It was like any other normal Friday, or so I thought. Bring Bring there went that artificial bell. Yes, the last period of the day. All I could think about was nature club I couldn’t wait to go. As the class walked in quietly (which was strange) we all took our seats . Mr. Figmen’s room was small and plain he had no vibrant colors, everything was just, boring, like him. I was glad my seat was next to the window because I only had to worry about three other people instead of four. Mr. Figmen stood by his desk right in front of the black board and continued, “Today we’ll be learning about Max Andrew Jackabee or as you hooligans-,” he just started laughing like it was the funniest word ever. “So as you hooligans like to call him, the Lonely Lumberjack.”
The classroom shivered. Mr. Figmen started to pass out a picture with a passage about the Lonely Lumberjack. What he looked like before was very different then what I had imagined. He was tall and young in the photo, brown eyes, light brown hair and was thin. All day I had heard rumors spread about him. I didn’t think he was real I thought he was made up like Bigfoot, but then again, no one had really known if he was real. They had said he ran away from society for thirty years and whoever comes near him he takes. As the class went on I started to dread going to nature club more and more. Today was different, I couldn’t get the image of the Lonely Lumberjack out of my head. I nervously opened and closed the locket Kate had got Jackie and I.
On the way down to the woods there was a creek and to the creek there is a small gravel hill, where I normally slip and fall.
“Hey, wait up!” Jackie screamed. I turned around just in time to see Jackie's dark brown curls bounce and the Earth go dark, and then there went that patronizing sound that I hated so much. It was like a microphone blaring. I woke to find myself on the trail which was quite odd, but I didn’t think much of it, Kate was about three yards away whining, “ Hey come on, let's go,” She yelled Jackie was right behind me pushing her way through.
Later on, we started to find sticks and leaves to complete our fort. Anyway, we had finally sat down and started our homework and as in us I meant me. I didn’t have that much homework that day it was only to draw a diagram and to read. I had loved drawing and Science. Our fort looked like a long triangle kinda like a Toblerone candy bar. Jackie and Kate were going on and on about how Jeremy lent Jackie a pencil, boys are overrated. I had finished my diagram and started to read my assigned book for reading.
“Hey Earth to Kenzie. Where is your diagram,” Kate said. Oh, here it comes I thought. I looked at their paper and it was blank of course.
“Hey, could you help us with it your really good at it,” Jackie said. I hated when they asked for my work, but instead I had given them my diagram from last month. I had not been able to get the image of the Lonely Lumberjack out of my head it was like he was crowding my brain with nasty thoughts. Snap went a twig. My heartbeat went from eighty five to 5,000,000 in four seconds.
“What was that,” I whispered, but in a tone that sounded like screaming.
“Omg Kenzie it's probably just an animal. I knew you were lame, you're such a baby,” Jackie said in disgust. I looked down at my paper as water filled my eyes.
“AHHHHHH!” Jackie screeched like bloody murder. Jackie got up through our fort to the ground and sprinted to who knows where. I stared at her as her tiny legs disappeared. I looked over to see Kate curled up in a ball under sticks and leaves that used to be a our fort. Her long blonde hair had been covering her deep dark brown eyes.
“Hello, Kate, hi, hey, what's wrong, what did you see?” I said acting like a dog wanting to be noticed.
Kate crawled to my feet looking up like a puppy wanting food and she softly stated, “the Lonely Lumberjack.” I didn’t believe her, all of today they made it seem like it was no big deal and made fun of me for it. They made me feel like a bunch of crap. I pulled Kate to her feet and she fell back over to the ground, limp as could be.
“Kate we don’t have time for this we need to find Jackie,” I stated more grown up then ever which was not the case. “And next time I’m scared don’t make fun of me,” I had said it and surprised myself. Everything I wanted to say before suddenly wanted to flow out of me, but something had stopped me, it was like a dam holding back a river.
“I know... I am so...sorry how will you… ever forgive me,” Kate was making puddles under her feet with tears and gasping for air every two words she spoke. Her tears were rushing down her face like a person in the aisle of a store on black Friday.
As we walked I could see clouds rolling in faster than usual. Kate kept sobbing. We kept walking as the fall breeze got tangled in my wavy brown hair. The birds that were once playing in the sky hid and it had brought my thoughts back to the road. Things got worse when I had found a fork in the road and knew we would have to split up and by making that decision it would disobey ever nature survival seminar I took. I looked at Kate and saw her eyes fill with sadness.
“I don’t want to split up, what if he gets me?” Kate said, crying her eyes out.
“Kate, I promise you will be safe just run and call me if you need anything.You will be fine” I stated. She nodded and started running with trembling lips and a face so red that would soon burst into a stream of tears. As I ran, fog started coming in and I felt like I was getting even more lost. Bring bring this was the 5,000,000th time she has called.
“Yes,” I answer with annoyance in my voice.
“So I found the way out but the police are here saying they are looking for… Max Jackabee.” Kate said cluelessly. I started to panic once more. Again her voice started getting choppy.
“Kate that's the Lonely Lumberjack!” I screamed to her and continued walking back.
“Wait really oh,” all I heard was a long pause until I realized my phone lost reception. I kept wandering trying to find the right path back and ignored my conscience saying when lost stay put. I eventually couldn’t see five steps in front of me the fog had took up the whole forest and became it. I then started to pick up leaves and sticks until I was left with a makeshift shelter and I rested there.
