Chapter 3 - Your Smile

When I was 5 years old, I went through a phase. My dad called it "The Monkey Phase". I loved climbing in trees so much that my dad nicknamed me his Monkey. To this day he still calls me by that nickname.

"Monkey, get down from there!" My dad's voice echoed through the forest. We were on our first family camping trip in the woods and I loved it so much. My mom, on the other hand, was not as much of an outdoorsy person.

"Honey, please, listen to your dad!" She said in a raised voice. She was swatting at insects with an irritated expression.

I sat on the branch that I was grabbing on to earlier. "I'll be down in a minute!"

"Monkey, don't go any higher than that, alright? If you fall you'll get hurt real bad," Dad said with concern. "I don't want my precious girl to be stuck in a hospital bed."

I smiled sweetly at my Dad, "I won't fall, Dad. I'm good at climbing. Please just let me reach the highest branch."

My dad took off his cap to reveal his greying dark hair underneath, and raised an eyebrow in warning.

I sighed, "Fiiiine."

I carefully got down from the tree, and sulked the rest of that afternoon.

Night came and my parents both fell asleep beside me in our big camping tent. I lied there for a few minutes more, just to make sure that they were completely asleep.

Quietly and carefully I zipped the tent open with my little hand, and climbed out. There was still a fire burning in the fire pit outside to keep us warm because it was cold at night. I picked up Dad's big flashlight and turned it on. A big circle of light shone on the ground in front of my little feet.

I searched for the tree that I was climbing earlier that day - the one my parents told me to get down from. I knew that they would be furious with me for doing what I was doing, but I was betting on being done and back in the tent before they woke up.

I had to reach the top of that tree. Kai told me that him and his older brother used to climb these trees all the way to the top and from there you can see how beautiful everything was in the forest. And if you were lucky, you could see a magical creature.

Back then, my mind was still untainted and full of imagination, so of course I would believe him. I wanted to see a magical creature.

It was hard to find the tree. I hadn't realized that it would be so hard to find it in the dark. Before I knew it, I had been searching for hours and strayed very far from the campsite.

I was growing nervous. I was never scared of the dark, but something about this darkness - out here in the middle of the forest - was unnerving. And I thought I heard footsteps, but it must've been my own. The light-circle the torch made on the ground was shaking as I shivered.

"M-maybe I should just climb this one and get back..." I said to myself as I stopped in front of a tall enough tree. It wasn't as tall as the one I was looking for, but it was still pretty tall. I might still be able to see a magical creature from up there.

I took my dad's flashlight and stuck it in my jacket pocket. Then I started climbing the tree like I did the previous one. I climbed branch by branch until I reached the top.

The branch that I was sitting on was a bit flimsy, but I thought that it was strong enough to hold me.

I looked over the forest with the flashlight and the moonlight to light up the dark forest.

But I was disappointed. It wasn't as beautiful as I thought it would be, and there were no magical creatures.

And I had no idea how to get back to my parents. I felt a sting in my chest and tears started welling in my eyes. What if I never find them again? What if I'm lonely forever? What if I die out here?

Whenever I felt sad, my mom always told me to look up, "Look up into the sky and see how happily the sun is shining to tell you everything is going to be okay. Look up into the sky and count how many stars there are - all wanting to see you smile."

I followed her advice and looked up.

"Wow!" I let out in wonder. The dark night sky was filled with more stars than I had ever seen in my life. They were all glittering beautifully, and they were all telling me to smile.

So I did. I smiled and the tears that were welling in my eyes ealier escaped. But even if I cried, I wasn't sad anymore. I was beyond happy.

I think I finally saw the magical creatures that Kai had talked about.

My butt started to get sore because of the way I was sitting, so I shifted my seating a bit.

The flimsy branch underneath me did not like that as much and started to break.

"Oh no--"

It finally snapped and I fell into the dark forest, screaming.

But before I fulfilled by dad's worst nightmare, I fell into a pair of arms.

Confused and dazed, breathing heavily I looked up at the man who had caught me.

"Your tenacity and so-called bravery had always been your downfall. I would not call it bravery though. To me it is mere stupidity," the man said in a voice much deeper than my dad's.

"What's a tenacity?" I ask the man, completely ignoring what my parents have taught me about talking to strangers. This man seemed nice enough - I mean he saved my life.

He sighed and didn't answer my question. I could make out some of his appearance in the moonlight. He looked like a prince from one of the fairytale movies that I used to watch. He was very handsome. His hair was almost as long as Rapunzel's, and it was tied back in a ponytail.

"Why are you still so reckless? You should live a good, happy life and stop putting your life at risk." He talked almost the way may dad did when he was worried about me.

"You talk like you know me, Mr. Ponytail-guy. Do I know you?" I ask him. I grabbed hold of a strand of his long ponytail that hung over his shoulder.

He was surprised and taken aback by the gesture, but his face grew soft. "You used to."

"Why can't I remember you then?" I ask him, tilting my head curiously.

He was quiet for a moment, as if he was wondering if he should tell me.

Finally he puts me down by my family's campfire. I hadn't even realized that he was walking.

The man knelt down on one knee in front of me and held my hands in his giant ones. He looked into my eyes with a warm fondness and he also looked a little sad. "I want you to live a happy life. You are so beautiful when you smile and laugh. I want that to be the only things you do. Forget about what was and live the life you have now. I do not want to be part of it and cause you strife."

I didn't understand a word he told me, so I could only blink in confusion.

He chuckled softly, "I'm glad that I could see you as a child. You are quite adorable."

"Do you want a hug, Mr. Ponytail-guy?" I ask. He seemed like he needed one.

He grinned so that I could see the dimples on each side of his mouth, and opened his arms so that I could borrow into his chest.

"Mr. Ponytail-guy, you should also be happy. You have a beautiful smile too." I said into his black bomber jacket.

His arms held me tighter to him, "Please be safe. Thank you for brightening a fragment of my eternity."

He took a deep breath and when he spoke his voice sounded heavy with sadness, "Let us never meet again."

~☆~

I woke up in complete darkness. My face was wet, like the ground I was sprawled upon.

It took me a moment to realize where I was and what happened as I sat up, massaging my sore muscles.

I went on a hike with Kai... We wanted to rescue a lady... Kai left to get help... I wanted to get the lady's water bottle when it started to rain and I slipped and fell down a slope.

Great.

I felt for my phone in the pocket of my jacket and pulled it out. I don't know how long I was out, but I must've been out for a while since it was dark already, and Kai and I left our apartment in the morning. Kai must be worried out of his mind by now.

My phone worked at least, but I had no signal.

I decided to switch on the flashlight, get up, and survey the area around me.

I wondered how far I must have fallen. The lady would still have been able to see me though, and the forest rangers that Kai went to go get would have been able to get me easily. How was it that I was still down here and how was it that they couldn't find me?

So many unexplainable things have been happening lately, and I'm starting to think how much of it was something that my brain was conjuring up. How much of it was reality?

I decide to choose my way though the forest, keeping close to what I hoped was the slope I tumbled down from.