The Journey to the Land of Trees
Alex Hale

© Alex Hale, 2022

ISBN 978-5-0059-1064-6

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Johnny is a talking tree.

Jessica, cheerful girl, 11 years old, long, blond hair, blue eyes, sweet smile, sonorous voice, Jessica had a younger brother, Charlie, he was three years younger than Jessica, but smart beyond his years, brown-eyed brown-haired, serious. Patrick and Emily Edwards, were colleagues, worked in the same construction company, where they met, Patrick was a serious, modest young man, blue-eyed brown-haired, having buried his beloved grandmother, Mary, Patrick stood near the grave and recalled how his grandmother took custody of him, she lived in the country, Patrick liked the country life. He loved the dishes she cooked. It was raining, but even rain could be distinguished from the tears that were running down his cheeks. Colleagues approached him. Among which was a brown-eyed blonde, of medium height, she approached him and whispered something, he looked at her and sighed, Patrick’s parents died in a car accident, David andBarbara was at the doctor that day, they found out that they would soon become parents, Patrick was their adopted son, David always discussed everything with his wife, including the idea of adopting a child, Barbara’s friend worked in an orphanage, she handed over a list of documents necessary for adoption, explaining to them the procedure, they were ready to wait as long as needed, the main thing is to feel like parents, to give a family to a child. When they arrived to see the children, it seemed to Barbara that she was hooked on something, looking around, she saw a touching picture, a boy of three years old, held her by the dress, then she heard from the lips of the child what she dreamed of hearing more than anything in the world, one word … “Mom”. . She approached the boy, sat down and wiped her tears, she said, although it was more likely a request.. “Repeat, I beg you.” The boy repeated, “Mom.” Barbara hugged the boy and cried. The choice fell on him. The adoption process was long and David and Barbara were looking forward to the moment when Patrick would appear in their house, there would be children’s laughter, there would be toys, family holidays, picnics. When this touching moment came, David and Barbara were very worried, Patrick entered the house, a loud nursery, joyful laughter was heard in all rooms. A huge guest room, a sofa in the middle of the room, a table. The guest bedroom was next, also on the first floor was David’s study, on the second floor there were two more rooms, the bedroom of David and Barbara, a children’s room, there was a wardrobe in the corner, it had everything necessary for the child, books, toys, baby bed. It seemed that Patrick’s life had changed and now he has a family, it did not last long..David and Barbara were in for a surprise, they learned that they would soon have a baby. They wanted to please Patrick, who was left with his grandmother, but did not arrive. A car accident claimed their lives, so Patrick lost his adoptive parents, staying with his grandmother. After the death of his grandmother, Patrick inherited a house and a farm in the village. Patrick liked communication with Mary, she supported him, thus preventing him from being alone with thoughts about the death of his adoptive parents and grandmother. He began to smile, enjoy life, and after the wedding and the birth of two children, he stopped being gloomy at all. But the serious expression still remains. But it was more of a habit.Two years later, when Jessica was 13,cancer took her mother’s life. For Patrick, the death of life was another test, which, as he thought, he was unlikely to be able to cope. He didn’t know what to do, he was desperate. Remembering the house in the village and the farm, Patrick decided to talk to the children. Jessica is already 13, and Charlie is not small either. In addition, everything is not perfect at school for children, there are no friends, and relationships with classmates do not add up. And in the village there is a school, the neighbors are good.Jessica came from school in a bad mood, followed by Charlie, ran up the stairs to the second floor, by the expression on the faces of the children, Patrick realized that he needed to talk to them about moving to the village. Half an hour later he went up the stairs and knocked on the door. Then he slowly opened the door and entered the room. Jessica sat on the bed, wiping her tears, and crumpled notebooks lay on the floor. He walked over to his daughter, sat down in front of her, “Would you like to move into grandma’s house?” Patrick asked, slightly worried. Girl don’texpected to hear this question from him, she thought that he likes life in the city, he has a job in the city and a good salary. After thinking it over, she gave a positive answer because she was fed up with the ridicule of her classmates. Lying on the bed, pretending to be asleep, Charlie jumped up. His face lit up, a smile appeared on him that had not been there for a long time. He walked over to Patrick and hugged him. It wasn’t surprisingThe hardest thing was Charlie, relationships with classmates, the attitude of teachers, all this in total contributed to the fact that he liked Patrick’s idea. On Sunday, Patrick called several colleagues and told them about the move. Bob, Mark and Steve arrived, along with colleagues, Patrickpacked his bags, only Patrick knew what was going on inside him. Sadness, boredom, pain, a little joy, the hope that there, in the village, everything would be different, all this was mixed up in him. He sighed for the last time, silently closing the door. The family rode for a long time, only at night, having reached the village, tired. They happily entered the house. On the ground floor there was a small living room, not far from it a spacious kitchen, then a bathroom, two spare rooms. One of them was David’s office, he worked when he came to visit his mother. Wooden staircase, second floor, on the second floor there were two bedrooms, a children’s room, and also a favorite attic. Where Jessica and Charlie sometimes hid from their parents by playing hide and seek. Patrick went to the kitchen, he took out from the bag, with the products that he bought on the way, the products. “Jessica, Charlie, go to the kitchen, dinner is ready! – With the last of his strength, shouted Patrick. The children did not have to wait long, hungry, tired, Jessica and Charlie were soon in the kitchen. As Jessica and Charlie sat down to Patrick’s right and left, they looked atlike they were expecting something special from him, Patrick realized that they had noticed him buying chocolate bars. He smiled and said, “Don’t rush, whoever finishes the porridge will get sweets and juice.