by Rue Volley
We stepped out into a field of grass, I wanted to see it all lush and green, but it was yellow and brown from lack of water and light. She lead me through it, the dry grass scratching at my legs. I stopped to rub them and I felt her let go of my hand. When I stood up, I could see a house at the bottom of the hill, light glowing in the windows. I scanned the field, but could not see her and started to walk towards the house in hope I would find her, or anyone here.
I reached the door and before I could open the door, it opened to me. I hesitated before I stepped through, hoping I wouldn't find something crazy waiting on the other side. The house from the outside looked small, but when I 240
stepped in, the room was huge…stretching out before me. I squinted my eyes to see that yards away from me. A fire roared in a horseshoe circle, at it's center a white stone slab with someone laying on it, dressed in white. I started to run towards it, my heartbeat speeding up… I could only hope that by some miracle it would be Johnathan lying there.
The fire was shooting up pretty high, but when I approached it, it started to lower itself too a low glow. I could see him, arms folded over his chest, motionless. It was Johnathan. I stumbled towards him and leaned in, I placed my hands on his face. His skin was cold and his chest was still. Tears started to well up into my eyes, before I even had time to consider that he may be dead. I fell on top of him with my upper body and cried out his name. It echoed on forever.
“My child…there is no need to feel such sorrow.”
I lifted my head and looked behind me. My Mother stood before me, with the small girl at her side.
“Mom?” I said.
She laughed. “No…no, my child, I have only one child and she stands here next to me.” Grace reached down and picked her up, putting her on her side. I looked at this little girl and tilted my head…the little girl did the same.
“Is her name Rue, by any chance.?” I asked her.
Grace smiled. “Why yes it is… What a good guesser you are.” The little girl giggled and Grace smiled at her. “Rue has told me that you came to visit through the lake… Is this true?”
I straightened up…blinking a few times… I could not believe that I was talking to my mother and she did not know who I was. I decided my best bet was to play along.
“Yes…you see Johnathan here, he fell before me and I followed him… I came to take him back with me, to our home.”
Grace looked at me and at Johnathan.
“You love this boy, do you not?”
I turned back to him and grabbed his hand. “I do, I do love him and I have to bring him back with me, can you help us?”
Grace placed her daughter on the floor and walked slowly towards me.
“This place you have found yourself in does not let us go very easily… It barely has any life and it needs life to survive.”
I looked up at her angelic face, I wanted to throw my arms around her so badly and tell her that I loved her, but she didn't know me.
“What do I have to do?” I asked.
She walked from me and turned to her little girl.
“First we get William, then we go to the tree.”
I straightened up. “William?” I asked, with a confused look on my face.
“Yes…you have your love, and I have mine.” She grinned and they both started to walk away from me.
I followed, looking back at Johnathan every few steps. The further I got, the higher the flames became, until we reached the door and the fire was raging, as it was when I stepped into this room.
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We stepped outside and the grass was green, waving in the wind. I looked to Grace. “This was all dead when I came.”
She smiled. “Of course it was, it is feeding on you and your beloved now. I am afraid that William, Rue, and I have nothing left to offer it. We have been here a very long time.”
“When did you arrive here…? I mean all of you.”
She turned to me. “Oh…I could not say exactly. I'm afraid my memory is not what it used to be. I know that Rue met William and I at the water"s edge and led us to the house. We then traveled to the tree together, once we reached the tree…
Well, I don't quite remember that part, but I remember when we left we were at peace, happy, and we have been here together ever since.”
“This tree…is it big and white by any chance?”
The little girl turned to me and smiled. Grace took her hand and started to walk.
“Why yes it is, beautiful really.”
I stopped walking. “I don't want to go,” I said.
They both stopped and turned to me. “Why would you not?” Grace asked.
“I…I just, I want to go back to Johnathan. He's hurt and I think I can help him.”
“Don't be silly, we will pick some fruit from the tree and feed it to him… He will be good as new by nightfall.”
“Pick some fruit...? No door right?”
The little girl looked at me and grinned, but Grace responded right away. “What door…? My dear, you must have been in that freezing water too long.” She looked down at the little girl. “I think she needs food…you agree?” The little girl nodded and they started to walk again.
I followed, I had no choice, when I looked behind me the house was gone and without them I could not find my way back to him.
We came to the top of a hill and looked down…There it was, the old tree full of fruit and green leaves. I could smell it's sweetness in the air. Birds flew over us and I watched their shadows race across the grass towards it. I heard Grace callout and looked ahead to see a man coming towards us. It was William.
He jogged up to Grace and kissed her, holding her hands in his. He leaned down and scooped the little girl up into his arms, kissing her on the cheek. His eyes went to me.
“Who do we have here, my love?”
Grace smiled and waved a hand at me. “Seems we have a visitor William, she needs some food from the tree for her love, seems he is still asleep in the house.”
“Ahhh, well, welcome. I am William Volley, this is Grace…my wife and our little one, Rue.”
“Oh William, I have already introduced us.” Grace smiled at him and he put his hand on the side of her face. She closed her eyes and grinned. “And your name would be?” he asked me innocently enough.
