A million miles away
“What began as a quiet shift in the shadows would soon unravel into a storm that changed everything”
Page 1
Today is Friday, November 14, 2025.
School just let out, thank God. Everyone sprinted for the doors like the building was on fire. I walked out slower, mostly because… well, I had nowhere special to be.
I'm just a teenage girl waiting for my mother to pick me up from this so-called school.
But as the minutes pass by, still no mother. But again I have absolutely no place special to be.
It has been over a half of an hour already and my ride is not here. So I decided to walk home.
Page 2
Mom always told me to stay out of the woods. “Never go in there, no matter what,” she’d say, like the trees were hiding something awful. But today… I don’t know. I just didn’t feel like listening. Maybe it was the cold. Maybe it was being tired of waiting. Maybe it was because I’m almost grown, and I keep telling myself I need to start acting like it.
I want to be independent. I want to stop relying on everyone for everything. Thinking about that gave me this weird little push of confidence like, yeah, I can do things on my own. I don’t have to follow every rule she ever gave me.
So even though I have never taken this shortcut, and even though she told me "these woods are too easy to get lost in" I kept walking into them anyway. I just really did not feel like standing around anymore. But enough talk here, I need to get home before I freeze out here.
The moment I stepped into the woods, the temperature dropped a bit, but it didn't seem to bother me much since I'm already freezing. I kept my hands tucked away in my pockets, wishing I had worn thicker socks today.
Page 3
As I venture deeper into the woods I come across a small creek. I decided to take a walking break. I step down onto the dry sand, The fresh flowing water seems to soothe my young soul.
But something catches the corner of my eye. A long glass bottle with a piece of paper inside of it.
As I pick it up, I brush off the sand from the bottle with the cloth of my shirt. The moment is filled with wonder and mystery as I take off the cork from the top of the bottle. I can tell it's been on tightly for a long time. But I finally managed to get the piece of paper out.
But what surprised me the most, it was not a note, but a map of some sort.
The map seemed to be a sketch of where I currently am. Although it just didn't seem normal.
My head is filled with so many questions.
Anyways, it's getting very cold out here, so I really should head home. I’m sure my moms worried sick, wondering where on earth I may be. So I tuck the bottle into my backpack and I head back to the path. Thank god, the path had these signs that told me where I’m going. About 10 minutes later I was out of those woods and into a much more familiar place… The town of Westbridge.
Page 4
After I got out of those woods I knew exactly where I was going. Since I’ve been in this town my whole life, I had memorized all the little corners and most of the shortcuts.
And as I walk home I ask myself so many questions about the map. Yet none of these questions are answered.
I just kept walking, I really wished I had better shoes.
My feet felt as if I’ve been stepping on sand paper the whole walk home. But I saw my apartment, and I knew it was over soon and that I could finally relax.
I opened the door to the apartment building and checked our family’s mailbox in the cluster of mail boxes on the wall.
Mailbox number 9, but only 2 pieces of mail were inside so I carried them back to our room. As I got closer I heard a series of crying. I instantly knew it was about me. When I opened the door it all stopped, but to my surprise I wasn't in any trouble but instead being held closely and hugged to the point I almost couldn’t breathe.
Page 5
The moment where nothing else mattered more, not even the map. All that mattered was that I’m here now. My mother, with tears in her eyes, told me what happened and it was really bad news. So bad to the point I didn’t care about the map at all anymore. But the bad news was about my grandma Mia. She had passed away from a heart attack during my school days and that mom had to be at the hospital for her last moments of life. Even though Mia had been suffering from dementia for a while. It hurts deeply since she used to be a model I looked up to.
I went to my room and took off a special necklace Mia gave me a couple weeks ago, But all she told me was “This is the key to my heart” I couldn’t really wrap my head around what it really meant. I think it was just a metaphor, since Mia loved poetry. I set the necklace down on my night stand.
I then decided to sleep. Although it was only 6:30PM I was just not feeling like doing anything else...
Page 6
It took me many tosses and turns to fall asleep. Tonight was the first night without my grandmother. I had the weirdest dreams. About the map, about Mia, about too much to even explain. I woke up around 3:50 in the morning from a horrible nightmare. It was so eerie I just didn’t want to go into the details. But I know it was only a dream. I put on my necklace, knowing that Mia will always be with me no matter when. It was time to start my day, I had chores to do. Brush my teeth, make the bed, get dressed. It only took me a few minutes so I had plenty of time for other activities.
I unzipped my backpack and dug through it until I found the bottled map.
I had to make a choice here.
Should I really go back to those woods with a new adventure in mind, or should I just start a new day of doing nothing but mourn. I had to go with my gut this time since it's all I have ever known.
