text: Stepping steadily forward with arms outstretched Sheldon moved closer to his prey. Twin sister Zoe was approaching from the opposite side in a similar manner. Inching ever closer to the clueless rabbit, Sheldon caught his sister’s gaze and mouthed 1, 2. “Sheldon! Zoe!”, the deep voice bellowed across the yard. The twins froze in place, moving only their faces toward their father. Upon seeing his clouded features they walked toward him in unison. Father was the tallest of the three, his long dirty blond hair held back in pony tail with a leather tie. The dark gray hair tie matched his leather jerkin. Throwing his black pack over his shoulder he addressed them, “you two were getting too close to those woods.” “Father”, Sheldon began, always at the ready with an excuse,”we would never go there, we were trying to catch the rabbit for a stew”. “Of course you were”, Father grumbled,”and what if the rabbit ran into the woods?” “Well we wouldn’t follow, Father”, Zoe chimed in,”we’re smarter than a rabbit”. Father stared at Zoe a moment as if trying to decide her sincerity,”the woods have taken many people. People who don’t come back. They are just...gone. Some say it is an evil witch, tricking people; others say the woods themselves are enchanted and everything in it is trying to kill anything it comes across. Once you step into the trees, you are gone. GONE. Do you both understand that?” “Yes Father”, they replied in unison. Fishing coins out of his black pants pocket he handed them to Zoe,”if you can’t catch the rabbit, find food at the market.” She slipped the coins into her matching black pants and nodded. Father eyeballed Sheldon,”make a trap son, make the rabbit come to you.” “Of course Father”, Sheldon’s shoulder length blond hair bobbed up and down against his brown leather jerkin as he nodded while he spoke. Father harrumphed as he started to head down the trail to work, pausing a few steps away he reminded them, “the woods took your mother and brother Wesley, I can’t loose you two as well.” An hour later found Sheldon brushing grass off his black pants while standing to survey his rabbit trap. He looked over to see Zoe whizzing a stick over her head for the dog to chase. Brown pointy ears could soon be seen through the grass as the rabbit began to hope toward the trap. Sheldon and Zoe were not the only ones watching the rabbit. Jokko honed in on the rabbit and bolted across the ground, white and brown fur almost appeared to be flying he was running so fast. The rabbit sensed the danger and turned and ran toward the woods. Jokko changed course in full pursuit of the rabbit. Sheldon began running and yelling, “Jokko, No!”. Zoe started running toward the group, “Sheldon, stop! Not into the woods!”. Sheldon caught Jokko just at the edge and they teetered for a moment on the black line at the edge of the trees. Zoe watched them slowly fall over the line, into the woods, disappearing as they fell. She ran right up to the line and screamed, “SHELDON!”. There was nothing to see, it was as if the trees and bushes covered Sheldon and Jokko in an instant. Running her hand over her short spiky hair she had visions of a similar disappearance six years prior. A four year old wisp of boy chasing a butterfly, wispy almost platinum hair flouncing in the breeze as he giggled. Mother was yelling his name, trying to get his attention. Wesley had looked up just as he’d cross the line into the woods. Mother never hesitated. She ran right after him and seconds later had disappeared as well. Zoe screwed up her face in determination and plunged into the woods with her fists balled up. Zoe glanced back immediately and could not see her home, the yard, or the sky. The tree top branches stretched out and twisted around each other like they were all holding arms. The knotted network made it difficult to see any sky beyond. Bushes and smaller trees made it difficult to see a path or move very far. Twigs kept clawing at Zoe’s purple jerkin and snatching at her black pants as she struggled to move ahead. Hearing a whistle she pushed harder toward a clearing, hoping it was Sheldon calling Jokko. As she burst through she was relieved to see Sheldon and startled to see two of the most beautiful people she had ever seen. Barely covered in matching gauzy white outfits with hair so light it almost glowed the smiled at Zoe. Dulcet tones rang out simultaneously,”beautiful girl, come here and spend time with us”, each reached a hand out to rub the space between them on the log,”we would love to entertain you, you are so pretty and we are so bored. Come and sit with us.” Zoe took one step toward them, feeling a pull as if an invisible rope was wrapping around her, begging her to move toward the light, the beauty. Sheldon waved his hand and pointed toward the ground at their feet. Zoe saw the skeletal foot in leaf litter and shook her head to clear the cob webs. “Have you seen a dog?”, Sheldon was asking them. “We can give you something better than what you seek, you can be here, happy, forever”, the gorgeous beings looked from Sheldon and Zoe and back again. Zoe ran toward Sheldon, “we must away, there is nothing good for us here brother.” “Agreed”, the clasped hands and pushed back into the forest. It didn’t seem to take very long before they were met with another small clearing. Water sparkled from a fountain in the center. Above the flower shaped fountain resided a canopy of multicolored silk protecting the water from falling leaves. Pewter mugs resided next to the fountain at a little table. A variety of fruit bearing trees ringed the clearing. Sweet smells of apples, pears and other fruits filled the air. Sheldon started toward the fountain. Zoe grabbed his arm and roughly pulled him back, “what are you doing?”