Trail by Tale ||Into the Wild Unknown Prt 2|| 7/xx
Not important, not right now, she told herself. The only thing that mattered was finding Thomas. Finding him took priority. Then she could worry about herself. Was she asking for trouble by leaving her group by going into the woods? Or saving someone she loved from something terrible. Melanie shook off the thought and snuck deeper into the wild unknown Forest, moving slowly in case she collided with any trees being the graceless one after all. In the eerie silence she began to feel thoughts of Thomas and danger rising faster
than she could hold them down. Nerves shredding, she focused harder on the path. She felt the path begin to slope uphill leaving marks behind (example: re-collecting her journal confetti and pile rock’s and paper together to make signature mounds). Reaching the top a white rabbit scurried past her clumps from a wild blueberry bush, carrying it’s terrified baby in its mouth, and vanished into the forest as if erased off a page. “Huh,” she sighed distantly marveled turning her attention back to the bush.
Inspecting it at first before settling beside it pulling her book-bag off her shoulders and pulling out the jar of pixie’s and the empty crinkled water-bottle she found on the bus. It would have to do as a container to hold them. She didn’t want random blue-berries too wet her book-bag, or draw bigger predators- and not the human predator the animal predator. Test-tasting a few as she still wasn’t really hungry as she picked the majority of blueberries and put it in the now not so empty anymore bottle of water.
Even slipping a few through the tiny hole’s she made in the jar lid with her multi-tasking tool. The pixie’s seemed to eat the squished juicy things just fine. Putting the jar of pixie’s back in her book-bag. Knowing if there was one blue-berry bush there were others to follow, finding two more- having a half bottle of blueberries screwing the top tightly putting it in the second zipper with the mini-first aid kit she had in there. Digging up dead leave’s looking for rocks and twigs making a rock mound with a stick sticking in the middle.
Wiping her hands on a her pajama shirt that used to belong to Thomas. Being one of his old band shirts they were fun to sleep in, big, baggy, and long on her along with sophie-shorts. Finger-nails were crusted with dirt. Going back on the unknown path while everything was. . beautiful in it’s own little way. Everything was cloaked by giant overhanging green leave’s. Gazing up at the sky treading carefully, step by step, and skip by stumble-half skip until she pulled out the stolen phone from her book-bag to check being an hour- maybe two or three hours since she’s checked it- seeing service!
Thomas didn’t contact back but she did zip in Corinne’s number and text her and pressed [Send]. Getting distracted with knocking a low-hanging cluster of leaves from her face. Until she found the perfect tree- the queen of climbing tree’s. Putting the stolen phone back in her book-bag securely, she didn’t even need to pull out her ropes. Wondering if she could see Thomas better at a higher advantage. Melanie made her way up quickly, thankful for the sturdy low hanging branches to guide her higher and higher.
At last she reached the highest part of the tree. Frowning, while warning chills ran up and down her spine. The sounds of an occasional bird, frogs, insects sang came to a tense silence. Not that she minded their music. Music was good. Music meant intruders weren’t near. Looking at the forest floor to the sky around her quickly- tense silence filled the new air. Then she heard it. Or rather, she didn’t hear it. The only noises bouncing off the trees were the sound of something oddly familiar. She stopped.
Winded, she carefully tree hopped from one branch to a branch connected to another tree. As she drew in shaky breaths, a stillness invaded the woods. The soundless air hung heavy, even heavier than any fog that she’s ever believed. A few feet behind her through the tree’s she heard the faint tinkle sound. And just like that she knew. She had company. A familiar hum echoed behind her closer and closer, like a chorus of angry tinkle whispers. Slowly Melanie kept steadily tree hopping to another knowing this was very dangerous
until she turned around, hearing, the whir grow louder and louder. Her face and emotions flickered with dread. . . a storm of green pixie’s crashed into her from under- above- behind- her swamping her like bee’s. Moving like deliberate purpose and with ruthless speed, biting, scratching eviscerating and bashing her back off the safety of the tree branch into danger. Pushing her off the branch, Melanie fell down the tree with a scream locked in her throat, terrified for an instant caught and flailing through a blurry fog of green pixie’s
levitating her five feet from the ground, whisking her away. Away.
