chapter one

 

 

. . . 'tis misfortune that awakens ingenuity, or fortitude, or endurance, in hearts where these qualities had never come to life but for the circumstance which gave them a being. William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Henry Esmond.

 

 

There were no street lights; no florescent, bright, green, pink and blue signs or porch lights shining in our eyes, no blinking traffic lights or noisy cars; their engines rumbling like fuel hungry beasts. The ground was littered with dew covered leaves, fallen maple keys and soft moss instead of the fowl smelling, decaying garbage tossed thoughtlessly to the cracked asphalts of our cities. There was peace, silence, calm. Just the soft singing of serenading crickets; their gentle song carried by the soft, warm breeze that ran its delicate fingers through my long hair and caressed my pleasantly goose-bumped skin.

 

 I couldn’t draw my eyes away from the stunning beauty, the pure perfection of the universe our tiny world was plunked into, so oddly out of place. Everywhere I turned my gaze it was met by the most beautiful, radiant green; so refreshing and healthy. The trees radiated their contentment, the luscious grass floor of the forest danced in veneration with the gentle wind.

 

I turned my eyes upward, to the incredible sight above as we walked silently down the dirt path, the smile on my face was evidence enough of the awe I was in, of the amazement I felt for this perfect moment.

 

Thousands of wondrous stars painted the blackened sky in such a perfect contrast, like a pointillism masterpiece; clean, white chalk dotted on an endless black sheet. The pale moon illuminated the forest in a mesmerizing, fine white glow; it’s perfect face filling up a good portion of the unworthy sky. The light squeezed between the many thick tree trucks that blocked its path, striping the dark land around us.

 

“Almost there.” The gentle, smooth voice didn’t disturb the calm, didn’t interrupt my serenity but I withdrew my focus from the stars nonetheless, the image already imprinted in my mind forever.

 

There was a tunnel of tall, maple trees surrounding us, their long limbs splashed with large, bright green leaves. Their rough, moss covered bark was unmarked, untainted by orange spray painted X’s and carved initials. It was as if we had found an unclaimed chunk of Earth, unspoiled by the destructive hand of mankind.

 

 “Can we stay here forever?” I laughed lightly, my voice echoing through the empty wilderness. I wished we could. I longed to live away from the sickening pollutants, monopolizing corporations, money driven societies in this peaceful, undisturbed sanctuary.

 

My camera thumped lightly against my chest with each step I took. I was thankful to have brought it; to be able to capture these images forever. After we leave this forest we will be able to reconnect with our experience through the pictures we take today and share the memory and beauty with others.

 

The cabin grasped my wandering, spellbound gaze with its grey, stone foundation sticking a foot above the soft, mossy ground. It was old, and wooden planks that finished off the remaining structure of the building were beginning to rot and decay, tiny green insects and long, winding vines had claimed the exterior.

 

Through the only window- a thirty inch, uneven hole in the wall- next to the wooden front door, you could see the majority of the petite interior, left undecorated by whoever had at one time called this place home.

 

The cabin, I assumed, had probably once been level, but through many years of erosion and decaying, it now sat lopsided half way up a shallow slope. It was run down, but natural, renovated by mother-nature, un-modernized and filled with character.

 

“Well, this is it.”

We stopped walking forward and stood to admire the quaint little building a moment longer, it had no doubt been abandoned for some new, fancy condo with whole walls made of thick glass overlooking the green, foggy, stale smelling city air.

 

“Shall we go take a look inside? See what we will be staying in for the night?” I was eager to check the place out, as much as I wanted to stay outside and enjoy the pure ecstasy of the atmosphere, I also couldn’t wait to explore a truly genuine building, as this one surely was.

 

The flat, slate stones leading up to the door clattered under our feet as we stepped methodically up the walkway. I wondered how long it had been since these stepping stones had felt the weight of a human, how long the dusty wooden floors inside had gone without feeling the warm touch of bare feet.

 

The door took a bit of force to open; one, good, solid yank on the black, metal handle and it popped open, letting a stale, musty scent flood out of its ancient structure.

 

The floors creaked as we carefully stepped inside; dried mud caked the warped ground from the many rain falls that had leaked through the drafty ceiling overhead and pale moonlight shone in through the window, spotlighting the uneven floor boards. The faint illumination casting through the abundance of dust in the air left a breathtaking result.

 

“I thought you would like this place.”

 

I beamed; there was no other place in the world that was more me. The whole atmosphere was just incredible, the seclusion, the beauty, the untouched, original state of this building that we now stood in.

 

I had never dreamed that when me and Austin had stumbled onto the topic of historic preservation and antique sentimental value one night in conversation, that we would end up looking to preserve the natural beauties of the world. That we would find such locations as this to defend, to fight to keep from becoming another few acres for a super store or landfill.

