Q: What do you call a bear with no teeth?
A: A Gummy Bear!
Hey everyone! Andy here with another entry for my greatest woodsy adventure ever! Oh before I forget, in case you’ve been wondering why there’ve been more “Thought For The Day” entries lately, it’s because Doodyhead is really getting lazy! LOL! Seriously though, I think Andrew’s trying to find more of a balance in life between writing and various other projects and commitments. But to be perfectly honest, I too am finding it exhausting sometimes writing something original and new, which is why I’m going to only be doing two chapters per month now. I guess I’m a slacker too then huh! 🙂 Regardless, hopefully none of this gets your panties in a bunch and thank you for continuing to read both his more serious (boring 🙂 ) articles and my more fun stories. And as always, here’s the links to the previous chapters of my ongoing adventure…
https://thetwelfthstep.com/2014/12/10/andys-woodsy-adventure-chapter-1/
https://thetwelfthstep.com/2014/12/18/andys-woodsy-adventure-chapter-2/
https://thetwelfthstep.com/2014/12/27/andys-woodsy-adventure-chapter-3/
https://thetwelfthstep.com/2015/01/04/andys-woodsy-adventure-chapter-4/
https://thetwelfthstep.com/2015/01/16/andys-woodsy-adventure-chapter-5/
https://thetwelfthstep.com/2015/01/29/andys-woodsy-adventure-chapter-6/
Andy’s Woodsy Adventure – Chapter 7
“Are you really me?” I said to Andy #2 poking him.
“Of course I’m you silly!” Andy #2 said laughing.
“Well if you’re me, then what number am I thinking right now?”
“11!”
“Cool! Ok, so what’s my favorite food then?”
“Peperoni, cheddar, and green olive thin crust pizza well done!”
“NO WAY!!!”
“Andy, what’s going on up there?” My mom suddenly shouted. I could hear her footsteps coming up the stairs. Obviously she had heard me talking to me #2.
“I’ll have to catch up with you later…” I started to say quickly to me #2 knowing I didn’t want her to see my duplicate.
“Gator…” me #2 finished what I would have said.
“Gemini!”
POP…
My bedroom door abruptly opened with a very concerned looking mother now looking in.
“Is everything ok? I heard you talking and laughing in here?”
“Yeah, I’m just trying to get back to my usual weird self Mom. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be ok.” I knew my words weren’t going to reassure her much. After all, she was seeing me for the first time in three years. In my mind though, it had only been a bunch of hours.
“Ok honey, dinner will be in an hour. I’m making your favorite chicken dish, Chicken Marsala. How’s that sound?”
“Sounds great Mom! Thanks!” I said smiling as she closed my door again. I absolutely loved Chicken Marsala and only ever got it on very special occasions.
Hmmm, maybe I should disappear more often I thought with a grin. I looked down at the crystal that was still in my hand and decided it was best to put it in the bottom of my sock drawer for now. I really didn’t want to have anything strange to happen over dinner. I had so many questions and so few answers, but for now, I was happy that a few good things had come out of such a terrifying and overwhelming day. My meal later that night was awesome as always and it didn’t take long after it to fall asleep. I was totally exhausted from all the day’s events and while my bed was not the one I remembered, it was exactly what I needed…
Thankfully, life didn’t throw me any more curve balls the next day or the next week for that matter. I had chosen to keep my magic crystal hidden in the bottom of my sock drawer the entire time, mainly due to the lack of free time. I had spent all of Sunday with my family going to church, having lunch afterwards, swimming in the in-ground pool my new home had, having a barbecue later that night, and then playing cards to end the evening. As for the past five days, I had spent each of them in a YMCA day camp. I think my parents thought that sending me to camp would make it easier for not only me, but for them as well. I usually spent most of my summers in them anyway, so it was fine.
I noticed it was another hot Saturday in August as I set my arts and crafts projects down from camp and opened my bedroom window. Summer was just about over and in just about two weeks, I’d be starting school again. While it was hard to think about all the kids I once knew now being in their second year of high school instead of the 7th grade with me, I was somewhat relieved to realize my former bullies wouldn’t be there anymore either.
The numbers on the clock in my bedroom read 10:15am. I had slept in much longer than I normally did. The faint murmur of my parents taking to each other outside drifted up through my opened window. They had definitely been overly protective of me since coming home, allowing me to only play in the front or back yard where they could see me. I didn’t blame them for being that way though given how long they said I’d been missing. Fortunately, they weren’t asking me anymore what happened out in the woods because they could see how upset I got each time I told them, mostly because they didn’t believe me. I had also learned in passing from my sister that they had moved two years after I disappeared, solely for it having been too painful for them to remain there. And although I had been gone for as long as I was, she told me none of them ever gave up hope that I’d eventually be found.
It was kind of hard for me to understand what they all went through given my perception of time being quite different from theirs. Regardless, I was doing my best to get used to life at my new home, and I was more than glad to have a huge in-ground pool to play in on a hot day like today. Interestingly enough though, the pool pretty much took up the whole backyard and there were no woods to be seen beyond it, just another house instead.
As I put my bathing suit on, I decided to take my crystal out of the drawer for the first time since placing it there. It was still glowing purple, even though it appeared I was the only one who could see that. I was truly looking forward to trying something with it today that had come to me when swimming with my family last weekend. Sprinting down the stairs with it now in hand, I waved at my parents as I ran past them sitting on the back porch. I was told to be careful and slow down while heading down the deck stairs and into the pool area. My sister was nowhere to be found, so it looked like as if I had the whole pool to myself, of which I was glad for. The water was somewhat cool to the touch, but I knew it would be a welcomed relief from the blistering sun. After placing my towel and the crystal on a chair, I took a running jump and did a huge cannonball into the pool.
When I re-emerged to the surface, I noticed my mother and father were now peering down at me obviously making sure I was ok. It took about 15 minutes of me swimming and playing safely in the water for them to stop checking on me, which finally gave me the chance I needed. I silently got out of the pool trying not to draw my parent’s attention and dried myself completely off with the towel just to make sure I hadn’t. After picking up the crystal and making sure all the Zodiac signs were still present and accounted for, I looked for the one I was most curious about today, the “crab”, mostly because I knew the sea creature to be aquatic-based.
“Cancer!” I said just loud enough for only me to hear.
Suddenly I found myself gasping for breath while the symbol abruptly disappeared on the crystal. I couldn’t breathe at all. It was as if the passageways through my mouth and nose were completely blocked. It also felt as if something were now moving on either side of my neck. My gasping grew louder and louder, until it drew the attention and horror of my parents. I never knew what it felt like to not be able to breathe, but now I did, and the only thought crossing my mind at the moment was whether I was about to die of asphyxiation…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson