Yazen (Ponith)

by Nicole Sloan

  “When did you go get that? I never heard you leave,” I tell him. The cake looks great with white frosting and blue writing on the top.

  “I headed out while you were in your room. I figured you would need a cake for your party, some ice cream too,” he opens the freezer to show me.

  “Thank you so much for doing that. It looks good and I can’t wait to have some. Will you be here during the party?” I ask him.

  “Not tonight. I’m going to do a few things around the house and then go to bed early tonight. You and your friends have a fun time and stay out of trouble,” he replies as he grabs his bill book off the counter.

  I help clean up the house a little before Alex and Jenn show up. I hear the doorbell ring and go to answer it. Both Alex and Jenn are standing at the door and in unison shout, “Happy birthday, Zac!”

  “Thanks … come on in,” I open the door wide so they can come in. We all go into the kitchen and they set their gifts down on the table.

  “Nice cake; it looks delicious,” Alex says as he licks his lips.

  Jenn grabs the candles off of the counter and begin to put them in the cake. She puts exactly 15 candles on it. I honestly hope it doesn’t melt the cake with that many candles. She begins to light them all and then both her and Alex sing the ritual birthday song.

  I can feel my cheeks turn red as they sing, and it feels awkward. Once they stop singing, I manage to blow all the candles out in one blow. They both cheer as I begin to cut the cake. I grab the ice cream and scoop it onto our plates.

  “So are we really doing this trip on Sunday?” Alex questions me. His teeth are blue from the frosting.

  “Yes, if anything it’ll be a day trip out in the forest. We can make the best of it. I really don’t understand my grandpa at times, but he really seems serious about this. I don’t want to let him down,” I tell them.

  “Just so you know, when we don’t find that portal thing, you still owe me ice cream and this ice cream here doesn’t count,” Jenn says as she licks the ice cream off her spoon.

  Alex gives me a look of disapproval because I didn’t tell him that I invited Jenn to go with us. He quickly changes the subject so Jenn doesn’t realize he is irritated.

  “So did he tell you more about your family history?” Alex asks as he wipes his mouth off on a paper napkin.

  “Not really; he says that my family history is in this bag. I’m not quite sure what that means. I’ve read a bit of the book that came with it but it doesn’t really mention anything about my family. I have a feeling that it has something to do with these planets because he says when we return, if I have any questions that he would answer them then,” I explain to them.

  “Weird,” Jenn grunts. “Well, time to open your presents.” She quickly hands me the present that she got me.

  I begin to open the bright yellow paper and underneath is a new hunting knife. “Thanks, Jenn, I really can use this,” I give her a hug and examine the knife closely. It’s really sharp and quite a bit nicer looking than my old knife.

  “Here ya go,” Alex says as he hands me the gift he brought. It’s in a small bag that has a birthday balloon on it. I open it up and it’s a new video game that I’ve been wanting for a while now. “Thanks, Alex, I can’t wait to play it with you,” I say to him as we bump fists.

  I pull the camping bag out and show them the journal that my grandpa gave me. They both look at each other and begin skimming through the pages.

  “Zac, I don’t think your grandpa is making this up. If so, he put a lot of work into making this journal,” Jenn says.

  “What I don’t get is if there’s a portal out there, how come no one else has found it?” Alex says.

  “The reason is because they need this for it to work,” I say to him while showing them Earth’s gem, “It’s supposed to reveal the portal once we get to that spot in the forest.”

  “Cool,” Alex says as he grabs the gem from me. He holds it up into the light, examining it closely. I notice it’s not refracting light like it did earlier when I held it.

  “Looks like a rock to me,” Jenn says as she flips through her phone. I wonder if she’s waiting to talk to Brad.

  “My grandpa wants me to have you tell your parents that we’re volunteering at a camp for the summer so we can go without having to answer tons of questions. Is that okay with both of you?” I ask them.

