Why are you home?" I practically jumped into her arms when I saw her, hugging her tight. She hugged back before replying,   

"I just left something here hun, I have to go again soon, sorry, I'll try to get a day off and we can do something." I nodded enthusiastically and let her out of my hug as she walked into the kitchen. She fed Nippy for me before grabbing herself a breakfast bar from the cupboard and giving me one last hug. "I have to go, your dad's waiting for me, in the car," When I thought about it, I didn’t remember seeing his bright yellow four by four outside of the house when I came in, but a car horn sounded and I decided that I hadn't been looking for it, so I probably just hadn't seen it. "Don't wait up, and don't fall asleep on the sofa again, as light as you are, I don't think your dad can manage carrying you up the stairs again. Love you!" Before I could reply she was out the door and Nippy was meowing  at me.  

 "Yeah, yeah, get eating Puss". I did the same, too lazy to actually make something and instead settling for a simple sandwich.  

It was 7:37. I couldn't think of anything to do, so I took my sketchpad out of my bag and walked up stairs. After carefully tearing out the Sketch of the tree I picked up some blue tack and stuck it carefully to my wall next to my bed. After showering and doing my usual routine of brushing my teeth and getting changed it was nearly 8 o'clock and I decided to read in bed for a for a few hours. Thankfully Nippy chose to sleep in her cat bed instead of next to me where I would disturb her; and before long I could hear her purring in her sleep. I rolled my eyes and turned the page to finish the chapter I as reading. 

Chapter 3

I didn't finish at that chapter. Instead I read the whole book and then got half way through another. I couldn't help it. I'm sure you know what its like when you're in the mood to read. You flip the pages without thinking and every hour is the equivalent to a second in your mind and a day in the life of the character who's story you are following more closely than if it were your own. 

It was 4:13 am when I finally slept, I had heard my parents come in a few minute before, both poking their heads in my room to see me, but was way too tired to get up and see them. Instead I slept. And heavily as well. By the time I came to it was 3:07 pm. I got up and the first thing that I saw was the sketch from yesterday it was exactly the same as yesterday and yet it felt different, I couldn't explain it, I chalked it up to having just woken up and having a slightly different view on the world through tired, slightly blurry eyes. The tree was calling to me. So I decided to give it a visit, I had nothing else to do that day. So I did exactly the same as the day before. But this time, an apple wasn't going to fill my hunger. Instead I put some bread in the toaster and waited for it to pop up while putting some cat food out for Nippy, giving her a slice of ham because I know hoe much she likes it. When it did, after what felt like an eternity but in reality was about 2 minutes, I smothered it in chocolate spread and went to leave the house making sure that I grabbed my key and also locked up on my way out. 

The walk seemed shorter than it had the previous day, but that was probably because Nippy wasn’t with me stopping at every road and I was concentrating pretty hard on not getting chocolate spread all over my face.   

I climbed the branches easily, surprisingly more easily than the previous day and set about doing exactly the same thing as I had the day before, sitting on the same thick branch and putting my bag over the same place. 

Everything felt the same as it had done the day before. Exactly the same. Eerily the same. The noise was exactly the same, missing only a few meows, growls, purrs and hisses. 

I was half was through a random sketch when I felt it. I light burning sensation on my skin. Like when you're sat at a window on a sunny day and the heat is intensified through the glass. I could first feel in on my neck, then my back, and finally on my hands which were still sketching without my brains help. It felt strange, but not bad to be honest it felt nice and familiar. I looked up to try to find what was happening, thinking it was most likely just some light coming through the tree's canopy. But it wasn’t. I went back to my drawing and tried to ignore it but it wasn't going away if anything it was becoming more intense. I looked up again, but this time something caught my eye. Or should I say someone?   

He was sat in a tree a little higher up than I was, and in enough shade that I couldn't tell a lot about him.   

He looked to be a similar age to me. Maye a little older. He had dark hair, but I couldn’t really tell how dark it was. It looked to fall just above his shoulders. I couldn't see his face, only the sight reflection of light from his eyes. From the way that he was sat I couldn't tell much about his size. I decided that he was probably just minding his own business and doing what he wanted, so I thought that it would be best if I did the same; so I did. It was quite easily done because the whole time my had had been working away sketching something. I flipped the pad and started on a fresh piece of slightly off white paper. 

An hour later I looked at my sketch and instantly flushed. I had drawn him. The guy in the tree. When I looked up he was still there, led on a branch looking up, no staring up, into the leaves above his head.  

 I closed my pad and put it away before climbing out of the tree as quietly as I possibly could, hoping that he wouldn't notice me. Skill was not on my side, and unfortunately, luck wasn’t either. I made lots of noise and I'm pretty sure I heard a laugh. An absolutely amazing, prefect laugh, but a laugh all the same. I decided to just leave and not to see if he really was laughing. I didn't even check to see if I'd left anything behind, I just walked off in the direction of home trying my best to calm my flushed face and neck. 

I got home really quickly. I'm pretty sure I nearly ran because I was so embarrassed.   

I don't know why it even mattered. I didn't know that guy from Adam. But for some reason I wanted to know him, and that embarrassing scene was not going to help that in the slightest, it was more likely to be a hindrance. I spent the rest of the night comfort eating and telling myself that it wasn't the end of the world, that I'd probably never see him again, and if I did, then he probably wouldn't recognise me. I might not even have recognised him, I barely saw him, he was sat in the shade, I couldn't even tell what shade of brown his hair was, or how tall he was.  

Even when I got into bed, and Nippy sat on me, I couldn't stop the thoughts flooding my brain and poisoning my mind and face with bright red embarrassment.

 

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 30.01.2016

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