What if you knew that horrific events were coming and you figured out a way to protect your home and the ones you love, would you do it?
Yes? Then come along and read When Worlds Collide.
A brisk October breeze blew through the trees, divesting them of their coloured mantle. Drifting down like orange and yellow confetti, the leaves littered the forest floor, joining the dried ones crunching under Aimee's feet. Out to admire the fall foliage, she paused to watch a squirrel scamper up a tree in front of her. Making odd chuffs and snorts while twitching its bushy tail, it watched her right back. She didn't know if it was saying hello or giving her a warning, so she smiled and continued her trek.
Another chilly gust set the branches creaking overhead and Aimee shivered as it blew through her. She didn't mind the cold though; autumn was her favourite season. So taking in a deep breath of fresh, crisp air, she just pulled the zipper up on her sweater and looked ahead. That's when she saw a bight flash.
At first, Aimee thought the spot had been hit by lightening. But on approaching the area, she realized that wasn't the case. Nope, clear blue sky, she thought, looking up. No fire or scorch marks either, and nothing has been disturbed. Puzzled, she tried to explain it away as something wrong with her eyes or her mind, when a glowing, opalescent ball floated into view.
"Oh!" she jumped, and then squinted trying to figure out what it was. The luminous orb, about the size of a softball, bobbed up and down, and then side to side, before gliding silently onward. "What the heck is that?" she murmured. Curious, Aimee decided to follow it.
As twigs snapped with each slow step, she found the trail becoming more challenging to walk. The woods behind her home were a lot more overgrown than she remembered. With the forest closing in, becoming thick and gnarled before her, she tried to keep up with the incandescent ball.
Weaving through the trees, it suddenly zipped ahead, and then expanded to light up a region in front of her. Aimee stopped a moment to shield her eyes from the brightness. Bewildered, she hesitated and chose each movement with caution before catching up. Wait, what? Then, as Aimee pushed a slender branch aside to step into a small clearing, she stopped again, stunned, her breath caught in her throat.
This spot was green, very green, and fresh, like mid spring. Early morning sunlight pierced through the wooded canopy in distinct beams of light, illuminating the newly unfurled leaves upon the trees, while white trilliums dotted the ground. A golden hue glinted off the greenery as seed fluff fell like snow upon her hair and shoulders. Stepping carefully onto the lush grass of the open circle, Aimee tilted her head back, marveling at the surreal scene around her. Then, she became aware of something strange, or stranger than what she was already witnessing.
There was no sound - no birds chirping, no squirrels scurrying, no leaves rustling, and the wind from before was gone, nothing - just the thumping of her own heart. What is this place? Where am I? she thought, as she calmly twirled around to take it all in.
A whiff of lilacs suddenly caught her attention. What? No, it can't be. Taking in a long deep sniff of the glorious flowers to confirm what she was smelling, she turned to follow the scent. "There!" her voice cracked with excitement as she spotted the trees, full of violet blooms, across the clearing. She then noticed they stood at the beginning of a path that disappeared into the forest. How did that...? Shaking her head, she looked past the lilac trees to the trail beyond them, and then muttered, "I swear that wasn't there before."
The path stretched before her like a scintillating corridor through the dark woods, and it gave Aimee a weird feeling in her chest. A swelling warmth tugged at her heart, magnetically pulling her towards it. And the more the feeling grew, the more the path seemed to glow in matching intensity. "Home," she whispered. It feels like home. She eagerly wanted to go that way and to explore where it led. But as Aimee took two steps forward, everything changed.
Darkness fell over the clearing, swallowing the cheery sunlight, as though time had instantly switched from dawn to dusk. The atmosphere then grew thick and began to crackle. As it came to life, Aimee could feel it, like static, prickling all over her back. She started to overheat in the now sweltering air with sweat beading on her forehead. As she wiped her face with the back of her hand, she could hear something coming. Something big.
The sound came as a bizarre reverberation from where she had just ventured through the woods. Or so she thought, because that wasn't there anymore. The forest around her had changed. What the heck is going on? She didn't have time to dwell on it though as whatever was moving towards her was going faster and getting closer. Then Aimee realized, there wasn't one big thing; there were many. She could hear the pounding of several feet hitting the terrain, accompanied by heavy panting.
The warm sensation she just had in her chest now turned to terror. Then she saw it. Charging through the bare trees, the crisp leaves pulverized beneath their speeding paws, a pack of wolves came rushing towards her.
Fear shot through every nerve, paralyzing her body. Aimee couldn't move. She couldn't scream. She felt like she couldn't even breathe. Frozen in place, all she could do to protect herself was tighten up and close her eyes. With her senses on fire as she waited for them to set upon her, she heard it.
A voice, faint at first, glided over the trees. It sounded like a man singing. No, howling? She wasn't sure. Growing in power and volume, it resounded throughout the woods. Aimee opened her eyes just in time to see the large wolves react to it. Their ears all honed in on the enchanting voice and they ignored everything else. Then picking up their speed, they ran right passed her as though she wasn't even there. Focused completely upon the song, their howled replies echoed into the distance until they were gone.
As fear released its grip on her limbs, Aimee exhaled in relief and spun around ready to take up the golden path she had found. But there before her, one big, black wolf remained, blocking her way. It sat snarling and growling at her, its red eyes locked on hers. Aimee swallowed hard. Slowly, she raised her arms in front of her body to try to protect herself should the wolf lunge. My, what a big head you have! She thought in awe as she stood face-to-face with the massive beast. Even in a sitting position it was as big as she was.
Then, in that moment, she saw a flicker in its eyes as they changed from red to yellow. At the same time, she felt a flutter in her chest, and that warm vibration from before returned to flood her being. Although Aimee was scared, she was compelled to reach out a trembling hand. The wolf must have felt the strange recognition too, as it stopped growling. "I swear I know you," she whispered, just about to touch the top of its snout.
With their shared gaze connecting their souls, the mysterious voice sang out again. Instantly, the wolf's eyes turned bright blue and it darted off down the golden path towards the Call.
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Wake up. Wake up! Rub your bleary eyes; you need to wake up now.
There is much for you to see and learn.
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Aimee gasped as she sat upright in bed.
The morning light broke through a slit between the curtains into the stillness of her bedroom. Dizzy from her rapid ascent from deep dreams into full wakefulness, she sat quietly, her chest heaving with quick shallow breaths and scanned the images replaying in her mind. As her dream clung to her hazy consciousness, she could still hear the haunting Call singing in her ears.
That's when the smell hit her. Lilacs. She knew sound often carried over from dreams, but smell? Weird, she thought.
Reaching to move the covers aside so she could get up, her hand bumped something unexpected on the sheets. There, under the fringe of the blanket, she found a lilac sprig resting on her bed.
As she picked it up, she jumped with a small, startled cry.
The closet door, that she noticed was slightly ajar, closed on its own with a soft click.
© 2021 by Linda Casselman
Next: Just the Beginning
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Did You Hear The Call?
Become a Shield Warrior-in-Training
