Into the Woods--Snippet 4

* This is a work of fiction.

...So, the older man and the young boy began walking down the hillside in unison, kicking up the heavy, dead leaves. The old man was thinking about the biscuits they'd had for dinner and wishing he'd had another, but all the young boy could think about was his failure with the tree. He had looked in it's eyes and it had pushed him down. His whole life he'd believed that being an Okie had meant something.; like a special power that he had and no one else could get. He'd secretly held it over everyone he knew. It had been given only to him, just like the birthmark on his right leg. He shared that with his granddad too. They were both Okies and that meant something or at least he hoped it did. He needed it to.

   The older man scanned the trees and hoped they would come upon just the right one. It needed to be one that looked alive, but was as dead and rotten as it could be. He was glad it was late fall so that the boy wouldn't be able to recognize its lack of leaves. He'd seen a couple trees that were good and rotten, but they had lost their bark. He needed one with bark. He knew the boy would need one that looked alive. It was good to feel powerful and alive. There weren't too many things in life that made you feel that way. Most things beat you down.  He knew the trees were dead and rotten, but it still made him feel good.

  They made their way deeper into the woods and came close to the river. It flowed slowly and the older man stared out at it. The water was way up already and seemed browner than it had in a while. He guessed the winter rains had begun a little early this year. He hoped it wouldn't flood, but knew it probably would. It always had and probably always would. The flooding had changed his life a long time ago. He was glad it had. He wouldn't have this little boy to follow him around if the river wouldn't have flooded then.
 
  "Granddad, are we a long way from home?"
  "Sure, sure."
  "Are we lost?"
  "Sure, sure."
  "I'm getting kind of hungry."
  "Okie's, don't get hungry."
  "Think granny is going to cook something good tonight?"
  "She will if she doesn't try one of those casseroles."
  "I don't like those casseroles very much."
  "You shouldn't. Okies don't eat stuff like that."
  "You seen a good tree for me to try?"
  "No, but I'm looking."

  They kept on in silence and made their way through the woods. The boy was hoping the older man wasn't lost and was just kidding when he kept asking the boy if he knew how to get home and saying that he was lost and that he hadn't ever been to that part of the woods. He was glad they were near the river now because he could get home if he could keep following the river...

Should there be a Part 5?

   David