Ava's Forest

By R. B. Howell

My story begins with two young boys Joe and Dylan, who live in the same street. They share a magical wonderland with friends in the forest across the road at the end of the suburb. It has been their playground for generations. Their older brothers built a fort there and they protect it with their lives. Every day after school they venture to the fort to play, battle and hang out with friends. The fort is old and beaten but kept together with love and a few nails. It sits in a clearing just inside the forest. On one side the houses of suburbia with all the bells and whistles, lawns being mowed, cars zooming past and dads coming home from work and on the other side. A wall of giants. Trees of all shapes and sizes guarding the entrance to the untouched beauty across the street. The beloved forest with its trees lining the roadside and towering up over the housed that surround it. There in the middle of suburbia, an enchanted thick untouched forest. A thing of beauty. Taking up enough land to make eight suburban blocks. It has grown since the dawn of time like a living entity. It has magic that attracts the kids and in return the children made pledges to protect it at all costs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Dec 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669833338

R. B. Howell

Born in Brisbane Australia, his youth was mostly spent travelling and moving around. As a child he experienced many diverse people and places, feeling strongly about social behaviours and the environment, he chose a path in the agricultural irrigation industry helping save the worlds water one drip at a time. As an outlet to declutter he used writing to tell stories, now taking his hobby to the next level and sharing his passion of short story writing. Bringing his passion out of the box to show others that anything is possible. Genres vary from ghosts to aliens, from time travel to mind control and many, many more.

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Ava’s Forest

R.B. Howell

Copyright © 2022 by R.B. Howell.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/01/2022

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Two Weeks later

Chapter One

Young Joe ran into the house via the back door throwing his school bag on the floor. He ran to the kitchen where his mother was making him a sandwich. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Joe peered over the bench with his eyes just reaching over the countertop while he swapped his school shoes for his runners so he could go play.

"Hi Joe, how was your day? She cut the bread diagonally to make two triangles just the way Joe liked it and looked down at him for a response. Joe stood straight up and swiped the sandwich carefully off the bench and turned to run out.

Thanks mum, I’m meeting Dylan at the fort in twenty minutes. He started to walk out of the kitchen.

Hey. Just wait a minute, pick your schoolbag up off the ground and answer my question, I don’t see you anymore, always Dylan and Kenny. They can wait. She held Joe up by the collar and straightened his shirt while smiling at him. Joe looked at his mother and took a deep breath as if to pause for a second. He smiled back.

My day was fine, mum, Mrs Goulding says I got talent and should concentrate on being more punctual instead. And Mr Fen says I need to practice my not running on the school grounds but apart from that, ok. He smiled and with a hand of lightning, whisked the other half of the sandwich from the kitchen bench and ran out the door leaving behind just the wind from his speedy exit.

Bye mum.

Joe’s mother turned to see where he went and only just caught the back of his head as he ran out the door. She shook her head and went about her cleaning in the kitchen.

The front yard had just been mowed the day before by Joe himself. He turned to stare out at the straight and even freshly mowed grass to admire his handywork while he gorged down on the sandwich. I do a good lawn, don’t I. he muttered through his stuffed mouth. He then turned to look both ways on the street to make sure nothing was coming and walked to the other side. Then while on the front lawn of the house across the road he looked up to the corner only twenty metres away and stared out at the beauty that was his playground. He turned to look for cars and crossed the street. There in front of him, the forest. Dark and deep.

The trees lined the roadside and towered up over the houses that surrounded it. There in the middle of suburbia was an enchanted thick untouched forest. A thing of beauty. Taking up enough land to make eight suburban blocks it grew since the dawn of time like a living entity. It had magic that attracted the kids in the area to it to play. Joe looked up, after a lifetime of coming here still in awe of this magical place. It was their forest to run around in, and play. The trees so tall like skyscrapers in a city. The forest’s canopy swaying in the breeze but unable to be seen because it was so high up. The forest so thick with vegetation and shrubbery that all you could do was listen and you would hear the birds were there. High up in their branches with the view overlooking everything around. All the suburbs, all the houses. Joe walked in through the path cut in the shrubbery long ago. Narrow and dark. The vines dangling and twirling around the trunks of giants as he walked on through slowly making out the voices of his friends already there and playing. Slowly making his way into the deep shrubbery he turned a corner to the giant fig tree, with its root system that spread out in different directions, winding and curling high above Joe. Each root was narrow but higher that he was, the little coves in between the roots were spacious and full of little shrubs growing their way to the sun which barely showed itself. Only in the flickers of light that were made when the treetops swayed in the breeze. Most of the trees here had to grow very old before they got their share of the light and sun. It was dark at the bottom, but the trees shared their food supply and the rainwater to grow evenly across the floor of the forest. They all shared and looked after each other like a family. Roots of many trees underground hugging and holding hands to feed each other the nutrients and love they need to survive and so, survive they have. Strong and graceful. Proud and confident.

