A Short Journey

Do you know what's inside? James, Riley, and Reed are going to find out.

The sun rose over the morning sky as we walked together through the thick brush. Stars faded from radiant to lackluster, and the full moon became a distant memory.

“Where are we going?” I inquired at last after following behind James in silence.

“You’ll see.” James replied to me reassuringly, “Just wait…you’ll be glad you came. Trust me.”

Reed simply moaned and shook her head in dismay.

“How long do you expect us to follow you?” She whined.

“It’s not much longer.” James said while turning back to at her. I was busy pulling her out of a mud pit where she had gotten stuck a minute earlier.

We both shot him a look of annoyance and little tolerance.

“We’re almost there. I swear.” He replied.                      

We believed him, making us the biggest fools of all time.

Of course, we walked for another hour or two through all types of glorious terrain. We trudged through swamp land, brush, and forest before finally coming upon a clearing. In front of us was a ramshackle little barn overtaken by vines and tall grass. The barn itself was red, but one couldn’t guess that at first; its paint job was very faded and chipped giving it the impression that instead it was a deep brown color.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I complained, “We came all this way for this?”

I plopped myself down in a patch of purple wildflowers that grew up well past my ankles. Reed soon followed, laying her head on my shoulder after stretching out a bit. She gave a dramatic sigh that could be heard five miles away… albeit there would have been anyone alive in that radius to hear it.

James proceeded to march over, grab my hand and drag me up from the ground, or at least tried to.

“No…” I moaned as if I were dying.

He stared me down until I felt uncomfortable, picked myself up and walked towards the old barn.

“Come on, Reed.  It looks like we’re going in.” I continued, “I swear, James, if that barn collapses on us, I’ll kill you.”

“If the barn collapsed…wouldn’t you both already be dead?” Reed laughed, “You can’t murder someone who’s already dead.”

“Fine then,” I replied, “I’ll bring him back from the dead…and then I’ll kill him. Better?”

“Not really.” Reed answered.

“Yeah,” James sighed, “I’d rather not die. So, it’s a good thing that it is proven impossible for my barn to collapse.”

“You don’t make any sense.” I said, “How is this barn your barn?”

“How is it impossible for your barn to collapse?”

“My barn is magic.” He replied, serious in tone. Reed’s eyes became shiny in awe.

“I hope you’re kidding.” I answered bluntly.

“I think he’s serious.” Reed said excitedly.

I was obliged to go along with her for her own sake. Our trip into the woods soon became one of Reed’s crazy expeditions. She could have easily been mistaken for a small child who had an imaginary sugar rush. The only problem was that Reed was seriously just that hyper and anxious. It was no act.

James moved towards the barn and opened its weathered, creaky door. It hadn’t been open for quite some time it seemed. Cobwebs fell on our heads and all three of us brushed them away in disgust.

Inside was nothing but an ancient, heavily dusty grand piano. I walked over to it, brushing off the dirt while I admired its rustic beauty, and stood in the sole ray of sunshine in the entire building. I gaze upward to the direction of the rafters, but alas it was too dark and shady for anything to be visible. James barn truly had an enchanted air to it.

Reed walked slowly and hesitantly in, wading as if she was in shallow water. What she saw was not quite what she imagined, but instead better than she ever dreamed. James grinned.

Author's Note

An old piece of writing. It may have been NaNoWriMo rubbish. I don't know, but I found it.
I think it could've been dialogue practice.

Suggestions?