 

“It’s perfect.” No other words were needed, no shriek of excitement or cry of joy as our long talked about goals were finally becoming a reality. We would make a difference, even if only in a small way.

 

Austin and I had been friends for a little over four years and neither of us had ever even considered the possibility of extending our friendship into any kind of romantic relationship despite many accusations; we loved each other in a completely familial manner.

 

Our common goals became more evident in the last year or so when we realized how passionate we both were about preserving history, restoring polluted environments, and experiencing the truly magnificent wonders in life.

 

We had decided to search out blank holes on maps, unnamed locations, unspoiled lands and keep watch over them; ensure no greedy Suits would come and tear them down until we could buy the land ourselves.

 

Eventually we would become known enough to attract other environmentalists who could help in our struggle. We had even considered the possibility of -after many more years- starting our own foundation. This cabin- this whole magnificent plot of natural land would be our first big accomplishment.

 

The soft, wooden walls of the cabin were beginning to crumble, some planks of wood seeming to have been swarmed by ravenous termites. It was one large room, no furniture or appliances, no counter tops or dressers, just cool, damp emptiness waiting to be filled.

 

I bent down and touched the dirty floor, leaving my fingerprints in the white dust. There were no water pipes or electricity wires to appeal to an older time, and I could almost guarantee that there would be a wooden outhouse somewhere within a few meters of the building.

 

“Let’s go back outside.” The warm night air was beckoning me to leave the stale environment inside. Although the cabin was very appealing, the stars outside taunted me with their beauty.

“I’ll build a fire.”

 

I hesitated before leaving the precious structure, Austin had been to this place twice before already and he had brought our sleeping bags and pillows with him earlier in the day, he had been here while I tried to control my anticipation at work.

 

I took a last look around at the frail, antique, square of a building, trying to commit every detail to memory. Every imperfection, every warped floor board.  I knew I had time; we would be back in again in a few hours, when exhaustion would finally win over our consciousness, so with one quick snap of my camera I stepped out of the time machine and back into the ever surprising world of nature.

 

It only took about a half hour to scour the woods for enough branches and dried up logs to keep a steady fire going for a few hours. It hadn’t rained for a few weeks so everything was dry; the dead branches, brown grass, the thousands of dead maple keys that blanketed the ground were all ideal.

 

Austin dug a shallow divot in the earth close to the cabin and at the safest possible distance away from the trees that we could find. We layered the bottom with the larger pieces of wood, on top of those we piled on the kindling branches and to top it off we cloaked the pit with heaps of the dried grass and keys.

 

With one quick sweep of a match the fire took off, lighting up the dark night around us. The warm flames licked at the silent air, searching for something to latch onto, to feed off of as we sat on the cool ground next to it, the heat burrowing into our skin so soothingly. The sparks from flakes of floating ash danced in the air above the smoking wood like a cluster of fireflies, a red mirror to the thousands of stars that shone above.

 

We didn’t speak; no words were needed at this time, no verbal speech to slice through the peaceful silence. It added to the scene of which we sat in the middle.

 

The smoke smelled of maple wood; sweet and fresh, none toxic and delightful. Our clothes and hair would come away from this place the next evening soaked with the same intoxicating aroma, a light smile broadened on my calm face with the pleasant thought.

 

I lay on the soft, mossy soil on my back so I could watch the sky, to get lost in the amazement of constellations that each held a unique story of their own.

 

“Isis.” My voice was barely a whisper, silenced even further beneath the loud crackling of the fire. The cool, white cluster appearing to be a wave of soft mist looked down at me from the left.

“Orian.” Austin pointed out the familiar alignment of stars before poking a glowing, amber red log with a crooked stick, sending a swirling cloud of sparks sailing into the sky.

 

Out here -away from the city lights that dimmed down the stars, away from the pollution that hazed their bright light- their intensity was multiplied on an indescribable scale. The patterns that made up the millions of constellations shone bright and crisp, showing off their shapes with unmistakable clarity.

           

We lay there for hours, rhyming off Greek goddesses, zodiac`s and other familiar constellations, we even made a few of our own; seeing trees and mountains, bears and hunters.

 

It`s so fascinating to think that we are merely a microscopic spec compared to everything else out there. Our planet is the small particle of dust that floats aimlessly through an endless zone of black. There were so many things we had yet to learn, to discover.

 

I sighed; folding my locked hands behind my head for support. The stars were blurred in my now tired eyes, their shapes morphing, shaking, shifting into one constant foggy haze of pale light. How long we had lain here in silence I wasn’t sure, time had no meaning out in the core of nature.

