Teela ran through the night, as she finally became aware of the shadows that moved, her heart pounding, her breath rasping as she ran. Teela moved in the opposite direction every time she saw a shadow, fearing the world right then. The moonlight finally started to fade within the clouds, leaving the forest dark and seemingly empty. Teela jumped every time she saw a log, landing several feet away. She finally noticed it was growing darker, with the clouds baracading the moon, and she shut her eyes, continuing to run, until she suddenly tripped. Judging from the sharp pain she suddenly felt, she could tell it had been a branch, the bark scraping her skin, leaving her bleeding.
The cut was from her knee down to her boot. She felt the pain, burning, as she lay tangled up with the fallen tree, pushing herself away from the leaves, the rustling heard as she was having a hard time freeing herself, not being able to think straight. She wanted to rub her cut, but the leaves prevented her from doing her so, the pain seering, burning; it had been a pretty bad cut... Not as bad as the gashes she had seen on her arms, but she hadn't felt any pain in that; it was almost a good thing she couldn't really see her arm right then.
This was pain, though. She had cut her leg, and she felt some blood run down it. As a cloud moved above her, she lay directly in the moonlight, no longer under its shadow, as she watched the green that ran down her leg glisten. The green blood was slightly... it had a rainbow substance on it, that was only visible for a second when it leaked from her cut. She placed a paw on her leg, feeling her paw get wet, as she felt the blood running, though she had began to block it from leaking more. Teela sat there for a moment, sitting in the leaves, which were incredibly uncomfortable as she sat there, her expression a hurt one, rubbing her cut, the blood smearing. The clouds covered the moon again as she looked up, her expression a half glare though the pain in her eyes blocked it. Her leg hurt as she stood up, somewhat limping, though she kept telling herself it was just a cut, a simple cut. The blood still leaked out of her cut, making her hand sticky, and she limped slightly, shutting her eyes, wishing this would end. For some reason, the pounding in her head grew worse. Teela took a deep breath, and began to run, the pain sheering as she ignored it. She ran harder now, feeling the pain go numb as she didn't care where she was going, Teela just ran. She was tired of this forest now, had been for a while...
Teela's eyes were wide as she ran harder, a glare even, her chest burning, enflared, like she was on fire after a while. She was breathing heavily, the entire inside of her body growing hot, her breath rasping even more as she saw another dead tree, dtermined she wouldn't fall into another one as she lifted one foot up and jammed it on the ground, jumping high as she almost lost her balance in the air, being as she wasn't expecting to go that high. Jumping way over the tree, she saw another tree and rolled out her tongue, grabbing one of the branches. She felt it weaken as she was coming down from her jump, knowing she was going to literally eat dirt if she didn't break her fall. Teela felt the branch recoil in a way, felt it able to hold her weight as she was swinging towards the tree itself, the taste of the tree not a very pleasant one, but she ulled herself up slightly, her tongue aching as she wasn't one to do this often. Her muscles were perhaps what one would call standard, but she would probably fall any minute, her tongue strained. Teela swung towards the tree, seeing she was heading towards another branch. She swung around it, grabbing it with her hands, her feet on the tree itself. Teela knew she probably looked quite ridiculous...
Teela pulled herself onto the branch, tired, her body completely aching, her eyelids dropping, though she was too paralyzed from fear to even know she was tired. Teela looked up to find her tongue still on the upper branch as she glared, not releasing it, but instead, straigning to climb the tree, her tongue muscles, Teela knew, getting a serious workout. She definitely didn't need upper body strength in her arms... not after this. Ugh... Teela's tongue hurt more than the cut on her leg as she then started to think... She was a Yoshi, but she was climbing... Ugh... Teela stopped climbing to the upper branch as she loosened her grip with her hands, falling to the lower branch. She then jumped to the higher branch, releasing her tongue, feeling her jaw ache.
Teela jumped to the thickest branch that she could get to, not to mention the highest, peaking her head out at the clouds and looking around. In the distance, to the east, Teela saw a village with rooftops, smoke filing out from Mushroomtop chimneys, some huts as well, some houses with roofs, almost all of them with chimneys and smoke piling up into the sky. Teela sighed in relief, knowing good and well she wasn't going to walk all the way there...
