As she walked towards no particular destination, she called back over her shoulder loudly, “But you know… you still have not answered my first question.” Robin accused him as she sank further into the darkness of the trees. She felt edgy and raw, overwhelmed with the pain her life back on earth always seemed to drown her within.
It seemed that being in such unfamiliar territory and under such odd circumstances made it easier to look at her past from a bird’s eye view. Robin definitely did not like what she saw. She desperately tried to push the images away with each step she took into the sea colored forest. Not only did the forest look like an ocean of blue but it was just as suffocating. Robin felt as if each one of her steps was bogged down by unforeseen currents and she found it harder to breathe with each passing moment.
She knew however that she could not blame the trees or bushes but her emotions were in fact the culprit. Gulping in deep breaths she fought to get her thoughts under control.
“Okay, okay. If you must know I was the one who... uh... disrupted your doll. I-I-” Roami realized he was stammering and so stopped speaking to gather his wits. He struggled to find the right words to express himself and yet not give away too much of his personal thoughts. He did not want to scare Robin away. She had already been through so much; Roami could not bear to be the cause of any additional stress or heartache.
“You did what?” Robin prodded as they both began moving through a sea of blue bushes, trees and leaves. Once she had gotten her feelings under control and pushed her past back where it belonged, she felt less burdened and found it easier to breathe.
Robin looked around thoughtfully. She was slowly getting used to the blue forest and felt she rather liked it. It felt like they were swimming in a dry ocean. They moved further into darkness, further away from the House of Intrigues. Further away from all that she had ever known.
Roami continued to chase after Robin while trying to explain himself, “I had seen you day after day on that window sill and you just... you looked so sad out there alone and I just couldn’t... I mean… I-I wanted to save you from whatever sadness haunted you on Earth. So I would sing to you some nights when I came here and-”
Robin stopped in her tracks and stared at Roami. “You’d sing to me?” No one had ever done anything quite so nice for her. She was completely taken aback and looked about as uncomfortable as he did in what had quickly become a painfully awkward moment.
Wanting to fill the now electric air with words she quickly asked, “What song did you sing?” Before she knew it an odd thought came to her but she squelched it in order to focus on his response.
Roami took a deep breath and replied nervously, “I actually… made it up. I used the melody from a song my Bearer sang for me, many nights when I could not sleep. It goes like this: Twilight pours on your tear soaked face and I cry; I cry with you. In a house; not a home-" Before he could finish Robin screeched aloud at having had her odd thought confirmed.
“So it was you! I didn’t make up that song long ago... it really did just pop in my head... I can’t believe this!” She stared at Roami in absolute surprise. She could not help herself but began to sing as if to test out the truth, “Twilight pours on your tear soaked face and I cry; I cry with you. In a house; not a home-" Roami softly began to sing with her.
Together they sang, “I watch you stand all alone and I watch; I watch you. Don’t think you’re on your own because I’ll never go, I’m near; I am near you. You have a friend…. to depend…til the end…together we will win. I’m here for you; I am here… for you…I’ll be there for you… for-ever.”
When they came to the end of their song, the two stopped and stared at one another with seemingly new eyes. Robin could not help but smile softly at her newfound friend who was apparently not so new after all.
“Oh my goodness! This is too crazy, I can’t believe this! I swear, this is all too much!” Robin was brimming with so much emotion, she felt as if she might faint at any moment.
“Believe it, Robin.” Roami started walking again and Robin let him take the lead. She followed him in a daze.
“I threw a rock at the window tonight. I was so tired of seeing your pain. I just didn’t think about the consequences, I just... acted and now here you are; standing right before me.” He said it as if the full reality of the situation had just hit him.
“Right,… so what now? What am I supposed to do? If what you say is true then this butler guy will be searching the house for me and I will be pulled back to Earth, no matter what. And I just... I just don’t think I want to go back. At least, not yet…” Robin stared at Roami hoping he somehow had all the answers to the questions rushing through her head.
“Well, I don’t know Robin. There is no way to stop it; you will have to return eventually. But until then we will wait. You can stay with my family and I. We will all take care of you.” Smiling Roami gently took Robin’s hand and led her deeper into the forest in the direction of his village.
As they walked, both were lost in their thoughts. They barely heard the crunch of their feet against the dry blue grass, the whistle of the wind or scurrying of forest creatures.
Unbeknownst to both Robin and Roami, a strong blue mist crept over the tree tops and began to descend menacingly to the ground below.
***
Source One’s night was slowly transforming itself into day. The sky changed from a dark hunter green into a lighter, minty shade of green. Robin was all eyes despite her lethargy. She felt like a newborn babe, trying to capture every little sound, sight, smell and taste for thorough inspection.
She had never felt so brand new in all her life. Even as a child, having been thrown into adulthood so quickly, she never had a chance to truly be innocent. It seemed there was a time for everything and this was hers…finally.
