generated with Leonardo.ai
“Mum? It is a lunar day today! That means today is the day when elements of the forest bind with the energy of the moon and everything magical comes alive.” Lami suddenly announced lifting her head from a storybook and her eyes beamed.
“Oh really?” Bri feigned surprise and rolled her eyes at her husband who only managed a smile.
The glint in Lami’s eyes quickly disappeared once she read her parents' gestures and unspoken disapproval. She sunk back into her seat and buried her head in her book.
“It is time for dinner.” Bri sighed and flung open the front door.
They all quietly went in and later that evening, Lami crept bedside her parent’s bedroom listening in to their hush tones and whispers.
“Zak, I am worried about Lami. Do you think we should take her to see a therapist? She-she should be playing with makeup, begging for a phone, or even talking about boys in her class like most thirteen-year-olds do.” Bri ran her hands through her hair as she paced up and down the room.
“We let her spend way too much time with him. I didn't realize how much all of his creepy stories had rubbed off on her until now.” Bri’s shoulders collapsed and she let herself sink into the bedroom couch. “Yesterday she just stood there speaking to the orange tree in the garden. What next are we going to have to deal with? Lami needs to understand the difference between reality and illusion.” Bri’s voice toned down and she just stared outside the window.
“I am as worried as you are, Bri. It was only convenient at the time with us always being away for work. My father was so good with her. How could we have known? We will figure this out.” Zak said to his wife as he caressed her hair.
Lami’s jaws clenched and her nostrils widened. Her chest tightened and she began gasping for breath. She stormed into the study which used to be her grandpa's favorite place. There, she crashed into a recliner and sobbed quietly. “Mom and Dad think I am crazy. All the kids at school laugh at me. I wish you hadn't died. It all made sense when you were here. The stories are true aren't they?” Lami whispered as if her grandfather could hear.
Grandpa Lu was a peculiar old man with many stories of great adventures to tell. Although he suffered from dementia towards the end of his life, he practically raised Lami and watched her bloom. He would tell her one tale after another from cities hidden in spells to his solo voyages in places time had forgotten. Despite his illness and incoherence, his stories were often vivid and enchanting.
Lami looked around her and she could smell her grandfather's awful cologne that smelled like tobacco and the steam from his coffee. Right there, she recalled the day he told her about the giant gorilla, Gorges who lived in a forest called Antes. Antes, Lu had told her, was a place he only visited every leap year when the train came around.
“Gorges only eats apples, berries, and grapes. He gobbles them down like so.“ Lu made funny gestures. “Follow the Ivy trail in the garden. When it starts to shimmer in glowing green, you will know that the train has arrived.” Lu brought out a pack of cards and retrieved a Queen of Hearts. “Your ticket,” he added grinning.
Lami smiled at her memories. Although she was fascinated by the story, she had never seen a train track in that part of town before. She retrieved the pack of cards from a drawer and her eyes lit up. “It is a Lunar day. What if I go to Antes and prove to Mum and Dad that I'm not crazy?” Lami yearned for adventure but most of all, she wanted proof that Lu’s stories weren't just made-up fantasies.
Lami kept watch until she was sure her parents had gone to bed. She quietly took an apple from the kitchen and snuck out of the house straight into the garden. There was an air of mystery that made her stomach turn. She closed her eyes and placed her feet on the ivy plant that had spread across the unkept garden floor.
Lami opened her eyes and she almost screamed. Just like Lu had said, the ivy began to glow from beneath her feet branching out to the edge of the street. The light then slowly began to illuminate an invisible train track. The atmosphere changed into something enchanting and Lami could feel it. Soon, a bouncy yellow train came humming. It stopped in front of Lami and a coach opened.
“Queen of hearts?” a sturdy-looking young fox wearing a beret let out his hand.
Lami was amazed. She handed over the card to him and he let her in. Inside was surprisingly cozy and dimly lit with a green aura. Lami saw several peculiar people and creatures strangely dressed. She sat on a seat and felt a weight push her off. “Get off me”, she heard.
Then she moved to sit beside a girl with ponytails holding a broomstick. “Leo is invisible,” the girl said.
The train stopped and a slithering purple snake alighted. Ten minutes later, the train stopped beside a forest path.
“There miss!” The fox said to Lami.
Lami got off breathing the air that smelled of berries. She looked down and saw that the illuminated green ivy was still spreading from beneath her feet to the forest path. As Lami walked through tall trees and grasses she felt submerged and seen. It was like the forest knew she was there. She felt it in her spine. Then she came to a clearing where something fury like a ten-foot-tall sculpture sat in the sand.
Lami drew closer and examined it. She could now see that it was the statue of a gorilla. Her brows furrowed in disappointment. She sat on the floor. She really thought she would meet a giant gorilla in the forest. She brought out the apple from her pocket and juggled it until it rolled off her hands down to the foot of the statue.
Suddenly, a grumble filled the air followed by cracking sounds. Lami gently lifted her head to see the gorilla bending, stretching, and coming to life before her eyes. She paced back and the gorilla shook.
He narrowed his eyes as if adjusting his focus. In an instant, he swept Lami off the ground holding her up in the air. He opened his mouth in an attempt to gobble her down. Like an ant held by giant hands, Lami barely moved.
“Why aren't you scared?” The gorilla thundered and tossed Lami into a giant rose petal.
Lami sat up. “You are Gorges and you do not eat people. You love apples and berries and grapes.” Lami yelled. “Grandpa Lu told me.”
“Lu? You are Lu’s granddaughter. He'd told me all about you.” Gorges knelt beside the petal and scooped Lami in his hands. With two long strides, he walked to a rock where he gently set Lami and sat beside her. “I used to do this every year with Lu.” He said as they both stared at the dreamy forest landscape ahead.
“Lu is gone, Gorges,” Lami said.
“I know. He wouldn't have missed a leap year.” Gorges said calmly.
“I was going to tell my parents that I'm not crazy and that you and all the magic stuff is real but you know what? Let this be our little secret. Like Grandpa, I will be here every other leap year.” Lami announced.
Gorges looked at her and smiled. They both sat on the rock quietly for what seemed like forever.
