by rainbowpanda101 » Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:22 pm
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ＡＮＤ---ＦＲＯＭ---ＴＨＥ---ＨＥＡＶＥＮＳ---Ｉ---ＷＩＬＬ---ＧＬＩＤＥ--
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Ａ--ＱＵＩＥＴ--ＣＨＩＬＤＨＯＯＤ
-----This tendency towards silence followed Poppy throughout her childhood. She wasn't shy in the least, and she made friends easily enough. Her desires and playfulness came through via actions, not words. Her parents quickly grew to understand certain signals she would make. A flick of her left ear meant she wanted to be left alone, while a flick of her right ear meant she wanted your company. If both ears were twitching, her parents knew she was in a fit of rage and that it was best to leave her in her room to fume in her own silent way. A paw to her mouth meant she was hungry, while a paw to her throat meant she was thirsty. If she touched both mouth and throat, she was hungry and thirsty. Poppy had many such signals that family and friends understood without her needing to utter a word.
-----When Poppy entered school for the first time, her Kindergarten teacher called her parents into her classroom to speak to them only a week later. The teacher expressed worries that something was developmentally wrong with Poppy, as she refused to speak and only gestured strangely. Poppy's parents tried to explain that there was nothing wrong with their daughter, and that her gestures all meant something if one took the time to learn their meanings. However, the teacher was not convinced and said that Poppy should immediately be put into the classroom with the handicapped students.
-----And so, despite the protest of her parents, Poppy was placed into the classroom for handicapped students. These were students whose developmental challenges ranged from mild to severe. The moment she entered her new classroom, Poppy did not like being with the handicapped students. She understood that her teacher thought there was something wrong with her. She did not get to see her friends that she had already made in her first classroom, as their recesses were done at different times. The new teacher and her aide talked to Poppy slowly and loudly, as if she couldn't understand their words otherwise. Poppy was angry and could see no other solution - she decided to talk.
-----The first words out of her mouth to her new teacher were, "There is nothing wrong with me. I want to go back to my friends!" But her new teacher said it wasn't that simple. Poppy was in her new class for a reason. But Poppy couldn't accept that. That night, she went to her parents and spoke to them for the first time. Her parents were shocked, to say the least! But when they got over their shock, they realized that Poppy was unhappy and decided to try once again to get her back to her original classroom. Poppy was the one who came up with an idea on how to accomplish getting back to her first classroom. She told her parents that she would agree to speak to her teacher when, and only when, the teacher directly spoke to her.
-----And when Poppy offered this idea to her original teacher, her teacher was flabbergasted to find out that Poppy really could speak! Poppy's parents reiterated that there was nothing wrong with their daughter, and that they would like her to be put back into her original classroom as long as the teacher agreed that Poppy need only speak when spoken to . . . and that there would be no more fuss over their daughter's obvious dislike of speaking! Thus, Poppy was put back into her original Kindergarten class with her friends, and her teacher never brought up Poppy's dislike of speaking for the rest of the school year.
-----After that, each year of school, when she got a new teacher, Poppy would write notes to them explaining how she preferred not to speak. If they required her to do so she would, but only when spoken to first. Many of her teachers were understanding, and those were teachers that Poppy enjoyed. But if a teacher told Poppy she was expected to speak, especially in order to be graded for class participation, she grew to dislike those teachers immediately.
-----Poppy was extremely popular throughout school, despite her lack of speech. There was something about her, a liveliness and spunk that she portrayed even without a single word, that drew others to her. The only sound many of her friends ever heard from her (when she wasn't forced to speak during a class) was laughter. Poppy had always had the most amazing laugh. When Poppy laughed, others became mesmerized. Hearing Poppy laugh was like listening to mystical chimes while you were lost in the woods. Poppy never understood why people liked her laugh so much. She eventually just chalked it up to the fact that it was because, most of the time, she made no sounds at all.
-----At the end of high school, Poppy was one of the top of her class. Many of her classmates joked that it was too bad she wasn't their Valedictorian because then she'd have had to make a speech at their graduation ceremony. Only Poppy's closest friend, Ginger, knew that she had actually done that on purpose. Poppy could have easily been the Valedictorian, but she could never have stood in front of an entire crowd and said a speech! It had been difficult enough mustering through the few oral reports she'd had to give throughout elementary, middle, and high school. Nope, she was quite happy with her straight A report card, thank you very much!
