Main Street Magazine Spring '23

to work their way up his legs until he could barely move. He yanked himself
forward, hoping to dislodge them. The vines held on, tripping him, the boy
landing face first on the floor with a thud.
Fuuuckk that hurt. I can’t breathe, Arden laid face down on the floor, air refusing
to return to his lungs. A breathless groan escaped him, eyes watering at the lack of
oxygen before he finally gasped in a breath of air. He winced as he stood up, hand
rubbing his forehead gingerly. I’m fine, I just need to keep moving forward to find
a… wait. Did I just turn around? Is this backwards or forwards? He stood still in the
darkness, tears brimming in his eyes. Arden felt tired, hungry, frustrated, and a little
afraid.
“I don’t wanna be here anymore!” His voice broke as he yelled out to no one, chest
heaving with each wet sob. Arden closed his eyes and tried to calm himself, reaching up
with a sleeve to wipe away the wetness that covered his face.
Crying isn’t gonna do anything. Just find a wall, there must be one… His thoughts trailed
off as he pulled his hand away, a hint of light breaking the darkness. Everything was blurred
slightly, but it seemed like there was a…
A window? He wiped his eyes again quickly, revealing more of the room, the light becoming
clearer. I’m on the first floor! Arden blinked as much moisture into his eyes as he could manage,
shuffling his feet forward. He tripped with a short yelp, feet caught on vines that weren’t in front of
him seconds ago. Thorns scraped down his legs, dragging Arden backwards into the house once
again.
“Let GO! Please, I need to leave!” Arden reached down, wrenching the tight ropes of ivy off his
ankle. He raced to the window, fingers scratching at the panes of glass. It was stuck shut, the
salvation of the sunlight outside taunting him. Scrapes along the floor caught his attention;
Arden looked over his shoulder to see the vines advancing towards him once again, the
information finally falling into place.
It’s the vines. Oh my God, it was the plants!
Shock discolored his face, going ghostly white before the nauseating fear
painted it a sickly green. Arden shoved his fingers under the lip of the
window, silently begging for it to open. Please, please open. One huge
push lifted the glass, Arden tumbling part way through the window.
He scrambled forward onto the cool grass below. He didn’t stop for
long, hauling himself up and throwing himself down the hill. Arden
ran through the town, past the barren lot, not stopping until he
reached the edge of the river where his journey originally began.
He leaned forwards, hands on his knees, and panted. Hot sweat
streamed down his reddened face. Air circulated in his lungs,
his breathing slowing down. He peered out across the river for a
few moments, the silence interrupted only by the sounds of the
trickling water.
Arden hopped up in excitement, thoughts bubbling out of his head
and rolling off his lips. “WOOHOO! TAKE THAT BIOLOGY! I GOT YOU
BEAT TODA—” A soft rumbling nearby cut Arden short. He glanced
around tentatively, waiting for more vines to appear from the trees.
The dirt gave way, roots shooting from the ground. Arden screamed, scratching
at the river shore only a few short inches away. The feeling of falling took over for
only a few seconds before Arden lost consciousness.
“What’s a kid doing here?”
“Hell if I know… do you think he’s okay? He hasn’t moved at all…” Arden heard
murmurs of conversation above him. His limbs felt heavy, the space behind his eyelids
was dark. He focused on his lungs and took a deep breath in, audibly enough for the
people near him to hear. They rushed to his side, examining his face before sitting him
up straight.
“Hey kid, are you okay? Can you hear us?” Arden finally peered through his eyelids
at the people in the room. He squinted, expecting it to be very bright, but it was
completely dark. Oh brother, this again. He looked around, but there wasn’t much
to be seen. Two figures stood near him, he imagined looking at him with worry, but
the darkness made it impossible to tell. They stared, the gloss in their eyes the
only indication as to where they were looking.
Arden broke his silence. “I fell.” They both laughed short, sudden laughs.
86