Hidden Purpose
By: Melissa Wallace
Chapter 1
The demon chased her all throughout the forest, and now she had no place to go. She thought she would be safe in the tree�s inner core, but he found her. She shivered as he approached her. His eyes burning red, his frame tall, and his hair long like a wild animal. This was it. This was the end. Thunder clashed within the sky as the demon gnashed his teeth at her. He paused, took attacking position and lashed out. Odeda was forced to wake prematurely. She was gasping for air, her body was covered in sweat, and her hands were trembling. This was like no other dream that she had ever had. She lay back in her bed and thought about what it meant. The alarm clock on her dresser read 4:00am. She frowned at the clock and layback down, trying to get some more sleep before her trip to the Cross Over Woods. That same morning, Sam sat up in her bed, gasping and panting heavily. She held her left arm in an attempt to stop the throbbing pain in her shoulder. She let go and looked at her hand, blood, stained her pajama shirt. Tears filled her eyes and she shivered in terror. A voice rang through her head.
�Only a fool uses the blue.�
What did this mean? Who was saying these things to her and how did she get cut on her shoulder?
�Hey Sam! Get over here and take a look at this.�
Sam was brought back from here daydream. She looked around and saw Odeda waving to her. Their trip to the woods for a project back at school was just beginning and there was no way Odeda was going to let anything stop her or Sam from having some fun.
�Sam would you stop moping about and get over here. I found the perfect rock to go along with our collection for Earth Physical Science.�
�I thought you were into whales and the ocean and stuff like sea ponies.� Sam crossed her arms and looked at her friend sarcastically.
�Umm well yeah, but I�well�hey look at that tree over there.� Odeda turned and began walking over to a large sycamore tree. She reached out, grabbed onto a limb and began to climb. Sam just watched in dread of her falling out.
�Odeda, get down from there now! If you fall I will not feel sorry for you.� Sam moaned uneasily and followed after her friend. Sam felt an uneasiness of the area about her. She felt as though she had been in this very same place before. The trees all looked the same and she could feel a presence surrounding them, but she could not tell where.
As Odeda climbed higher and higher up the tree, her body grew suddenly hotter. Her breath quickened and she was afraid. Something lurked around them. She felt a choking sensation around her throat and she felt faint. It was as though something was choking her from the inside out. She looked for Sam, but saw only blurry visions of branches and leaves. Then just as quickly as the heat had come upon her, it was gone and all was back to normal. She heard Sam call to her again.
�Odeda will you please come down from there? I wanna go and get something to eat. You can climb trees like a monkey later. Come on.� Suddenly Sam too felt her body grow hotter. Her wound began to throb and her eyes began to fill with tears once more. Sam grabbed her shoulder and knelt down under the tree. She began to shiver and Odeda made her way back down the tree.
�What�s the matter?� Odeda watched Sam shiver like a frightened kitten. When she approached Sam a bright light blinded her. It was blue and green, kind of like the ocean.
�SAM!� Odeda called out to her in hopes that nothing happened to her.
�ODEDA!� Sam called back.
Odeda reached out to Sam and leaned forward. The light passed right through the both of them, and then disappeared. Odeda stumbled over, but stopped right in front of her. Both of them looked at one another as though they didn�t know what happened. A sarcastic clapping of hands could be heard not too far from where they were. The two girls looked over and saw a couple of their classmates watching them.
�Very impressive ladies. You two should take up theatre.� Jack was one of their classmates. He was lean and thin with pursed lips and a glare that would make anyone stay away. He had black hair and busy eyebrows; he was also the most troublesome in his group of misfits. Odeda helped Sam to her feet and the two of them walked over to Jack.
�Professor says that is it time for lunch. He sent me to come a fetch you like I was some kind of K-9.�
�Well if the smell fits.� Odeda lashed at him. Sam just giggled.
�I�ll have you know that I bath twice a day.�
�Where in a marsh pit? We�ll be there in a bit Jack. I have to talk to Sam for a minute.�
�No can do ladies, Professor said that I was to accompany the to two of you back, no ifs, ands, or butts.� Odeda did not like that idea. She couldn�t stand Jack; even more she was concerned with Sam. She saw the look in her eyes and she knew that Sam saw the same thing she did just a few moments ago.
�Let�s just go and get something to eat Odeda. We can talk afterwards okay.� Sam began to walk ahead of Jack and Odeda. They both watched her as she made way back to camp. Odeda was worried. What did she see that made her look the way she did and why was she so persistent in having them go back to the camp instead of doing more research. A shiver caught Odeda as she found Jack�s grubby hand on her shoulder.
[SMACKED!]
Odeda began walking back for camp. �Hey Sam wait up for me.�
Jack was taken aback by the aggressiveness of Odeda. He liked her feistiness. A grin crept up on the corners of his mouth and soon he too was making his way back to camp.