It was a bright summer day, and Laura Lee and Kile, played and played like little children again.  Wrestling and playing, as they continued like a brother and sister would do.  Stop Kile, I think mama is calling us.  Both of them stopped to listen for their mama’s voice to call again, but they did not hear anything.  So, they continued along the creek bed, skipping rocks under the trees. “Laura Lee and Kile,” whispered through the trees again.  Kile, heard it this time, once again they stopped and listen.   Not sure what they were hearing, Kile suggested to Laura Lee, “I think we’d better go see if mama is calling us.  So, they went on toward home to check in with their mama.

Slamming the door as they entered their home, mama yells from the other room, “Please do not slam the door kids.”  Both of them said, “Okay mama.”  Laura Lee and Kile scooted to the other room looking for their mama, coming around the corner, and looking across the room, their sat mama reading a book.  “Did you call for us mama,” as both of them blurted out the question?  No children, I have been here reading my book,” says mama as she continued to read.  “Well, we are going back out in the woods to play, over by the creek, “says Kile.  So, they scampered along as normal children do. 

While they were walking back down in the same area, it was starting to get dark with clouds building up with a storm on the way.  But not so many that the trees couldn’t throw off a shadow.  As Kile and Laura Lee, was walking back down along the creek, they heard their names being called out again, but only when they were under the shadow of the trees.  They looked at each other, and wondered who would be calling them.  Looking between the trees trying to see if someone was out there with them, they couldn’t see a thing.  As they were looking around, they saw movement way off between the trees.  Kile asked Laura Lee, “Did you see that?”  Laura Lee replied with, “See what? What do you see?”  ‘There is movement over there,” said Kile.  “I don’t see what you see, but you might just being seeing things,” Laura Lee told Kile.  Kile shook his head and thinking maybe he was.  While they were laughing and counting each time the rocks skipped across the water, they watched a rock skipped across the water that did not come from their own hands.  Quickly they turn to see who it was but no one was there.  They ran up behind the tree to hide under the shadow of the trees, and the branches of a tree where they were hiding behind reach its branches down to hide both, Kile and Laura Lee.  As they struggled to free themselves from the tree, two men passed by them. 

Both men were arguing over where Kile and Laura Lee were hiding at.  “They are here, and I want my money from them,” said Tom.  Caleb said, “You are worried about your money, but should be worried about our money.  Part of that money will be mine, Tom.”  “Yeah, but still I want it, and won’t stop until I get it back,” Tom explained.  So, they continued walking through the woods, following what tracks they could, and hoping they would come across some clues.   Kile and Laura Lee, were hiding in a place that would keep them safe.  Once it was clear, the tree spread its branches and released the kids.  Laura told Kile with a rattled voice, “I told you to leave the money there.  But noooo, you just had to take it.” “You wanted it as much as I did,” said Kile.  Kile, bent down to pick up a stick as they continued walking and trying to decide what to do.

It was cold and raining two weeks ago, and Kile and Laura Lee, stumbled on a case full of money.  Not realizing what was in it at first; they took the case, and ran into the woods to hide it.  What they didn’t realize was they were being watched.  The owners of the case was coming back for the money, and seen them pick it up, but there was too many people around to confront the two kids.  Now, Kile and Laura Lee, have Tom and Caleb hot on their heels wanting their money back.

“Kile… Kile and Laura Lee, you both need to come in now for supper.  And I don’t mean ten-minutes from now,” yelled out their mother as she walked out into the woods.  Both of them raced back to the house where they knew they would be safe.  But they had a little surprise when they reached their home, and went inside.  Tom and Caleb, were standing in the kitchen waiting for something to eat, and waiting to find out where their money was.  Tom, carried and deep husky tone in his voice, and was unshaven and rough looking. Caleb on the other hand, had a squeaky voice, dirty with what looked like he couldn’t afford a new pair of britches.  “We want our money that you took from us, and we want it back now,” said Tom.  Both Kids nervous and shaking, Laura Lee blurted out saying, “We don’t have your money and don’t know what you are talking about.”  “You lie little lady,” as Caleb spoke out.  “But we don’t know what you are talking about,” explained Kile.  Tom’s face having a displeased look on it, grabs Kile’s arm and takes him to the door and tells him to look out at that tree.  “You better get a good look, because if you don’t tell us where that money is, you won’t see your family again,” Tom spoke in a furious tone that would make anyone shake.  “Mama… mama,” cried Kile.  Mama started to get up to only be pushed back down in the chair by, Caleb.  “Please don’t hurt him; he is the only boy I have, please.”  With tears falling from mama’s precious cheeks that normally glowed like an angel, this was not the case today.  Her fear for her children had over-taken her, and her hands were tied to where she could not help them.  Please, don’t hurt my children.  I am pleading with you please, as she wept with streaming tears falling drop by drop like the dew falling from the leaves of a tree.