  “Yeah … I just hope I don’t tell my parents and then find out this whole thing’s a joke, because I would feel pretty stupid,” Alex says.

  “I agree with Alex, but I’ll tell them I’m going to camp. I just hope they believe me,” Jenn replies.

  We sit at the table for about an hour joking and talking about school, and then we decide to call it a night.

  “Thank you for coming over and don’t forget to pack your bags for Sunday morning. I want to leave early, around 7 in the morning,” I tell them.

  They both nod in agreement while I walk them to the front door. I give Jenn a hug, and her hair smells like apples. I wave goodbye to Alex and close the door.

  I go and play the game Alex got me for a few hours and then pass out for the night. Saturday goes by pretty quickly for me, as I go through the journal again, looking to see if I have missed any entries that may help us. Nothing more is written about Yazen; the book just lists other maps and details about other places that the book mentioned and there are quite a few blank pages in the back.

  I decide to get my camping bag ready so I grab an extra T-shirt and a pair of pants to put in my bag. I’ll wear a jacket to be safe because the weather always changes here. I grab my hiking boots and put them next to my bag.

  I bring a few essentials like a hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. I make sure I fill my canteen up with water plus bring a few bottles of water.

  I definitely pack my new hunting knife, some rope, along with some other basic items. I have to be ready; I don’t want to enter the forest again unprepared after my last experience. I also pack a few sandwiches for our lunch on Sunday.

  After I finish packing, I clean my room up some and go to bed early so I’m ready for our big adventure tomorrow. I’m still not sure what to expect.

  Chapter Four

  My alarm goes off at 5 in the morning. I set it early so I don’t have to rush and I can eat a good breakfast. I stretch really good and then I decide I want to make an omelet for breakfast. I walk into the kitchen and my grandpa has already beaten me to the task. He has made a feast for me. Omelets, pancakes, toast—you name it. It smells so good.

  “Good morning, Zac. I hope you’re hungry. I want to make sure you eat a big meal to satisfy your hunger on your trip. I’m so happy that you are doing this for me. I can’t express how much it means to me,” my grandpa says with a smile on his face.

  “Thank you so much, Grandpa; you didn’t have to do this. It looks and smells so good. I can’t wait to dig in,” I say while piling my plate with food.

  “If you ever get stuck and don’t know what to do, always look in the journal. You may not find the exact answer you’re looking for, but you’ll find an answer. When I was at those planets, it was an experience of a lifetime for me. I learned so much, and it has made me a better person. I hope it’ll do the same for you,” he says while sitting down to join me for breakfast.

  “I’ll use all the techniques that you have taught me and keep everyone safe. I’m really grateful that Alex and Jenn are both going with me,” I tell him.

  After we’re done eating, I have my grandpa look over everything that I’ve packed to make sure I’ve not forgotten anything. I wore my Army pants, T-shirt, and hiking boots.

  “It looks like you have everything that you need. I want you to take this jacket with you. It will keep you warm, and it’s very light to carry. It’s insulated very well,” he says while handing me his brown jacket.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to take your jacket if you need it,” I question him. I know he has others, but I know this one’s his f
avorite.

  “I want you to take it; I have plenty of jackets that I can use. I may not even need one if the weather stays the way it has been,” he says. He’s right; the weather has been nice, which is unusual for us.

  Before I know it, the doorbell rings. I go answer the door and it’s Alex. He has a red camping bag filled and he’s also carrying his rifle. He’s wearing a dark blue beanie, button-up long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and boots. I invite him in, and he sets his stuff on the couch. We’re ready to go; just waiting for Jenn to show up.

  A few minutes later, the doorbell rings again. Alex answers the door this time and comes back with a weird look on his face. I notice behind him is Jenn with a pink book bag on and then there is someone else with her. As she steps to the side, Brad’s standing there with a smirk on his face. He has on a blue backpack. What the hell is he doing here? No one invited him. She never even asked if he could come … I don’t want to tell him our plan. I don’t trust him and I might look like an even bigger idiot. Why is she doing this to me?