“After the death of his grandmother, parents and Emily, children became the meaning of his life. And he decided that he would be not only a father, but also a friend. He will support them in everything, will not regret anything for them. Now he only has them. He thoughtfully looked at them, in the eyes of Patrick there was sadness and emptiness, and in his soul there was also fear.. Fear of the future, because he did not know what to do next, how to cope with everything that had fallen on him. This burden pressed on him, sometimes, being alone with himself, he looked at photographs of his parents, grandmother and wife, and talked to them. How he misses them, he talked about his pain and fear of the future.. But he did not show his weakness, pain to the children, he tried to hold on. After dinner, he took chocolate bars and juice out of the bag and gave them to Jessica and Charlie. He bought himself a bar with a bottle of juice, Patrick did not drink alcohol, as did his late wife Emily. In the morning, Patrick had to take the children to school, he was worried and hoped that in the localschool, Jessica and Charlie will have no problems. Here comes the morning, childrenhave already descendedstairs. And Patrick made them breakfast. He remembered how, as a child, Barbara made him sandwiches in the morning, he missed his parents. He made sandwiches for the children according to his mother’s recipe. ““Children, quickly everyone in the car, a new school is waiting for you and I hope that you will not have problems in this school!”” said Patrick. They drove for about twenty minutes, the school was almost like a city school. All three were worried, but Patrick tried to support the children. As they walked down a long corridor, Patrick knocked on the headmaster’s door. ““Mrs. Fisher, I’m Patrick Edwards, I called you about the children..”” Patrick shouted in a trembling voice. The door opened, in front of them, holding the handle, stood a tall woman, about forty-five years old. The serious, stern expression on her face frightened even Patrick. Clara Fisher – that was the name of the headmistress, silently went into the office. Patrick followed her, followed by Jessica and Charlie. ““This is my daughter Jessica, she is 13 years old, she is capable, and this is Charlie, he doesn’t talk much, he’s very smart, their mother died, Emily had cancer. I could not live in the city, in the house in which we lived as a family, in the city school the children had problems, with classmates, there was a house in which my father grew up. We just moved here, I’m surethere is a completely different atmosphere in the local school, Mrs. Fisher, you said when I called you, I was worried, but I also understood that the children now had only me left and to help them, my duty, as a father,”” said Patrick, hoping that Mrs. Fisher would not mind accepting his children into her school. The woman looked at the children, then at Patrick, who suddenly saw in this strict, at first glance, man, a kind, gentle person. “Mr. Edwards, your fate, your grief, loss after loss, you have had a lot to go through, as well as your children. You heard that I am very strict, that the rules set by me apply at school, yes, it’s true, being strict does not mean being unfair, because I am also a person, I also lost many loved ones, I went through a lot. And I understand you, there are free places in the school, your children will study at this school, I hope that I will not regret my decision to accept your children in this school, from tomorrow your children will start attending classes!””. Patrick thanked Mrs. Fisher. After the end of the process of new children to school, Patrick got into the car, on the way home, he drove to the brother of a neighbor who worked in a convenience store. Entering the mini market, Patrick greeted Michael, boughtvegetables, sweets for children and of course cheese. Arriving home and having lunch, Patrick opened his laptop, he read various articles, news. The phone rang, it was a home phone, Patrick left the office, Jessica went into her father’s office, thinking she just looked towards the laptop, the girl’s attention was attracted by an article about strange phenomena occurring in the forest. Some residents of nearby villages claimed to have heard voices that came from the forest. Although no one lives in that forest. She did not have time to finish reading, Patrick returned to the office. Jessica returned to her room. She thought about that article, many questions swirling in her head. Jessica was generally a curious girl, and now she wanted to know about this story, as much as possible. There were only doubts. You never know what these people could hear.. Maybe they just heard. Village, where Jessica’s family had moved in was also close to the woods, but Jessica hadn’t heard anything of the sort. She did not notice how evening came when she went downstairs, Charlie was already in the kitchen. And Patrick was carrying oven-roasted chicken. He walked, staggering, it was not usual for him. The children laughed, Patrick was glad that he could make them laugh. “Yes, I agree, I look like a drunk, but I just never baked a chicken in the oven and did not carry it to the table, but next time, I can do it better, it’s funny to me.” Patrick said, laughing and at the same time afraid to drop the chicken. Everything really looked funny, finally everyone sat down at the table and there was silence. Which Patrick soon broke. “You liked the new school, I’m interested in your opinion, from tomorrow you will go to a local school, was also close to the woods, but Jessica heard nothing of the sort. She did not notice how evening came when she went downstairs, Charlie was already in the kitchen. And Patrick was carrying oven-roasted chicken. He walked, staggering, it was not usual for him. The children laughed, Patrick was glad that he could make them laugh. “Yes, I agree, I look like a drunk, but I just never baked a chicken in the oven and did not carry it to the table, but next time, I can do it better, it’s funny to me.” Patrick said, laughing and at the same time afraid to drop the chicken. Everything really looked funny, finally everyone sat down at the table and there was silence. Which Patrick soon broke. “You liked the new school, I’m interested in your opinion, from tomorrow you will go to a local school, was also close to the woods, but Jessica heard nothing of the sort. She did not notice how evening came when she went downstairs, Charlie was already in the kitchen. And Patrick was carrying oven-roasted chicken. He walked, staggering, it was not usual for him. The children laughed, Patrick was glad that he could make them laugh. “Yes, I agree, I look like a drunk, but I just never baked a chicken in the oven and did not carry it to the table, but next time, I can do it better, it’s