-----Poppy did attend her high school graduation ceremony. The Valedictorian actually mentioned her during his speech, saying that she was a true inspiration to them all, for she never faltered in being herself. Hearing that put the biggest smile on Poppy's face, and she started crying when all of her classmates clapped and shouted her name. In that moment, she had so many hopes and dreams for her future. But poor Poppy had no idea what destiny was waiting for her . . .
ＴＨＥ---ＦＯＲＥＳＴ---ＣＡＬＬＳ
-----That night, long after Ginger had fallen asleep, Poppy lay awake in her bed having trouble falling asleep. This was unusual for her since most nights she was able to pass out the moment her head hit her pillow. There was this odd ringing in her ears that would not go away, no matter which way she tossed and turned. Suddenly, she had a strange urge to go and open the window. So Poppy got out of bed and went to open the tiny window to let in some fresh air. The ringing in her ears grew louder as Poppy threw open the window. A breeze blew the sheer curtains into her face, which she batted aside so that she could look out. The young Kalon froze in terror as a sudden nauseous feeling overtook her. She was looking out into a thick, dark forest with blackened trees whose broad, green needles obscured the sky above. But that didn't make any sense because she'd looked out the window earlier, and their view looked out onto the campus!
-----The ringing in her ears intensified to the point where she could hear nothing else, not even Ginger's breathing, which she had been listening to for the last hour. Poppy's eyes widened as the forest outside her window began to sway in a mighty gust of wind that she could almost feel lashing at her face. A figure appeared among the trees. She could only make out the green cloak thrown around their head and shoulders, but for some reason she knew the figure was another Kalon. A voice whispered in her mind, not a physical voice, but a mental one. Come, it said. Come find me! Before it is too late . . .
-----The next thing Poppy knew, her alarm was going off, and she was lying in bed as if nothing had happened. Ginger threw a pillow at her from across the room and shouted at her to turn the alarm off. Once the alarm was off, Poppy looked at the window. It was shut tight, with the curtains drawn. Had she been dreaming? She must have been dreaming. What else could explain the strange ringing in her ears, or the fact that there had been a forest outside her window with a strange figure in it calling to her using a voice she only heard in her mind? Poppy brushed off the whole thing off. It was just a dream!
-----Or was it? Poppy had the same "dream" almost every night for the next week. The strangest thing was, despite the fact that she seemed to lose track of huge chunks of time during these strange visions, she was always well rested the next day. The strange figure she had seen the first time had not returned to the forest during any of the following dreams, and Poppy was beginning to think that something was terribly wrong with her. Had moving away from home unlocked some sort of psychosis in her? Was she slowly going insane? Did people who were going insane realize they were going insane? Should she go see a counselor about this?
-----Poppy brought up her worries with Ginger, who knew something wasn't right because Poppy actually spoke to her about it. Typically when they had discussions that required Poppy to use more than gestures, she would write on a white board or in a notebook. Ginger suggested they set up a video camera in their room and film Poppy throughout the night to see if they could capture her movements. Poppy thought this was a brilliant idea, so Ginger borrowed a video camera from her journalist class so they could film Poppy that night. The girls set up the camera, positioning it so that both Poppy's bed and the window were in plain view. Then the girls went to bed.
-----That night was the same. Poppy could not fall asleep, no matter what position she tried. With a pillow, without a pillow. Nothing was comfortable. And then came the urge to go and open the window. She tried to fight the urge this time, but the calling was too great. Poppy stood and went over to the window. The nausea returned the moment the window was open. She looked out and saw the exact same forest, all dark with little sky showing through the branches above. Poppy couldn't move as a giant gust of wind shook the trees. Needles spiraled down across her vision. And this time, like the first time, the cloaked figure appeared. Come, it said in her mind, the same as before. Come find me! Before it is too late . . .