  “Zac, I hope it’s okay if Brad joins us. I told him that I’m going with you guys, and he wants to join us. He says he can’t be away from me that long. Is that okay?” she asks me while she smiles at Brad. I see Alex in the background shaking his head no.

  “I really wish you would have asked us first instead of just showing up. But since he’s here, fine, he can go,” I say rudely and give a disapproving look to Brad. Brad just looks weird at me and raises an eyebrow. I see Alex drop his head in disapproval.

  “Thanks, Zac,” Jenn says and then she goes and hugs Brad. I go and give my grandpa a hug.

  “Will you be okay while I’m gone?” I ask him. I’m worried that something may happen while I’m gone and I won’t be here to help him. I worry about him more the older he gets.

  “I’ll be fine; don’t you worry about me. I know how to take care of myself. You just have fun and be safe. I’ll be here waiting for you to return. I cannot wait to hear your stories,” he says while opening the front door for me. I grab my bag and head to the front door. Alex, Jenn, and Brad all follow me out to the front yard.

  “Bye, Grandpa, see you soon. I love you! I’ll make you proud,” I say to him. I want him to know how much he means to me. He stands at the doorway and watches us as we walk away.

  Now our journey begins. I’ve no idea on what to expect. I just know that now it’s going to be stressful having Brad tag along. We walk to the end of the street and head into the forest.

  I take out the map while Alex gets out his compass. He helps me get pointed in the right direction, and we begin our hike to where the portal is supposed to be. Alex and I lead the way while Brad and Jenn follow us, holding hands. It makes me so sick to my stomach and angry seeing them together and I don’t even really know why. I don’t get what she sees in him.

  It’s really cool out this morning, and I’m glad my grandpa let me borrow his jacket. There’s morning dew on all of the trees, so every time you walk by a tree you get wet from it. My camping bag is quite heavy but bearable. It looks like Alex is well prepared, but Jenn and Brad have small book bags on. I don’t think they know how to pack. Either that or neither one of them took this serious.

  “So, no offense, but Jenn tells me this adventure is a huge joke. There was no way I could pass this up. I mean, I love hiking with Jenn while you try to find some imaginary portal so we can go to another planet,” Brad says laughing. Jenn hits him hard in the arm, embarrassed that he told her true feelings on the whole thing.

  “That’s not true; this is going to be fun. It will be unique and different from our hikes,” Jenn says trying to cover up for what Brad said. I can tell she’s embarrassed from her blushing cheeks.

  “You don’t have to believe me. I’m not forcing any of you to come. I’ll go by myself if you don’t want to join me. I just want to go with my closest friends,” I say, pissed off. I really hope there’s a portal out there now, so I don’t make a fool out of myself.

  “Calm down, Zac, we’ll have fun. I believe you, and we’ll find this portal, no worries,” Alex says to me, trying to help calm me down. He’s holding his loaded rifle close to him; I think our last time in the woods was a big scare for him.

  It’s a quiet hike for the first 30 minutes. Although there is no real trail to follow, we make good time. There are squirrels out gathering food, birds flying and gathering sticks to make nests, butterflies flying and landing on flowers, and even rabbits scattering through the leaves. It’s starting to warm up and turn into a nice day.

  Brad is already complaining, “Are we there yet or at least close? We’ve been walking for quite a bit now. Do you still know where you’re going?”

  I just want to chew him out right now. I don’t even answer him right away. Who does he think he is, asking ridiculous questions like that? Maybe he doesn’t understand what an actual hike is.

  “No, Brad, we’re not even remotely close. If you can’t handle this, you might as well go home now. Turn around and leave. It’s a 4-hour hike to where we’re supposed to go,” I say to him. Jenn gives me a nasty look for being mean.