Trail by Tale || Into the Wild Unknown Prt 1|| 6/xx
Melanie crossed her fingers that this whole mess could somehow have a good ending to it. That the only thing nasty to come out of it would be the edge of her lip being cut, the little pixie scratches,bite marks, and bruises. [ This part will be written after departing Marie ]. Oh. Gods, let her think good thoughts. Please. She wished she hadn’t read so many horror fairy tales. She didn’t want to believe anything terrible happened to Thomas. And she really didn’t know anyone in this group- anxiety twisting agian inside her.
And now fear of being stuck with a group of strangers was galloping inside her. She needed her brother, or Gabriel (and that’s really saying something if Gabriel Tremaine is involved). Wait. When Melanie looked up seeing a stranger start to use his phone! Her hands were reaching for hers- only thing was she threw it out the bus window wrapped in paper with a hand-written note and duck-tape in hope the fall doesn’t crack it or break. Her mind was showing her all sorts of pictures of why it was a great idea, and now?
Now it was just showing her all sorts of pictures of why it wasn’t. All Melanie could think about was contacting Thomas. After watching the stranger she waited until he was done using it to intervene and politely ask if she could use it- and so she achieved the strangers phone as he seemed distracted with someone putting his back to Melanie. Still holding her breath, she looked around seeing the bus door still open! Automatic reflexes had taken over her quickly as she ducked inside but as she was coming up the buses steps she
saw the key inside the ignition. `Qui ne ressemble pas à l'abri` she first thought pausing thinking she should give the key’s to Sebastian? But instead she just sat on the step’s of the bus, alone and hidden. Slipping her book-bag off her shoulders she put it to her feet un-zipping the main zipper to pull out the jar of green pixie’s with tiny little hole’s punctured on the jar lid right beside her. Turning her attention to the strangers phone she started punching in Thomas’s cell number and started to text fervently in her natural state pressing [Send].
Now she just waited feeling her foot tap a little impatiently until the phone buzzed. Lifting the phone to her face she started to read his response, her facial features soften as she pressed the cell-phone to her chest. Her features were glowing. Light seemed to radiate from every inch of her, she was so relieved as she felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders. Pulling the phone from her chest she typed a response with a stupid look on her face, looking down- errr. She looked like she crawled out of hell actually, so she dodged it
instead telling him it didn’t matter it’s not like she lost a leg, or an arm or anything anyway. Pressing [Send]. Until the next buzz. A violent shiver overtook her. She couldn’t breath. This felt cold- dark- wrong. Not just wrong, but almost nightmare material. It was like an drop-zone feeling sinking in her chest while her stomach was knotting tighter and tighter. Struggling. She struggled as she barely controlled her trembling fingers pressing [Send]. Shoving her head down in-between her knee’s as her palms pressed against
her temples with pressure `Penser, PENSER, penser, penser, penser, penser, penser, penser, penser- les clés!` She thought. Her head shot up from in-between her knee’s as she turned her head to stare at the keys inside the ignition. Ducking low she headed for the key’s in the ignition. She could feel her eyes burning on her every low step. Yanking the keys out her eyes frantically started looking for the glove box `Il doit y avoir un- Je l'ai trouvé.` She thought shoving one key after the other “Allons,” she hissed under her breath until one of them fit unlocking it
quickly pulling it open as her hand shoved contents out. A bus manual- nope. Putting that back in. Bus vehicle registration-nope. A pencil- she plucked that behind her ear. Sunglasses- nope. A lighter- shaking it first to see if there was any fluid in it, half-full igniting it as a tiny flame puffed up. Good. Putting other useless objects back in keeping a medium empty metal mint box and 3 metal paper clips. Putting the lighter and 3 paper clips in the mint box closing it shut. Then closing the glove box she turned her back as she reached to grab her
book bag. Getting even lower she looked under the bus seats checking the floor. Pretty clean rather then the gum under the seats, her face squinting like she ate something sour. It was just something she found. . . disgusting. Buzzz- her hand fumbled for the phone as the screen glowed and her eyes read the text. [ Melanie Charming! Non vous ne sera pas! Vous restez avec votre groupe, vous comprenez? Je serai bien. ] Sheer panic surge through her. And at the same instant, that panic felt like strong hands wrapped around
her neck while she was inhaling fear like being shoved deep under freezing water. She wasn’t going to sit here alone- when he was out there alone. That made no sense. No sense at all. Deeper and deeper her self destructive panic was settling in texting what she felt in the heat of the moment. Putting the phone down- were was she? She suddenly felt that bubble in her. Unzipping the smallest zipper she pulled out a cold metal vintage french compass, gazing at it `l'est. Je suis à l'est.` She thought astounded. Suddenly feeling her face pale.
