Entry 8: Inside the Tree – “Hallways” – August 19th, 2023 – 6:23 PM
Murlocke and I probably would have followed Maisel had we not noticed another trail of gold veins shimmering in the darkness. It led us down a branching hallway on the right. After a few minutes of walking, we reached a dead end, which didn’t make sense. Why would the tree guide us to nothing?
Hmm, there seems to be a handle or something on the ground.
As the words left my mouth, I realized the handle was attached to a small trapdoor beneath our feet.
I tried pulling at it, but it barely budged. Murlocke reached down to give me a hand, and after briefly struggling, we finally managed to yank it up.
Would you believe it? Below the trapdoor was a staircase.
I think that going deeper into this tree-labyrinth-thing is a bad idea.
We’ve come this far. Maybe we should see what’s at the bottom, and if it’s just another hallway, we can reverse our tracks and see if there is another way out.
Murlocke nodded, though he didn’t look convinced.
I felt bad about yelling at Maisel. I really hope she’s okay…
Last summer, when Maisel’s brother, Pocket, was still with us, we all went to the carnival. It was a bittersweet day, as it was during the last full week of summer before we had to go back to school. This year, the carnival had a new house of mirrors that I desperately wanted to try. Maisel and Murlocke wanted to get something to eat, so Pocket and I decided to go in alone rather than wait for them. We were separated almost immediately.
It was dark inside, probably to make it feel like you were lost. It was overwhelming. I felt helpless, wandering through the maze directionless, not knowing if I was moving forward or backward.
Sasheen…
I could hear Pocket shout my name, but every time I felt like I was getting closer to him, I would hear him call again—
Sasheen…
And he was just as far away as the last time he called.
– Sasheen
Entry 9: Inside the Tree – Open Room – August 19th, 2023 – 6:48 PM
At the bottom of the stairs was a massive open room. As we stepped into it, my mind suddenly went blank, and I felt like I was in that hazy, dreamlike middle ground between being asleep and awake. I forgot about the fight with Maisel, the supernatural tree, and the soccer ball. Then, as quickly as the sensation came, it went, and I remembered everything again.
Inside the chamber was what looked like a theatre, but not one I recognized. Murlocke thought that it was the St. Elizabeth Opera House in downtown Harrington. His grandmother took him there last year to watch a performance. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to watch an opera. It sounds dreadfully dull, and the actors don’t even speak English.
There was a piano in the centre of the stage. Like everything else in the tree, it was carved out of red cedar. I was drawn to it.
Sasheen, I’m not sure about this…
Murlocke said something to me, but I could barely hear him. I was too fixated on the piano.
I needed to know if it worked…
– Sasheen
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