 

The heat of the fire lulled me to sleep as did the gentle chirping of the sleepless crickets. I didn`t mind that I was still outside; that I was completely exposed to the elements; vulnerable in my sleep to uncertain wilderness. I preferred the outdoors, trusted it, I preferred the rustling of leaves and cracking of twigs to furnace made hums and nightly creaks.

 

I felt myself drift, felt my eyes flutter closed and I smiled again, knowing the sky would be the last thing I saw before sleep and the first thing I would see upon waking the next morning.

 

My heart beat softly thump. Whoosh. Thump. Whoosh.

 

“Quinn!”

Thump. Whoosh.

“Quinn! For the love of God, get up!”

 

I groggily opened my eyes, my body unready to leave sleep behind and blinked a few times to clear my vision. Had I slept long? I had thought I had just drifted off, a few minutes ago maybe.

 

Austin was tugging on my arm, his panicked face looking over mine. I watched a small bead of sweat teeter on the edge of his furrowed brow before sailing off, down the steep curve of his nose.

 

“Get up!” His words were urgent, their meaning finally processing through my waking mind. My nose burned. I sat up sharply, my eyes shooting from image to image, tree to tree.

Thump.

Red tongues lapped the air, hungry for oxygen. The whole, beautiful sanctuary was under attack by a huge, merciless fire.

 

My heart sank in my chest as I tried to take in all the horror, all the destruction around us. The thick smoke blotted out the perfect sky; the fire shrivelled the bright leaves and cloaked the unharmed bark with cruel, smirking red flames. All I had admired most about this land was now gone.

 

Austin must have managed to haul me onto my feet because I didn’t remember how I came to be standing. I wasn’t even certain my wobbly legs would be able to support me. I spun in clumsy circles, hot tears pouring from my eyes as my body shook uncontrollably.

 

“Did we do this?” My voice was hoarse, it cracked with the pain of what I had just come to realise. Austin remained silent, morose, his face guilty.

I knew the answer but I had to hear it, had to know. “Did we do this!?” I screamed the words this time, demanding the inevitable answer. He nodded his head. The lump in my throat froze, choking me.

 

He might have spoken then, but my ears wouldn’t listen, my mind went numb as I stared up at the crackling trees, the sea of red grass at their defenceless roots.

 

 My stomach twisted, acid climbing up my throat giving me heart burn. I could feel my pulse increasing, the blood pulsating hard in my temples and burning behind my eye sockets. I had to clench my teeth to hold down the bile that struggled to spill onto the ground in front.

 

The tears sat atop my bottom eyelids, waiting for me to blink, to send them cascading down my cheeks but I didn`t. I couldn`t blink, I couldn`t close my eyes even though that was the only thing I wished was in my control. I longed for the branded image to disappear, to be replaced by the familiar winking stars and green trees illuminated by the moonlight.

 

Glowing branches fell from tree tops, bursting into clouds of ashes as they made contact with the charred ground. The bark turned to cinder and peeled away, leaving the soft underbelly of the trees to sizzle under the fire`s insane control.

 

The dirt path was the only thing not in flames and I whirled quickly, desperate to find the little, antique cabin safe from the fire; but that was only a fool’s hope.

 

The wooden structure was eaten away in minutes, the stone foundation left untouched as the vines that spiralled their way along it turned to ash in the wind. The roof dropped in an instant of loud creaking and snapping, caving into the center where it lay; a pile of burning rubble. 

 

My head was light and fuzzy, my chest a tight knot, squeezing harder and harder as the seconds ticked slowly by. I dropped to my knees, crying out for the forest we had destroyed with our damned human hands, I let the tears pour over my face, soaking my flesh and flushing my pale cheeks pink.

 

I cried out, but could not hear my anguished voice. The beauty that this land once possessed was all but destroyed, replaced by ugly, mocking flames as they went wild, engulfing everything they could reach. The sky was impossible to gaze into through all the smoke, although I tried. The cabin was hard to imagine in the unharmed, peaceful condition it was hours earlier.

 

Everything was an entanglement of flame and debris, the two of us trapped in the center, like in the eye of a tornado; unable to do a single thing to stop the chaos from expanding any farther.

 

We could only watch on in horror as this perfect place burnt down around us; the only evidence of its original state was the tiny square of mud and stone, half buried in the small slope of land it perched on.

 

“Quinn, we have to get out of here!” Austin’s voice was barely audible, the words distorted by my own unwillingness to hear them. My mind was too preoccupied with the tragedy that had befallen on this abandoned piece of heritage to even acknowledge anything else.

 

It was like feeling yourself drown without water; not being able to stop the inevitable from occurring, knowing you were the culprit of such mayhem and destruction. You were at fault for destroying one of the last rare beauties left in who knew how many exploited miles.