As Teela stood leaning against the tree, she breathed heavily. After a few moments she stopped breathing so hard, but her lungs still burned as she began coughing. This happened to Teela all the time... If she had run a little too much, she would begin coughing until she got water... and that would only help it, and she knew she'd probably be coughing until late into tomorrow afternoon, not that it mattered. Teela just wanted to get home... but what was the quickest way...?
"A blue Koopa shell spaghetti would be nice right about now..." Teela joked to herself, though knowing she only wished she could fly. Teela wished she could throw eggs... but Teela knew she probably wouldn't be able to do that until she was older.
Teela sat there and thought for a few moments, looking to the village, watching the smoke furl into the sky some more. She then took a deep breath and let out a long, drawn out sigh. She looked to all the trees that led to the village, watching how, in the horizon, the village and the trees sort of clashed. She was tired... and with that, Teela stood up, finally getting her idea.
Teela seemingly aimed, particularly at the next tree, the closest, about a few feet away; she took a deep breath, and leaped. She'd never done this before... Maybe climbing smaller trees, but these were the medium-sized trees in the Forest of Illusion, and Teela definately knew she didn't want to go to the larger area in the forest, with the, what she called, "Gigantamo" trees where all the Wigglers lived. They hated trespassers, though Teela had snuck in many times, not once having been caught.
Teela landed on a thin branch, quickly jumping to the next tree, this being the third tree she had been on. Only about a hundred more...
"Ugh... This is the fastest way?! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Teela sighed, rolling her eyes. Teela aimed at the next tree, farther than the others, as she jumped, falling a little ways, though using her tongue to grab onto a branch, fall towards the tree, and leap back up. "You know... This is kind of fun... And I need to stop talking to myself..." Teela was actually kind of enjoying this tree jumping thing. It was challenging, not to mention easier than she had thought it would be. Teela jumped to the next tree, picking up speed by not pausing and jumping directly to the next. She stopped on that tree and jumped up another branch, another level in the forest, seeing even more moonlight than she had originally.
The clouds were in abundance, Teela noted as she looked tiresomely to the village, not really believing anything to be fun as she touched one of her fangs again. She wanted to see them, but her big Yoshi nose kind of prevented that... Teela smelled the ar; it was rich with smoke, some of it smelling like apples, someone must have been roasting apples in their fireplace or something... Teela then wondered... what were her parents doing? How long had she been gone? Teela had plenty of time to snap out of the shock she had been in, or so she figured, now that she had shoved it out of her head. Teela really didn't want to believe Reema was right, that was the emotion she had felt. She didn't want to believe it, she had been avoiding it until now, it was coming back. Teela just really couldn't stop thinking about it...
She jumped to the next tree, almost
missing it as she looked to the sky, thinking about what had happened,
knowing she had shoved it out of her head; it now refused to be pushed
back. Teela wondered... what exactly happened? The ghost... how had she
led herself there?! Teela knew... just knew... she couldn't have...
And all the thoughts were pouring back into her head. Tella tried to drive them back with something else... She repeated her name aloud several times, trying to concentrate only on whatever she could grasp besides the situation... She just wanted to get home. And that was what Teela was now going to use to keep everything else out of her head. She didn't want to sort anything until she got home and was held by the caring arms of her parents, to know safety once more... Teela's pain seemed to be dulled as she pictured the image, and it almost seemed to be diminished. Teela opened her eyes and took off, heading towards the village at a racing speed, jumping from tree to tree, her breathing no longer heavy, but if it were, she wouldn't pay attention. She wanted to get home; she would no matter what it took.
After another fifteen minutes, Teela took a break. She was a few trees away from the village, a few minutes away from her parents. She would be so happy to see them... but would she be punished? Teela didn't think about that, she shoved it out of her head immediately, knowing that if she thought about something like that, it would shatter her happy energy and all of those other thoughts would seep back in, and then all this work of fighting it off would be worthless. She knew she had gotten this far; she would never turn back.