funny to me.” Patrick said, laughing and at the same time afraid to drop the chicken. Everything really looked funny, finally everyone sat down at the table and there was silence. Which Patrick soon broke. “You liked the new school, I’m interested in your opinion, from tomorrow you will go to a local school, She did not notice how evening came when she went downstairs, Charlie was already in the kitchen. And Patrick was carrying oven-roasted chicken. He walked, staggering, it was not usual for him. The children laughed, Patrick was glad that he could make them laugh. “Yes, I agree, I look like a drunk, but I just never baked a chicken in the oven and did not carry it to the table, but next time, I can do it better, it’s funny to me.” Patrick said, laughing and at the same time afraid to drop the chicken. Everything really looked funny, finally everyone sat down at the table and there was silence. Which Patrick soon broke. “You liked the new school, I’m interested in your opinion, from tomorrow you will go to a local school, She did not notice how evening came when she went downstairs, Charlie was already in the kitchen. And Patrick was carrying oven-roasted chicken. He walked, staggering, it was not usual for him. The children laughed, Patrick was glad that he could make them laugh. “Yes, I agree, I look like a drunk, but I just never baked a chicken in the oven and did not carry it to the table, but next time, I can do it better, it’s funny to me.” Patrick said, laughing and at the same time afraid to drop the chicken. Everything really looked funny, finally everyone sat down at the table and there was silence. Which Patrick soon broke. “You liked the new school, I’m interested in your opinion, from tomorrow you will go to a local school, it was not usual for him. The children laughed, Patrick was glad that he could make them laugh. “Yes, I agree, I look like a drunk, but I just never baked a chicken in the oven and did not carry it to the table, but next time, I can do it better, it’s funny to me.” Patrick said, laughing and at the same time afraid to drop the chicken. Everything really looked funny, finally everyone sat down at the table and there was silence. Which Patrick soon broke. “You liked the new school, I’m interested in your opinion, from tomorrow you will go to a local school, it was not usual for him. The children laughed, Patrick was glad that he could make them laugh. “Yes, I agree, I look like a drunk, but I just never baked a chicken in the oven and did not carry it to the table, but next time, I can do it better, it’s funny to me.” Patrick said, laughing and at the same time afraid to drop the chicken. Everything really looked funny, finally everyone sat down at the table and there was silence. Which Patrick soon broke. “You liked the new school, I’m interested in your opinion, from tomorrow you will go to a local school, laughing and at the same time afraid to drop the chicken. Everything really looked funny, finally everyone sat down at the table and there was silence. Which Patrick soon broke. “You liked the new school, I’m interested in your opinion, from tomorrow you will go to a local school, laughing and at the same time afraid to drop the chicken. Everything really looked funny, finally everyone sat down at the table and there was silence. Which Patrick soon broke. “You liked the new school, I’m interested in your opinion, from tomorrow you will go to a local school, I’m sure you’ll feel better there and adjust quickly, Jessie, I want you to focus on your studies, make friends with your classmates. Charlie, do not avoid dialogue with classmates and teachers, children, I just want you to be happy in the new school and in the new house, if something is bothering you, tell me, I will listen to you and support you, I will solve your problems. Don’t keep everything to yourself, I’m not only your dad, but also a friend. I love you very much, I said it all,”” Patrick thought, he doubted that it was worth saying all this. Just a strange anxiety was inside. Something worried him, he was uneasy. After dinner, Charlie and Jessica reassured Patrick, saying that they are happy with the school, they are absolutely calm and all their problems are left in the city. Wishing Charlie and Jessica good night, Patrickwent to his room, the room was empty, but he used to feel differently when those who are now not around were alive. There is no grandmother, no parents who never let him feel that he is an adopted grandson and son. He missed their smiles, their support, their warmth, but there were children nearby, Jessica, Charlie, who should not see him like that, he should be strong for them, for their happy future. Thoughts for a long time did not allow him to fall asleep, there were many questions that he could not answer. It was almost midnight, there was suddenly a strange desire to go out into the yard. Patrick went outside, he looked up, the light in the windows of the children’s rooms was not on. This calmed him, he decided to walk a little, as if something was pushing him. He heard a noise that sounded like a sneeze. The noise came from the side of the forest, that was not all.. After a moment, he heard a short cough. Patrick turned around, without looking back, he ran home, then he realized how far he had gone, he ran for about twenty minutes. No one lived in the forest, therefore, a person could not make noise. Patrick ran into the house, closing the door, scolding himself for his carelessness, regretting that he had left the house at midnight. The children did not wake up, but Patrick went up the stairs, went into his room and lay down and fell asleep in a moment. Apparently the short run tired him. In the morning, Jessica’s voice woke him up: “Dad, get up, Charlie and I want to eat, we still have to go to a new school, and by the way, you have to take us to school, so wake up,” Jessica shouted loudly until Patrick woke up. Sleepy Patrick carefully looked at his daughter and smiled, here it is happiness, children, they are his happiness, his joy and the meaning of life.. He did not even remember even once about the night incident. Although, he will remember that adventure more than once. He did not even suspect that soon he would be one of the first to know the secret of the forest, the secret of the noise, the voices that came from the side of the forest. And the reason why he will know about everything will be the person closest to him, about courage, courage, the kindness of which, he is to learn. A lot will happen beforethan Patrick will be part of these events. After preparing breakfast, Patrick opened his laptop, a cold shiver ran through his body. He opened a news site, there was an article about a strange noise that one of the inhabitants of the neighboring village heard yesterday, the man claimed to