 

Breathing became nearly impossible with all the smoke. Each laboured breath burning my lungs, sending me into a spell of coughing which only made things worse. I crouched low to the ground, desperate to remain below the oxygen less fumes, to stay in the fine layer that cooled the blisters in my lungs as I inhaled.

 

The heat was unbearable as flames lapped at our clothing, trying to grab on. The fire toyed with us, flicking between our unprotected bodies; singing our hair and lashing at the groaning trees each time a soft breeze would pass through. Everything around us was being mauled by the taunting flames, slowly they closed in on us, trying to ignite the clothes we wore.

 

The wind that had seemed to compliment the forest earlier was now a cruel aid of the ever growing flames.

 

“What do we do? There is nowhere for us to go!” Panic shook his muffled voice as he backed up beside me, away from the roaring fire.

 

I glanced around, nothing but red and blue fire each way I looked. I dug my fingers into the hot soil; clutching fist full’s of dirt. Mud would have worked, would have bought us some time; we could have painted ourselves with it to keep the heat from penetrating as quickly but dirt just rolled off the skin.

 

“We need to burry ourselves.” My mind began to work again, survival instincts taking control as we dug fiercely in the soil. Fingernails snapped and broke in jagged pieces as I clawed frantically; we had few precious minutes to protect ourselves, minutes to dig our own tombs.

 

Our fingers sprained and some even broke with our desperate attempts to drill faster into the earth, but the pain was overshadowed by the surge of adrenaline pumping through our veins with the need to survive.

 

I stopped for a split second to gauge our odds, but when I lifted my head to estimate our time, a sharp, hot pain lashed across my face knocking me to the ground, flat on my back. My head smacked the earth hard, bouncing up from the impact before resting once again in the soil. My head swam and spun making me nauseous.

 

“Talk to me Quinn.”Austin’s voice pleaded over the loud, triumphant war cry of the fire as it rumbled closer, “s**t.”

 

Dizziness took over all else, the ground seemed to swallow me, cloak me in darkness and numb my mind. I felt like I was falling for an eternity, no sounds could penetrate the thick soil that cradled me, that rocked me as I plunged deeper into the core of the Earth until it suddenly switched motives, began to hurl me back into the air, back into reality.

 

Austin’s voice flooded back, “Quinn, Quinn. You’re going to be okay, can you hear me?”

 

I tried to open my eyes but they wouldn’t, the black abyss was all I could see, as if my eye lids were glued together. In a panic I clawed at the lids, fear taking control of my actions. I cried with my failed efforts, no matter how hard I tried to pry them open, all I saw was the black emptiness.

 

“They won’t open! My eyes won’t open!” My cracked nails scratched the raw flesh around my eyes but I felt no pain, just panic.

“Quinn stop!” Austin grabbed my wrists, pinning them to the ground on either side of me as I struggled to free them. I writhed on the ground, shrieking in horror as they remained shut.

“Quinn.” His voice was softer, gentler but fearful, “Your eyes are open.”

 

Everything froze. What did this mean? Was the smoke so thick now that I couldn’t even see the hot flames through it? But Austin could see me, he was able to see me fall and panic, was able to see the smooth, white spheres letting him know my lids were not closed around my eyes.

 

Still, I could not see.

 

 

Author's Note

what do you think? suggestions, comments, anything is welcome. Thanks

Reviews

[Jessie Sianodel]

I like this, but I have this feeling like it should be the prologue not necessarily the first chapter, because I don't think it starts with a strong enough hook. However it does end with one...

Anyway, great start and i love your descriptions! I can picture the forest and the little cabin!

[Amelia Harris]

This is an excellent write! I loved the vivid imagery you painted. You describe things so beautifully. But once I began reading about the fire, I felt like it should have sped up a bit, and that you shouldn't have described everything in such depth. I also think it was really long and I had a hard time reading the whole thing. There were a couple of sentences that needed rephrasing, but all in all, great job!

[Dingo the Archwizard of..]

I like how you began the chapter with a quote. I do that. It sets the reader up for that chapter-- and it's pretty cool-looking, If I do say so myself.

[Luna Northstar]

I don't have much time, but I wanted to read the first chapter of my assigned book :) I have to say, I really admire you. The way you write, the words you use; I can only hope to write like this when I'm older. Your writing inspires me and I absolutely love the story so far. You really put your reader in the writing. You capture everything so marvelously... It's breath-taking. I can't wait to continue reading this book, and see what happens next.

[J.R D'asti]

I think you mean "familiar" toward the beginning. Richly descriptive, but a bit over-bearing. Excellent emotion. The cliff-hanger ending has me looking forward to more.

[Elfinpunk]

wow, you like descriptive writing and you do it well! Sometimes it's a bit like overkill though, it'd be fantastic mixed in with some less descriptive writing otherwise it gets hard to read. But that's talent :-)