Joe walked amongst the vines that tangled their way around a big cedar tree. He held the vine while swinging himself two steps up the path. He heard Dylan’s voice yelling something out loud. Joe smiled knowing he was close.

The trees were thick now, the tall trunks towering their way to the canopy made it darker in this spot. The shade made the green of the shrubbery darker as well. he heard a noise and stopped for a second, a small critter ran across the leaves on the ground near his feet and ran off to safety before Joe could even see what it was. But he didn’t panic. There was not much in this forest that could hurt you. Just small critters and lots of birdlife. He would hear owls from his bedroom window at night but while playing in the forest he only saw little animals playing and sifting through the leaves for food. Joe passed the tall thin trees bunched up at the curve in the path. The last bend before the opening. There were a hundred trees all bunched up tight, two feet away from each other. Green trunks and large palm leaves that littered the forest floor. Then at the corner the larger of the trees in the forest’s entrance. A giant tree with a coating of course red bark. The trunk was so big you could hide a car behind it and not see it. The trunk was hollowed out in one section like something lived there, but no one ever saw anything. The tree was so high in the canopy that they were sure it was one of the tallest in the whole forest. That they knew of anyway, the forest was so big that they themselves had only played in one section of it. The rest beyond the stream was too thick and scary for them to venture into. The noises that came from there even scared Joe, Dylan and even the big Kenny who apparently wasn’t afraid of much.

Joe wandered around the corner of the big red tree while looking up at its beauty to stop and stand for a second, while hearing the loud entrance speech from his fellow playmate Dylan, who yelled from the top of a great structure.

For he who enters the great forest must be brave and willing to lay down his life for the protection of the great wise forest trees of old. Do you except these terms, will you fight to the death for the descendants of the old ways. Be a part of the great army to keep the old ways from dying out. Will you fight with us young man? Joe turned to see Dylan standing at the entrance to their large fort holding up a bow to the sky and ranting his words loud and strong.

Well do you?

Joe began to walk towards the fort. When Dylan jumped down from the top and ran towards him. Then came in Kenny from the other side and two others from the next street who were playing with them. Dylan yelled out.

Halt young man, do you swear your allegiance? they crossed their weapons in front of Joe to stop him walking any further.

Joe rolled his eyes and replied.

Yes, I swear, come on.

They pulled their weapons from in front of Joe and let him pass. The group consisted of Joe’s best friends Dylan and Kenny and two others a boy named Charlie and his next-door neighbour, Chrissy, a young girl who liked to play with the boys but would only venture into the forest if they were there. Joe walked past her and snarled.

Hi Joe. She whispered while trying not to look at him. Joe rolled his eyes again and replied.

Hi Chrissy. The other boys laughed and then began to follow Joe to the fort.

The grand structure of confidence and victory. It stood there tall and strong through at least nine years of play wars and forest battles, storms and hurricanes. Endured small children and young boys climbing its walls and tower for all that time and yet it stood strong. A testament of the building skills of these three boys. They got together nine years ago and with the help of Dylan’s older brother who has since moved out on his own. They built this fort to play in and it has been the headquarters of life itself ever since. A place of first kisses and truths told. A place of solitude away from the fights and torments of life when things get too hard. It’s a place to come and be with those that love you no matter what’s wrong, friends always have the best advice and the best ways to comfort you when you need them to the most. They made pacts here, promises and allegiances that will stand the test of time and last forever.

The outsides rough walls told stories of long battles and weathered wood. It stood two stories tall with a ladder that took you to the second level. It had a one-piece roof that slanted to the right. And below it on the ground level was an entrance that was covered in blankets and old rugs that tied back at the corners so you could walk right in with a small bend of the knees on the way in. The inside was a different story. It was extravagant, chairs and blankets and a table in the middle. Very waterproof and very lived in. It was semi clean but there was so much in here; toys, crafts, drawing papers and pencils. There were weapons of all kinds hanging on the walls. Bows and arrows and small wooden axes and spears. There were a couple of wooden guns carved out of pine and other soft wood. Also, three wooden swords. On the other side of the room there were notes and letters pinned to the walls. Most of them were letters to the parents from teachers that would never see the light of day. The others were unsent love letters or doodles made in class that were funny enough to keep. There was also a ladder on the inside that took you up to the second level that was also closed in and watertight. Up there were a few bean bags and a coffee table in the middle. Everybody had their own space that they called their own. A place that if they were comfortable in and being quiet, meant you left them there. It was a quiet time and place where magical things happened.

