"So, take nature walks often?" Ethan starts, breaking the awkward silence the two of them were engulfed in as they walked along a slim dirt path surrounded by trees who thankfully blocked the glaring sun.
"Suppose so, used to more often with my sister when we were younger." He says, the last part a bit more softly as he walked ahead of Ethan. Ethan blinked at his answer and tried to keep up.
"I got a question. I've been wondering, is Irene your twin? You're both in the same grade after all, I was just curious." Ethan asks almost cautiously, afraid the boy would burst like his sister did when asked about the other.
"Not obvious? Yeah, we're twins. I'm older by ten minutes though. Quit with the investigation, I'm no guilty boy." Ryder jokes with a small laugh as they continue their walk through nature.
After a few minutes of silence, Ryder speaks up again. "Okay, since you asked me a question I'll ask one back." He hums, turning around and walking backwards while staring at Ethan.
"Why do you keep trying to be friend's with my sister? She already has a friend, Penelope Clayton. She just thinks you're being a pest." Ryder says calmly, but his tone hid one of that being acussing. Ethan is taken aback by his question. So blunt and straightforward!
"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you so interested in your sister's social life?" Ethan starts innocently.
"I mean, I know Penelope is her friend, I saw them chatting plenty of times. I want to be her friend because I don't want her to be so cruel to me. It's not a nice feeling when someone acts so mean when they speak to you and she's new here. So I thought if I became her friend, she would feel more comfortable and could adapt to our little town more." Ethan finished, looking anywhere but at Ryder's face the whole time.
There's silence for a bit before Ryder turns around and talks. "I don't think I wish to share such information with you yet, Pinwick. I appreciate your concern for my sister, I suppose. You're just acting too kind so I had my doubts. No hard feelings, alright?" Ryder looks over his shoulder and smiles, which Ethan returns halfway.
"Anyhow, did you know Ms. Arvin gave us work for the break? It's thirteen pages, I'm not doing it." He sighs, putting his hands behind his head. Ethan, who was walking beside Ryder gasped.
"Work? I didn't know!"
"Wha— calm down. I just got mine in the mail today, perhaps when you get home you should check your mailbox if you're so worried about doing it." Ryder shrugs, kicking the dirt up slightly and stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Sorry, but I just don't like to lag behind with my work. Then if I do, it allows for that darn Priscilla to get ahead of me." Ethan huffs softly at the thought. Ryder giggles at the comment and soon, they come up on a small clearing.
A big tree stood tall in the center, mangled in the tall and thick branches was a treehouse with a medium sized perfect window. The wooden treehouse appeared cozy as the tree it stood on was basking in the light. It contrasted the surrounded trees that only made this one stand taller.
"My sister's in there so we have to be a bit quiet, she's sleeping." Ryder grins as he runs into the clearing, towards the big tree that stood proudly.
"Woah… what is this place?" Ethan whispers in awe, following Ryder slowly as he watches the tree, entranced. Ryder looks back for a second before grabbing onto the rope ladder.
"Me and my sister found it few years ago, before she moved away. I cleaned it up nice and to my liking but now that she's back she's really turned it into her quiet place. I don't know what I expected really. Coming?" Ryder asks as he begins climbing up the ladder, with Ethan following shortly after.
Climbing into the treehouse, Ethan looks around. It was nice and reasonably spacious, decorated in nice and cozy way.
Blankets covered the floor, each one a different color and pattern. Irene laid near the window, her eyes closed and an arm over her stomach with her chest rising and falling at a rhythmic pace. From waist down, she was covered in a beige cloth blanket and her body laid against the blanket covered floor, her head on a nice cotton pillow.
Ryder sat down against the wooden wall and on the blanket covered flooring. "So, what do you think of it? Not too cramped, not too big?" Ryder asks, patting the space beside him.
Ethan sat beside Ryder with a smile. "Oh, I love it. Think I can come back again?" He replies, looking into Ryder's blue eyes hopefully.
"Of course, Pinwick. It's my sister that wanted me to show you here anyway. Usually though, we have a vinyl playing but we had to get rid of it." Ryder explains as he rests his head on the wood behind him.
"A vinyl? Why did you get rid of it?" He asks curiously, looking at Ryder as he closes his eyes.