have heard this noise at eleven o’clock, almost an hour before Patrick heard it. He felt uneasy, but he didn’t show it. He sat down inchair and thought about what was going on. He asked many questions, but he could not answer any of them. Without drinking tea, Patrick drove the children to school in a terrible mood, when he arrived home, Patrick opened his laptop and began to look for articles about voices, noises that came from the forest. If he had not personally become a witness, had not heard the noise, would not have believed these witnesses, thinking that they simply heard all this. Patrick believed himself, what he heard. He found several articlesabout such cases, so he was not the only one who heard the noise. This forest was called forbidden, no one dared to enter the forest. Fear was stronger than curiosity, Patrick was no exception. Judging by the dates, all these oddities began to happen recently. Now the main thing for Patrick was to keep the children safe from all this, until it became clear what kind of noise it was and who or what was the source of this noise. Jessica and Charlie at school have already made friends with several classmates, even seemingly closed and serious Charlie began to change before our eyes. A smile appeared on the boy’s face, his face beamed, he mentally thanked Patrick. Robert, Alice and Sammy, with whom Charlie became friends, were good guys, peers and classmates of Charlie, became his best friends. Robert was a nimble boy, a brunette with blue eyes, a brown-eyed red-haired girl, with glasses, blond, serious, he stood out for his physique, the girls ran after him and Alice was no exception. And Jessica tried to be sociable and polite, as her dad advised, shecommunicated with everyone, but mostly they were girls, including those from a parallel class, one of Jessica’s best friends became Alice, the teaching staff was delighted with the success of Jessica and Charlie, and Patrick was proud of the children. They didn’t fail him, he didn’t have to blush in front of Mrs. Fisher. And the latter praised them and thanked Patrick for bringing gifted children to her school. Patrick realized that it was not in vain that he gave advice and instructions to children. Meanwhile, Jessica, having heard Charlie and Alice’s dialogue about a strange forest near their village, remembered the article she was reading when she entered her father’s office. Noticing Jessica, Charlie waved his hand, inviting his sister to join the discussion of the oddities going on in that forest. Curious Jessica did not refuse, she was very interested and wanted to figure it out. First startedgive an opinion on what’s happening in the forest, Charlie: “Well, they say there are talking trees, people heard voices, I used my dad’s laptop and there were articles about the noise of one hundred sides of the forest. They say that there aren’t even any animals there, so it’s all trees, they make noise and talk “” – well, Charlie, of course, tried his best to convey all the information that he owns to the others, but Alice just laughed and didn’t say anything. Jessica was unhappy that Alice reacted with laughter, she decided to support her brother. Jessica did not like to argue, even Patrick could not argue with her. She looked at Alice and said something that made Alice think. And if you do not believe Charlie, then doubt your innocence. Jessica started with the most important thing: ““I also saw the articles, you can not believe them, but it is unlikely that several people from different villages decided to agree, I’m going to find out what’s wrong, I’m going to go to that forest and find out what’s going on there, I’ll film everything on my phone camera and prove that my brother is right. Charlie, don’t look at me like that, I’m almost fourteen now. I’ll explain everything to dad later, he won’t scold me, he loves us. When I first saw those articles, I became curious about what was really going on, who was scaring people and why. I want to find out and no one will stop me!” Having said everything, Jessica waved her hand to the guys and ran down the long corridor, what is really happening, who scares people and why. I want to find out and no one will stop me!” Having said everything, Jessica waved her hand to the guys and ran down the long corridor, what is really happening, who scares people and why. I want to find out and no one will stop me!” Having said everything, Jessica waved her hand to the guys and ran down the long corridor, the lesson had already begun, but the girl’s thoughts were busy with other things, after the end of the lessons, Jessica decided to talk with her brother, at dinner the children did not say a word, only nodded their heads. Patrick was puzzled by this, he always felt when the children were worried or had problems. It seemed to him that even now something was happening to them. While all three were thinking about their own, the doorbell rang, they were neighbors, they came to invite Patrick and his children to Alice’s birthday, because she was not only Charlie’s classmate, but also a neighbor. Now the first priority for Patrick was to choose a good present for Alice. But he had an assistant who could tell him what to buy so that he would not have to blush in front of everyone later. Charlie also decided to ask his sister for help, so that she would help him choose a gift for a classmate. Jessica understood all the responsibility, she only had to go for a gift, she also had to postpone everything related to the forest, although she was determined. There are a few hours left before the birthday, choosing a birthday present is not easy. It wasresponsible mission, besides, it was necessary to buy not one, but three gifts. But she knew almost everything about Alice’s tastes, her preferences. They went with the whole family for gifts, Patrick did not know where to buy gifts, but he heard that there is a special hypermarket. He searched the internet and within minutes, the family was on their way. They drove up to a large, red building, there was a shopping center nearby, Patrick had to go there too to buy clothes for the children and food, he also had to buy a new TV. There were many things to do, as well as responsibility, they had to be in time everywhere, on this day they were not up to the forest, with its oddities. It was not difficult to find the department with gifts, it was on the first floor, Jessica insisted on buying a dress and sweets, Patrick had only to obey his daughter and buy a dress and sweets, a large basket, Charlie asked to buy a house, leaving the gifts in the car, Patrick and the children went to the shopping center: a large yellow and blue building with three floors, on the first floor there were clothing stores, household appliances, office equipment, a cafe, almost the entire second floor