I woke up and an hour had past. I guess gym must had really tired me out then. My backpack had been crushed from being used as a pillow and my phone was buzzing up the whole time until it died. I got up and dusted the leaves and dirt off of me. I brushed my long wavy brown hair behind my ears. I pushed my glasses up my nose and looked at the sky it was a bright blue like there was no storm at all. I turned around and got a glimpse of what seemed to be a face. I wasn’t startled. I was relieved. I knew it had, had to be an officer that had finally found me and would take me home. But boy was I wrong.
I turned around and paused I saw a better look. He looked just like the picture Mr. Figmen had given us, but he had a confused and angered expression plastered against his face. It couldn’t be, but it was, the Lonely Lumberjack he charged at me, my mind was running fast but I was still, but soon enough it caught up with me. I could feel the wind swoosh through my hair I screamed and ran a whole different speed that I had never seen myself go. I of course had hit a dead end. A couple steps ahead was a cliff if I stepped any closer I would surely fall down into the creek. I shuffled my feet balancing myself on the edge which was not a strong suit. I looked around to see if there was another way out or around but I was stuck. With one swoosh of his arms I fell back. It felt like I had been in slow motion. I looked to the sky with birds flying high and that's when I felt the crash of the bitter cold water envelope me into the abundance of creatures and bitterness. I tried swimming up but it felt like I was being dragged down with weights I suddenly realized I was breathing and it was not human at all I started to think I was a mermaid but that thought erased from my thoughts very fast. I shut my eyes really tight and saw images of Kate and then Jackie. I reopened to see I was still in the water. The cold water made me feel like it was pricking me as I stayed there in my thoughts I could feel my whole body go numb. I struggled to reach the top, but then I finally reached the peak of the water.
I opened my eyes once more. So many thoughts filled my head. That lead to more questions my brain couldn’t comprehend. I was so lost. I wanted to cry but there was none left. I looked around with a painful soreness. The spot I was in looked familiar. I hadn’t moved an inch from where I had fell earlier which seemed like forever ago. I turned my head some more and with it came a catastrophic pain down my neck and through my body. I saw Kate screaming. She had looked like she was in trouble. I hated the fact that I wanted and needed to help her. Even after all she and Jackie had done to me. I looked to see my resources on what I could do. I saw my lunch box and the things in it scattered around and it just as wet as me. I suddenly noticed that I was sopping wet. I put it all together in my head realizing that’s what made me wet. I looked to the sky as usual. Nothing changed. I heard nothing only saw the birds flying around having fun. I could have been having fun too if I wasn’t in the position I was in. I was wishing this would all blow over and I could run home, but I couldn’t. I finally had heard
“Let me go! Stop it!, Mackenzi don’t let him get me and take me away,” Kate screamed.
I was dreading to find out if this was real or not but I knew I couldn’t take the chance of her getting captured or whatever. I tried standing up but I could barely move my neck. I limped to Kate. I was slightly worried. I looked at the huge rip in my pants and a huge cut on my leg. I kept limping, my bones felt like they would crumble into today's ritz crackers I had, had for lunch. I finally reached Kate when... Jackie jumped out at me. She was laughing along with Kate. I crumbled to the floor for rest. I can’t believe I just got played. Kate and Jackie did one of those cliche high fives where they both jump up and hive five each other.
“We so got you! Did you actually think I was the Lonely Lumberjack?” Jackie obnoxiously laughed.
“More like Lonely Lumberjackie,” Kate laugh while Jackie gave her a glance of shut up and then just stared at her.
“Aww widdle Kenzi you should've seen your widdle face it was so priceless,” Jackie continued.
I had, had it I went through so much today and they kept treating me that way. I must have had an upset look on my face because.
“Oh Kenzi did we hurt your feelings. Maybe they wouldn’t of gotten hurt if you stayed asleep,” Jackie laughed. My dam that had once held back that flowing river had just broken.
“Stop it! Just stop!” They seemed shocked that I had that in me. “ I am sick and tired of you guys being complete jerks. I have done absolutely nothing wrong what makes you think you can treat people that way. All you give me is grief, grief, grief, and I am sick of it and I am done with the way you treat me!” I kept screaming. I didn’t know what light turned on inside of me, but I could never had, had the guts I did then.
“You have always been jealous of me not only are you a scaredy cat but a copycat too!” Jackie tried to insult me,but it got knocked down by my makeshift wall of confidence.
Why would I ever want to be you, know wonder why everyone at school hates you I wanted to scream back. I then realized I would be just as bad as her. Kate looked ashamed of what she's done but she kept quiet.
“You will just come crawling back!” Jackie yelled. I just looked at her and shook my head.
“No I won’t.” I took my friendship locket off and through it into the creek. As it sailed through the air I felt the sign of freedom and the twinkles of the sun's rays bounce of the metallic pendant. All the hatred had left my body. My clenched fists released and finally let go of my breath. I turned back to real life. They were astonished by my behavior. I soon ran as fast as I could and it wasn’t fast for being injured. It was more or less a skip. I sat on the wood chips in the park. I had played with the wood chips and started shredded them into splinters of wood out of frustration. I focused on the wood, my thoughts were all around me my actions and thoughts took over me and I laid there as the birds chirped and trees swayed, and all I could think about was, what's next, but I could only imagine.