Voices in the Trees

Tilly wandered onto the front porch and sat in the rust-red rocking chair, landing with a hmpf of breath. She brushed her hair from her forehead, her skin rough with grit, and dragged over one of the unopened moving boxes inscribed with the scrawl ‘books’. She straightened her jean shorts and settled her legs on the box, sinking further into the chair and allowing it to sway back and forth as she closed her eyes. She was done nesting for the day.

A wind whispered across her shins, her skin prickling with goosebumps. She wrapped her arms over her stomach, and curled onto her side, the chair creaking in protest at her movement. She needed to oil the joints and tighten the screws, but that could wait.

“Matilda.”

She snapped to attention, the low pitch of her mother’s voice taking her back to her roots. She stumbled to a stand and blinked open and close, fighting to regain her focus. “Mom?”

Nothing. No-one. Only shadows from the towering trees as the light waned, the sky turning a deep shade of violet beyond the boundary of her new safe space. Her secret home.

Tilly swallowed. She was imagining things. She was tired. Her mother couldn’t possibly have found her. No-one could have found her, she’d made sure of that.

She attempted to settle again, refusing to give into the seeds of doubt. She was safe. Hunkering down, she drew her knees in close to her chest, the chair rocking with laboured squeaks. Taking a deep breath she used her exhalation to quieten her scattered thoughts and absorb the evening air, sweet with the scent of golden, oozing sap. Breathe in, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. Just as she’d learned in group. “I am safe.”

Another gust of wind rumbled around her, this time stronger, changing directing and swirling her hair. Leaves scattered as the trees surrounding the cabin swayed back and forth, branches bowing, bark creaking under the force. 

“Welcome, Matilda.”

“Who said that?” Tilly leapt from the chair, leaving it swinging behind her. I’m safe. I’m safe. I’m safe. I’m safe. She repeated the mantra as her breath fell ragged, her chest tightening.

“Welcome, Matilda…Welcome, Matilda…Welcome, Matilda.” Voices overlapped, clear and distinct. Her mother. Her sister. The boy she fought to forget.

“Stop it. You’re not meant to be here.” Her hands balled into fists and wide-eyed she stared out at the nothingness of the forrest. “Leave me alone.”

“Don’t be scared. We’re here to keep you company. It can be lonely out here in amongst us trees.”