Acid Rain by R.D Rhodes (literature books to read .txt) 📗

that I have been in some days this week? Do you try to make that last forever? Is that not selfish? Could I stay in these woods forever, by myself, and not try to make a difference in this world? Is that not selfish?

The rain lashed down and the wind whipped up till it sounded like an angry monster, rolling bigger waves across the loch in my direction.  I turned into the shelter of the woods. I thought of people I’d read about waking up after surgery, and suddenly speaking in an obscure language of a country they had never even been to. I thought about D.N.A, and soul chambers, and Jesus, and Einstein. I thought about my body being just a shell, which made me really glad because it gave meaning for my suffering if I had a soul, and suffering teaches us empathy, which is one of the greatest things there is. And I thought how little the outside shell matters, and that I shouldn’t ever give a shit about what someone looks like.

I trekked right, through the trees, and the slope was very slight, and I felt like taking off my boots and socks, so I did, and walked with my boots in my hands. The muddy earth was soft and wet beneath my feet. I was sheltered from the wind and the rain. The red pine branches bent over me, their green boughs splayed out like roofs, and I thought, nature is my church. These trees are the cathedrals. These places are spirituality, and transcendence. This is the high place of worship and religion. Maybe God is elsewhere, and in the city too, but he’s closer here than anywhere else. I just want to preserve all of this, all of this sacred forest. To look after it and for no harm to come to it. God is around me, talking to me, loving me. Is the wind the breath of God?

I heard the sound of the stream, then ahead through the trees, I saw the tent.

A pair of legs poked out from the entrance.

Chapter 59

M y bare feet squelched in the mud. The rain drummed on the trees and the tent roof. I drew closer to the boots sticking out from the bottom of the jeans.

“Harry?”

The flap of the entrance suddenly swept back, and the Queen’s face stared out at me, making me leap back. I heard that familiar cheeky laugh, saw him smiling that joyful smile as he took off the mask, and he jumped to his feet and ran to me and gave me a hug.

“Bastard.” I chuckled into his ear. “I got a fright there.”

Harry pulled his face away, the mask in his left hand draping over my shoulder. His black eyes were glittering, and a warm rosy glow beaconed his cheeks above the purple-red of his exposed neck. Already the curls in his hair had started to grow back.

“Hahaha. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. “This was left on the bus,” he lifted the mask, “But look at you! Something’s happened to you! You look amazing!”

“What do you mean?” I felt myself grinning. As much as I’d enjoyed being by myself, I was delighted to see him again too.

“You’re radiant!”

I smiled again. “These last days have been, mental.”

He kept looking up at me. I had forgotten how small and thin he was. “Why? What happened?”

“I’ll tell you about it later. Long story. What about you?”

“Long story, too.” He glanced down and grinned, “And barefoot as well. Are you being Pocahontas or something?”

The rain was still thrashing down, so we went into the tent and heated up water in the pot. Harry opened up a plastic bag and when he pulled out the tub of hot chocolate I almost burst with joy. He showed me the other powdered and dried foods, the foldaway fishing rod, the new saw and knife, the mini towels, and various other things he’d picked up.

I sipped the smooth, rich, creamy, hot chocolate. I thought it was the best thing I had ever tasted.

The light was dim inside the tent, but it was only due to the weather, and we had plenty daylight left.

“I’m sorry. I had to go.” Harry said.

“It worked out for the best.” I replied. “I feel.. so alive just now. I’ve had just, the greatest week. I feel like I’ve learned so much.”

“What happened?”

I told him what I could. About the other glen, and the trees I spoke to, the stuff in my mind, the messages I was receiving, and the feather. He never looked skeptical. His eyes on me remained fixed and calm. As I told him, and summarized it for myself, I felt a rush of endorphins go to my head. I felt blessed for it to have happened to me.

“Wow.” He said. “Can we go to that other glen? Can you show me?”

“Sure. We can go tomorrow?”

“That would be amazing.”

“I’m so happy for you.” He added, sincerely.

“Thanks.” I smiled. “So, what happened with you?”

“Well, you know I told you before, I hate keeping still. I just felt too restless at the end of last week. Too anxious, as you could tell, I guess. I always run, and move, I need to keep stimulated. I’m addicted to that energy, and when I’m in one place I just, go crazy. It’s partly I think because I start to remember the things that happened to me, and just, like I said before, things always went wrong if I stayed in one place too long..I’d…Anyway, I didn’t tell you, but one of my step-brothers, and an old foster family, still live in Inverness. I went to see them both. The family first. I stayed with them for six months when I was eleven. They were really happy to see me! I ended up staying three days with them.