It was getting later, and dusk was approaching the hour, and soon it wouldn’t be safe to walk through the woods.  There was a secret the family held that no one else knew about.  Once night fell over the sky, and the moon glared across the night sky, the forest came alive.  The trees knew what was happening with the children, as they watched them grow up, running through the forest playing like two small kids would do, and now they were in danger.  The trees protected the children from harm, and always helped them when they needed it.  And this was a night the children and mama needed the help from the forest.  While Kile stood in the door way of his home, mama was sitting in the chair with tears falling from her cheeks, Laura Lee slipped away into the back room and out the window to go get help.  Caleb, was too busy running his mouth and not paying attention as usual, and didn’t see Laura Lee leave the room. 

As she ran hard through the forest, the trees gathered around her.  And as they came closer to her, she stopped in her tracks, and looked around the forest of trees as they were shifting their position and moving about across the earth.   Thinking in her mind, she knew she was upset and frightened for Kile and mama, as she left them behind, but she also knew she was not losing her mind.  As the trees moved closer to her, she was scared stiff, and could only watch these trees move when they should be standing still in a solid position connected to the earth.  One of the trees put a branch around her, and gently lifted her up against its trunk as she grabbed hold tightly, and watched herself move across the ground while sitting in a tree that she often climbed in as a child.  The forest came toward her home, and as they did, Kile, was standing outside of the house with Tom.  Tom was tying Kile up to the bumper of the truck.  “Boy, you will tell me where this money is, or I am going to drag you down the road until you talk, “with a snarled voice from Tom.  Kile yelled out and said, “Okay Okay, I will take you to the money case.”  Tom looked at him wondering what this boy was up too.  “You will take me to the money, huh,” asked Tom?  “If you will just untie me, I will take you to the money.  It is hidden out in the forest under some leaves up against a tree,” as Kile continued to explain the details to Tom.  Caleb, yell out the door with his squeaky voice, “I wouldn’t trust that little rascal if someone paid me to trust him.”  Tom turned and looked at Caleb saying, “Shut up and watch mama.  You already messed up with the girl; try not to lose the mama.”  Caleb laughing as he looked back at mama; while telling Tom, “Don’t worry, this mama isn’t going anywhere.  I have her tied to the chair, and she cannot move.”  Tom, just looked at Caleb, and shook his head.

Mean while, slowly, the forest was gradually moving closer to the house.  Little by little they were coming, and Laura Lee was riding in the midst of them on her tree.  She knew she was safe within the branches of the trees.  Step by step, the ground was shifting to assist the trees as they were on their way to rescue a family that lived there all their life.  The trees around the house stood still waiting for the others’ to arrive.  Watching what was unfolding, Kile took Tom on his way to where the money was hidden.  Caleb, stumble slowly behind Tom, with his mouth moving faster than what his feet could carry him.  This is what the trees wanted, as they had Tom and Caleb, on their ground.  While walking out into the forest, Kile noticed the ground was slightly shifting, and seen the tree roots moving.  Looking around he noticed the forest was changing slightly.  And in his mind, he knew he would be ok.  So, he started to take them the long way to the money, giving the trees a chance to gather.  As he looked up into a tree, he saw Laura Lee sitting on one of the braches.  As the three of them continued on their way, Kile went over toward Mills Cliff.  He was already thinking, and knew how to save his life, and his family’s life.  Tom, poking Kile with a sharp object in his back, he continued to walk.  Arriving at Mills Cliff, he turned to Tom, “Look the money is down there.”  Tom looked down and asked, “Where is it?”  Caleb, looking over the cliff, and shaking his head, “See, I knew not to trust this boy.”  “Caleb, shut up.” Tom spoke out aggravated with the whole ordeal.  Kile, stepped back away from the cliff, and the forest began to close in on, Tom and Caleb.  Not paying attention to what was going on around them, and trees slowly closed in on them and pushed them off the cliff.  When they fell to the bottom of earth, there was no movement from them, as Kile looked down over the cliff.  It was over, he thought.  Crying out for Laura Lee, he looked up and with tears dripping from her cheeks, the tree lifted him up to his sister, and they both went back to the house.  Gently, the tree set them on the ground, and they ran into the house where their mama was.  Untying her, they all hugged each other, and was so thankful for the forest coming to their rescue.  But mama asked them, “What about the money?”  “Oh, I turned that in to the police a few days ago,” said Kile.  “You never told me this,” as Laura Lee was confused. “ No, I didn’t tell you, because it was a choice I had made when I took it to begin with, and I knew it was only right to turn it in,” Kile explained.  “Well, it is over now, and we need to call the police and let them know what happened, so we are in the clear,” mama told the both of them.   As she hugged them, “I hope you both have learned a valuable lesson in this, and never take something that does not belong to you.”  “Yes, mama we have learned a lesson,” as they hugged their mama and they all sat waiting for the police to arrive.            

                                                                                                                Written by, Mary E. Tawfik
                                                                                                                                July 2010
                                                                                                                                Copyright February 6, 2013