Transparent Color's

After filling our canteens, we make our way back through the woods. Trees, trees, nothing but trees. What once was beauty has now become beastly. Maliki and Toby are walking in front of me, I stay behind.

As we walk I look down and see the color green. My mind quickly thinks, it’s not January, and then I remember I am no longer in the City. I realize though, the green is from grass starting to show, and getting thicker as I walk, until I am surrounded by grass. Yes! We finally emerge out of the woods. All I can see now is a valley of grass.

A big smile crosses my face. I stop and bend down to touch the thin, long, prickles growing from the earth. This is the first time I have ever touched it, in the City there was only dirt and cement. It feels soft and good in-between my fingers. I now take my boots and socks off and feel it in between my toes. I look up and see Toby doing the same.

Maliki stands there watching us, but then sits down on the grass, to let us have our fun. There is a little hill in the direction we are heading to, I see Toby running up it and rolling down. I just lay myself in the grass, moving my arms across it, smelling its freshness and letting the sun hit my face. I turn my head and see, between the blades, Maliki looking at me. My heart starts to beat a little faster. When he looks away, I tell my heart to start beating normal.

I look up to see two yellow birds flying overhead and I sit up in amazement. About to yell for Toby to come see, I notice him and Maliki on top of the hill, and Toby laughing. I get up, grab my boots and socks, and start running up the hill to meet them. Once I reach the top I now see a valley of little white and yellow flowers below. Another big smile crosses my face. I can’t help it, it looks so beautiful.

I look at Toby and he looks back and we start to run down, but Maliki stops both of us. “Sometimes things aren’t as beautiful as they appear. Maybe we should go around, I’ve heard of flowers that make you fall asleep.”

As much as I want to ignore him and go running through those flowers, it probably would be wise to get back into his good graces, so I agree and we start following him around. Down the hill, on the other side of the flowers, we approach tall multicolored grass. Maliki starts to enter, so I grab Toby’s hand and follow. I can’t help but think, it’s safe to go into the tall grass, where we can’t see anything in front of us, but it’s too dangerous to go through tiny flowers?

The multicolored grass is absolutely beautiful though. I’ve never seen so many colors together at one time.

Red, blue, purple, yellow, orange, green, and pink!

I finally see pink again. My mind starts to drift off, but I stub my big toe on a rock, “ouch!” I let out under my breath. I guess it’s time to put my socks and shoes back on. Me and Toby sit on the ground and do so. We get back up again and walk on.

We all reach the end of the grass, now before me is the stone path. Maliki takes out his compass to see which way we should head. The compass points north, which is to our left. He says this is the way we need to go. So we all go that direction down the path.

“How come now you need the compass? In the forest you seemed to know your way around just fine.”

“The path can be tricky; it sometimes changes direction on you.”

“Oh.” His voice sounds a little annoyed. I get what he’s so upset about, but this might be a good time to fix this little feud or whatever it is.

“Hey Maliki, um I just want to thank you for fixing my leg and back. I know I can be difficult, well stubborn, at times and that’s difficult. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry. I’m not use to being taken care of, especially without some kind of motive behind it. There’s no motive, right?”

“No motive. One thing you have to learn about me Maggie is I’m not a beat around the bush kind of guy. When something needs to get done, I get it done. If I come off irritated, it’s because I am. I’m truthful and will always protect what is mine. I would never steer you or Toby in the wrong direction. So when I tell you something important, try to listen, don’t just brush it off as a waste of your time. If that is the cause then what am I doing here? Or furthermore, what is it you really want from me?”

I stare at him speechless; he stares back at me with waiting eyes. Magolin say something! But words are not conjugating in my brain and therefore not on my tongue. It’s too late he looks away.

We walk for another two hours or so before we stop to rest and eat. The path is a little warmer than the woods, so I take my jacket off and put it in the sack around my shoulders, Toby does the same. After about an hour we get up and start walking again. Toby is feeling tired, so Maliki puts him on his shoulders. Toby holds Maliki’s staff and hits the multicolor grass as we walk.

“Hey Maliki, do you think there are different color rain drops that give the grass its color?” Toby starts to laugh.

Maliki gives a little laugh himself, “Well Toby I never thought about that, but that could make sense.”

I become lost in my thoughts, and their conversation fades out. I straggle behind them. There’s still too much tension and I’m the one causing it. “What do I want from him.”, why would he ask me that? It’s a simple question really, but yet I stood there frozen. I know what I want from him; I want him to find this City, I what him to keep putting a smile on Toby’s face, I want him to keep Toby safe. Maggie. Most of all I want a full explanation of what the hell is really going on here. There is so much I want, why could I not think of it then. Maggie. Maggie.

I fade them back in, “Hmm what?”

Maliki and Toby look back at me confused.

“I thought…nothing.” I look away, great now I’m hearing things.