At the top was a tower that stood a little taller than the second story and that had a flag on it. The flag was designed by the boys in the early years to reflect the position of the fort in the middle of the magical forest and to signify the strength of their friendship, Joe, Dylan and Kenny. They were the founders of the fort and they made all the decisions together. The flag had three stripes horizontal to represent each of the boys and a green triangle on its side at the left-hand side. The point facing inward towards the three stripes. The three stripes were red, blue and black. The blue stripe represented Joe’s favourite colour and the red stripe was for the little red wagon that Dylan towed in every day with supplies to help build the fort. And Kenny’s last name was Black. The green triangle represented the forest and as a gesture to thank the forest for having them. It turned out to be a sign that they protected and loved so much. There were drawings of the flag on the walls inside, at the second level. There was even a flag drawn on the wall at the school that the boys all attended. They were very proud. It belonged to them, they were its owners and custodians. But as much as they thought that they were the owners of the fort they also knew that the forest had claim to it, it was built there in an enchanted magical place that gave them so much happiness that they paid homage to it regularly. Holding forest ceremonies.

Joe’s mum would make them snack food and drinks and they would get together a play big battles and have a long day of fun. Usually it was Joe, Dylan and Kenny and the boy down the street who would come out sometimes. Larry. Then Charlie and his neighbour, Chrissy. Between the six of them they had plenty to do. But last year it became just the five of them because Larry and his folks moved away. They kept Larry’s picture up on the wall inside, but no one had heard from him, he had moved on.

Joe turned to the others that followed him in. They all stood inside the fort on the ground level. He instructed them to move around the table to all get in comfortable. Once they all stood inside and had their own space Joe spoke.

So, what we up to today then? The others all looked at each other and Kenny shrugged his shoulders. He held up a two-litre drink bottle with fizzy drink inside and motioned for them to come get some. One by one they took their cups from hanging hooks around the fort and came in to get their cups filled. Once they were all filled, they stopped for a moment. Joe held his cup up as he put the bottle on the table with his other hand. He raised his cup up high and spoke again.

To Larry, hope he’s doing well. They all raised their cups all at once, they said.

To Larry. The cups hitting, they drank. Kenny let out a big burp after it and they all laughed. Chrissy thought it was disgusting looking at him funny. They all laughed some more and began to hang up their cups making their way outside.

Hide and seek for a bit, what do you say? Yelled Joe.

You’re in then, said Dylan. Joe turned around to face the other way and sat down. He hung his head and started counting. The others ran to hide.

Three… four…. five…

The others ran in different directions and darted across the forest floor to find a good spot to hide.

Charlie held Chrissy by the hand and led her to a good spot then reassured her that he was just over here, with a point of the finger he let her know that she would be alright. She was younger than the others and didn’t really like being left out here by herself. It was a bit scary. She ducked down in behind the roots of a tall fig tree that’s root systems wandered around like they were looking for something under the ground. Searching then wham. They were frozen it time. Bending and squirming in all different places across the ground. The roots where she hid were as tall as her, so she knelt on her knees and stayed quiet. She could hear Joe yelling out the count.

Twenty-six…. twenty-seven…. twenty-eight…

Charlie ran a little further along the tree roots and crouched down behind a root that wandered the other way. Winding to the right and almost as big. He hid and closed his eyes to hear better. Kenny ran in the other direction and took a jump into the tall trees at the entrance that were all closely knitted together. He laid on the ground and covered himself with a big palm leaf to hide. Dylan still unable to decide which place to hide, was running around in circles and trying to find a place. He was panicking and decided on a place that wasn’t really a good spot, but he was running out of time.

Thirty-eight…. thirty-nine…forty… forty-one.

He turned in both directions shrugged his shoulders and laid back down under the fallen log at the edge of the clearing that their fort was in.

"Forty-nine…. fifty. Ready or not, here I come.

Joe jumped up from the ground and ran straight over to Dylan. He reached over the log and startled Dylan.

That was quick. Yelled Dylan. Joe laughed out loud.

Well you were so loud panicking to find a spot. It wasn’t that hard to find you.

Dylan wiped himself off and walked over to the entrance of the fort and sat. Joe bending his knees and creeping around the forest, quiet as a mouse, searched with his eyes in every place that he could. Then he saw the ground move and ran to the palms and jumped on Kenny. Kenny had the wind taken out as he threw his legs into the air.

Ha got ya. Two down, two to go.

Kenny joined Dylan on the ground, sitting at the entrance of the fort mumbling about this being for kids. Joe walked around the forest opening then back towards the fort looking at the other two sitting on the ground. Then he walked over to the big fig tree where he thought he saw something. At the roots on the left he saw Chrissy poke her head up to see if he was close. Playing around Joe pretended to not see her then snuck up on her to scare her. She lifted her head up again thinking that she had been noticed and then made a sound. Just then Charlie jumped up quick and startled Joe and Chrissy.

