The Spirit Tree

by Jacqueline Kirk

Chapter 3

  Early the next morning Michael was waiting impatiently by the tree stump for James to arrive. He couldn’t stop going over what his grandmother had said the day before about the Spirit Tree and the forest. Even though she had dismissed it as just a story he could tell that she believed it and that it scared her. His grandmother had always been sensitive to things that other people would scoff at – ghosts, fairies and all other supernatural things – and she would tell him stories. But his father had decided that at twelve he was too old to listen to such stories and so he had forbidden her to tell him any more. He missed those times.

  Muffled footsteps made him turn around and he smiled when he saw James trotting towards him with a grin on his face.

  “Did you get it?” Michael asked eagerly.

  James came to a halt in front of him and pulled out a small glass bottle from his pocket. “I got the holy water. It’s lucky my uncle always opens the church early, he didn’t even see me sneak in! How about you?”

  Michael turned and picked up the bag he’d left on the tree stump. “I just grabbed some stuff from the larder, don’t know how long it will last though.”

  James looked behind him to the trees, studying them uncertainly. “Are we really going to do this?”

  Michael nodded and turned towards the trees, slinging the bag over his shoulder. “We have to, or Mum will never get to heaven!”

  “Let’s go then,” James said firmly taking a step forward, “Before I change my mind.”

  Michael led them along the narrow path they always used to get into the forest. They usually played just inside the tree line as they had been forbidden to go in at all but they didn’t see the harm in just staying within sight of the field. This time though they continued on past where they would never usually go.

  “This doesn’t seem too bad!” James exclaimed.

  “We’re not that far in.” Michael replied, “Gran said it was the centre of the forest that was affected.”

  James looked nervously around but doggedly followed his friend along the path until it widened enough so he could walk beside him. “Do you think we have enough holy water?”

  “I don’t know. If it doesn’t work we’ll just have to get some more. Or we could try something else.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t think of anything purer than holy water can you?” Michael replied starting to feel a little annoyed.

  “What if it was magic that changed the Tree?” James carried on, oblivious to his friend’s rising temper. “What do we do then?

  Michael stopped and looked at James who had stopped a couple of steps ahead of him, “I don’t know if it will work! Or if anything will work! I just know I have to try! Alright?”

  Michael started walking again, his anger making him storm ahead while James followed behind uncertainly. He hadn’t meant to annoy his friend so much, he just wanted to know what would happen if this didn’t work.

  His thoughts were interrupted by a rustling just to the side of him and without moving his head he glanced in that direction. A sudden movement through the leaves of the bushes that lined this particular path made him gasp in alarm and he came to a sudden halt.

  It took Michael a few moments to notice his friend had stopped and he came back to him, noting the fixed way he was staring at the bushes. “What is it?” he asked him curiously, his anger forgotten.

  “I saw something,” James explained in a hushed voice.

  “What?” Michael asked in a whisper, peering through the bushes himself.

  “I’m not sure. I think someone is following us.”

  “You sure it wasn’t just a rabbit or something?”

  James looked at him in irritation. “No, it wasn’t a rabbit it was too big.”

  Michael searched for a few moments more and then shrugged, “Whatever it was I think it’s gone now. Come on.”

  He started along the path again and James hurried to catch up although he couldn’t help glancing to the side to see if there was any more movement. Nothing stirred the undergrowth and he began to think it had all been in his imagination. Shrugging it off he continued after Michael.

  They walked until mid morning when they decided to take a break and gratefully sat down on a fallen tree trunk. Michael rummaged in his bag and handed an apple to James retrieving a second one for himself

  “Have you noticed how quiet it is?” Michael asked his friend.

  “Isn’t that normal?” James replied, looking around curiously.

  Michael rolled his eyes at his friend and said, “No. There should be birds singing at least. We should hear some animals scurrying about, they’re not all night creatures.”

  “Maybe they’re just scared because we’re here,” James suggested, “Not many people come in here after all.”

  Michael nodded and took another bite of his apple as he thought for a moment while studying the trees around him. “There’s something else too,” he continued after swallowing his mouthful of fruit, “I would have thought we would have seen some sign of whatever is tainting the forest. We’ve been walking for ages and yet it doesn’t feel as if we’ve got very far.”

  “I know,” James agreed, “but this forest is miles big. It’s going to take us ages to get to the centre.”

  “I suppose,” Michael mused, “I guess I didn’t realise how long it would actually take.”

  He threw the apple core in between the trees and reached into his bag to get something else to eat but froze when the apple core came flying back out of the trees to land at their feet. The two boys looked at each other in astonishment and then back to the apple core on the ground as if it could suddenly speak. A sound in front of them made them raise their heads fearfully.

  A boy about the same age as themselves was crouched on the ground a few feet in front of them. He was watching them curiously and they couldn’t help noticing that his ears were slightly pointed but the most startling thing was his eyes. They were golden in colour and the unblinking way he stared at them reminded them of a bird.