The fence overshadowed her as she leaped over it greatly, her jumps now even more powerful than ever. She noticed, she had seemed a bit more powerful than before. Teela thought for a moment, stopping completely. Maybe it did something to her? She laughed aloud to herself, thinking. "Teela, you're going crazy... Just because your face is a bit different, doesn't mean your abilities have changed... Or what if I am changing? What if I'm... MUTATING?! Oh god no..."
Teela then began to freak again as she shoved the thoughts back out of her head. She wanted to get home... just get home... everything would be all right... Her parents would take care of it... they could do anything! Teela nodded... They could do anything... They'd find a way to get these fangs off...
The streetlights were welcoming, the fog still the same. How long had it been? Teela still didn't know... All she knew was that she'd left around eight... or was it nine? Teela didn't even know now... All this... everything had seemed to pile up in her mind, and now it wouldn't let her remember the smaller things... But now, Teela then reminded herself, it wasn't important.
Teela ran faster than usual now, noticing a sharp pain in her legs when she began to run. They had already been hurting, but this strike of pain... it was different. It shot through her legs, and all the pain that had been there previously from the workout... it was gone. There was only another sharp pain, and now she was running faster... Teela wondered... was it just her, or had she just gotten stronger? Teela then smiled, hoping it was true. How it had happened, however, she shoved out of her head. Anything negative, she drove away. Teela pushed harder, her speed bewildering now. She really wanted to get home... and quickly...
Teela ran past the streetlight under which she had originally spoken with Reema. She didn't stop to wonder if Reema was around; she knew, somewhere, Reema was in her bedroom window, watching for Teela. Reema did that... Teela knew. Whenever Teela walked out her door, Reema would run out. It was a little odd, but Teela didn't care. She had gotten used to it after awhile; she knew they were friends. Maybe Reema would think my new look is cool! Teela made light of the moment as she ran up to a regular house, smoke furling out its chimneytop. Teela saw the bathroom window had been closed- they had already noticed her absense. She would have to use the front door...
As Teela approached the dark green, rather pretty door with a golden handle, she wondered. What had happened? Did they just now notice she was gone? She placed her hand on the doorknob; it opened silently. She poked her head in, seeing several figures' shadows upon the wall. From the front door, you could see the dining room. Then to the left of the dining room was the living room, and to the right was the kitchen. The figures were either in the dining room or the living room. The rooms and bathrooms were upstairs. Teela then stuck her head back outside again, ringing the doorbell. She heard the figures scramble, her mother there in a matter of seconds, tears running down her face. For a moment, she stared upon Teela, Teela's father now poking his head out as well.
"Teela!" Her mother embraced her tightly, fearing her daughter was not real for a moment. She pulled her head back, staring upon Teela's face as she shook her head. She looked down to Teela's leg and gasped at the blood. Several other figures stood behind Teela's father. They were police officers; their uniforms glistened with importance. Teela's eyes began to swell with tears as well, though she couldn't comprehend why. It was as if she hadn't seen her parents in decades...
"W-what time is it?" Teela asked as her father looked bewildered.
"Excuse me?"
"What time is it?"
"Are you crazy? You just disappear... We thought someone kidnapped you! We thought you would be murdered! We thought... ugh, Teela... Not now..." Teela could tell her dad was frustrated; he had been worried sick earlier though. It would take a while longer for her mother to recover...
Teela's father walked outside, her mother going back in and standing in the doorway. Teela turned and watched her father thank the policemen as they began to walk away. He turned back to them and headed in. Teela followed them both inside, wondering what now... They would want an explanation. But how would she give them one if she herself didn't understand most of it? Teela sighed, looking back outside forlornly...
_
The kitchen light was dim; it would be dead soon. It flickered, catching Teela's eye wearily. She was tired; the clock said eleven o' clock. Teela had been gone at least three or four hours... She wanted to laugh; that sure would be a long shower. No wonder her parents had noticed...
