Staircase to No Place

The year was lost to my imperfect memories, but I can still remember the warm breeze curling between the tall trees allowing spots of sunlight to break through the leafy cluster. Summer had finally bloomed through the cracks of school's thick depression and I had decided my friends and I deserved a nice break away from pestering parents and adulthood that awaited us in September. Perhaps it was the summer after graduation, though it makes no difference really. All we knew was our lives were changing before we were ready, still feeling like the baby freshmen searching for our first class amid the rushing hallways.

We arrived at my cottage, content to light a fire, bake a frozen pizza (the only thing I knew to cook to perfection), roast marshmallows and watch Netflix in the living room. It may not have been the country life, but you can't expect us to survive in the woods without the internet, now could you? We piled into bed, the three of us squeezed into a double, bellies aching from laughter and eyelids heavy from the long drive of karaoke.

The next morning, we made the decision to visit the newly purchased piece of land my parents bought in the hopes of building a cottage that would age with windy vines curling up the worn down terrace. We arrived later in the morning, walking through the vivid greenery and patches of sunbathed fields. Dani brought my old bow and arrow (I won first place at archery camp, she would say, I may be your only hope of survival) while Avon was in charge of the camera. For my part, I took my duty as a host very seriously, introducing the history of the land (did you know they used these woods to film that scene, from a movie, about those kids who stupidly explore the woods of a famous tragedy).

We reached the top of the dirt road where the cottage will be built, the rising hill flattens into a smooth pasture overlooking the sparkling lake between spotted trees. We took some pictures, most of which didn't focus on the beauty of the area but rather our moronic selves. We walked down towards the waterfront, carefully zig zagging down the mountain amongst loose gravel and patchy green spots.

Avon wandered off. Not that I'm surprised, he has a bad habit of wandering where he doesn't belong. Maybe we should get him a leash. It was only when he shouted for help did Dani and I echange tired glances before making our way over to his shout. We didn't expect to find the boy with his leg stuck between cracked wood halfway up an old hand built staircase in the middle of the forest. I never noticed it before, more interested in the glorious sun heated pool than the mosquito infested woods.

"Of course." Was Dani's response. I could only laugh at him. Dani pulled her hair into a ponytail, adjusted my bow slung across her abdomen and began climbing the stairs with more caution than I thought necessary. Eventually I helped, though I kept reprimanding him like the toddler he is. (Don't you know not to wander off and I'm very disappointed in you, you should know better, Oh and don't forget, Do you want me to kiss your leg better?). He didn't appreciate my concern. So inconsiderate.

One at a time we mounted the deteriorating wooden steps, grasping the slanted railing and small trees for balance. We discussed and theorized the reason behind this unusual structure. I claimed it was used by the killer to quickly disappear when the protagonist turns their back before reappearing elsewhere. Dani believed it was left over from a forgotten town (Atlantis was never in the ocean, it was in the woods all along). Avon silently put up with us as we figured the reward for our find.

A waist tall leafy bush broke through a crack in one of the steps blocking our path. Luckily Avon remembered what poison oak looks like before Dani and I dove face first into the thicket.

"Well that kind of sucks." Dani said after checking to make sure she was clear of the poisonous plant. "Guess we should head down, I need to wash off the bug spray staining my skin before it smells forever."

" I told you not to use so much." Avon replied as we began to shuffle down the uneven steps, careful to not splinter our hands from the railing. We reached the bottom safely and began to walk back along the water towards the path leading to the top of the mountain. A girl suddenly crossed our path. Her red hoodie was pulled atop her head, humming along to a song, swaying her shoulder bag. I shouted to her, unfortunately startling her, causing her to trip on a thick root. We ran over, helping her up before she turned to us with crimson cheeks.

"You live around here?" Avon asked, hoping to ease the girl's embarrassment. She turned to him but she quickly found her feet more interesting to watch while answering.

"Yes, I live down the road. I mean I don't live... My parents are up for the summer." She stuttered out. She remembered my calling to her, looking into my eyes for a moment before shifting in her place and pulling a strand of hair behind her ear in her scarlet hood.

"Yes?" She seemed young. I can remember the roundness of her face and the doe eyes above darkened circles. Avon handed her the shoulder bag while Dani brushed off her hoodie. She was overwhelmed, but I didn't know what.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, turning to see if there were any other children wandering behind her. Not seeing any, I looked back to her but she kept her eyes focused on her sneakers. "This is private property."

"Sorry, I was just heading to my grandparent's place, and I saw this path... uh I found this shortcut... and I wanted...not that... I didn't know that this is...Sorry." I tried to follow her muttering but I got lost. Instead I told her it wasn't a problem and sent her on her way. When she was gone, Dani turned to me with a slight frown.

"Won't your parents be upset with people using your property as a shortcut." I nodded. "Then why did you let her leave without asking her to not do it again?"

