In The Forest
A Short Story
May sauntered into the kitchen, a jolly smile plastered onto her face. Sitting at the breakfast table was Tom and Mike, May’s brothers. It usually took some convincing to get them awake but not on a pancake day. They must have caught onto the scent and raced down for pancakes. Pancake day occurred twice a month in the Kamari household. May’s mother, Tallia pushed a plate of steaming pancakes drenched in syrup infront of May.
“Here you go honey.” Tallia said with a smile. May’s mom was the toughest woman May knew. Tallia had defied the stereotypes against her and became a General in the Air force. After serving in Iraq she moved to the Military reserves to be able to spend more time with May and her brothers. May pushed her fork into a piece of pancake and put it into her mouth. Delicious. As May enjoyed her breakfast, a knock came from the side door. May sprang from her chair to get to the door. She’d been waiting for her new books to arrive and was quite excited. As she pushed open the door she realized that it was not the mail man but her best friend Jackson.
“What are you doing here?” She asked
“Remember? We agreed to go into the forest today and work on the shelter.” Jackson responded.
May smacked her forehead with her palm.
“I forgot. I’ll be right back.”
May raced up to her room and grabbed a pair of shoes and a sweatshirt, before running back to the kitchen.
“Honey, where are you going?” Tallia asked.
“To the woods with Jackson.” May replied as she grabbed a protein bar. She began to run back to Jackson but then hesitated, deciding to grab a protein bar for him in case he was hungry.
“I’m back,” May said to Jackson before quickly lacing up her shoes. “Let’s go.”
A few minutes later May and Jackson reached the shelter. They had been taking fallen trees and cutting out pieces to build with. Originally they planned upon cutting down trees but after learning about the negative effects that cutting down trees had on the forest, they decided to use fallen trees. They were making a teepee design but lower to the ground and covered in moss. May rolled a big bolder over revealing the whole that they stored supplies in.
“I’m going to go fill this pail with water to make mud for the base.” May said holding up a pail that she had taken out from the whole. Jackson nodded. May picked up the pail and began walking to the left of the shelter. Within a couple of minutes May reached the small river that ran through the forest. She dipped her pail in the cool water and then pulled it out a second later. When she lifted it up it was filled with water but inside the pail was also a little green hat with a buckle. It was strange. She could have sworn she’d seen something like it before, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. She ran back to camp, sticks cracking beneath her feet.
“What’s this Jackson?” She asked.
“I don’t know. A party hat someone dropped in the river last night.”
“A Saint Patrics day hat?” she asked
“Yeah.” he responded
“Isn’t it awfully small for a human?”
Jackson shrugged.
“I guess it belonged to a small person.”
“Well I’ll keep it for further examination then.”
May hung the hat on a tree limb and then got back to work. She scooped up a pile of dirt and put it into the pail of water. She grabbed a stick to mix with. She began to mix but then stopped. She heard the noise of sticks cracking and then a thud followed by an,
“Ouch.”
May spun around. A little man with chubby cheeks and messy beard had fallen out of a tree. Clutched in his hands was the green hat.
“Hey. What are you doing?” May asked in a angerd voice.
“Nothing. Bye.” The little person said quickly in a squeaky voice.
“No! Not bye. Get back!” May shouted as the little man began running. May’s long strides were no match for the little man’s small strides, and quickly she caught up with him. She grabbed him by the collar of his goofy tropical shirt covered in coconuts and palm trees.
“You’re a thief. That belongs to me!” May said.
“No. It’s mine. Now let me go!” the little man screeched.
“What’s all the commotion about?” Jackson asked, running up.
“This little guy stole the hat I found.”
“I’m not a little guy, you human!” the little guy shouted.
“Then who are you?” Jackson asked.
“I’m a… oh never mind.” The little man said trailing off.
“You’re a what?” May demanded.
“A… a leprechaun.” the little man stuttered before gasping. “Oh what’ve I done?” He buried his face in his hands.
“You’re not a leprechaun,” May said “leprechauns were green and carry around pots of gold.”
“Oh you silly human,” the leprechaun said. May made a mental note that this was the second time he’d called her a human. “You humans are so predictable with all of your stereotypes. I mean how would a leprechaun lug around gold? We’re so short.”
“I don’t know.” May said shrugging. People had just… told her these things, and she assumed they were true.
“So are you saying you don’t have any gold?” Jackson asked.
“Of course not.”
“Anyways,” began May, “why were you stealing that hat?”
“Because it’s mine you fool.” the leprechaun said.
“But you said that leprechauns don’t wear green stuff.” May replied.
“Well we wear some. One of you humans saw us and noticed our hat and started making stuff up about us. Now I’ve answered all your questions. Let me go.” the leprechaun said.
May looked at Jackson. Jackson nodded.
“Alright but don’t come back.” May said. With that she let him up. The leprechaun sprang up and began running. May and Jackson watched until he was out of sight.
“Well that was interesting.” Jackson said.
“It sure was.” May responded. Hey what’s that?” she asked, picking up a small sack. Her and Jackson looked into the sack. Six gold coins lay inside. May picked one up. It read; Property Of The Leprechaun Bank
“Wow. He really did have gold.” May said
“I suppose he did.” Jackson responded. “Three for me and three for you?”
“Three for me and three for you plus a protein bar for you.” May said handing over the protein bar she’d gotten him earlier.
“Thanks.” Jackson said with a smile, “but let’s split the protein bar.”
“That would be just fine with me.” May responded.
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