I stood there frozen. What do I say? “Ummm, my name is Chel. Like a sea shell, only with a c and one l,” I said. I shocked myself with that one.
“Like a sea shell,” the little girl said, with a smile on her face.
I looked down at her and she winked at me. I was kind of taken back by it.
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“Well „Chel" with a c and one l. I will collect some fruit for all of us and bring it to the house…”
He put his arm around Grace's waist and whispered into her ear, she laughed and tapped him on the chest. “Okay, my love,” she said to him.
She turned to me. “Seems William insists that I take you back to the house and prepare for a meal, he doesn't like to have the two of us out doing things, he can easily do himself.”
I smiled at him and he smiled back. I could not believe that I was with my parents, I really couldn't.
William headed towards the tree and we turned and started to head back. I was relieved, I really did not want to go near that tree again…ever.
******
We made it back to the house and when we stepped inside it looked smaller, a small wooden table sat in the middle and a fire burned brightly in the fireplace. I looked around with a confused look on my face.
“Where is Johnathan?” I asked.
“Oh…no worries, he sleeps in my room. William will feed him soon enough.”
“But when I came in here the room looked different,” I said.
Grace turned to me. “I'm afraid that I do not know what you mean Chel.”
“There was a long stone path that led to a ring of fire, Johnathan was laying in the middle of it!”
Grace walked to a door and opened it. Sh
e waved a hand at me to look in.
I peeked into the room and Johnathan laid on her bed, covered with a beautiful crimson comforter. I stared in disbelief.
“Oh, I am sorry…I thought…”
She placed her hand on my arm, “You have had a most trying day…we will eat and you will feel better, I promise.”
Grace closed the door and I turned to see that Rue…weird enough right...was sitting in the chair by the fireplace, with a book in her hands. I stared at her and Grace noticed.
“She loves to read… I swear she reads one book and picks another one right up.”
I grinned. “Yea, I know what you mean.”
“Oh, are you a lover of books too?” She asked me.
“You could say that I guess. I have this library at home that I…” I stopped.
Flashes of memory came into my mind.
“What is a Library?” Grace asked, snapping me out of my stupor.
“Oh…well, it's a place that stores many books…all kinds, anything you would ever want to read.”
I looked at Rue and she lowered her book and had a look of interest on her face.
“You know…she loves to be read too… Why don't you sit down and read with her, while I get dinner ready?”
I fidgeted with my hands and looked at little Rue sitting in the chair. She smiled at me, exposing her tiny little teeth. I smiled back, raising my eyebrows.
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“Okay…yea, I guess,” I answered.
I walked to her and she slipped off the chair. She had to flip onto her stomach and shimmy her way off, because her feet didn't touch the floor. I smiled. Is this what I looked like when I was a little girl? Too cute..swear to god.
She straightened up and held her book close to her chest. I sat down and climbed onto my lap. She refused my help, I would have been the same way.
She settled down and opened the book up, so we could both see it. She pointed at the first line. I smiled down at her, as she leaned against me.
“Lets see,” I said out loud. I started to read to her. “Katsushika Hokusai is undoubtedly one of Japan's best known artists, both in Japan and in the western world.” I stopped and looked at Grace.
“She is reading about one of the most famous Japanese artists of all time, here.”
Grace grinned, as she cut up lettuce for the salad.
“Yes…as I told you, Rue likes to read, about everything.”
“She's like five years old,” I said, not trying to be rude.
Grace stopped chopping and looked at me. “Well, time is an illusion Chel... You would be surprised how many books she has read.”
I looked down at Rue and she smiled, my smile…right back at me. I shrugged my shoulders and kept reading to her. We came to his first painting in the book…it was “The actors”. Rue giggled and traced her little fingers over their faces, their mouths were drawn down.
I smiled. “I know…funny looking aren't they?” She looked up at me and grinned. We flipped through the pages, scene after scene of real life and then she held her hand out stopping it on “Mount Fuji with cherry trees in bloom.”
“Tree,” she said. I looked at her. “Yes, it's a tree, not like the one here though,” I said. We kept going a few pages and she whispered, “Elin.” I looked down at her and to the open page. “No, honey…this is"“Okiku". She's a ghost. You've met Elin?” I asked her. She nodded and started to turn the pages again.
We made it to the end, without her naming anyone else in the book. I closed it and she turned sideways and pulled her legs up. I looked down and she had closed her eyes.
“I think she's taking a nap Grace.”
“Ahh, she gets so tired, she sleeps at the oddest times, not good at night though.”
I looked down at her and pushed her hair behind her ear, she didn't even move. Grace walked over and picked her up, she walked to another door and took her inside, returning without her.
“She will sleep for awhile now.”
I stood up just as the front door opened and William walked in. He had a basket full of fruit and vegetables in it. My stomach growled, I didn't realize how hungry I was, until just this moment.
“Oh, William…! Give those to me,” Grace said to him.
He handed them over and she walked to the stone counter, reaching into the basket and pulling each piece out of it like it was gold. He walked up behind her and put his arms around her. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed at him. He smiled and turned to me.