-----An alarm was going off. Poppy was in her bed once more, morning light streaming in between the curtains. Ginger turned off the alarm and looked over at Poppy, a question mark on her face. Poppy nodded. She'd had the dream again. The girls hurriedly got out of bed. Ginger took the camera, stopped the recording, and then started to fiddle with it. She held up the view screen for the two of them to look through and pushed play. They watched in silence as Poppy thrashed around in bed. Poppy's heart beat harder and harder in her chest the longer they watched. Ginger pushed the forward button. But the Poppy on the screen never got out of bed. She never went to the window and opened it.
-----Poppy wasn't sure whether this revelation was good or bad. So her dreams were just dreams? But that couldn't be right. There was something important about them. She just didn't know what yet. Ginger said she was willing to help Poppy out in whatever way she could, but Poppy told her she didn't need any help. That was just like Poppy, of course. She had always been the independent type, never wanting help or charity even from her closest friends. So Poppy set out, alone, to try and figure out what her dreams could mean. Her best place to start was probably dream interpretation. That wasn't the usual sort of thing that Poppy believed in (she wasn't the kind who thought superstitions were real), but she couldn't think of anywhere better to start.
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-----Time passed. Poppy went to her classes, socialized, met new people. And every night, she had the same dream. Ginger told Poppy that she should go and see one of the counselors, since she was obviously not making any headway in figuring out why she was having this dream. But, ever persistent, Poppy refused. She firmly believed that she could figure this out on her own. One night, on one of those rare days where she had nothing to do, Poppy was sitting at her desk scouring through yet another dream interpretation book. Ginger had gone out to a party that Poppy hadn't been interested in attending. The moon was full and the night was warm, so Poppy had opened the window to let some of the warm air in.
-----She was reading a passage about trees when a breeze brought in the scent of pine trees. Poppy jerked her head up. There was no reason she should be smelling pine, since the school's campus was full of only oaks and sycamores. Another breeze tossed the curtains on the window, and the pine scent grew stronger. Shutting her book and placing it on her desk, Poppy stood and walked over to the window. It was almost pitch dark outside, but she could still see the strange forest from her dreams. Yet, this time, she wasn't paralyzed! Poppy closed her eyes, stuck her head out of the window, and breathed in the scent of the trees.
-----You have found me! a voice suddenly called. Poppy opened her eyes and realized she was no longer in her dorm room. She was in the forest, the thick trunks of the trees rising up and up, their branches blocking out the night sky. A few stars twinkled here and there between the needles. Poppy turned and saw the figure she'd seen only a handful of times in the recurring dream, but this time she could make out every detail of them. It was another Kalon! A female Kalon, from the looks of her slanted eyes, slender facial features, and the long, dark, flowing hair peeking out from the green hooded cloak on her shoulders.
-----Who are you? Where am I? Why do I keep dreaming of this place? Poppy demanded. It was strange. Her lips did not move, but the lady in green seemed to understand her thoughts, for she responded. I am Alexandria, the Guardian of the Forest. You are in the Forest of Dreams. And you keep returning here each night because the time has come for you to learn of your destiny and embrace it, dear Poppy. She smiled serenely at Poppy, as if her words hadn't just sent Poppy's heart thundering in her chest. You must be joking, Poppy replied, still not saying a word. There's no such thing as destiny! The hooded Kalon shook her head. I do not jest, young one. It is nearly time for me to pass on the Guardianship, and you are the one the Forest has chosen to take my place. You must become the next Guardian of the Forest, Poppy London!
-----POPPY! The sound of her name sent Poppy jerking, and she fell out of her desk chair and onto the floor of her room. The forest was gone. The scent of pine was gone. The strange Kalon from her dream was gone. Poppy blinked up into the face of Ginger, who told her she'd been trying to wake her up for like five minutes. Gesturing, she reassured Ginger that she'd just been asleep. Ginger didn't seem convinced, but she let it go as Poppy started getting her pajamas. The girls climbed into their beds a few minutes later and turned out the light. But Poppy lay in her bed, thinking about the new development in her dream. I am Alexandria, the Guardian of the Forest . . . You are the one the Forest has chosen to take my place . . . You must become the next Guardian of the Forest, Poppy London!