was a grocery store, with the exception of a few shops, in which were cosmetics, perfumes, household chemicals. The third floor was mainly for fishermen, those who like to read and stationery. Patrick and the children went to a cafe, Patrick ordered pasta in sauce and green tea, mashed potatoes with pieces of beef for the children, this was their favorite dish and juice. Patrick rarely went anywhere with the children, be it a park, a cafe, a shopping center. Leaving the cafe, they headed towards the children’s clothing store. The choice was huge, but there were only four hours left, the beginning of the holiday. Jessica and Charlie were trying on clothes. It was summer on the nose it was necessary to buy summer clothes for the holiday, a festive dress for Jessica and clothes for Charlie. For almost an hour, the children chose clothes and finally each of them chose clothes for himself. Jessica chose a pink dress, and Charlie a T-shirt and jeans, the clothes were certainly not cheap, but Patrick did not feel sorry for any money for the children.The kids were delighted and Patrick was happy. But there was one more thing to be done. Buy a TV, the family went for a TV. Patrick chose a small TV because they rarely watched it. Charlie read books almost all his free time, and Jessica also kept up with her brother, tried her best in terms of studying. Arriving home, Charlie and Jessicahelped his father install the TV, Patrick did not notice how an hour and a half had flown by. There was not much time left before the holiday, Patrick was already ready, however, like the children. Though tired, but joyful, they went to the neighbors. Alice and her parents welcomed the guests, they were very happy, Patrick and the children were also happy. After all, they had nowhere to go in the city. The people there were different, but in the village, everyone was friendly, kind and hospitable. Alice gave Charlie and Jessica a tour of the house, the guys went up to the attic and Alice showed them a drawing of one of her friends who came closest to the forest. The picture was a scary tree, with its mouth open. Charlie just smirked, and Jessica felt uneasy. She silently turned away and in a moment was already among the guests. She tried to smile at everyone, but inside there was anxiety, fear from what she saw. Fear of the inhabitants of the forest and allwhat is associated with it. Charlie also went down to the guests, he went up to Jessica. Seeing the fear in his sister’s eyes, he smiled, took her hand and led her into the garden. Emily’s family garden was very beautiful. Jessica forgot about fear when she saw this beauty. Huge trees, an apple tree, a pear tree, Jessica’s favorite peaches. Charlie picked some peaches and handed them to his sister. There was joy and gratitude in her eyes. Although Charlie was serious and silent, he loved his father and sister very much. He pointed his fingers towards the forest – “There.. They are not evil, there was a tree in the picture, he had a mouth. I don’t think it’s possible, it’s not real. Don’t be afraid, dad and I are there, so don’t be afraid.” There was confidence in what he was saying in Charlie’s words. This was not just an attempt to calm the frightened sister. Jessica thought, after what her brother said. She understoodLittle did this girl know that Patrick and Charlie would not be there when she faced the one thing that filled her with fear. If she had been told that she would know the secret and see everything with her own eyes, that much lay ahead of her and that it was all connected with the forbidden forest, she would not have believed it. Jessica felt calmer at heart after her brother’s words. Soon the hero of the occasion appeared. Alice was uncomfortable in front of Jessica, the fear of her classmate’s sister haunted her. She apologized to Jessica and Charlie and began accepting congratulations from the guests. Classmates, friends, neighbors, everyone Alice knew came. Everyone was having fun and singing. One of the first who congratulated the birthday girl was Charlie, he was worried, but said a lot of good things and a lot of kind words and wishes. His words touched Alice and tears of joy flowed down the girl’s cheeks. She had no idea that such a seemingly silent and modest boy could be so kind, to say so many good things. Yes, she cried from surprise, to hear so many good things about herself.. Then Jessica began to congratulate Alice, it’s beautiful, she wished her a lot of good things, after her daughter, Patrick began to congratulate the girl. One by one, everyone congratulated Alice and it was time to go home. Alice could not get enough of the guests, gifts and congratulations. At night, she dreamed of Jessica and Charlie, she rode with them in a beautiful train, similar to the one with which she played a few years ago. They drove past the houses of classmates Charlie and Alice. And the train was driven by Patrick, she woke up in a great mood, it would seem that nothing could spoil her mood. But the news that Alice heard made her uneasy. Alice was going downstairs to have breakfast when she overheard a conversation between Patrick and her father. BesideCharlie was standing with Patrick, but Jessica was nowhere to be seen. Patrick said that when he called the children to breakfast, only Charlie came to breakfast. And when Jessica did not respond to the knock and Patrick opened the door to her room, he found that Jessica was not in the room. He went around the whole yard, talked to almost all the neighbors, but no one saw her. Standing next to Patrick, Charlie was shaking and crying. It was the first time she had seen him so lost, frightened. She wanted to support her classmate, but she did not know how to do it. She went down the stairs and ran out into the street. Charlie ran after her, it seemed to him that Alice wanted to tell him something or hint at something. And it is possible to show that without asking anything, he ran after Alice, hoping that she would help him find his sister. After all, it is not known where she could have gone before dawn. Different thoughts appeared in Charlie’s head. But he didn’t want to think about anything bad. He convinced himself that everything was fine with his sister and that he and dad would find her soon. Discarding all thoughts, Charlie stopped and looked around, nothing was there. They are with Alicestood right in front of the forbidden forest. The boy was seized with fear, on the one hand, fear of the forest, on the other hand, the desire to find his sister. But what happened next surprised Alice and Charlie. Jessica ran out of the forest, whole and unharmed. Charlie ran up and, with tears in his eyes, hugged his sister tightly. The boy’s voice was trembling, he could not say anything. Jessica realized that her disappearance had frightened her