Thomas could be anywhere. ANYWHERE. Suddenly feeling herself start to hit herself gently with the compass on her forehead “Allez Melanie pensez! Pensez.” Suddenly her eyes got wide. THE PHONE! Checking first- fiddling with it she pulled up the downloadable app store. Suddenly searching compass, finding several free compass apps. Going back to the text screen with her tongue sticking up on the edge of her lip, pressing [Send]. Looking back up from the screen she only had one thing on her mind. Taking out a
piece of paper that she kept from her journal. She covered the paper over her hand to do the only next thing she felt like she urgently needed to do: slide her hand across each individual seat cracks. Finding (or rather the material Melanie kept)- popped hair-ties, hair-ties, more paper-clips, rubber bands, a broken compact mirror, a glasses lens, 3 useless american pennies, trashy paper, random lapis lazulie stone’s from a broken bracelet, a big black petticoat button, half a defective straw, used hair clips, a diamond earring stud,
and jammed on the side a crinkled water-bottle with its cap attached. To alot of people this could be junk, but for Melanie, she could see potential- a slingshot, a way to reflect sunlight with the broken compact mirror- also the mirror was broken in 3 big junks- sharp object. The minor usable paper trash could be used for lighting something on fire with the lighter. Everything she collected had some sort of purpose. Peeping out the buss’s window, it still seem’s Sebastian and Ingrid were still occupying themselves with Marie not to far from Ingrid.
Starting to re-pack everything to the pixie’s, the new bus materials into the mint container. Putting the key back like she didn’t do a thing. Thomas never did text back realizing she lost signal. Flustered she was starting to breathe, feeling adrenaline run through her icy veins. She felt to small and to young as she didn’t wait around for Sebastian to make head-count sneaking away from the rest as forgotten as a shadow. Although she did steal a gentlemen’s phone which made her debate with herself on the way if she’d be categorized
as a beginner villain or not. It kept her mind at ease for a moment. All at once everything seemed alien and terrifying she was out on a long and lonely journey trying to find Thomas.
Screams rang in every direction. Sugary jingling, so dainty, delicate it could only be- Pixie's. They were coming! Screams from one dorm to the next could be heard from the walls. Melanie crawled from under her bed (because she normally sleeps under beds). A huge commotion clamored outside the room in seconds, rushing to the door way she grabbed her roommate’s blanket and shoved it under the doorway crack. Knowing first hand that was one way for those little pesky-creatures to start getting in the room, needed a clear moment.