After walking for some time Roami realized that Robin appeared unnerved and out of sorts from the physical exercise as well as the new reality she had to quickly get accustomed to.
“I believe we will stop here for a spell, Robin.” Roami took her hand and guided her towards a large tree. When he saw her look at it in wide-eyed wonder he laughed and stated, “It is called a Nommo tree. I’ve passed this particular one many times on my way to the House of Intrigues when I came to visit…” When he realized what he was divulging, his words trailed off shyly.
Robin just turned away to hide her own secret smile. She had never felt so special in all her life. To think that during all of her hardest times, when she had felt so completely alone, there had been someone watching over her. Through it all there had been someone hoping she was safe and happy.
Having never felt protected in her entire life, Robin did not know how to properly respond to Roami’s kindness. She let the awkward silence grow as they prepared to sit and rest near the Nommo Tree.
The tree was huge with leaves nearly as big as Roami himself. Their color was bright green unlike most of the blue foliage surrounding them. The magnificent tree’s large trunk which would have taken minutes to circle, had a deep purple pigment with flecks of glittery silver dust coating the hard purple wood.
Overall it seemed to shine like a beacon in the forest and Robin was sure it must contain some sort of magical power. She could not help but run her index finger across the rough trunk to test out her theory. When she pulled her finger away it was covered in the same beautiful silver glitter. However, her theory was proven incorrect as she did not turn into a frog or grow a fishes’ tail. No magic here, she surmised.
Robin stood staring at the tree for some time before her shock at its appearance began to wear off. Roami could not help staring at her each time she stopped to stare at their surroundings in wonder. She was incredibly cute when she let her guard down, he thought. Too bad that was a very rare occurrence. Knowing what he did of her past, he could not blame her for her series of gargantuan shields and protective armor.
She turned and caught him staring at her. Robin could not help but feel uncomfortable
with the puppy dog look in his eyes. She quickly covered her own emotions with a protective shield then spoke, “Our trees don’t look like this on Earth.” She said softly as she sat to lean against its trunk. Robin wore a numb expression on her face. “Everything is just so... different here.” She said the words so softly Roami could barely make them out.
“Yes, that is true Robin. But you can get used to anything. That is how life is. We can all program ourselves to deal with anything life throws at us.” He stood beside her and leaned down slightly to pat her shoulder softly to reassure her that everything would be okay.
“I don’t know about that Roami. I mean... my God! The sky is green and this tree is purple and you’re ... you’re blue!” She stared at him as if for the very first time, taking in every detail of his physique. Their eyes met for a little longer than expected. Robin felt as if everything were going in slow motion and had to force her eyes to leave his and look back out at their surroundings.
“You’re blue...” She repeated, with a look of wonder on her face. “I wonder how you managed to be that color. Are all of your people blue like you?” She asked.
Roami stood up abruptly and turned to face the Nommo trunk with a look of consternation. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?” Robin quickly asked with concern.
He looked more preoccupied than offended. “Oh, no. Nothing at all. I will answer your question in just a moment, my friend. But first I must contact my Bearer or she will be distraught.” He said as he began to move his lean blue hand over the purple trunk as if looking for something.
“What are you doing Roami?” Robin began to feel slightly uneasy as her only friend in a strange world, was acting a bit peculiar. She pushed up from her seated position and moved to stand beside him. Her arms made their way around her middle in her usual protective gesture.
“I am looking for an access point. Nommo trees in Source One... well, I guess they are like communication devices. We Tinktu use them to connect with our homes and our tribes. While we cannot connect to someone in another world through this device, it is still handy to keep track of our family and loved ones who are in Source One.” He finally found what he was looking for. Robin moved closer to see him move his hand over a small circular groove in the wood. Roami kept his hand glued to the spot until the circle began to glow with a silver light.
Robin stood and watched Roami in awe. “What are you doing now?” She asked when she saw him pause with his eyes closed.
It amazed her that one could have so many questions to ask and new things to see. She had become so jaded by life on Earth. Here she felt an energy she had never known before; she was revving with excitement and ready to discover all the mysteries of Source One life whereas on Earth she had drowsily struggled to get up each morning.
“I am speaking to my Bearer. I use only the voice in my head and she too speaks to me from her mind. I need only think of her name and the tree connects our sub-conscious so that I can assure her I am well.” He scrunched his forehead in concentration. “Ah! There she is... and my Guide is there also.”
Roami opened his eyes for a moment to see Robin’s forehead creased in confusion, he smiled and said, “I’m sorry, I forget there are some differences between us. My Bearer and Guide; they are what you would call on Earth, my “mother” and “father”.” Roami closed his eyes again and appeared to be receiving a message. He opened his eyes once more and said, “Hmm… They are very upset. Please give me a moment so that I may concentrate and speak to them.”
He grew quiet and Robin watched as he communed with his parents. While he stood before the tree focusing on his conversation, Robin walked around in the semi-dark of the early morning and had a better look at her surroundings.