brother. She immediately thought of Patrick. Heworries, because you need to reassure dad. She wiped Charlie’s tears away with a handkerchief, took her brother’s hand, and they both went home. Patrick stood in the yard, seeing Jessica, he ran to Charlie and his daughter. He could only say a couple of phrases: “I’m so.. I was worried, you’re my daughter.” There was silence at dinner, Patrick tried to somehow defuse the situation, to joke, but the children were not in the mood for jokes. Especially Jessica, although she apologized to her father, she still felt uneasy. She considered herself guilty that Patrick was almost speechless, because of her curiosity, he could not even talk normally after her return. It was hard for Patrick, he was confused and this affected his children. He wanted to somehow fix everything, so that Jessica would understand that he was not angry or offended by her. And that no matter what, he is her dad and always will be. Jessica promised that it was the first and last time, when asked to tell why she went to the forest, she replied that she was curious, interested to know what or who lives in the forest. Jessica saw what others could not see, but she was not yet ready to tell. Alice and Charlie didn’t tell anyone about Jessica being in the woods. And Jessica seemed absolutely calm, which surprised Patrick and Charlie. At 5 am, Jessica decided on something that even an adult would not have dared to do. She decided to go into the forest and find out the truth about the forest. Entering the forest, Jessica stopped and could not recover for a long time, in front of her stood a tree, low, but unusual, this tree had eyes like a person, two legs and arms instead of branches and a mouth, but otherwise it looked like on a tree, branches, leaves, only the branches were thick, and there were a lot of leaves, when the tree opened her eyes and held out her hand to the girl, she first froze in one place, and then rushed to run with a cry, without looking back, several times Jessica stumbled over something and fell, then with tears she ran to the edge of the forest, hearing the voices of Alice and Charlie, she stopped, wiped her tears, calming herself, she approached them. It was her first encounter with the strange tree.Jessica most of all wanted to forget about that meeting, she decided that it was not worth telling her brother and friend about meeting with that strange tree in order to fence them off from the forest. So that curiosity does not take possession of them. She didn’t want them to go through the same thing as her. That night, Jessica could not sleep, she lay, the light in the room was turned on. So the girl lay until the morning, at the table she silentlysat, thinking, Patrick and Charlie were talking about something, but Jessica was thinking about her own, only nodding her head in response to questions from her father and brother. Before the eyes of the girl was from time to time, there was an image of a tree that she saw in the forest. And every time she shuddered, she often looked at the photograph of her mother, which was next to the bed, on the shelf in the closet and told about everything. their fears, experiences, curiosity and fear intertwined inside, two opposites. They haunted the girl, a sense of guilt, she also could not forget about him. In fact, Jessica was very vulnerable and sensitive, responsible, but she considered curiosity to be her main disadvantage. Curiosity is what made her forget about responsibility, her weakness. Patrick sat in his office and looked for information about the forest, about those who knew, heard or saw at least something. Patrick’s attention was drawn to an interview with a beekeeper from a nearby village. His name was Paul, Patrick was in that village several times, passing by houses, Patrick greeted the beekeeper. He remembered him and decided to go to that village, to the beekeeper and talk to him about the forest. On the way he needed to fill up, stopping along the way, Patrick decided to go to the store and buy something for Paul. The roadside shop clerk also heard about Paul’s interview. He buys honey from him, Patrick bought food and continued on his way. Arriving at the beekeeper’s house, Patrick went into the yard, Paul was collecting honey. Seeing the guest, Paul smiled, he put a jar of honey on the table. Floor: He remembered him and decided to go to that village, to the beekeeper and talk to him about the forest. On the way he needed to fill up, stopping along the way, Patrick decided to go to the store and buy something for Paul. The roadside shop clerk also heard about Paul’s interview. He buys honey from him, Patrick bought food and continued on his way. Arriving at the beekeeper’s house, Patrick went into the yard, Paul was collecting honey. Seeing the guest, Paul smiled, he put a jar of honey on the table. Floor: He remembered him and decided to go to that village, to the beekeeper and talk to him about the forest. On the way he needed to fill up, stopping along the way, Patrick decided to go to the store and buy something for Paul. The roadside shop clerk also heard about Paul’s interview. He buys honey from him, Patrick bought food and continued on his way. Arriving at the beekeeper’s house, Patrick went into the yard, Paul was collecting honey. Seeing the guest, Paul smiled, he put a jar of honey on the table. Floor: he put the jar of honey on the table. Floor: he put the jar of honey on the table. Floor:

– I saw you recently, you were passing by here.. I’m Paul, a local beekeeper, I’m always glad to have guests, try honey, it’s fresh. By the way, thanks for the groceries – the beekeeper smiled, he was so happy with the guest that he forgot to ask about the reason for Patrick’s arrival, he also forgot about his interview, his memory failed him, he was over fifty years old, but he still didn’t feel sad, didn’t lose heart.

– I came to you from a neighboring village, there is something that scares me.. Forest, you gave an interview, I read it, I also heard noise from there.. I wanted to ask about the forest. Tell me, Paul, what do you know or have heard? I understand you gave interviews, but I came in the hope that you will remember something else. I.. – The expression of the beekeeper’s face changed, unexpectedly for Patrick, the beekeeper put food on the table, turned away and opened the door of a small house, he was going to go into the house.. – My daughter, she miraculously returned from that forest, sheonly 13 years old, please tell me everything you know,” Patrick said in a trembling voice, sat down at a small table that stood in the yard, in the hope that Paul would change his mind and talk to him..

The beekeeper turned to Patrick, Paul’s only daughter, who died ten years ago in a car accident, he understood Patrick’s feelings and condition.