. “I’m so thirsty, and hungry, why shouldn’t we fuel up before moving on?” “Sheldon, the last clearing appeared to be a permanent stop. There is a reason people do not come back. Maybe this is another trap.” “Zoe, I am so thirsty and hungry!” “Me too brother, but really we have eaten a short time ago, I think it is this place”, Zoe tugged at Sheldon’s arm, trying to get him to follow her through the clearing. After some cajoling they finally pushed past the fruit trees and continued their trek. Funnily enough the hunger seemed to dissipate the further along the walked. They moved along, holding hands, not trusting the dark deceiving forest. Just as exhaustion was starting in Sheldon paused and pointed ahead, “Is it lighter there or am I hallucinating Zoe?” “If you’re hallucinating then so am I, let’s proceed with caution, yes?”, Zoe’s blue eyes held Sheldon’s and he nodded in answer, his hair had small bits of tree in it now. Zoe smiled and reached over to pull out a small twig, “you should have gone with short hair like me brother.” Sheldon reached atop her head and flashed a leaf in front of her eyes, “this little guy was hitching a ride on you, so I’m not so sure that super short hair is really the answer”, he waggled an eyebrow as his lips curved up in a smile for the first time since leaving the food clearing. The plunged ahead with renewed vigor and came upon a circle of light inside another clearing. Inside the circle stood Jokko. “Jokko!”, the twins cried out as one. Jokko woofed and pranced but stayed inside the light circle. “Sheldon knelt down and snapped his fingers, “come on boy, come here Jokko, it’s okay, it’s your old pals Sheldy and Zo!” Jokko wagged his tail and made a series of standing jumps followed by woofs, his white and red fur flouncing. The white fur was peppered with red spots as well that seemed to dance as he jumped. Sheldon moved closer slowly while looking around, with Zoe right beside him.They each looked at the woods around them and the ground they traversed. As they crept forward they continued calling Jokko who continued his happy antics in the white circle. Finally upon broaching the edge of the light Sheldon looked at Zoe, “Shall we?” Zoe nodded, “together okay? Do a countdown, just in case, I want us to be together.” Sheldon started, “1...2...3...” At three they both stepped into the circle and were suddenly transported. Blinking they took in the artificial light and the gray metal walls. A thin humming could be felt under their feet. Jokko was nearby barking lightly and circling a tall woman. She was wearing gray pants with pockets and a white button shirt, her long blond hair was pulled back with a gray ribbon. Looking at her and then each other Sheldon and Zoe whispered, “mom?”, together. Her laughter made the crinkles around her eyes scrunch up, “still in twin sync I see! I am so glad you two made it!” A slender boy slid in behind her and tugged at her elbow. Glancing back her smile grew broader, “Sheldon and Zoe, you remember Wesley?” The twins nodded and Zoe flew over to him and hugged him tightly. Wesley struggled a little and then gave in to the warm embrace. “What is this place? Are we dead? Why didn’t you ever come back?”, the questions tumbled over each other as Sheldon looked around the strange place. “This place is only available to the courageous. You were courageous to risk the woods, most people don’t. You were courageous to pass by ‘eternal happiness’ offered by the tree sirens, you were courageous to pass up basic needs to accomplish your quest. Finally, you were courageous enough to enter the light. This place”, she gestured broadly with her free hand,”is a ship of possibilities for only the courageous. She was holding a rectangular object with light words on it. “What is that?”, Zoe asked pointing to the object her mother was holding. “It’s a PTS, a portable tech screen, it helps us get work done on the go.”, with that she tapped a few things on the screen, “follow me kids and I’ll get you settled, you can catch up with Wesley. You’ll have to give him a little bit of time, it has been six years and he was only four when he last saw you.” “Wait, mom”, as her mother looked up from her PTS Zoe asked, “can’t we get dad? We know the way now, we can bring him.” “I’m afraid not dear, the way is sometimes different for different people. He has to find his own courage. Otherwise I would have come for all of you long ago. I am sorry.” Both Sheldon and Zoe recognized a few people they had known from town as they followed their mother down the corridor. At one point they walked past a window, stopping for a moment they gazed at stars that seemed to be floating around them, and down below, patches of green and blue. “One last question mom”, Sheldon’s whispered as he pulled away from the window. “I’m sure there will be many more but what is this one?”, she ruffled Wesley’s hair. “Why a circle of light? Was that supposed to mean something?” “It does to some people, the rumor is that it used to be a witches hut but they decided to update it.”, with that she pushed a button and a door slid into the wall, “here you are, the beginning of a new life.” By Stephanie Prahl (Writing as Renee Ferrell) Steffprahl@gmail.com