I took the map out of the bottle and analyzed it. A strange marking off the trail just filled my head with wonder. A wonder of how this world really works, a wonder of what really happens to people after they have spent their time in this very world.
Page 7
I put the map back in the bottle and put it all inside my little purse along with my phone. As I leave my room I put on my coat, this time I did wear thicker socks. On my way out, my mother stopped me.
She asked me where I was going, I told her I had plans to go out with my school friends.
This was clearly a lie, but if she really knew I was going into the woods she would not let me. But to my surprise she didn’t ask any questions but nodded and told me she loved me so much. I really feel guilty now for lying.
I headed out the door and down to the lobby. Again I checked mailbox number 9, although no mail was inside. So really I was just on my way to the woods again. This time with a plan.
It was a bit cold out, so I decided to just ride my bicycle to the woods instead of walking. I set my purse inside my basket and I was on my way, it just felt as if I was going to a brand new world. A world without Mia, this part I knew was true, it really felt unreal. The feeling when you lose something and you just know that you’ll never find it again. But you continue to look for it.
Page 8
I ended up taking the bicycle route from Old Bridge Lane to the woods. It took me around 10 minutes since there was some traffic like no other. It was the weekend after all.
Everyone had plans and it made me feel more independent
knowing that I also have a plan. I started to ride my bike down deeper into the woods until I knew where I was meant to be according to the map. Although there is no way for me to take my bike off the path, I had to leave it behind until it was time to leave.
Now was the start of a new adventure, an adventure where there is no telling of an end.
I made my way down to the creek where I had found the map in the first place. I unzipped my purse and pulled out the bottled map and undid the cork.
After I examined the map more I started to follow the marked location but when I arrived at the spot, I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
It didn’t make any sense, why is there nothing here? Am I too late… But all of a sudden I felt something below my feet. It didn’t feel like just sand, it felt very solid. I crouched down and brushed off some sand from the surface. It started to reveal some sort of metal structure.
Page 9
As I continued to uncover the metal structure, it revealed a large handle. I now knew that it was some metal hatch.
I couldn’t believe it. What was this doing out here? Why would there be a hatch in a creek? It confused me so much, but it really brought curiosity to my mind. A mind like many others. But what stirred my mind more, was that the hatch has a key hole.
But why is there a key hole but no key? I felt I was missing something, but I remembered I had the key necklace Mia gave me.
I didn’t expect it to fit, but it did. It felt like something straight out of a dream.
I wondered if I was still dreaming. But to the truth I was only in reality.
Page 10
When I opened the hatch, a cold rush of air came up from below. Way colder than it should’ve been. It didn’t feel like the air I’ve been used to, I held onto the ladder as I climbed down. Holding on with a tight grip.
Mostly because I’m sure my life depended on it since I could not even see the bottom. I kept climbing down anyway. The deeper I went the less I could hear of the world I’m used to, no wind, no chirping birds…
Nothing was to be heard. It felt like the world was fading away with every step down I took. All I could hear was my own breathing.
After what felt like forever, my foot touched solid ground. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was even holding.
I was expecting some sort of dirt walls or some underground bunker like you see in movies. But when I looked up my whole body froze. But I wasn't underground anymore...
I was outside.
Page 11
The trees here were not dead and stripped of their leaves and beauty like the ones above the hatch. These trees were full of life, a life where it seemed too real. It really felt like I was inside of a book, a book with magic and some other world that you would never see.
This place, it was full of this new adventure I’ve been wanting. And here it is, right in front of my eyes. But when I turned around… I saw something that I never saw above the hatch. A cabin, Now I know what I have to do. I slowly made my way towards the cabin.
A deep imagination filled my head as the adventure continued. But I know I was really in the moment.
Although it never felt real. Never will my life be the same from now on.
I approached the cabin. The moment brought quick feelings, but these feelings seemed so long. The moment I opened the door to the cabin.
I now knew what brought me here in the first place.
It was not a what, But a who.
It was Mia’s old cabin.
Page 12
The inside of the cabin didn’t look anything like the old photos I had seen. It looked better. More than real.
The photos Mom showed me when I was younger were always blurry and taken years before I was even born.
Standing here, it felt like I had walked into Mia’s memories. I knew that, only because of the pictures on the walls. The way everything was laid out.
I had a certain something I was looking for the most.
I walked to the back of the cabin and opened the door to Mia’s old bedroom. The blanket on the bed was made from a quilt my great grandmother had made her when she was my age. I told myself I’d only rest for a little while. But that didn’t work, I was so tired. The moment my head touched the pillow I was asleep.
Page 13
When I woke up, I was in my own bed, my own room. My own world. Was it all just a dream? I had gotten out of my bed. I had already been wearing my normal clothes since I had gone to bed without switching to pajamas. I walked to the living room,
I couldn’t help but to give my mother the biggest hug I had ever done. I knew she wasn't expecting it. She stood there frozen for a second because I usually don't act like this but I just held onto her and didn't want to let go. I needed to feel that she was real and that I was actually home safe after everything that happened down in those woods.
