It was just like any other Thursday in the Sunny Dale nursing home for the elderly. The birds were chirping in the cherry trees as everyone was gathering in the living room for the noontime bingo, there was a small pot you could enter and if you won you got the money in the pot. Life was quaint in this small community. There was a new volunteer today, a young boy named Taylor who looked about the age of 17.
"Good morning Ms. Fredericks, I’m Taylor i’ll be your helper this week," Taylor said, "It's a beautiful day are you thinking of heading out today?" Ms. Fredericks looks at Taylor
"No I think I think I'll stay inside and knit I don't want the birds to steal my words again," She goes back to knitting, "They made me think I was a princess last week." Ms. Fredericks was a kind old lady who mostly kept to herself but on occasion she talked to the flowers in the garden keeping her distance from the magnolias, she thought they were too confusing tricking her with their riddles.
"Ms. Fredericks the Bingo's about to start will you be playing today?"
"Oh William you know I wouldn't be able to win a single penny from that pot and anyways I need to finish this sweater for my grandson before he visits me." she held up the sweater looking it over she had already made most of it all she had left was the right sleeve. She set the sweater down and walked to the window
"William," she said as a bird sang on a nearby branch."I need to go for a walk outside could you accompany me." She looked towards Taylor who held out her cane and nodded "sure thing Ms. Fredericks."
"Oh please call me Diana." she smiled, packed up her knitting supplies, and headed for the door. outside sun was shining through the canopy of trees as the birds songs floated through the air, a sweet melody sweeping through the the branches and the leaves to brush lightly against their ears
"We had better hurry William," Ms. Fredericks said as she hurried down the path towards the woods, "we don't want to be late now do we" Taylor hurried after Diana.
"Ms. Fredricks you shouldn't go too far from the grounds." Diana walked a little farther into the woods
"Don't worry, the daisies can always guide me back if I get lost." Taylor followed Ms. Fredericks. After a few minutes Ms. Fredericks picked up a couple of rocks and placed one of them in a nearby tree, "you'll never get better if you keep throwing these on the ground." she stood there for a few seconds listening, "ok then i'll check back in on you tomorrow." she turned to Taylor and gave him a stone. "you might need it later." Diana smiled a soft gentle smile.
"Thanks." Taylor put the stone in his pocket and smiled back at Diana. Diana turned and began walking towards a tree that was larger than the rest and knocked on the trunk three times. the tree creaked and Diana leaned in closer talking to the tree.
"How is he today?" a face moved in the tree as a breeze blew past, "oh that's wonderful news, here give him this and let me know if he feels better," she pulled a small vial from her pocket and placed it onto a branch of the tree where it appeared to sink into the branch, Taylor blinked and it was gone, he rubbed his eyes and blinked looking back at the tree where Ms. Fredericks was standing, the face and vial were not there.
"I must be seeing things." he said to himself. Diana turned towards Taylor.
"William come along we're nearly to the lake." Ms. Fredericks continued down the path, Taylor followed her down the path taking a closer look at the tree Ms. fredericks was standing at without noticing anything out of the ordinary. Diana stopped at a patch of magnolias and turned away walking off the path deeper into the woods, Taylor followed close behind.
"Ms. Fredricks, you shouldn't stray from the path." she turned her head towards Taylor.
"Oh William you know the path doesn't go to where we're going." she continued on through the underbrush as it got thicker and the canopy grew quiet,
"just a little bit further." Ms. Fredericks said as they approached a thick wall of vines hanging from the trees.
"It doesn't look like we're getting through that any time soon." Taylor said leaning on a nearby tree.
"Oh don't be so silly William," Ms. Fredericks put her hand on the vines and looked at the branches of the trees, "May we pass through please." the wind picked up a little as there was a rattling of leaves in the trees, Taylor took a step closer to the vines as they moved aside creating a small passageway for them.