  We start to get into harder terrain, and there are more trees and more rocks to climb. I guess our easy going is at an end. We do pretty well working together to help each other up the rocks and holding tree branches for each other. Once we get a little more than halfway there, we stop and take a break. I give everyone a sandwich that I made the day before so no one goes hungry. I’m not going to eat a sandwich because I only had made three. Once Alex realizes that I’m not eating, he shares his sandwich with me.

  “Damn, man, what is this crap? This is gross,” Brad says while tossing the sandwich on the ground and spitting to the side. His sandwich is now covered in dirt and I’m pretty mad at this point, because he’s wasting food. I didn’t even have to give him a sandwich in the first place.

  “Sorry, Zac; thank you for the sandwiches. They’re really good,” Jenn says to make up for Brad’s behavior. We only take a 15-minute break and then head back on the hike. I use my frustration to set a hard pace. The day stays nice out with a cool breeze. I’m looking at the map when I hear Alex say, “Zac, stop.”

  I stop in my tracks and look to see what he’s looking at; it’s a wolf. Alex raises his rifle and keeps it locked on the wolf. We don’t want to harm it unless we have to. Jenn’s standing on a rock, trying not to make any sudden movements.

  “Come on guys, you just have to scare it off,” Brad shouts loudly while starting to rush after the wolf. The wolf’s baring its teeth, growling loudly.

  “Don’t do that! Get back here, Brad,” I yell. I know the wolf will not be scared to charge us back. It’s probably out looking for its next meal.

  Next thing you know, the wolf starts charging at Brad. He realizes that he can’t win this fight so he turns back around and runs toward us. He barely makes it back when Alex fires a shot up in the air. The wolf scatters and we notice that more were approaching us from different sides.

  “Thank you, Alex, you saved us,” Jenn says. She goes over and starts lecturing Brad. I can’t hear what they’re saying.

  “Alex, you protected us. I don’t know what I would have done if you were not here. Thank you. This idiot is going to get us killed,” I tell Alex while watching Brad with Jenn.

  “Sorry, guys, I thought it would run away from me. I didn’t think it would charge me,” Brad apologizes, but I know the only reason he did was because Jenn told him to.

  We continue on our hike. The last hour of our hike goes by slowly. Everyone is quiet, nervous about what we’re going to walk into next. Once we get to where the map says the portal should be there’s no portal to be found. I’m really disappointed and let down.

  “So, where is this portal, Zac?” Jenn asks while looking around.

  “It’s supposed to be here somewhere. My grandpa says it’s hidden, and there’s a certain way to turn it on. We have to look for something that may be out of the ordinary,” I
tell them.

  Brad sits down and leans back to relax. I realize he thinks this whole thing is just a joke but Alex, Jenn, and I split up and search the area. Nothing is standing out to me. All I see are trees, flowers, rocks, leaves, and a small river.

  Now I turn around and see Alex and Jenn sitting with Brad. Everyone’s exhausted from the hike. I feel like a failure. What do I tell everyone? What do I tell my grandpa? Do we go home now? Was this whole trip a joke?

  “Give me a few minutes to look at this journal and figure this out,” I tell them while giving them a bottle of water to share. They pass it around to each other. Brad, being wasteful, dumps the rest of the water on his head to cool off. If he continues on with us, we’re not going to be able to survive with the items we brought.

  I open the journal and find an area that I didn’t read before. It says to find the portal, there’s a tree that has an odd branch which is a handle. When you pull the branch down, an area will open up in the tree to put the gem in. This will activate the portal. It says to make sure you step back because the trees are going to fuse together.

  I put the journal back in my bag and start to examine the trees around me. I ask Alex, “Help me look for a tree that has an unusual branch that could be a lever.”

  We look at every tree carefully, pulling on every branch that sticks out. After about 20 more minutes of searching I finally find a tree that has an odd-looking branch to it. I slowly pull the branch down, and a carved out slot is hidden behind it. This has to be it, and my emotions begin to turn to excitement. Is this real? Is my grandpa really telling the truth?