The spiky glowing balls which apparently passed as stars in Source One had slowly floated higher into the sky so that they were now only tiny specks. They no longer glowed as brightly against the minty green expanse of sky above her.
Robin glanced back to see if Roami was still busy. He stood with his head down and his hand still held against the tree trunk so she figured she would continue her exploring.
They were standing in a very small clearing in the forest where at least eight feet of short blue grass surrounded the Nommo tree. Outside of this parameter were crops of small sky blue and midnight blue bushes situated at the base of the forest trees. The trees here were so tall they nearly blocked out the sky. Robin walked towards a few of the bushes, wondering at their unusual color.
As she grew closer she noticed an odd whispering sound. To be more exact, she heard the sound of nearly thousands of whispers and they all seemed to be coming from somewhere within the dark blue bushes. She could not imagine how this made any sense and therefore could not prevent her curiosity from pushing her ever closer to inspect the small mass of shrubbery.
Her slender brown hand slowly reached out towards the bush then pushed aside the leaves. Robin’s first thought was that maybe someone hid within the bush whispering loudly. When her hand touched the leaves, she pulled it back quickly upon feeling a tickling sensation.
“Whoa!” She cried out. Robin looked at her hand to ensure it was unharmed. It was. She leaned in once more to look at the leaves; on each small leaf she saw what had tickled her. There were hundreds of small mouths, one on each leaf, speaking all at once.
Robin’s eyes opened in shock. “What in the world…” She muttered as she stepped back cautiously. When she realized the bush would not attack her she moved closer slowly while perking up her ears to listen to what the leaves had to say. As soon as she was able to discern one of the leaves’ words, she could not help the smile that lit her mouth or the laugh that escaped her.
“Oh my! Hahahaha!” she was crying laughing before she knew it. Robin never knew a bush had so many jokes to tell. She soon realized that each whisper was an extremely hilarious joke.
Wiping the laughter tears from her eyes, she leaned in closer to hear yet another one. This particular one made her laugh so hard she fell back from her squatting position and sprawled out on the ground beside the bush. Moments later Robin was rocking back and forth with spasms of laughter.
As her revelry died down, she wiped away the laughter tears. Robin happily sighed for it had been some years since she had laughed so hard or felt so good. Before she could get back to her feet she looked up and noticed a large flower hung over her head.
It was so beautiful Robin could not help but remain right where she was and just stare at the amazing artistry of the plant. Each petal was nearly translucent except for a hint of purple and blue, while the center of the flower was a vibrant orange that nearly glowed. The blue stem as well as each petal glittered like diamonds in the light of day and Robin was sure she had never seen anything quite so lovely.
The flower’s head was nearly as big as her own and seemed to dip farther and farther down until the petals nearly kissed her lips. Robin’s breathing began to slow as the orange glow within the flower began to grow brighter. She began to feel lethargic and her eyes seemed to be glued to the orange center.
She slowly forgot her body and even forgot to breathe. Within moments the orange glow became so bright it blinded her to anything but the beaming light. That is when the visions began. Robin began to see her life, from its very beginning and moving towards the present. But not every moment was illuminated; just the saddest most painful moments were brought to light.
Given Robin’s background there were countless moments to relive, none of which she had ever wanted to deal with again. She saw flashes of a mother abandoning her infant baby girl. Robin’s dreams of a wonderful, benevolent mother losing her daughter against her will were all but shattered as she finally saw the truth of the matter.
Her birth mother had been strung out on drugs, letting the destructive chemicals take over her in an effort to smother her own disturbing past. It appeared her mother’s demons had not only destroyed her but in a classic domino effect had dashed Robin’s life into a
pit she was still trying to climb out of.
Next Robin saw each foster home and all the horrible things done to her behind closed doors. Robin cried as she saw herself from a birds’ eye view; saw her nights filled with tears while knowing there was no hero out there to save her. She saw her countless classmates making fun of her; saw the times she had been laughed at on the streets or in parks by little girls and boys who had everything and yet were still so very mean to the less fortunate.
Robin could not stop the massive flow of tears careening down her cheeks as she watched her life as if for the very first time and realized how brutally sad it all had been.
The images would not stop. Next, she saw one of her darkest moments. It was the moment she had been rejected by a boy she had had a schoolgirl crush on. He had laughed in her face when she confessed her feelings. Then to top it off he had told her she was too black; and not good enough to be his girl.
“Robin! Robin! Close your eyes! You have to close your eyes!” She heard this as if from somewhere very far away but was too busy watching the tragic movie of her life to investigate its source.
“Robin! It’s me, Roami! Please, you must close your eyes now!” She heard this again and felt someone shake her body. With the violent shake Robin recalled that she did indeed have a body and had eyes which could close off all these ugly images. Robin forced her eyes to close although it seemed an impossible feat. They finally shut. Blackness… The images stopped and the orange glow receded.
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