Tell a Story to Me – The Last Forest – @bananafish

Image Credit Pixabay.com
Prompt: The Last Forest

From @calluna’s writing contest. For more information please see the link:
https://steemit.com/tellastorytome/@bananafish/tell-a-story-to-me-the-last-forest

My Entry:

The address: Glenilla Road, Belsize Park, Old London

The children clutched their Mother’s hands under the gray sky of an autumn day. They should have gone to boarding school a week ago, yet their Mother insisted that they stay in order to see the wonders of The Last Forest.

Penelope walked near the iron railings of the well kept yards. The old stone facades of the houses reflected the dignity of a refined past; out of date when compared to the slick solar panels of the New City Center.

Peter walked on the street side, wide eyed at the Rolls Royce parked on the curb. One expensive hovercraft after another filled the clean magnetic road.

Peter dodged a black ornate solar lamp, and fell a step behind his Mother. He ran to catch up, or lose the grip of her hand, or much worse, to be pulled on the ground in his best Sunday clothes.

“Come along Peter, no time to dilly about, this is a special occasion and we must not be late.” His Mother said as he caught up.

“O bugger Mother, The Last Forest will always be there.” Said Peter.

His Mother stopped in her tracks, and Peter and Penelope raced a step ahead, only Peter got pulled back as his Mother knelt to speak with him at eye level.

“Peter! I’m very disappointed in you. Have you ever seen a forest? Ever been to a forest? Of course not, I would know if you had, and I also know that forests vanished long ago. It’s one of my fondest memories, and one of the last memories of my Mother, she vanished as well in my childhood.”

“We know Mother,” Penelope said with a look of exhaustion on the subject. Over the last several weeks this memory had propelled them to this place and time.

“Right. Well let’s continue then,” their Mother said with a smile as she stood. She then grasped their hands and they began the brisk walk again.

“Nearly there,” their Mother said minutes later with a squeeze to their hands.

Then they stopped in front of another wrought iron fence complimentary to the neighborhood. Only as the gate opened it revealed a tiled black and white checkered patio, some things never change.

They boldly pressed on the last few meters to the front door. The Mother used the gold door knocker. Almost instantly a man wearing a tuxedo and top hat opened the door.

“Madame, welcome to the 8th Wonder of the World,” he said grandiose with a wink to the children.

“O thank heavens someone has taken this seriously,” the Mother said hugging her husband and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Of course dear, it’s not everyday that our children get to see The Last Forest,” he emphasized the last three words with a mysterious tone. “Only why the long walk all the way over here to my Uncle’s house? We could have taken the hovercraft. Peter, Penelope, humans were nothing until they conquered gravity.”

“Yes Father,” they both said.

“We walked to mirror the effects of walking in the woods,” the Mother chimed in. “Now let’s go inside.”

333

Uncle Harold greeted Percy, Percilla, and their children Peter and Penelope, in the main parlor with tea.

Uncle Harold always enjoyed having family over to see his virtual reality programs in the hologram room. Today meant a little more, as he’d worked with Percilla tirelessly to recreate The Last Forest from the memories she held onto in her mind.

“Everything’s finally ready Percilla. We’ve worked out the last bugs for seamless immersion into VR. Sorry the children had to miss the first day of school,” said Uncle Harold.

“No bother, this moment is more important. Good cup of tea!” Percilla said enthusiastically.

“Kids, are you ready to go on a journey into The Last Forest,” Percy said dramatically.

The kids laughed.

“Well, I’ve never been in a forest, so I’m sure to remember this day forever,” answered Peter.

“Perfect, let’s go!” Percilla announced, and Uncle Harold led them down the hall to the gold door of the hologram room surrounded by red drapes like an old movie theater. As a leading designer in the VR industry, Uncle Harold’s hologram room outshined the rest with innovations unavailable to the public.

Uncle Harold opened the door, and the family went inside the room without light. He closed the door behind him. They could see nothing now. Uncle Harold knew where the buttons were and pressed play on the program in the darkness.

Green laser lights beamed across the floor. Uncle Harold nudged Percy.

“We now present, The Last Forest,” Percy said with all the flair of a circus master.

The green laser lights on the floor turned to grass. Around them trees began to grow stretching into the air a hundred meters or more. Above the sun shined in the clear blue sky. Birds began to sing.

“Look Mommy!” Penelope shouted in excitement.

In the distance in front of the family, a deer ate grass as a fresh natural breeze rustled the branches. Every detail of a forest encapsulated in the hologram room.

Uncle Harold looked proud as the children started to run in the sunlit clearing.

“It’s perfect!” Percilla delighted. She hugged her husband Percy.

Percy hoped and prayed Percilla could win her fight with cancer.

Thank you,
Cyrus Emerson

Also, available from the Author:

Steemit Blog: Contests – ebook, and now a new print edition available!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MVPT72Q?pf_rd_p=c2945051-950f-485c-b4df-15aac5223b10&pf_rd_r=JJKTKWBJWMDK97NQAVRR

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Lost Angel – Introduction with Ray Manzarek of The Doors
https://www.downpour.com/lost-angel?sp=249812

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https://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Red-Roses-Audiobook/B07F2LWHPN