New October

Ello'! I apoligize for not posting sooner! I was sorta busy. But all is swell now so here is the fourth official chapter of the story.It's kind of on the short but sweet side. I hope you all enjoy and as always, reviews are awesome!

~Kadie

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Chapter Four : Home Sweet Home



It had taken Michael quite some time to find the spot. Two hours to be exact. The sun had been gone for some time and that added to his frustration for he couldn't see a damned thing and he didn't dare to remove his mask. Stepping slowly into the hard, cripsy leaves, he remembered the tree. The tree that was right next to the stot. It was an unuaual looking tree with branches that were so think and long and twisted that they seemed to stretch on forever. He kept telling himself,

'How could you miss that tree you moran. You are such a tardo that it isn't even worth thinking it over...jackass. How could you possibly miss that tree? To top it off, it was right next to a ditch! Idiot!"

And with his last comment to himself, Michael spun around and stepped right into that very ditch he was talking about. Sticks broke and rocks flew as his body tumbled on down, stopping as it bumped into a very large log.

He lay still trying to assure himself that what had just occured wasn't a vision. He looked around through his mask and when he stared up all he saw was braches and stars.

'Yep. You just fell down into a ditch. A very steep ditch. Oww! Bastard.'

"You son of a bitch." he whispered as he slowly rose from the ground on to his feet. He looked around and settled his eyes upon the large log that he bumped into. He turned and looked up at the tree. It sure was a huge tree. It towered over all the others as he realized. It seemed to have grown in the past....fifteen...., "Wait." he said as it clicked to him. He studied the branches that stretched out over the land. Definatley. This was the spot. This was his spot. Michael chuckled with a relieved happiness as he looked around. That log was never there though. He kicked the rocks and the dead leaves around until finally taking a seat upon the log. "It don't look all that different. I thought fifteen years might have had an effect on this place. Apparently not."

Michael sighed and placed his chin in his icy hand. The temperature had dropped in the past few hours. It was now shockingly chilly, but Michael tried to place the coldness elsewhere out of his mind. To do this he would need total concentration, which he kept losing everytime a gust of wind flew past. He shivered and rubbed his hands together.

"Jackass wind. Stupid. God. You're bitching out the wind. You sad loser." he said out loud as he rocked back and fourth on the log. As cold as it was, Michael still felt some warmness on the inside. The memories of this place made him feel as though everything might be okay. He smiled in his thoughts as he remembered. He remembered. "Holy shit." and he rocked on the log once more and with the final thump. "I remember!"

Michael sat up so fast that his own head spun. He twirled around in wonder. "Where is it?" he asked as he kicked leaves around. He looked behind the tree, but found nothing. "Damnit."

As he went back to sit down upon the log, his foot grazed the ground and made an unusual noise. He slowly tilted his head and stepped back again. This time tapping with the thudding noise. Michael squatted next to the area and felt it with his hand. It wasn't dirt. It wasn't rocks nor sticks. He began to sweep away dirt from the area with his hands. As he swept, he noticed the rectangular outline.

"Yes. Come on!"

He dug and he swept and he dug and he swept. Michael kneeled back in awe. A moment later he slowly pulled up what he had found. He brushed off the excess dirt off of the box and spun it around. The coldness was gone for sheer warmth overwhelmed him.

"I remember."

Michael placed the box on the ground and sat in a more comfortable position. He was hesitant to open it, but yet he felt like a child on Christmas morning, wanting so badly to tear into it. Finally, after a few minutes of pondering, he opened the box and he was ten years old again. From the box, he removed a Superman comic. He looked at it like a newborn baby and cradled it with such care. He gently placed it down and went back to removing items from his box. An old juice box, a cassette of Vanilla Ice, and a pack of gum. He pulled out random drawing he drew and placed it along the ground with the other items. Just as he was about to put the lid back on the box, he looked in it once more. He paused and froze. The chill hit his spine again and he felt a tear form in the corneer of his eye.

"Laurie. Judith."

He pulled out a photograph of his two sisters. He studied it as his eyes remained glued to it. He ripped his mind away from the picture and gently placed it in his shirt pocket. He went back to the box and removed the last item it it. It was another picture. This time, Michael's tears swam down his face as he sobbed. He loked at the beautiful lady in the picture and groaned out her name in silence.

"Mom. Mother."

He kept himself from handling the picture badly. He dropped it to the ground before his nerves made him crumple it up from sadness. He remained like that for a few minutes, trying to collect himself. When he did, he picked it up again, but this time he smiled. He placed it in the same pocket as the other picture and got up from the ground and walked over to the tree. He felt the bark of the tree scrap against his back as he slid back to the ground. He slowly huddled with himself for warmth and he slowly...slowly...drifted off to sleep.