“Come in, guest, don’t forget to take off your shoes, I’m sorry that I’m like this with you.. It’s just that the neighbors think I’m a crazy old man, that’s why I reacted like that, don’t be offended, I’m leaving quickly, and indeed, in fact, I’m cheerful, kind, – the beekeeper smiled, going into the kitchen, the kitchen was spacious, for a house of this size, the house was renovated, the late daughter insisted on repairs, although Paul was against it, she paid for the repair, Paul pointed to the photo with his finger.. – This my Cynthia, my girl, she was only 24 years old – a tear ran down the cheek of a man, a red-haired girl, short in stature, in a blue dress, in the university courtyard, she studied to be a surgeon, she was the pride of her father, after the death of her mother, she was the meaning of Paul’s life.

– Paul, I sympathize with you, accept my condolences, believe me, I know what it’s like.. My wife died, I was left alone with the children, I have another son, his name is Charlie, so back to the forest, I heard strange sounds, they came from the forest… – Paul interrupted Patrick, he thought and looked at Patrick. of course I heard about the ban, about the oddities associated with them, but I decided to look in and see if I should not, an old fool to climb there.. I saw a strange tree, I was wearing glasses, and I see well in them, although in an interview, I said that I was without glasses and did not see anything. It looked at me, I felt uneasy, I immediately jumped out of the forest, got into the car and drove away, Anna saw me, she had a long tongue, and she called the reporters. And then she laughed at me, calling me crazy, – Paul blushed and lowered his head, but in a moment he was already the same, cheerful beekeeper, with a smile on his face and full of positive, forgetting about everything bad..

– Paul, thank you very much for your frankness, I’m sorry if I offended you with something, said or did something wrong.. I am very grateful to you and I believe you, Ino matter what others think of you. You’re a good man, all the best.. – Patrick shook hands with the beekeeper and left the house, Paul’s story might seem incredible, but Patrick really believed him. All this was not in the interview, but the reason for the silence of the beekeeper was also understandable, he did not want to be laughed at even more. Patrick got into the car and headed home, the children came home from school, from the expression on their father’s face, they realized that something was wrong with him. And Patrick understood that he couldn’t hide anything from the children, the last thing he would like was for Jessica and Charlie to be afraid.. He went into the house and sat down at the table, the children also sat down and Jessica was the first to break the silence, she looked carefully at Patrick..

“Dad, what happened, you are pale, are you all right?” Jessica was really worried about her father, she took his hand, it seemed to her that Patrick’s hand was trembling, but in fact, his hand was trembling then, she hugged him.. – Jessie, I just went to see a man from a neighboring village today, – Patrick asked Charlie to bring his laptop, he opened it and showed the beekeeper’s interview.. – he gave this interview, but he didn’t tell everything, in an interview he said that while driving past the forest, he decided to go there, but when he heard a strange noise, he got scared and ran out of the forest that he didn’t see anything, because he forgot his glasses in the car. But today, he told me what really happened. He entered the forest, he wore glasses with him, he saw a tree, that is, not quite a tree. He saw a tree who had hands, eyes and a mouth, like those of people, a tree-man, frightened of him, he fled from there. This beekeeper is a kind and honest person, I believe him. His name is Paul, a cheerful man, Jesse, Charlie, please be careful and avoid this forest. No way, don’t go there, Jessie, especially you, I was also curious at your age, but it was the cause of many of my mistakes. And now, I have to work on a laptop, and you do your homework.. – after giving the children a task, Patrick went into the office and began to look in the books. He had many books about different creatures, it was not only literature.. He searched for a long time, but he did not succeed in finding anything about this strange tree. He had to update the articles, but nothing new has appeared in them yet. He took a deep breath and lay down on the small couch. Jessie sat and thought about what Patrick said. She wanted to know what kind of creature it was, where it came from. Curiosity again tried to get the better offear and inhibition. She climbed out the window and slowly climbed down a nearby tree. She ran along the houses, she and Charlie ran here.. She ran, passing the yards, she wanted to see again the tree that she had seen before.. Having reached the forest, she took a deep breath, her hands trembling, fear and excitement intertwined in Jessica. She took a few more steps and ended up in the forest, there was that very tree, it was far enough away, the girl immediately recognized it. Suddenly, she felt a hand, this someone pulled her out of the forest. She turned around and it was Patrick. Jessica blushed as she remembered her father’s prohibition.