-----No, weird dream lady! I will not! Poppy thought to herself. These weird dreams were just dreams. She had no destiny, except the one she'd planned out for herself as a veterinarian. She and Ginger were going to get through school together, start up a clinic together, and take care of dogs and cats and guinea pigs and other pets for the rest of their lives. But as Poppy began to drift off to sleep, a quiet voice in the back of her mind was saying, what if? What if these dreams were more than just dreams? What if Alexandria was real? What if the forest she kept seeing in her dreams was real? What if . . .
-----But, the dreams stopped after that night. A few days later, Poppy returned all of the dream interpretation books she'd checked out and gave up her research into dreams. She and Ginger hung out, did their homework, and went to parties. Poppy met a really cute guy at one of the parties who asked for her number. Ginger had to urge her to give it to him, and in the end Poppy relented and typed her number into his cell phone contacts with one condition - he would only ever text her, which he readily agreed to. Most college students these days never bothered calling their friends anyway, but Poppy wanted to make sure he wasn't one of the few who actually did.
-----A month went flying by with no sign of the dream. Poppy went to sleep each night and woke up the next morning with no recollection of any dreams whatsoever. Without the dreams distracting her, Poppy found it much easier to focus on her classes, on socializing with Ginger and the new friends she'd made, and on finding a book club to join. But the fun did not last, for the night of the next full moon . . . the dream returned. She climbed into bed, turned out her light, and put her head on her pillow. The next moment, she realized she was in the forest again, with the same thick pine trees surrounding her.
-----Hello, Poppy, a voice said from behind her. Poppy turned to see Alexandria walking towards her. Are you ready? Alexandria asked. Ready for what? Poppy asked, fearful of the answer. To embrace your destiny, Alexandria replied softly. Poppy shook her head, which made Alexandria frown. I was afraid of that answer. I understand your reluctance, Poppy, but the Forest has chosen you. It does not want anyone else as its Guardian. Alexandria held one of her front paws out, pads up, to Poppy. Would it be alright if I showed you something? You just need to take my paw. I promise that no harm will come to you. Her curiosity getting the best of her, Poppy took Alexandria's paw with her own.
-----Images began to flash in Poppy's vision. She saw vast forests teeming with wildlife, from small oak woods to the colossal stretch of the Amazon Rainforest. She watched deer leap across a raging river as a bear caught a fish upstream. A mother rabbit snuggled deep into a nest full of tiny rabbit kits. A monkey swung from the giant branch of one tree into another tree, a baby monkey clinging to its back. A macaw sitting in the next tree rustled its bright feathers as it preened itself with its beak. As these images appeared and disappeared, Alexandria's voice filled Poppy's mind. This is what the Guardian of the Forest protects. The trees. The rivers. The animals. Even the rocks. Without a Guardian to protect the Forest, this is what happens. The images began to change. The leaves of the trees withered and blew away. The trees themselves began to rot from the inside out, falling and crashing to the earth. The rivers dried up. Poppy felt tears on her cheeks as she saw lifeless bodies of animals everywhere. STOP IT! she screamed.
-----The images stopped. She was standing in the Forest of Dreams with Alexandria again. Poppy wiped the tears from her cheeks. I don't understand. Why would . . . why would everything just die, without a Guardian? Poppy demanded to know. Alexandria sat down, her green cloak moving gently in a breeze. I don't know the answer to that. But the Forest has always had a Guardian to watch over it. I admit, in recent years it has been a difficult job. Many forests are being cut down. The animals I've sworn to protect have lost their homes to such a degree that they're becoming extinct, or nearly. There is so much greed, so much waste, in this modern world. I have done my best, but my time is nearly at an end. You must take my place, Poppy.
-----But, what about my life now? Will I be able to keep going to school? Can I still hang out with Ginger? What about my parents? Poppy stared at Alexandria as the questions stumbled from her mouth. The Guardian's eyes began to swim with tears. I'm sorry, Poppy, but once you accept the Call of the Forest, there is no going back. Poppy watched the tears fall from Alexandria's eyes and felt fresh ones moisten her own. What do you mean, there's no going back? she whispered. Alexandria stood up and began to walk. Reluctantly, Poppy went after her.