I hear it again, Maggie, a soft whisper, like the sound of the wind, calling my name. The wind sweeps by my face causing it to turn to the right, there in the tall multicolored grass, is a beautiful light shining in a ball looking shape. I stop suddenly. In some strange fashion it compels me to follow. My mind goes blank, and my feet unwillingly step off the path into the tall grass. The grass reaches above my head and seems to dance and sing to me as I walk. It makes me feel joy, so I spin and dance with the grass, until I see the light again and continue to follow. I feel like I am floating above the rocks on the ground. Once I reach the edge of the tall grass I see a river, it flows smooth and clear. I smile, looking to my left, I see there is a drop; I am on top of a waterfall. The light wants me to follow.

I skip along the rocky bank side by side with the river, until I reach the end; I look down with excitement. I turn towards the river and see the light on a huge flat rock at the edge. It is in the middle of the waterfall, and is gleaming. It wants me to come; I must take my shoes and socks off and go. I touch my toe into the river, it feels warm and soothing. I step in, I feel as if I’m walking on water. I reach the rock and walk right on to it.

I am standing on the rock now, the wind brushes past me, causing me to close my eyes and smile. Yes, I feel so warm inside. When I open them back up, I see the most beautiful thing, a rainbow going across the clear blue sky. I’ve never felt so much joy and emotion, tears start running down my face. The light appears in front of me again, but this time it has something, my mother’s pin.

My mind starts to flicker back on with confusion, but the light gets a little brighter and I forget what I was confused about. Now I just want that shiny jeweled pin. I go to reach for it, but it moves off the cliff. I think it’s a game and move to the very edge of the rock, reaching out for it.

“Maggie,” I faintly hear, but ignore it, I want that pin. I reach out a little further.

“MAGGIE!” I hear loud and clear now. My mind pulls back. I realize where I am. But it is too late! I reached too far and I lose my footing. I fall off the rock. I reach out and catch something. It’s a thick vine going off the rock. I am dangling now, at lease I’m not still falling.

The mist of the water drenches me. I have to pull myself up, but the vine is so slippery and I can barely keep my grip. I have to, for Toby. I lock my legs around and dig my nails into the vine as I climb up. Nearly to the top my arms are shaking and limp. I suddenly hear a bump on the rock and a moan. That must be Maliki, Please be Maliki.

I’m nearly a foot from the rock when, SNAP! The vine breaks and I feel myself falling again. I can’t help but let out a scream. I’m gone; I will not see a sun rise ever again or move a piece of bread that is touching some of the other food away. I am gone. Wait, no, I am not gone, but dangling again. Something has hold of my bag that is wrapped around me. Whoever stitched this bag did an amazing job, I’m grateful for its strength. I feel myself slowly moving up, when my arm hits the rock; I reach up and help pull myself up. I look up and it’s Maliki. I knew it had to be him. He pulls me to the top. We both lie on top of the rock just breathing for a while.

Breathing heavily, Maliki can only let out the word, “Okay?”

A sudden thought comes into my head, “Toby!” Anxiety fills me. I move close to Maliki’s side, “Where did you leave him, is he okay?!”

Maliki looks up at me, he seems to be able to catch his breath more normally now, but stills seem to be having trouble, “You’re welcome” he sits up a little, “He is fine I left him on the path.”

I feel a little more relaxed now, but I will feel even more relaxed when I’m next to him. I touch my head and feel my pin, it was there all along. It wasn’t real. Terror clenches me on how real it felt.

I can see from the corner of my eye, Maliki is struggling to stand all the way up. I go over and link my arm with his. He feels strong and warm, and now on his feet.

“How are we supposed to get off this rock?”

I can tell by his facial expression he is searching for an answer. His eyes look around, trying to figure a way out. Maliki turns to me, “Do you want to jump rocks or search for a strong vine?”

“Jump rocks? What rocks are there to jump?”

Maliki points down the waterfall to rocks sticking out of the fall. The way the rocks are positioned they make a path to the side of the cliff where we need to go. The rocks are wet and look slippery, but if by chance we make it to the side of the cliff, the climb up do not look that difficult.

“Do you think we could find a strong enough vine to pull us to the bank?”

“We can look, but I doubt we will be able to keep a good grip all the way. The river seems to be getting stronger. I honestly don’t know how you got across without it taking you down the fall.”

“So rocks it is?”

“Rocks it is,” Maliki then bends down and points to the vines hanging down the fall.

“If we jump and grab on to the vines hanging, it can save us from falling to our death. Well that is if the vine doesn’t snap like yours did,” he gives a little smile, but his smile seems to be in pain. He has his arm clutching his side.

“Are you…”

“Cracked ribs; it’ll heal on its own.”

“Ookay. Well I guess we should get started, Toby’s probably wondering where we are,” I point to the first rock.

Maliki nods and takes a deep breath in and out, struggles really to take a breath in and out, then makes the first leap onto the rock. I catch my breath; he almost slips off but successfully grabs hold to a vine and stables himself.

With a smile on his face he looks up at me, “Good to go?”

I’m shaking from head to toe, I don’t know if I have the guts to do it. I place my feet in a ready position, sway forward and backwards. I close my eyes and breathe.

“Come on, we don’t have all day, Sunshine!”

My eyes pop open. Uncle Ping.