Donnivan thrust himself from the grey, weather-worn front deck of his home. His long, dark hair swept across his tan face as he dove into a cool burst of wind, a sensation of chills spread over his body. A storm was brewing. His deep brown eyes winced as they were greeted by large, cool drops of crystal clear water.
Why is it that when everything goes wrong, it always rains?
With that thought tumbling in his mind he kept running. His pace hadn't ceased from the time he tore out of the kitchen to now, and it wouldn't. Not until he was far away, far away from his worries, far from his mother.
the steady falling rain stung his face as he dashed across the street and down the block. He recalled the events passed and let them swirl frantically in his mind. He knew what would have happened had he stayed. It happened every time a teacher called home about his schoolwork, As soon as his mother replaced the phone receiver and left the room to retrieve his father's belt from her bedroom closet.
He knew twenty-five swats to his bare back would be the penalty for his poor test scores in English class, but now, after his escape, he knew the punishment would be much more painful. He would have to endure fifty swats to his chest.
I'm not going back, he thought, I'm never going back.
He had set his mind on never returning to the Hell that he was forced to call home. He would much rather face the cold bitter death of hypothermia in the unforgiving, bone chilling rain.
His lungs burned with every shallow breath. He looked up ahead and saw thhe dim tree line coming into view.; The dark, ominous branches reached out to embrace him and pull him into it's darkest depths, plunge him into the circling secrets and mysteries that lurk within. Dead Man's Hollow was rumored to be very dangerous. Several people, adults and children alike, had gone missing within the confines of the forest. Once a person steps past the large stone structure, located about a mile past the tree lie, they vanished. Nobody ever knew what happened to them.
He plunged into the darkness and bounded past the bordering trees He wasn't afraid, he wanted to vanish. He didn't care where he went or what happened to him He wanted to be away from this cold, cruel world he knew.
He dashed through the hollow, darting past trees and avoiding the long, boney arms that reached out to grab him. Just ahead, he saw the structure. It loomed ominously, great and jagged. It looked like something you'd see in a horror or sci-fi film. His heart thudded and his pace increased. As he came closer to the rocks his ears began to ring and his eyes began to water more. He was ready to escape. The moment he set one foot past the structure, the ground began to spin rapidly and suddenly dropped out from under him. The sky went dark and he shut his eyes quickly as he spun through the now black abyss. Loud, ear piercing sounds echoed through the darkness and he covered his ears as he spun. Then, almost as suddenly as the spinning had begun, it stopped.
Donnivan opened his eyes and uncovered his ears to find himself lying on the leaf-littered ground of the forest, except, it wasn't the forest. He gathered himself up from the ground and dusted himself off as he glanced around at his new surroundings.
He had just been running through the rain not a minute ago but here the sky was clear as crystal, and purple? The sky was purple! As he gawked at the sky, he was breathing deeply and it didn't take too long for him to catch a strange scent in the air. It was musty yet fresh at the same time, very odd, he thought.
He soon realized that he was now facing the way he had come from. He turned to look at the structure and saw something very unexpected. There was now a giant mirror wall. He walked up to it and placed one had to the cool glass. He observed his reflection for any changes but he looked the same he always had. He was even still soaked from head to toe from his run in the rain.
Dead Man's Hollow was usually silent, but now it was vibrant and full of the sound of chirping birds and croaking frogs. The melody dance through the air and into Donnivan's ears. Although the hollow was filled with noise, it was still too quiet. He continued to observe his own reflection. As he was staring into the duplicates of his deep brown eyes, a familiar voice rang from behind him, nearly making him jump out of his skin. He turned quickly to find the source of the disruption in the forest and found it to be Alice Whitaker, a girl from his chem class.
But something was very different. The Alice he had seen earlier that day must have been a totally separate girl. The Alice he knew was a bigger-built girl with a very nasty temper and attitude. The person that stood before him was slim and gorgeous. She had kind eyes and wavy brown hair and when she spoke, a kindness rang through her voice.
"Hey Donnivan!" she said with a heart melting smile.
"Where am I Alice? What's going on?" Donnivan stuttered, helplessly.
Her smile got bigger and she replied, "Come with me Donnivan and I'll show you."