A moment that she’s honestly waited for a very long time. The girl was imaginative and clever if you didn’t think she ever had a plan for an invasion? Well that’s underestimating a very, very, clever child. Rushing to her own night-stand pulling the bottom drawer she pulled a jar and rolled it to the door, and placed a roll of duck tape around her wrist, shoving on a random pair of shoes- she could see in the corner of her eye her roommate moving but Melanie’s ears were burning heavy red, she felt her heart race not taking any time to tie her shoe’s as she had four book bags on her bed. Strange right? A girl who was prepared for any adventure she had her normal school book bag, her adventure book-bag, her arts and craft book-bag, and honestly the last one was empty, but she didn’t like odd numbers but favoring any number that involved 7. Grasping her book on her night stand she held it in her mouth as she grasped her adventure book-bag she unzipped the main zipper and had it already around one shoulder as she quickly walked over to the door. Reaching her jar she twisted the jar’s lid open quickly as she us pulled back a bit of the blanket to shove the jar lid into the crack to have captured four of those annoying pests. Twisting the lid well and she dropped it in the book-bag and zipped it up swinging her arm into the other side pulling the blanket out from the door-way crack and opened the door. Students rammed and elbowed each other; some fell beneath the herd and couldn’t get back up. And blur of green was everywhere but she noticed Corinne clung to the wall for her life. “CORINNE!!” She yelled swallowing the tightness down her throat-panic. Taking her book and putting it to her forehead and suddenly charged past the flood of people going one direction, when there was an easier way to get out. But what did kid’s know these days? Gaining bruised rips but she reached Corinne from the other side as she slipped her arm to her waist and pulled her the other way “Mel- wait your going the wrong way!” She protested in the heat of catastrophic of them going the opposite direction, the mass of pixie’s were picking, scratching, biting. Taking her book in one hand and swatting one after the other while she kept hearing Corinne in the middle of things. “Melanie!” Corinne said anxiously as she kept looking behind herself with terrified eyes as Melanie pulled her forward with an iron grip stumbling in every way almost tripping due to her un-tied shoes until she came to the end of the hallway with a tapestry of Rapunzel stuck in her tower with her long golden hair down the tower. Pulling it back she revealed a doorway- the servant stairway. While she shoved Corinne past the tapestry, flinging the door open and slamming it shut just as quickly as a blink of an eye, kneeling down she grabbed the wedge handle of the duck-tape pulling it as it made a fwip sound covering the crack with duck-tape, pixie’s and sticky things don’t go so well, like flies trapped in honey. Giving both the girls a moment to breath. Taking this peaceful moment to tie her own shoe’s she could hear Corinne speak in her frantic way but she only ignored her. Ignored her because her mind was million miles away because she had Corinne, now all she needed was Thomas. Thomas. Fear started to build, but she chased it away pulling Corinne down the spiraling stair-case quickly- being actually quiet, easier for Corinne. Her family was her number one concern no matter what anyone said. While they could hear the twinkly flutters echo faintly through the air behind them coming in close. Meaning they got past the defensive duck-tape but they were in the lead when they reached the bottom of the stairs both pink cheeked and panting. Opening
the door to slamming it shut not having time too duck-tape it. Finding ground level she shoved Corinne past the tapestry suddenly hearing the thunk of pixie’s ramming into the slammed door as Melanie looked left to right shoving the spinal part of her journal back in her mouth as her hands grasped the nearest thing, a decorative metal vase and suddenly slammed it into the window like she was swinging a baseball bat, glass shattering and crunching under Melanie’s steps using the metal vase too clear as much glass from the corners missing a few and Corinne gasped like the lady she was “Melanie what are you doing! This is completely madness. Melanie! Stop!!!” She said mixed with disapproval and uncontrollable fear as she was backing up like she didn’t know who she was gazing at anymore. And suddenly after Melanie cleared what she could she dropped the vase, and plopped her journal under her arm-pit, as the vase made a heavy clunk when it touched the ground. Grabbing Corinne by the shoulders firmly shaking her a little. “STOP, just stop and trust me! Just trust me for one second and let me help you get somewhere safe!!!” She said frustratingly-terrified. Terrified because she wanted to protect both her siblings and one of them was missing, and in this hellish catastrophe how will she find him in this mass? And when Corinne was freaking out every little moment made it harder. Especially when she was afraid too. Within a few seconds from the clashing of pixie’s scratching and clawing