"Because," I answered as we began climbing, calves burning. "You saw how mortified she was with being caught. I doubt she'd risk it again. She didn't seem like the daredevil type."

When we reached the peak of the mountain we flopped onto the field and caught our breath. I looked above the trees, lush clouds of green blurring with the pale blue sky. The sun was almost directly above us, beating down his heat in waves of gold. I zoned out Avon and Dani's talk about what's going to be happening in September when I noticed a faint trail of gray swirling out of the treetops into the sunlight. When I told Dani I never met the neighbours, she insisted we go and say a quick hello. I told her no. I didn't feel like meeting new people and I was covered in sweat and I smelled of bug spray. Not a great first impression.

On our way to the neighbour's place, we saw a girl. I'm not sure what she doing since none of us risked talking to her. She was off the path, down in the meadow. She was pretty, long blonde hair pulled behind a black headband. She held a hickory pashmina away from her body, arm outstretched allowing the dark material to twirl in the wind. She was swaying to a song we couldn't hear and every once in a while, her voice would float over to us. She had a nice voice. It was high and silky, it reminded me of a violin. It was only when she started talking to the trees and the birds did we decide to left unannounced.

When the neighbour's cottage came into view, I was nearly blinded by the richness of the house. Cherry red tin roof, mint green lighting, pale lavender window frames, a soft orange stained door with a deep chocolate lining and best of yet the neighbours must have been baking because the air was polluted with sweet baked goods. Curling smoke left from a lemon chimney disappearing around the broad coffee trunks and lime green splattered branches. The dirt path became chiseled stone, perfectly even under my boots.

"Does anyone else smell apple pie?" Dani asked, sniffing the air. It was strange, the fresh smell of earth and sapling nearly disappeared, overpowered by this sickly sweet aroma glazing the air.

"I am positive this is what those cartoon characters smell when they're lifted in the air by the goodness." Avon answered.

"We should head over, not just stand and stare like a creeper." Dani replied, beginning to travel the stone-paved path. The house was still a ways down, giving us loads of time to admire and inhale the sugary scent.

"You just want whatever they're baking." I grumbled, not at all happy about meeting people, no matter how good a baker they are. The door abruptly swung open, I paused and turned to the others curiously. Two little children ran out, likely having a race to wherever they're headed. Pleased I won't have to meet the neighbour's children, we continue walking until the house was instantly engulfed in flames. The faint smoke became a whirlpool of fumes hovering above the burning building. The welcoming aroma turned foul, we stood watching the flames climb higher, licking the lowest branches.

We left shortly after. We didn't see or hear anyone else and we didn't have service. We jogged onwards to the house to call for help. We looked for the kids but they were gone. I was happy they made it out but it explains they're urgency. We slowed once we ran out of adrenaline, taking a selfish moment for ourselves. Dani was bent over, coughing out fumes she inhaled when she got too close to the house when she went to see if there was anyone inside. Avon was looking off with a puzzled expression. It had been a long morning and I was terrified I witnessed someone's death so my patience was cut short.

"What now?" I croaked. Dani recovered and looked to where Avon was looking. I reluctantly turned as well. Off the path, down the small slope into a sage canyon was a cluster of black figures. Dani began walking down, Avon followed. I stayed put. I was done with people, my social battery and overall tolerance was at a breaking point. Eventually I got curious. And lonely. Walking down, I nearly reached the group of strangers when I was pulled down. Dani and Avon were hiding behind some thicket and gatherings of slim trees. I crouched with them, confused. Dani has never had problems talking to strangers. She must finally realize what an annoyance they are, I realized.

"What are they doing?" Avon asked. Tilting my head, I peered around the tiny trunk, finally noticing the figure laying on the ground. It was a woman. It was then that I realized the figures surrounding her were all men. Concerned, Avon and I exchanged a look over Dani's head. It was then that another figure broke through the trees, heading to the cluster. The figure was tall, even at a distance, and broad. A man, I assumed. The newcomer approached the sleepy woman and leaned over her. It seemed that was enough for Avon because soon he was marching out from our hideout, surprising everyone involved, myself included. Dani quickly followed, so I got up, brushed the dirt off my bum and walked around the tiny tree into the open.

Avon and Dani stood in front of the woman lying on the ground blocking the half circle of men plus the visitor. All eyes were on my form, casually approaching and joining in the defiant stance. It was silent and it made me very uncomfortable. It was clear no one knew what to say. The men were all shorter than me, about Dani's height, except for the new guy. Grumpy eyes and dirty faces engaged in a staredown with Avon. The sleeping girl, about our age, remained oblivious to the rising tension in the meadow. She looked pale, who knows how long she's been unconscious and her cheeks seemed drained. Her ebony hair had gathered some leaves and her dress was ruffled and grimy.

"What do you think you're doing?" Avon asked sharply. It was funny seeing him like this. He hardly ever lost his temper unless Dani or any woman really was in danger. He has like 4 sisters, meaning he notices when something's off. The new guy shrugged, pushing back his overly-gelled hair before answering.