"Teela." Her dad looked at her, his eyes patient and solemn. "Tell me it wasn't a boy..." Teela wanted to laugh. But he was serious... Did the fangs mean nothing? "And what is it with the plastic fangs? Is it a gang symbol?"
"Teela, please. Answer truthfully. Your father and I are very concerned. We just want to help..." her mother assured her; it wouldn't work, being as none of those were the case.
"You don't understand," Teela said calmly, trying to sort this out herself in her head. She was wonderng where to begin...
"Will you remove the fangs?" her dad asked, annoyed.
"That's it. I can't."
"That's it? What do you mean? Do you mean you've had enough of this?" Her mom didn't get it.
"Wait." Teela thought as she wondered. "What?"
"Remove the fangs. They're ridiculous."
"Dad, I literally CAN'T. I mean, I CAN'T remove them... They're... real."
"Teela, this isn't a time to joke."
"I'm not joking!!!" Teela retorted as her parents looked puzzled. "Short story: I snuck out! I wanted to see the forest at night, that was all! I felt this weird sensation! Then the rest is foggy! All I remember from there is a house... and THEN A GHOST!"
"Wait a second... A house? A ghost? Teela, what?" Her dad's look was still confused. Teela sighed.
"I was bit by this huge purple ghost... with green fangs... and it told me I had led myself there with my curiosity. It said my mind reached out to it; it didn't have to draw me there!" And with that, her dad sighed. He got up, pacing for a few moments.
"Leeta, we need to talk." Teela's mom,
Leeta, nodded, following him upstairs. Teela watched as they walked away,
her looked of relief fading. What was going to happen? Her life had completely
changed, she concluded. It had changed so fast... This was worse than puberty!
Teela wanted to laugh at her joke; she found nothing funny right now. It
felt like her childhood was gone, she felt like she was changing, and very
abruptly as well. Teela couldn't help but feel something else was going
to happen, but what? What would happen to her now? Teela only knew enough
to conclude, once more to herself, her life had changed. And all too fast.
Or maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought? Maybe, Teela thought to
herself some more, I'm making more of this than it is...
"Teel..." Teela's mother, Leeta, said to her husband, he pacing as she sat on the bed. They were in their large bedroom, both stern and uncontent. "I don't get it. Our daughter is down there saying she saw this ghost, saying she went out into that God-forsaken forest."
"Leeta, Leeta... I'm... sorry..." He sat down on the bed, his eyes swelling as she stared at him oddly.
"Teel, this isn't your fault..."
"Yes, Leeta, yes it is. I... I brought you both away from that Nueron Jungle, which was the most evil place on the planet, they this is an EVEN WORSE-"
"Teel, you're placing this upon yourself. Stop it, stop right now." Leeta placed an arm around her husband as he sighed.
"Leeta, I brought you both away from there, I used the last of my own magical strength... just to end her up where I never wanted her. As some sort of freak." He paused, Leeta's look of concern drowning into one of shock.
"Wait... You're telling me... They're real? You're telling my my daughter isn't pulling another one of those childish pranks that she is known to pull? Cummon, you're telling me this isn't another one of her attempts to show how mischevious she can be? To see how much trouble she can land herself in?!" Leeta asked conspicuously as Teel shook his head, sighing. He looked up to Leeta with large eyes, ones that looked as though they were going to water. He was holding it in- something he appeared to be good at.
"I... Leeta... Y-Y-Yes," he stammered, now pulling Leeta close, her head over his shoulder, her eyes wide. This was all happening too fast- she wasn't sure if any of this was real, though she didn't want to believe it, didn't want to believe her daughter had experienced something traumatizing, certainly life-threatening.
"Well... Then we'll just have to see what can be done," Leeta spoke, now pulling back to look into Teel's eyes. He looked at her in shock.
"What do you mean?" He was clueless.