"Personal reasons, Pinwick. Oh, let me show you something." Ryder grins and reaches over past Irene, grabbing a wooden hanger that was next to her.
He stands up and leads Ethan to the window, showing him where a thick wire led to another tree.
"A zipline?" Ethan questions and Ryder hums.
"Correct, wanna try? I have another hanger lying about." Ryder walks past the sleeping Irene and gets another hanger from a bean bag that sat in the corner.
"Isn't that dangerous?" Ethan looks over at the open window near Irene nervously. Ryder scoffs and walks back over to Ethan's side.
"Not if you hold on. Go on, try it. What could go wrong?" Ryder pats Ethan's shoulder, pushing the wooden hanger into his arms. The latter gulps and looks down at the hanger.
"Well, a lot could go wrong—"
"Blah, blah. Go on, live a little. I'll be right behind you. If you want, I could wake Irene and she could do it with you." Ryder cut him off and winked when he spoke the last part of his sentence. Ethan felt a little fluttery in the stomach at the thought of "ziplining" with Irene.
Why though?
"No, I'll do it." Ethan mutters, clutching the wooden hanger in his hands. Ryder smiles, "that's the spirit!"
"Okay, so, hold onto the hanger tightly. Don't let go until you reach the other tree and jump down. Have fun." Ryder instructs, giving Ethan a little push towards the window.
Ethan takes a deep breath and hangs the hanger on the wire. He climbs onto the window and… pushes himself off.
"Woah!" Everything is going so fast, he's zipping down the wire and clinging onto the sides of the wooden hanger. It's fun! He decides as he zips.
Then, for a split second, he sees his golden bracelet dangling in between the wire.
Next thing he realizes, he's sent flying off the hanger and tumbling down the hill, which the tree in the center stood tall and proud with the treehouse on it.
"Ethan!" Ryder gasps, watching him tumble for a second before hastily exiting the treehouse and running towards where Ethan was sent flying.
Everything was moving too fast, Ethan couldn't think, breathe or see.
He was cut by the oncoming branches that racked his body and he tried to grab onto one but he couldn't. He was afriad he was going to black out and who knew what was at the bottom of this hill.
"Ethan!" He heard Ryder's distant shout and the only thing that coursed through Ethan's veins was fear. He's hit hard in the arm by a branch and everything feels so surreal, his vision has holes in it and the sun is laughing at him. His ears are ringing.
Everything around him goes black.
"Oh, my poor boy!" He hears a distant voice cry. The sound of a heart moniter going beep in a rythmic period fills his ears.
He manages to crack his eyes open and he sees his mother weeping over him. He must be in the town's doctor's, he concluded mentally.
"Ethan, I'm so glad you opened your eyes in front of me once more!" His mother cries, hugging him. Marriane was nowhere to be seen, nor was his father.
The room was decorated with white, the only different colored thing being the wooden chair and nightstand beside the bed he laid in. The white curtains fluttered as the wind blew gently from the open window.
"That Ryder Schottsman boy said you fell down the hill as you guys were playing. Oh, I must be cautious about where you go from now on. Your father's at home with Marriane who is crying plenty about you." Mrs. Pinwick explains as Ethan stares at the ceiling.
Oh, so that's the story Ryder told? It was half true so Ethan couldn't be mad he supposed. Better than admitting to his mother he ziplined from a treehouse with a wooden hanger.
"Dr. Rigid said you broke both your arms and sprained your ankle. It was a miracle that's all that happened." She sniffles, gently taking Ethan's limp hand.
When Ethan opened his mouth to speak, he couldn't. His throat felt dry and his lips didn't feel like moving. But, he tried.
"When… can I leave?" He spoke slowly, sounding out each word like had the tongue of a toddler who just learned a big word.
"Save your energy, Ethan. Dr. Rigid said in about a week he'll clear you. Just relax, won't you? I won't be visiting everyday because of work but I'm sure some of your friends will stop by." His mother leaned down and gave him a chaste kiss on the forehead before standing straight leaving him alone in the room.
So, he's stuck here practically for the rest of his fall break? Oh, just wonders!
He stares at the ceiling blankly before the sound of the gentle breeze coming from the open window lulls him into a nice sleep.