  “Are you a ghost?” Michael asked as he stood up warily. The boy cocked his head to the side and continued to stare at them in fascination so Michael continued speaking. “I’m Michael and this is James. Do you have a name?”

  James stood up beside his friend and leant close to his ear to whisper, “I don’t think he understands us.”

  The strange boy stood up abruptly and looked from one boy to the other. “Michael. James. My name is Billy. Billy Blin.”

  The strange newcomer stepped towards them but didn’t seem to be threatening in anyway, merely curious. His clothing seemed to be a strange mix of vegetation and cloth that blended in with the colours of the forest, which was probably why they hadn’t seen him before now. A small dagger was shoved through a belt that seemed to be made of twisted vines.

  He stopped in front of James and Michael and studied their clothing with open curiosity taking particular interest in their boots. Michael noticed that he wore no boots or shoes himself. His feet were filthy and sticks and stones seemed not to hurt him.

  “What are you?” James blurted suddenly and Michael gave him a sharp look hoping Billy hadn’t been insulted.

  “I’m one of the fairy folk that live in this forest. One of the Guardians.” Billy told them happily, his bird eyes flicking from one face to the other.

  “You’re a fairy,” Michael repeated, “I thought fairies were … you know.”

  “Small with wings? Pretty and innocent?” Billy asked with a smile and continued when they nodded. “Those are sprites. They’re hard to control, even though they are inferior to us. They’re not supposed to leave the forest but they sometimes sneak out. What is that?”

  The two boys blinked in surprise at the abrupt shift in conversation and looked stupidly to where Billy was pointing to a small leather pouch on James’ belt.

  “Oh this?” James pulled out a small compass and held it up so Billy could see it. “It’s a co
mpass. It helps us find our way if we get lost. Hey!”

  Billy snatched the compass from James’ hand and peered at it closely, turning it over and over in his fingers. He sniffed at it then shook it hard.

  “Here,” James said and reached for the compass before Billy could break it, “Give it to me and I’ll show you.”

  Billy looked suspiciously at James’ outstretched hand and then at the compass but reluctantly gave it back, stepping closer to James as he opened the compass. “See? This arrow always points north so you know which direction you need to go.” His face became puzzled when he looked at his compass properly and noticed that the needle just spun around and around. “Look, my compass isn’t working properly …” he started to say to Michael when Billy snatched it from his hand once more. “Hey!”

  Billy was holding the compass up to his face and watching the arrow spin with a grin on his face but when James tried to take it back he jumped away and held it behind his back.

  “I want my compass!” James said angrily.

  “Let him have it,” Michael said quietly, “It doesn’t work in here anyway.”

  James stepped back but didn’t look happy and Billy watched him warily, the compass now tucked away somewhere they couldn’t see.

  “We need to get to the Spirit Tree. Can you help us?” Michael asked Billy hopefully.

  Billy looked at them both curiously, “Why do you want to go there? It’s a bad place. Even I don’t go there any more!”

  “Even so, we need to get there but it would be easier with your help.”

  Billy stared at Michael intently and asked, “Is this because of your mother?”

  Michael gasped in surprise and demanded, “How do you know about my mother?”

  Billy shrugged and said, “I heard you talking by the edge of the forest.” He wandered off a few steps and then turned to look at them sharply. “Even if I show you the way, what makes you think you can do anything? A lot of the other Guardians have been affected, including the King and Queen – and they don’t like humans!”

  Michael looked at James and indicated with his head to start walking again. They walked past Billy, further into the forest and it was a moment before Billy came after them. He ran in front of Michael, walking backwards so he could see their faces.

  “You won’t get very far without me,” he told them.

  “Then help us,” Michael said reasonably.

  Billy didn’t say anything as he moved aside to let them pass and followed along behind them. Michael could tell he was torn between helping them and some kind of loyalty to his own kind but they couldn’t wait for him to make up his mind.

  “Besides,” Michael said cheerfully, “I don’t see what can be so bad, the forest is quite pretty!”

  “Really?” Billy said and there was something in his voice that made Michael turn to look at him. “How about that then?”

  The two friends looked to where Billy was pointing just as they stepped into a little clearing and stopped dead in their tracks. On the other side of the clearing it was as if someone had drawn a line through the forest. On the side they were on the plants and trees were green and healthy looking while on the other side everything was dark and twisted.

  The grass was dead, the bushes and trees were bare and their limbs were twisted. No sunlight seemed to penetrate that part of the forest so they couldn’t see very far.

  “Are we really going in there?” James asked.

  Michael nodded without speaking and then turned to Billy. “Help us please?”

  Billy stood very still and stared unblinkingly at them. “I’ll do what I can,” he replied finally, “but you don’t know what’s in there.”

  “Then we’ll have to be careful,” Michael said with a relieved smile. He knew that having one of the Guardians as a guide would increase their chances of success.

  He smiled reassuringly at James as they both quickly followed their new fae friend before he could disappear back into the forest.