-----Guardians are like ghosts. Only a few can see us, but even then, those who do usually do not realize what they are seeing, Alexandria said. Pine needles cracked beneath their paws as they walked. It is the Guardian's job to watch over and guide the Forest and all who live in it. We find seeds that drop and help them to become plants and trees that grow big and strong. We stand by and give silent guidance to new mothers as they give birth, and then watch their young grow and develop the skills they need to live on their own. And when the trees and plants and animals are on their beds of death, we are there to say good-bye. If we were not here, who would help the seeds to grow? The mothers to give birth? Who would be there to say good-bye to each living being as they take their last stand or breathe their last breath? The Forest needs you, Poppy.
-----Poppy's cheeks were soaked with her tears. She could hardly see where she was putting her feet, but she blindly followed Alexandria. I can't . . . I can't give up my life! My parents! I'm their only child. And Ginger, she's my best friend. I'm going to miss them, and they'll miss me, s..so m..much! Poppy couldn't hold in her sobs at the end. Alexandria stopped and placed a paw on Poppy's shoulder. Young one, do not cry. Once you accept the Call of the Forest, your previous life is erased. All memory of you fades from the minds of those who knew you, and any traces of your existence go with those memories. Poppy wiped at her cheeks, but the tears continued to flow. But what about my memories? Won't I still remember all of them?
-----Despite her protests against Poppy crying, Alexandria's eyes were wet once again, too. Your memories will go, with time, as mine have. It is difficult at first. You will be tempted to visit your loved ones all of the time, but it is not wise to do so. A final good-bye to those you love most is justified. I did so with my family when I accepted the Call. But the memories will fade, and eventually you will forget that you were ever Poppy London. Now . . . will you accept the Call of the Forest?
ＴＨＥ---ＧＵＡＲＤＩＡＮ---ＡＷＡＫＥＮＳ
-----This is the Pond. Alexandria said. It is where all Guardians take their oath and accept the Call of the Forest. She held a paw over the water. To accept the Call, all you have to do is place your nose to the water and close your eyes. She stared down at Poppy, her gaze stern yet sympathetic. I cannot tell you what will happen. The experience is unique to each Guardian. But it is a wonderful experience, I can tell you that. Now, I ask you again. Poppy London, will you accept the Call of the Forest?
-----Poppy looked up at the full moon shining down on them. She looked at the grass blowing in the breeze, and the fireflies dancing in the air all around them. She looked at the tall pine trees surrounding them, their needles glowing in the moonlight. The scent of pine was strong here. Her heart was beating steadily in her chest, but it wasn't thundering like before. Her cheeks were still wet from her tears, but her eyes were dry now. Could she be selfish and refuse to accept? Could she stand by and watch the world die around her, knowing she could have prevented it from happening? Finally, she looked back at Alexandria.I accept the Call of the Forest.
-----Poppy stepped forward, placed her nose to the water of the Pond, and closed her eyes. If she were to try and describe her experience as she stood there with her nose to the water, she would not have been able to. The experience, as Alexandria had said, was wonderful. When it was over, Poppy stepped back. She felt as if she were capable of anything! She could jump a hundred feet into the air, climb a fifty foot wall straight up, even fly! Poppy laughed as the feeling enveloped her, and her laughter echoed throughout the forest.
-----It is time, young one. I will not be here for much longer, so I must teach you everything I know before I go, Alexandria said, interrupting Poppy's fit of giggles. There is much for you to learn before you take my place, so let's get started.
-----Two figures walked into the forest. One had long, dark hair that fell from the hood of a dark green cloak wrapped around her head and shoulders. The other was smaller, younger. She had a lovely green pelt speckled in white, reminiscent of a forest in the middle of a snowstorm. Both figures walked with the same slow, steady gait. As they disappeared into the forest, laughter could be heard coming from the trees. It was the most amazing laugh, like mystical chimes ringing . . . ringing . . . ringing . . .❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄
Last edited by
rainbowpanda101 on Sun Jan 21, 2018 2:26 pm, edited 10 times in total.