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“So...Chel, we should attend to your friend ,huh?”
I sat up and grinned. “Johnathan…? Yes, oh yes…as soon as possible, William.”
He reached into the basket and pulled out an apple, deep red and fist size.
“Well…this should do… He's slept long enough.” He flipped the apple into the air and it came back down in his hand. “I'll get him up and moving for you.”
He started for the bedroom door and I stood up to walk with him.
He turned to me. “No, Chel…you can stay with Grace, let me do this alone.”
I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. “Why?” I asked.
He grinned… “Lets just say…it can get messy, pulling someone out their sleep here… Could be, but it could be nothing…but don't you worry, he will be just fine.”
I looked at Grace and she smiled, no teeth. I read her face and I decided to sit down and trust his judgment.
I leaned back in the big comfortable chair and looked around the room. I felt so at peace here, my eyes fell onto Grace, who was so content to be in the kitchen preparing a dinner for us. The smell of her cooking started to float through the house and I closed my eyes. My stomach growled and my heart felt warm with a glow of happiness. I could easily live here forever, I could.
******
I must of nodded off for one of those cat naps, that makes you feel all confused when you wake up. I felt a little hand on my face and I blinked. I was laying in a big feather bed, way to big for me. I focused and Rue's face came into view. She was laying, facing me with her head on my pillow. She was tracing my eyes and lips with her fingers, like she was working in a coloring book. I grinned at her and she grinned back at me. She kept tracing my lips.
“Flower,” she said.
I was busy looking at her porcelain face. “No…"lips" Rue, these are my lips.”
“Tulip,” she said.
I smiled. “Oh, you mean my lips look like a, tulip, to you?”
She nodded.
“Well, Thank you…tulips are better then one.” I grinned as I said it, not sure if she would get my corny joke. She giggled and put her face in the pillow.
“You thought that was funny, huh?” I asked, as I tickled her. She fidgeted under my fingers as I grabbed her sides. She stopped moving and rolled to a stop, staring me in the face. “I like you,” she said.
I pushed her hair behind her ear and looked into her eyes. She sat up and put her hand in mine. I sat up and stepped out into the living area of the house.
No one was in the house. I looked down at her.
“Where's your mommy Rue?”
She kept a hold of my hand and pulled me toward the front door. I opened it and looked out. The grass was so green in the field, stretching out in front of the house. I closed my eyes and smelled it, always smelled like freshly cut grass, my favorite. I down at Rue and she was doing the same thing. She opened her eyes and looked at me smiling, showing her tiny teeth.
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“Smells good doesn't it?” I asked her.
She pulled me along with her, across the field and I spotted Grace and William sitting on a blanket, with food spread out on it. Grace spotted us and waved. I waved back. Rue let go of my hand and went running to them. She jumped on William and he hugged her...giving her multiple kisses on the cheek and neck. She giggled and he sat her down on his lap, while he popped a grape into his mouth. I stopped and looked down at the all the food they had laid out in front of th
em.
Grace reached her hand up to me and smiled. “Sit down Chel...eat.”
I took her hand and sat down, grabbing a peach that almost glowed in the sun. I took a bite and “mmm'd” out loud. “Oh my god…it's sooo good,” I said.
William laughed. “Of course it is...! Did you sleep well?” He asked me.
“Yea…I slept great… I woke up to Rue touching my face, she is so cute,” I said.
Grace smiled and leaned over to her, touching her face.
“She likes you very much Chel, I can tell,” Grace said, as she examined Rue's face with love.
I looked at Rue and she smiled and scrunched up her shoulders, laughing.
William leaned down in front of her. “Is that true little one…? Have you made a friend?” Rue nodded and put a grape into her mouth.
I sat there eating fruit and braking off pieces of homemade bread, with the most delicious honey butter spread on it. I popped pieces into my mouth while I stared up, at the blue sky. I laid back and started to watch the clouds over head.
Rue laid down next to me, then Grace and William followed. We all laid there, pointing out shapes in the sky, belly laughing at some of the stuff we came up with. I thought I saw a rabbit form and I sat up. William pushed up on his elbows.
“What is it Chel?” he asked.
“I…I don't know… I felt like there was something I wanted to ask you, but I can't remember,” I said.
Rue wrapped her little arms around my neck from behind and laughed out the word “Tulip.” I turned to her and smiled, she giggled and I had to laugh harder, because she just looked so cute in her white dress, blue flowers in her hair.
We stayed out for hours, walking through the fields, picking flowers and collecting fruit from this enormous Tree. We headed back to the house and I settled down in the large chair by the fireplace and Rue crawled into my lap with a book. I opened it up and started to read it to her. I don't remember ever feeling this relaxed, like I belonged here. We spent the rest of the evening talking about Grace's uncanny ability to cook anything and Rue stuck by my side. When she started to nod off, I picked her up and headed towards my room. Grace and William sat in front of the fireplace, holding each other. They looked so happy sitting there together. I looked at Rue, curled up in my arms and went to bed. I drifted off, with a grin on my face.