Adventures Are Adventures, No Matter How Small
“Is he serious?”

“I don’t know. Hey, Mr. Miller. Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am. So let’s not waste any time and get to work. I suggest you just let it flow. Even as you start the assignment, I think it will get easier and easier for you.”

“But what if I’m not creative?”

“I don’t care,” he shook his head, slowly, not really showing much of any emotion, “do your best and see what happens.”

The boy sighed and went to work, the girl did the same. She wasn’t having much trouble with the assignment, but he was.

“Hey, Ash, help me,” he hissed over to the girl, his hand lying flat on her desk, the cool surface spreading throughout his hand. Ashley turned and looked at him, her eyes detached though she heard his every word. Slowly she came back to reality, blinking at him.

“Eh, what?” she asked, she heard the words and she knew her mind retained them, but it refused to allow her to remember what it had retained. Charlie rolled his eyes.

“Help me,” he said again, keeping his voice low so Mr. Miller wouldn’t yell, though he doubted the man would anyways. Ashley sighed.

“Why did you take this class if you haven’t the slightest on what you’re doing?” she asked – more like demanded to be honest. He knew that when she grew agitated she tapped her pencil at him and she was doing exactly that.

“I know what I’m doing,” he said with a roll of his eyes, “I just need an idea.”

“I thought you didn’t like my ideas,” she said lightly, teasingly with a scrunch of her nose at him. Charlie sighed and rolled his eyes again.

“I like your ideas,” he said, the last word going high and held out some, “it’s just when you give me one, I don’t know how to finish it, because yours are in depth and interesting. I’m just boring,” he sighed again.

“Y’not boring,” she nodded her head lightly to her pitch changes, looking at him seriously. She shook her head, “okay, just sit back,” he did as he was told, “relax your muscles,” again he did as he was told; wiggling his shoulders and starting with them until everything felt relaxed, “and just drift. Let your mind wander,” she smiled. He smiled back at her and closed his eyes, beginning to drift. He wasn’t sleeping, not even close, but his mind was in a haze. Was this what Ashley did when she sat back suddenly at random intervals when they were writing? Seemed so, because it was working, he had an idea.

“Ah!” he said and sat up quickly, making sure to repeat it in his mind so he wouldn’t forget, “don’t talk to me, I’m going to a different world!” he exclaimed rather loudly as he leaned toward his paper and began to write–

“Hello?” a woman asked, looking all around her, the trees were so high, the air was dense and moist, almost like a humidifier but…denser, really. She saw no mist though, one would think there was mist in the air if it were dense and moist, but no.

Her shoulders shivered, but she wasn’t cold, more like…just a bit afraid. Slowly a droopy eared rabbit appeared from the brush, “what is your business here,” he said with little emotion, almost bored as it seemed. She blinked at him.

“What is ‘here’?” she asked lightly, staring at the rabbit wearing a grey vest. He had small glasses settled on the tip of his nose, a little white tail sticking off his bum. Though he was grey, his tail was white, very peculiar. The rabbit shrugged.

“A forest, it seems,” he said lightly with a small detached smirk at her, before dashing off into the brush.

“But wait!” she reached out with one hand, stumbling forward in a futile attempt to catch him, or at least stop him with her voice. But he didn’t return.

“Oh dear oh dear!” the pest screeched, hanging from a tree trunk, and craning its head to see her. Its fur wasn’t the normal shade of a squirrel, a creepy smile on her face; creepy and cruel. She looked as if she were ready to pounce on the woman. She took a step back.

“Who’re you?” the woman demanded of the light brown squirrel. Her grin was wide and evil, her eyes betraying nothing.

“I am Melora of Tamin,” she screeched again, the woman flinched at the noise, looking up at the bothersome creature still hanging on the tree, “and what might you go by?”

“Eytta Myranti of Pennsylvania,” she said lightly, “where exactly am I?”

“Nowhere and anywhere,” she said and scurried away. Eytta sighed and began wondering around once again. She saw the rabbit again.

“Mr. Rabbit!” she called him, but he didn’t answer her, just continued to scurry away and Eytta hadn’t the slightest on how to catch him.

“Well hello,” purred someone from high above her head – well not high above, just above, but its tail came and brushed against her cheek. She whirled around, her heart beating frantically in her chest. She looked up, her ginger bangs hanging in her eyes. It was a panther, majestic and almost invisible in the dark of the tree’s leaves.

“Who’re you and why’d you touch me?” she demanded harshly of the creature, not seeing him as a threat. He was too cute for that. His eyes shone blue and his tail swished calmly behind him.

“I am Flaren of Pumali,” he introduced himself, “I am new and not well with directions, can you tell me of how to get to Yaano?”

She shook her head, “I am new and lost too,” she said lightly, care to join me in our quest to find our way?” she asked a bit shyly, seeing as the panther was still at a disadvantage in that tree. He nodded his big head and jumped to the ground with her, the big cat almost up to mid side, “I am Eytta,” she said then.

Flaren looked up at her and nodded his head, “pleasure. Thanks for accompanying me,” he purred again and allowed Eytta to lead the way. She tried, well tried to lead them in a straight direction, hoping that the forest wasn’t that big and they’d be out of it soon.

“You’re very welcome, Flaren,” she said lightly waving him along, “so do you think this forest will ever…” she trailed off, turning her eyes back to the front, they weren’t in the forest any longer and when she looked behind herself, there was no forest to be found. Flaren looked back as well and shrugged his great shoulders, “nevermind then.”

“Oh, look, there’s Yaano!” Flaren exclaimed, “thanks Eytta!” he said and bounced a bit before running off toward the small little town. Eytta then was left to herself again and she frowned, was she always to be by herself. Without her noticing, the forest was back, though the air was thicker and moister, almost suffocating. The grey rabbit appeared, his glasses pushed up further on his nose, his vest replaced with an yellow sweater, his paws on his waist as he looked condescendingly down at her.

“Am I meant to be alone? Is this what this place is? My prison?” she asked, tears in her eyes. He said nothing as he nodded solemnly, his eyes closed. The girl gasped and turned her face to the ground, “I don’t want to be alone,” but as she looked back up to the rabbit, he too was gone. She sighed and sat on the ground, playing with the dirt and trying to occupy herself for a long time of being alone.

“Done!” exclaimed Charlie as he shoved the papers toward Ashley with a wide smile, “read it, read it!” the girl did as she was told, reading the papers with extraordinary speed. She smiled.

“See, my method works, doesn’t it?” she asked lightly with a small laugh, handing him back the papers, “now, hand it in before you forget,” she smiled warmly at him. He nodded happily and nearly skipped to Mr. Miller’s desk.

“Here you are!” he said happily. The teacher took the paper, not reading it, not yet. He nodded, still a bit emotionless in his yellow sweater. Charlie laughed a bit and went to sit down, listening to Ashley talk about her incredible story, using her ideas to make up something as well. And the title? Adventures Are Adventures, No Matter How Small.