Excerpt:

Prologue

There is this place Trent showed me when we were about 9 years old. I remembered it was after I got scolded for spilling green paint all over the carpet when he and I were doing our Neptune project that afternoon. My dad got so pissed that I left the house to get some air to try to escape the yelling and what I would consider back then as “verbal abuse.”

That cold afternoon, Trent asked me to follow him into the an endless area of forest.

“I found something cool the other day that I think you’d like to see,” he said. And with that we continued into the woods. I felt so blind and was kinda still worried about returning home to face my father. However, that afternoon didn’t seem so scary as Trent would constantly turn his head to see if I was still following him through the various types of shrubbery we’d encounter.

He was looking for the wilderness trail.

“We’re gonna go hiking or something?” I asked in curiosity as he continued to maneuver blindly through the bushes. He simply ignored my question and we continued as I remained clueless as to what the hell he was up to.

A biker passed by and, in excitement, Trent grabbed my wrist and pulled me through a really dusty bush to get to the trail. The dust got all over my hair and I was slightly miserable. I remember that distinctly because I was insanely itchy that night.

From the trail, we approached the rest area. The tables were old wooden ones, slowly weathering away from the forces of nature. I took a seat to… well, rest. Trent continued though, determined to show his discovery.

“Jack!” he called out to me, “c’mon!” And I obeyed.

This time, Trent had deviated from the trail and we entered into the woods once again, encountering cluttered bushes and trees and whatnot.

I found it odd how most of the forest life around here looked dead. It's not like there were sprinklers all over the place in the wilderness trail. I think that would ruin the whole outdoors experience anyway. After a while of daydreaming about how I had to face my dad when I came home, Trent stopped.

He took me by the wrist and pulled me through these two large bushes, surrounded by an army of towering trees, as if it were a secret passage. After a few steps, crunching on twigs and dried leaves in the process, I opened my eyes to a small part of the woods that looked different than the rest.

There was a large tree in the center of a small hill in front of me that looked as if it were a hundred years old. Its branches were curving in various directions with an intricate structure that made a canopy that could probably shade our whole fourth grade class.

Around the tree were these white flowers. I have no idea what they were called, but who cares? They all gave out a scent that was invigorating every time I took a breathe. There was a hint of a creek that flowed by the hill. It explained how the plants on this hill got watered.

This world was silent.

“C’mon,” Trent said as he tugged on my wrist and lead me around the tree. There were many flowers scattered around the base of the tree. Of course, they weren’t in the shade since they needed access to the sunlight in order to grow. There was one part of the hill that didn’t have many flowers on it (and was also partly shaded by the canopy). Trent pulled me through as I continued to look around in awe at this world he discovered.

The tree’s root system was all over the place. It kinda looked like a brain. I think it was appropriate though; the enormity of the tree probably meant that the it had gone through a ton of crap through the years, experiencing the coldest winters and the hottest summers. The roots were big enough to be used as little stools, and that’s exactly how Trent and I saw as we sat on top of them.

As I breathed in the scent of those ivory flowers surround us, I began to forget my problems and focus on the now. The shade under the canopy of green leaves slowly being blown from side to side was incredible. It made me smile when some light pierced through the leaves and hitting my face. I wished time could stand still so that I could experience this feeling of indescribable content for eternity.

“What do you think, Jack?” Trent asked as he picked up a jagged rock from the ground. I turned to him for a second and then turned back to the flowers. The bushes and evergreen trees surrounding the small hill acted like gates. I saw them as the gates to the hardships of life… knowing that after this, I still need to pass through them and face whatever life hands to me. Everything outside of those gates were dead.

“It’s beautiful, man…” I respond in awe. Trent ended up smiling and started carving something onto the trunk of the tree. I was too focused on the placidity of the area to really pay much attention to him. I did know that I wanted this to last… and Trent knew how to make it last.

“Jack,” he called, snapping me out of my euphoria. I turned in curiosity.

“Huh?”

“Look.” Trent pointed at the trunk of the tree:

Jack & Trent
Best Buds Forever

I kinda laughed the little stick figure drawing of us giving a thumbs up underneath it. I could tell the one on the right was me because I was wearing my favorite baseball cap. He actually hated how it turned out but I told him to keep it. I liked the kind gesture though, because it pretty much marked our long lasting friendship on such an amazing spot on earth.

The shade was wonderful, that I laid myself upon the dusty tree trunk and closed my eyes. Each breath still smelled sweet as I slowly drifted into a deep relaxation. Trent wasn’t moving around too much, but as I was on the verge of falling asleep, I heard his footsteps crunching some of the twigs and leaves as he approached me, tapping me on the shoulder.

“Hmm?” was the sound I made as I slowly opened my eyes and saw his face. He pointed at his watch, hinting it was time for us to go and extended his arm, gesturing me to grab his hand. I let out a stretch, yawning a little, and then grabbed hold of his warm hand. He helped me up and I dusted myself off.

I wasn’t quiet ready to leave yet, but I knew I had to face my father and move on. As I knelt down to tie my shoe laces tight, I looked up at Trent standing next to me. Something was going through his head as he didn’t acknowledge my stare. I stood up and looked at the direction he was looking at.

The ivory flowers swayed from side to side.

“Jack,” he said. I was kinda distracted by the scene that I did not respond, “Jack,” he repeated.

“Yeah?” I finally answered, still keeping my eyes fixed onto the swaying flowers.

“One day,” he began, “we’ll be like this.” Trent opened his arms, gesturing to the view. I didn’t understand what he was getting at.

“What do you mean?” I asked perplexed.

“We won’t be like the rest of the world… dead. We’ll be like this,” still gesturing to our surroundings, “alive.”

I looked around at the flowers, then turned around to see the enormity of the ancient tree. All I could hear was the creek flowing and, on a few occasions, the wind shaking the leaves of the tree. This world within these gates of trees and bushes was the ideal world I wanted to be in. Outside of those gates were scolding parents, homework, the dead dusty bushes that make you itch, and other crap.

And with that I understood what Trent meant.

And we left.

As we traveled back to my house, I knew that after I wash all this itchy stuff off my body and go to bed that night, tomorrow would be another day. I would never forget the experience I had at that small hill, nor would Trent.

One day, that world he mentioned would come. And as the years went by, I still think back and envied the experience I had when we were young. One day, that world will come… and I’ll be accepting it with open arms.

I can’t wait for that day.