from under the doorway- surprisingly Corinne slipped out of the window first, then Melanie, who accidentally cut the edge of her lip with her bad luck. Blood dripping down her chin in streams. Twinkly flutters echoed through the outside air in buzz’s, as she almost lost her hold once or twice on Corinne swatting at those pesky biters with her book. Rounding the corner as it was the front of the school. Thank goodness. The million’s of student’s pushing each other and clamoring looked like mass tidal wave’s of chaos. Dragging Corinne just a little more getting her nearest open big yellow bus as they both were gasping, and gazing at each other wide eyed as she was pushing her into that bus but she was countering her a little like she knew Melanie wasn’t coming up with her “Melanie wait-,” she said as Corinne was trying to turn to look at her as Corinne’s eyes got wide “Your bleeding!!” She said shocked just noticing it interrupting Corinne “Please,” Melanie said getting her closer to the bus “We’re a team, right?” Melanie asked, “The three of us are there for each other, but right now Corinne I need you to get on this bus and be safe and I’ll find Thomas.” She said as they both knew Corinne was the weakest between the three of them. Melanie might not be strong but she was clever. She was fairy-tale, imaginatively clever. “Ok,” she said submissive while Corinne had a heavy part to play but right before Corinne reached the bus steps she turned around and hugged Melanie tightly. Melanie’s breath caught. “I love you,” Corinne said gently in Melanie’s ear. And Melanie didn’t know how oddly she needed that in that very moment returning the hug. Holding onto each other until there fingertips couldn’t touch anymore “Find Thomas Melanie!” Corinne said with hope. Strength that Melanie needed. It was the last thing she said before Melanie turned her back and searched in desperation. As crazy as it seemed, it was as if something or someone needed help. Helping student’s who seemed to stumble on the ground and help them back up before they got trapped and seriously hurt. People were suppose to help others but gazing at each individual they were only helping themselves. Swallowed by mixed mission and passion. She helped kids of all ages get back up to keep going her little body burning because she was being shoved and thrown in every direction. Trying to hurry through the front doors, zipping past a million people at once trying to find the black ravenous Eiffel tower. Thomas. While Melanie’s blood ran cold. “NO! LET GO!!!” She screamed like she was being dragged in an alley like bloody murder repeatedly, digging her heel’s into the ground as she was struggling. A teacher seized her by the arm, dragging her away from the entryway and threw her inside a random bus. The faster she got away from the doorway the faster her heart pumped with a mixture of fear and anticipation. Right then and there, the problem smashed Melanie in the face. The one that had plagued her deep in her mind all along. She didn’t find Thomas and forced into a bus as the door’s closed, slamming her hands against the glass frustrated. Their apposing desires couldn’t have been clearer. Melanie wanted to find her brother, and if anything happens to him it would be her fault. With both sides of the bus buzzing, Melanie gritted her teeth. She knew her body was burning with pain and she looked like she crawled out of hell as blood soaked her entire shirt, her arms had bite marks, scratch’s and she looked down at her book. Her book. While she literally ran to a seat quickly. Melanie woke from her stupor. If she didn’t have enough reasons to escape, the thought of Thomas was the last straw. She had to leave this group tonight- but for now she had to leave a trail. A trail of paper.
She was mad! Or sad? Though. Sad because Thomas was graduating, and because things will change between them. She walked towards the Library taking the long route, it felt like she was walking some empty road, which was about as winding and hilly- but really just empty hallways. While she felt like she was dragging her feet more than anything. While she was back in the one place she loved. The Library. Inhaling she checked around and like she expected. No one was around. No one would bother them, how perfect. Being a little early- she would walk the comfort of the two storied fiery red and glittering gold bookshelves around 7:00. Setting herself in a chair she placed two box’s on the table gently. Realizing for the first time that they, her.
Corinne. Thomas were growing up. How awful of a thought. And she chose her most second favorite place in this school to remember the moment. She also wasn’t the same either. She prepared for something she’s never done before. She dyed her hair pretty blond hair purple. Drew in a tattoo on her skin with sharpie’s! Black, purple, and metallic silver as well. Just for the special occasion of being perfectly unique. Today had to be special. Really, really, really, special. But there was a part of her that worried her. What if he didn’t come? She could feel the discouraging feeling tingle down her spine like ice. Inhaling a little counting down the minute’s waiting for her big brother to come.