"We were going to wake her." The men began to murmur, nodding their heads in agreement. Dani scoffed under her breath and I could feel Avon's anger rising. He smiled lightly though everyone could tell it was as fake as the New Guy. Avon took a breath, turned to Dani and whispered in her ear before turning back to the men, a phoney smile still in place. Dani crouched next to the woman and began trying to wake her, gently murmuring her safety and cleaning her hair of dead leaves. The men didn't seem to like this. Avon noticed.

"Don't worry, we can take it from here." He gestured to me. "My friend has a place not too far from here. We can carry her and call for some help."

" No, no, " New Guy replied, too casual for my liking. "I assure you, all is well. I'm a doctor you see, I can help the woman if you would simply let me." He began to take unhurried steps forward, Avon and I stood more tightly together blocking the woman from view. His smile was kind but the situation was too strange to trust it.

"Right," Avon said, taking a step forward, toe-to-toe with New Guy. "Because a bunch of short guys surrounding an unconscious woman in the middle of the woods is not creepy."

A light yawn was heard behind us. Dani helped the woman sit up. New Guy paused. Avon relaxed and I took a deep, relieving breath. The woman was dazed, shrunking when she noticed the dozens of men watching her. She leaned toward Dani, who wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. Avon gently smiled at her before staring New Guy down.

"Like I said, we can take it from here." One of the men turned particularly sour and quickly advanced. Avon's smile dropped and I became ready despite the pit in my stomach. All of a sudden the man stood very still. His breath became shaky and his eyes grew wide. The men tensed and even New Guy seemed frightened.

"You know, I won first place at archery camp." I didn't hear her advance. She held my old bow, arrow drawn and pointed toward the grumpy guy's nose. Her expression was tight but her limb remained relaxed, controlled. She was the only one comfortable. I didn't hide my smirk, not even when New Guy gave Avon and I a disbelieving glance. Try her, I mouthed, go on. He seemed to understand, as did the rest of the men. Avon was proud. I glanced back to the woman, she was staring at Dani in awe.

"Alright, we don't want any trouble." The oldest of the men spoke, glasses blinding me in the dying sunlight. The other men seemed to follow his lead, backing down until only New Guy was left. "Come on, Dorian." the older one called. Dorian gave Avon and I a final look before speaking to Dani.

"Do you have any idea wh-"

"Dorian!" The older one shouted once again. Jaw clenched, Dorian straightened, turned and swiftly walked away much more hurriedly. When every figure was out of sight, gone over the hill into the forest, collectively, we let out a breath. I looked to the treetops, late afternoon sunlight breaking through, washing the meadow in amber light. Birds chirped and distantly I could hear someone's boat motor revving. It was a strangely stressful day but the moment Avon and I locked eyes we began laughing until our cheeks hurt and our stomachs ached. I looked at Dani who was buried in a hug from the girl. She kept thanking her and telling her how brave she was. It was the first time I saw Dani blush and embarrassingly avoid eye contact. Then Avon and I were laughing at her. She threw a pine cone at our heads.

The girl told us what happened on the way back. She had had a fight with her family (I asked what happened but Dani slapped the back of my head) and then she ran away to be alone. She got lost when she met those men who seemed kind but the reality was, no matter how kind they were, she just wanted to go home. Her memory was foggy, she tried telling us how she ended up unconscious but anytime she started, she would trail off and start again. We figured she hit her head pretty bad. Her name was Gwyneira. Told us to call her Gwyn. I thought the name was very strange but Avon liked it. He said it sounded like the name of a queen (Like Queen Guinevere from Arthur, but I didn't point it out) and she blushed. Dani said she loved the name and that she would call her Gwynie. Even the tips of her ears became pink at that one.

We walked back to my place, started a fire and recounted the day's events to Gwyn while waiting for her stepmom to come pick her up. Turns out, she and her stepmom don't get along but when the woman heard what happened, she hugged Gwyn and told her if she ever ran away into the woods... well it wouldn't be good. I saw that as a sign of improvement. We were sad to see her go but we had exchanged information and knew we'd see each other again. All the same, we were sad. Dani especially.

We spent the next few days swimming, talking by the fire pit, practicing archery (I told you to stop moving! The apple's shaking, Dani would complain, You're not the one with an arrow pointed at you! ) and we had even been able to see Gwyn before she left for the city. The week came to an end, we packed our bags, tidied the place and loaded the car.

We don't get to see each other that often anymore. We're all busy but we made sure to stay in each other's lives. When we do get together, gathered by a fire in our homes, we laugh about the trouble we got into and the time we saw a house all but blow up (we were later told emergency couldn't find the house- we never found out what happened), the time Dani was Robin Hood and almost shot a short guy in the woods with my old bow and arrow. Then again, that's just one of our stories.