Notebook for Fantastical Observations (15 page)

I climbed over the old post fence and took off across the field. Long weeds and maple seedlings whipped against my jeans. A wind blew through the patches of trees, making them rustle in a way that sounded like eerie laughter. I ran faster.

Here’s the weird thing about running—it makes you feel like you’re being chased. The faster I ran, the more I felt like there was something on my heels. I glanced back automatically and at the same moment, my foot dropped into a groundhog burrow. I went down hard on the dirt, twisting my ankle, skinning my hands, and knocking the breath out of my body.

Getting up slowly, I felt pretty stupid. There was nothing following me, nothing to be scared of except shadows. But as I looked around, I wasn’t really sure if I’d been running in the right direction. I could hear the river and I could see clumps of trees, but none of it looked familiar. I started walking the way I thought was toward my house, but the closer I got, the more convinced I was that I still wasn’t going the right way. Panic rose in me, making my heart beat as fast as if I were still running. My raw hands burned where I’d fallen on them. I turned around, walked a little
ways, changed direction, and then changed direction again.

Then, across the field, I saw a light. Relief flooded me. It had to be the street lamp that was at the end of my street. I started toward it, not running because of my stiffening ankle, but walking pretty fast. I didn’t care about getting in trouble anymore or about the fact I was late. I just wanted to get home.

I stepped into a more heavily wooded area. The thick ceiling of leaves made it harder to see, but I kept my eyes on the single, unwavering light. It was brighter now, closer, and I figured that the trees were what had kept me from seeing familiar landmarks. As soon as I got on the other side of them, I’d be home.

I started to speed up, even though I couldn’t see really well. I was so happy to be that close.

A voice called my name. I stopped and heard it again. It sounded just like my mother’s voice, but
close by, as though she were standing right behind me. I whirled and saw nothing, but that pause made me stop and think. The light was really bright and yet I didn’t see any of the lights of any of the neighborhood windows or porches, which should have been visible if I really were that close.

I stopped and sat down, forcing myself to be calm. After a few moments of me just sitting there, I thought I felt the grass shift under my feet. That completely freaked me out. I was so scared that I didn’t move until the sun came up.

That was when I realized I’d spent the night at the edge of the river. One more step and I would have slipped down the steep bank and fallen into the dark water that rushed by.

—Tom R.

ANALYSIS: Stray sod shifts under the feet of travelers, causing them to go astray even in familiar surroundings.

—H. B. & T. D.

This small creature enjoys playing tricks on people: