| General Fiction posted June 27, 2023 | Chapters: |
1 -2- 3... 
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Young Echo and Theo spend time together in the forest.
A chapter in the book Return To Concorde Valley
Respite from Despair
by davisr (Rhonda)
| Background After a fire, 5-year-old Echo Jones find herself stranded in an ancient forest behind her farm. She is discovered and tended to by a mysterious boy who seems to know more than most his age. |
From the last chapter:
Summary: Young Echo Jones is overlooked by first responders as she hides in a wheatfield during a house fire. Both parents presumed dead, she escapes into an ancient forest behind her home. Alone and afraid, she meets up with a young boy from mysterious origins that tends to her while searching for help.
Chapter 1 ends with:
She tried not to think about the fire or her parents as she waited. Those thoughts made her sad and afraid. She needed to feel good again, and so she just played with Cindy and pretended that she was on a picnic.
Some time later, Theo appeared in the tree he had first leapt into. In his hands were two promised fish and a bunch of wild chrysanthemums he had gathered in the forest.
“My mother always puts flowers on the table when we eat,” he explained as he approached her. He placed the flowers in the middle of what would become their eating area. He took one bright blossom and handed it to her.
“This one is for you,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said, and then stuck it in her hair the way her mother had always done for her.
*******
Chapter 2:
Theo touched the flower in Echo's hair and smiled. "Very pretty. My mother would definitely approve."
Echo smiled back and cocked her head to one side like a curious puppy. She pointed a finger at his chest. "What's that thing for on your clothes?"
Theo glanced down at his green overall shorts. They were simple in form with a plain white shirt beneath, but he knew what drew her attention. On the chest was an embroidered patch. It had several colors intertwined forming a multi-colored background. At the forefront was the depiction of two sticks crossed over each other to form a sort of inverted V.
He looked at Echo thoughtfully, as though trying to figure out the right words to say. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"It has to do with your secret world, doesn't it?" Echo asked. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"It does, but I can tell you a little bit. The patches are given to children once they turn eight. Sort of a rite of passage."
"A what?"
"Sorry, a sign to show we're growing up. Usually, someone in your home makes it for you based on what you want to be when you're grown, or something you're particularly good at right now. You get the patches sewn into all your clothes afterwards."
"Sounds like a really big deal."
"Yeah, it kind of is."
"So what does your patch mean? Do you like to play with sticks or something?"
"No, silly, I'm an artist. The sticks are paint brushes."
"Ohhh, okay, well, it's nice, but what if you get older and don't want to be an artist anymore?"
"Then I get a new patch, of course."
"Mmmmm," Echo said. "Well, it's pretty."
"Thank you. I just got it three months ago."
Theo glanced down at his green overall shorts. They were simple in form with a plain white shirt beneath, but he knew what drew her attention. On the chest was an embroidered patch. It had several colors intertwined forming a multi-colored background. At the forefront was the depiction of two sticks crossed over each other to form a sort of inverted V.
He looked at Echo thoughtfully, as though trying to figure out the right words to say. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"It has to do with your secret world, doesn't it?" Echo asked. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"It does, but I can tell you a little bit. The patches are given to children once they turn eight. Sort of a rite of passage."
"A what?"
"Sorry, a sign to show we're growing up. Usually, someone in your home makes it for you based on what you want to be when you're grown, or something you're particularly good at right now. You get the patches sewn into all your clothes afterwards."
"Sounds like a really big deal."
"Yeah, it kind of is."
"So what does your patch mean? Do you like to play with sticks or something?"
"No, silly, I'm an artist. The sticks are paint brushes."
"Ohhh, okay, well, it's nice, but what if you get older and don't want to be an artist anymore?"
"Then I get a new patch, of course."
"Mmmmm," Echo said. "Well, it's pretty."
"Thank you. I just got it three months ago."
"Who made it for you?"
"My mother. I'll tell her you like it." Theo got a far-away look in his eyes, glancing at Echo as though wanting to say more. He opted on changing the subject. "Are you ready for me to cook the fish now?"
Echo's eyes glanced downward. She would give Theo his space, invoking a child's ability to see what adults are too busy to notice. She allowed the subject change. "Yes, please. Can I help?"
"Sure, but let's go outside the cave to make the fire. Here, you can hold the fish."
Echo shuddered as she took the scaly fish in her hands, but was determined to look brave in front of Theo.
Echo shuddered as she took the scaly fish in her hands, but was determined to look brave in front of Theo.
Theo squatted on the ground as he carefully built a fire with flint, dry moss and small limbs. Echo knelt beside him and watched.
She was fascinated at first, but these feelings quickly transformed into fear as flames grew and licked at the air. Tears ran down her face, and she patted her chest with a free hand.
Theo noticed at once and touched her arm. "This isn't a bad fire like the one yesterday. I'm just going to cook the fish so we can eat them."
"It's scary."
"I know, but I promise it won't hurt you. Why don't you go back inside the cave while I finish?"
Trusting as only a child can trust, Echo nodded, then scooted back inside the enclosure. She cuddled Cindy in her arms and looked around.
She noticed the cave was made of overhanging branches and thick ivy vines, not a true cave at all, but safe and secure just the same. It served as her private room in the vastness of a confusing forest, a respite from despair.
When Theo had finished cooking, the children sat on the forest floor and ate together, the beautiful wildflowers he brought gracing the center. The fish was good, maybe better than any Echo had tasted before, and she wasn't quite sure why.
"How did you learn to cook like a grownup?" she asked. "Do all the kids in your world know how to do this, too?"
"No, not everyone. My father is a pretty famous cook in our town, and he taught me. He came from a country called Greece, and he learned a lot of what he knew there."
"Well, it's very good. Maybe I can taste his food sometime."
"Remember..."
"I know, you aren't supposed to bring home company. I'm just saying, like, maybe sometime."
"Maybe sometime. You look pretty tired, why don't you rest on the cave floor for a bit. I'll keep an eye out for anyone coming to look for you."
"I am kind of sleepy."
She helped Theo clean up their lunch, then snuggled in the soft needles that covered the cave floor and fell into a deep, healing sleep.
When she awoke, she found her new friend still sitting beside her and whittling a stick much as she had seen her father do before. He looked at her and smiled with the warmth of childhood innocence.
"Did anyone come for me?" Echo asked.
"Not yet," Theo said, "but if you wait here, I'll go further in the woods and look around."
Theo noticed at once and touched her arm. "This isn't a bad fire like the one yesterday. I'm just going to cook the fish so we can eat them."
"It's scary."
"I know, but I promise it won't hurt you. Why don't you go back inside the cave while I finish?"
Trusting as only a child can trust, Echo nodded, then scooted back inside the enclosure. She cuddled Cindy in her arms and looked around.
She noticed the cave was made of overhanging branches and thick ivy vines, not a true cave at all, but safe and secure just the same. It served as her private room in the vastness of a confusing forest, a respite from despair.
When Theo had finished cooking, the children sat on the forest floor and ate together, the beautiful wildflowers he brought gracing the center. The fish was good, maybe better than any Echo had tasted before, and she wasn't quite sure why.
"How did you learn to cook like a grownup?" she asked. "Do all the kids in your world know how to do this, too?"
"No, not everyone. My father is a pretty famous cook in our town, and he taught me. He came from a country called Greece, and he learned a lot of what he knew there."
"Well, it's very good. Maybe I can taste his food sometime."
"Remember..."
"I know, you aren't supposed to bring home company. I'm just saying, like, maybe sometime."
"Maybe sometime. You look pretty tired, why don't you rest on the cave floor for a bit. I'll keep an eye out for anyone coming to look for you."
"I am kind of sleepy."
She helped Theo clean up their lunch, then snuggled in the soft needles that covered the cave floor and fell into a deep, healing sleep.
When she awoke, she found her new friend still sitting beside her and whittling a stick much as she had seen her father do before. He looked at her and smiled with the warmth of childhood innocence.
"Did anyone come for me?" Echo asked.
"Not yet," Theo said, "but if you wait here, I'll go further in the woods and look around."
Echo picked up Cindy and smoothed her pink dress, her tiny hands stroking the soiled teddy bear.
After a bit she said, "I'll wait, but please don't be gone long again. Cindy gets scared."
"I promise to hurry." Theo patted her head, then bounced into the closest tree as easily as one could step onto a curb.
Mesmerized, Echo watched him go. She had always loved climbing trees, but the way he was doing it was ever so much cooler.
Book of the Month contest entry
 Recognized |
Special thanks for the artwork Forest Fire by MoonWillow on FanArt.
Echo Jones: In the beginning of the book, a 5-year-old girl stranded by a fire
Anthos (Theo): In the beginning of the book, an 8-year-old boy who is wise beyond his years, and hailing from a strange world.
Pays
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and 2 member cents. Echo Jones: In the beginning of the book, a 5-year-old girl stranded by a fire
Anthos (Theo): In the beginning of the book, an 8-year-old boy who is wise beyond his years, and hailing from a strange world.
Artwork by MoonWillow at FanArtReview.com
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