"Don't you know anyone who... specializes in this sort of... erm.... freaky phenomonon?" Leeta was now struggling with her words. "I mean, the only thing we can do is try and cope with it. Whatever happened, I don't think Teela is even sure of. Something has happened that she can't explain, and I have a feeling all she knows is she can only accept it for the moment. Unless something can be done, I'm sure you can get a hold of someone who can do something, right?!" Leeta seemed to be the only one using her head here. Surely she know Teel was the one who usually did that, Teel was the one who had all the ideas, the one who led them. However, for the moment, under the given circumstances, it was her turn to hold him up, and she was certainly going to do that. It only took a bit of common sense to understand something had to be done, and Teel had already fallen into despair before they had even done anything...
_
Her eyes were filled with sheer and desperate whispers and shadows. Her face had darkened from the sorrow; she sat in the kitchen, tapping her finger impatiently on the table. She then stood up, going to the kitchen, her entire body trembling. She felt as though she would never be warm again; Teela was utterly different, and for the moment, this was not something positive.
"I'm... not dreaming," she told no one as she grabbed the water; she couldn't feel its frozen attributes.
Turn back, let's go back, this can't be happening... Something pleaded in her head; it was her own desperation. She wondered what was going to happen; what was being said up there?
Rain pounded furiously against the windows now, Teela sure that there would be even more fog than there had been roughly about three hours ago. At least in town...
"For once I've found something I can't accept..." Teela found herself saying, wondering absolutely where that had come from. "I've found a change... I've defied myself, I've changed.... And it's a change I cannot take back." She was just talking now, and she couldn't seem to shut her mouth. The words piled from her, she not really taking note as to whether she was saying it... or something else...
_
Teel's eyes lightened as he heard his wife's suggestion.
"Yeah... do something about it... Leeta, that's so brillient. It's... yes... We need to do something... Now! Right now... But... I can't..."
"What?"
"Exactly! What? What can we do? I can't do anything..."
"Maybe we should ask Teela what happened, just to know what is going on. Maybe it's... erm... temporary..." Leeta then stood up without even turning to her husband for approval of the idea. She wanted to know what was going on, and thus she knew she would. Even Teel knew when his wife was set out for something, she'd go to the ends of wherever to get it... And she didn't need his approval for anything. Especially not the well-being of their daughter, Teel knew Leeta wouldn't hesitate when it came down to Teela.
_
Teela poured herself a glass of water, though froze immediately when she heard the creaking of footsteps upon the stairs. Her breathing had increased drasically as her hands trembled, still holding the water jug in midair. Teela was okay with sinc water, though her parents claimed it had an odd taste, but that wasn't on her mind right then. Her eyes had narrowed into this knowing look, making her seem very intelligent. As her dad emerged from the darkness of the living room and into the kitchen, she noticed him eyeing her warily.
"Dad," Teela inquired now, her eyes dropping drowzilly, she still trembling. Teel took note of her trembling as Leeta stood behind him; their looks of fear struck Teela, and they struck hard.
"Teela, we need to talk to you." Leeta brought the subject right out; there was no need to work around it. Get straight to the point, and do something about it. "Is there anything you're leaving out? Can you give us the semi-long version? Did you meet anyone?"
"Ayuh, I met Reema. I asked if she wanted to attend my little night adventure, but she told me she is not ever going to go in there at night. She stated there are zombies-" To Teel, Teela's voice seemed to trail off. He had been envisioning all this from the start, but now he thought about the zombies.
He knew for a fact they hardly ever were around; they were only alive when there was no moon, and no light whatsoever, and even if this had occured, they could never reach the town, as the ancient graveyard was too far away. Teel also knew no one was ever born in Illusion Village, and if you were, you always requested to be burried somewhere else so your spirit wouldn't get caught here to haunt for all eternity your own flesh.
"The forest was foggy, and the path was lit for me," Teela concluded what would seem like part one of her story, though it sounded more like a fairy tale than anything else. Leeta nodded as Teela breathed; Teel noticed her hands shaking finely. The glass of water she had poured and was now drinking even had the contents shaking; the water splashed inside the glass.
Teela's eyes were a sort of foggy, Leeta took note. Maybe it was Leeta's imagination, but it sure seemed Teela was talking a bit different as well. Then again, Leeta concluded, it may just be me.