Raarrrr…..

Jeeez Charlie, wow. Ok you win. Joe looked back at the others sitting on the ground to see them laughing because Charlie had scared Joe.

There was a ringing sound and another. A bell was being rung from a distance that was the dinner call for Charlie, which meant it was time for Charlie and Chrissy to go home.

Well, that’s it from us, see you later boys.

Bye Joe. Came a little voice from Chrissy. The boys started to laugh and make fun of Joe.

Joe and Kenny waved as they left the clearing to disappear into the forest path. Dylan still laughing.

Oh Joe, will you play with me? chuckled Dylan.

"You’re just jealous, that’s all. I thought we could play something that we could all play. It’s only fair right. Anyway, now they’re gone what are we going to do anyway. Huh?" the two others shrugged their shoulders and looked at Joe with no idea. Joe breathed in and began to talk.

Well, I thought we could fix that tower and get it ready for the flying fox. He pointed to the tower behind him and stood making a swooshing sound pretending he was on a flying fox. Kenny and Dylan joined him standing and began to get excited about the rope swing they had plans to make. The boys made their way to the tower using the ladder. Up there on the roof was some timber ready for the job. They had to put support beams on the tower to make it strong enough to hold the weight of the rope and them. Joe took the hammer from inside the second floor and some nails and began to make his way to the roof. The three of them began to place the timber into position and nail it in. Joe hung from it and tested the weight. The boys smiled and looked at each other with excitement.

I got the rope ready at home, my dad got me 70 metres of it. Said Kenny.

And I have the swing built and I got us a pulley on top, we put it on yesterday. My uncle Tim helped me with the swing, you should see it. It’s awesome.

Replied Joe. Well, it is getting dark maybe we should get into it tomorrow.

The three of them made their way to the ladder and climbed down to the ground. With a look and a nod Joe leaned over to pull the rugs out of the doorway to shut it up for the night and followed the others to the entrance of their playground. Joe turned around to take one last look at the fort he loved so much, thinking about how the flying fox would be so much fun, then started on the path to the street with a smile and a whistle. The street came into view a few minutes later where Kenny was crossing the road and Dylan had already crossed a bit further up. A wave and they were in their homes for the evening.

Just then a truck pulled up on the side of the road in front of the entrance to the forest. A white work-truck. A man got out with big work boots on. He stomped on over to the back of the truck and reached into the tray of the truck. He came out with a large sledgehammer and then in the other hand a large sign came out. He walked over to the entrance of the forest and placed the sign on the ground. He hit a little to place it in the right spot then whacked it five times hard to make sure it was in the ground solid. He then walked his way back to the truck, throwing in the sledgehammer and slamming the door behind him. The truck started and he drove off into the distance of growing darkness of the coming dusk.

The sign read.

DANGER

DO NOT ENTER-AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

Removal and clearing of vegetation to make way

For new housing estate development approved by

Order of the City council.

Permit number 34759

Land clearing to commence 3rd July.

KEEP OUT

Chapter Two

The next day after school, when the bell rang to go home the children all ran to the exits in a scurry of crazy. The doors swinging open and whirlwinds of footsteps blowing down the hallways of the school grounds. Hundreds of children screaming and yelling their way to freedom. Within minutes the grounds were empty and quite again.

Kenny, Dylan and Joe walked their way through the suburb to their street. On the way they laughed about the weird stuff that happened at school. Filling each other in on the stuff they missed.

Hey, did you see Patrick eat that worm, he nearly threw it back up. Laughed Kenny.

Yeah, so funny. He was turning blue. Replied Joe.

He got thirty bucks for it. Weird but rich, huh, laughed Dylan. They walked on to the corner and turned into their street.

Would you eat a worm for money Dylan? asked Kenny.

Maybe. replied Dylan.

I guess I would pay to see that. laughed Kenny.

Me too. replied Joe. They all laughed.

Up ahead towards the end of the street they saw the sign. Looking at it from a distance Dylan started to run to it. Kenny followed, closely by Joe. Running up to it stopping right before the sign. They read with shock.

What, new housing estate. yelled Dylan.

Commencing 3rd July, that’s two months from now. No way, they can’t.

Kenny fell to the ground kneeling before the sign.

No, no way.

Joe pulled Kenny from the ground and threw his arm around him. Comforting him.

Maybe there’s something we can do. This won’t happen, I will make sure of it. said Joe.

What, what can we do Joe? This is real. They are chopping it down and so on.

I don’t know, we’ll figure something out.

Dylan stood there stunned unable to say anything. All the memories of the forest flooding his head. Flashing memories of the past that made them so happy. Years of great times and it’s all about to stop. He ran in and disappeared into the forest before the others could do anything. Then Kenny broke free from Joe’s grasp and ran in after Kenny. He