Mom finally hugged me back, just slowly though.
Maybe because she really had no idea what was going on.
But I did, I remember every little detail so clearly.
It's so strange when you know something that nobody else knows anything about. The hatch, the cabin and the strange world I had just physically been inside of.
The moment was heavy, so heavy I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. It all just caught up with me. Tears flowing like a waterfall now. She held me closer and tighter now.
Just like Mia used to do whenever I felt this way.
Page 14
As a long moment passed by, I started to wipe my tears.
But they just kept coming back, but I thought of how Mia would want me to feel better and stronger than this.
She would always tell me, “When life brings you hurt, turn that hurt back into life. A life where hurt doesn’t bring down your own strength” This had stood with me for a long time, but I finally know what it means.
I had to move forward. Easier said than done, but I know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
Page 15
After things calmed down, I went back to my room. I sat on my bed for a while, not really doing anything. I kept thinking about the cabin and how real it felt. I reached into my purse and saw the bottle with the map still there. That made everything feel even stranger. If it was a dream, then why did I still have it?
I put the bottle on my nightstand and laid back down. My mind kept going in circles. I didn’t know what any of it meant, but it stayed with me like it actually happened.
Page 16
The rest of the day felt slow. I walked around the apartment without any real purpose. Everything reminded me of Mia in some way, even small things. I ended up going back to my room because it felt quieter there.
The pictures on my wall seemed set up like the same way Mia had done in her cabin. It just made me feel worse.
I pulled the blanket over myself and just closed my eyes. I wasn’t trying to sleep, I just wanted to stop thinking for a little bit. It didn’t really work, but the silence felt nicer than anything else.
Page 17
Later on, I picked up the map again. I didn’t know why, but I wanted to look at it. Nothing looked different except a small mark I didn’t notice before. I stared at it for a while but it didn’t really seem to tell me anything.
I folded the map and held onto it. For some reason I didn’t feel scared of it anymore. It just felt like something I was meant to keep.
Page 18
That night I couldn’t sleep. I kept turning over, but my mind wouldn’t settle down. I ended up sitting up and looking out the window. The street outside looked quiet and empty. As if nobody knew about what was happening
I used to be just a teenager with a key a few nights ago. But now I have some magical world that I can go to.
I think to myself, am I the only one out there?
I held the necklace in my hand and stayed like that for a long time. I didn’t know what was supposed to happen next. I just knew something still didn’t feel over.
The feeling of being alone, even if you have a thousand people around you. This feeling is one of many bad feelings.
Page 19
The morning came slowly. I barely slept, but I got out of bed anyway. I didn’t feel rested at all. Everything in the apartment felt the same as always, but something in me didn’t. I walked to the kitchen and got a glass of water. My hands were a little shaky for no real reason.
I kept thinking about the cabin and how real the blanket felt when I laid on it. I kept trying to remind myself that dreams usually fade, but this one didn’t fade at all.
Page 20
I sat on the couch for a while and just stared at the wall. My thoughts wouldn’t stop moving. I wondered if anyone else had ever seen what I saw. I wondered if anyone would even believe me if I told them.
I knew I wouldn’t tell anyone though. Not even my mother. Some things were easier to keep inside. It felt safer that way.
I ended up in my bedroom although I didn’t know what I should do.
The necklace Mia gave me rested in my hand again, like it was waiting for something I didn’t understand yet.
Page 21
I looked at the map one last time.
That small mark I didn’t notice before…
it almost felt like it was trying to tell me something new.
Like the story wasn’t done, even if I wanted a break from it all.
I thought about the hatch, the cold air, the trees that didn’t belong in my world.
The cabin that shouldn’t exist.
And Mia, how it somehow felt like she was still guiding me.
Everything that happened felt too real to be a dream.
But if it wasn’t a dream, then there’s a whole world under those woods that I never knew about.
And a part of me knew I’d have to go back someday.
Not now.
But someday.
This isn’t the end.
It’s just the end of the beginning.
About the author
My nickname is Bear, and writing has always been something I do when I need a place to put my thoughts. I’m not a perfect writer, and I don’t try to be. I just write the way things feel in my head, even if it comes out messy.
A Million Miles Away is the first story I actually decided to finish. A lot of it came from things I’ve felt, things I’ve lost, and things I still don’t fully understand. I wanted to create a world that feels quiet, familiar, and a little mysterious, kind of like real life. I don’t know where writing will take me yet, but this book is the start.
And if you’re reading it, that means more to me than you think.
© 2025 Bear
All rights reserved.
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Official Website - A Million Miles Away - Collection
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