“I asked today to stay away from the forest, we don’t know what lives there and it’s better for us not to know. You can’t be so careless and irresponsible, it’s time to grow up. Moreover, I don’t want to punish you, just don’t go into this forest and that’s it!” He shook his head, got into the car and opened the door.. “I just wanted to find out what was happening there, to see that tree or a person, I don’t know, what is there. But I’m almost fourteen, and I’m curious, but I just want to find out for myself. You don’t trust me, you think I’m a stupid child… – Patrick closed the door without saying anything and left, he was hurt by his daughter’s words, although on the other hand he understood that she was no longer eleven. He was just afraid of losing his daughter. Arriving home, Patrick went into the office, lay down on the sofa and fell asleep. Jessica came home in a terrible mood, she knew that hurt Patrick and offended him. After all, he is her father and worries about her. At the knock on the door, Patrick did not answer, Jessica realized that he had fallen asleep. She went to the kitchensat down at the table, poured juice, taking a couple of sips, she decided to talk to her father. She went towards the office, but met Patrick at the door. Knowing her daughter, Patrick sat down, Jessica ran up to her father and hugged him tightly, – I’m sorry, I was wrong, I’m not an adult, I’m still the same little Jessie, dad, I love you very much, you did so much for Charlie and me, you are very dear to me.. – the girl’s tears dripped onto Patrick’s shoulder, he tried his best to calm his upset daughter. So a week passed, no one remembered what happened. In the morning, an acquaintance called Patrick and said that neighbors were coming from the city who went to work. In the afternoon there will be a celebration in honor of their arrival. The whole family was invited, Patrick told the children about the invitation. Charlie immediately went into the room to get some clothes.Charlie preferred shirts to T-shirts, as did Patrick, and Jessie wore her favorite pink dress. Having decided on clothes, they began to think about what to give them, Robert and Ted. There were not so many options, the choice was on the clock. The mechanical watch that Patrick bought for himself the day before he arrived in the village. In addition, Patrick worked remotely, he had work experience, so he could always find a job, most of the money he earned went to clothes, school, food, etc. happening. It was time for the party, Patrick was worried, he hadn’t been to the holidays for a long time, the last time he went was for Alice’s birthday. Taking the gifts, Patrick, Charlie and Jessica went to the party. There were many people, even from neighboring villages, where Robert had acquaintances and friends. The beekeeper Paul also came, Patrick greeted him and introduced him to the children.. -Here, this is Uncle Paul, I told you about him, he is a very kind and cheerful person.. -said Patrick, shaking hands with Paul. Jessica ran to Alice, seeing a classmate, Charlie waved her hand. The boy’s eyes shone, sometimes Jessica teased her brother, hinting that he liked Alice, who finally realized that she should not run after not serious beautiful boys, but be friends with smart and serious boys. Therefore, she now prefers to spend more time in the company of Charlie and Jessica. Embracing her friend, saying hello to Charlie, Alice asked about the forest. Jessica and Charlie did not expect to hear a question about this topic. They were both at a loss, not knowing what to answer. After a short pause, Jessica decided to answer the question. – Ali, the thing is, Charlie and I don’t want to know, what is going on in the forest, I promised my dad that I would not go there and forget about the forest and everything connected with it.. Sorry.. – Alice did not want to spoil the mood for herself or her friends. And the holiday continued, the children wanted to see the heroes of the occasion, finally a white car arrived. Two men got out of it. Tall, blond, brown-eyed, tanned and brunette, short, blue-eyed and with a wide smile on his face. They went to meet those who had gathered to meet them, the villagers, and behind, from the car, three men carried large packages, these were food and gifts, Robert and Ted obviously did not come empty-handed. There were a lot of gifts, several more cars drove up, from which they began to take out packages. There were large tables on the street, dishes were already laid out on them, Alice didn’t want to spoil the mood for herself or her friends. And the holiday continued, the children wanted to see the heroes of the occasion, finally a white car arrived. Two men got out of it. Tall, blond, brown-eyed, tanned and brunette, short, blue-eyed and with a wide smile on his face. They went to meet those who had gathered to meet them, the villagers, and behind, from the car, three men carried large packages, these were food and gifts, Robert and Ted obviously did not come empty-handed. There were a lot of gifts, several more cars drove up, from which they began to take out packages. There were large tables on the street, dishes were already laid out on them, Alice didn’t want to spoil the mood for herself or her friends. And the holiday continued, the children wanted to see the heroes of the occasion, finally a white car arrived. Two men got out of it. Tall, blond, brown-eyed, tanned and brunette, short, blue-eyed and with a wide smile on his face. They went to meet those who had gathered to meet them, the villagers, and behind, from the car, three men carried large packages, these were food and gifts, Robert and Ted obviously did not come empty-handed. There were a lot of gifts, several more cars drove up, from which they began to take out packages. There were large tables on the street, dishes were already laid out on them, tanned and dark-haired, short, blue-eyed and with a wide smile on his face. They went to meet those who had gathered to meet them, the villagers, and behind, from the car, three men carried large packages, these were food and gifts, Robert and Ted obviously did not come empty-handed. There were a lot of gifts, several more cars drove up, from which they began to take out packages. There were large tables on the street, dishes were already laid out on them, tanned and dark-haired, short, blue-eyed and with a wide smile on his face. They went to meet those who had gathered to meet them, the villagers, and behind, from the car, three men carried large packages, these were food and gifts, Robert and Ted obviously did not come empty-handed. There were a lot of gifts, several more cars drove up, from which they began to take out packages. There were large tables on the street, dishes were already laid out on them, Everyone took turns taking the microphone and congratulated Robert and Ted on the arrival. Alice looked towards the forest, seeing this, Jessica also looked hesitantly.. But noticing Patrick’s gaze on herself, she turned away in the other direction. Everyone was having fun, music was playing, some sang and some danced. The dance of Charlie and Alice surprised Patrick and Jessica, they knew that Alice danced well, but they did not suspect that Charlie danced well. It felt like Charlie and Alice had been rehearsing this dance for days. But the surprises did not end there, Patrick continued to surprise everyone. He started doing magic tricks, in Patrick’s office, there were several books about magic tricks in the closet, sometimes he read one of the books and he was not bad at it. Jessica and Charlie looked at the magic tricks with surprise. He tried and he had a desire. He believed that this was the most important thing. Jessica was next, she sang a song, the song was about parents, about their care and love. There was silence, finishing the song, Jessica ran up to Patrick and hugged him, Patrick understood that the girl misses her mother. The children missed her, it was clear even without words. And the rest applauded the girl, the parents of many of them were not alive, some of them cried.. After the endholiday, Patrick got into the car, there were many thoughts in the man’s head. He thought about his daughter, her song, about her experiences. They were driving home, no one on the road said a word. Everyone was thinking about their own.. Arriving home, first of all, Patrick decided that it was necessary to talk with Jessica and Charlie.