A Million Miles Away

··· Chapter 2 ···

“We opened a book, the book of life where each page turned into a new chapter and every chapter became a life of its own” -Bear

Page 1

Today is Tuesday, November 18, 2025.

I was woken by my mom telling me it’s almost time for school. She was right, I really didn’t want more homework, or questions, or any of those long explanations. But, well there wasn’t much choice. School was there, waiting for me, whether I felt ready or not.

I could only hope nobody noticed that I was gone yesterday, or saw that something inside me had changed. To everyone else, it would just be another ordinary day

Throughout the day, the fear of everything going wrong filled my head.

With no room left to change the subject, I had no choice, but to fear. It was time and I had to go back to school, and someday the woods.

The same woods that brought a whole new world inside of itself.

This world was waiting for me, and I was waiting for this world.

Page 2

Today was the day where I went back to school.

I woke up to my alarm after I had snoozed it around 10 minutes ago.

I wasn’t ready, but the time has come and I need to go.

So I start by getting dressed in some proper clothing.

I know I can’t just wear my pajama pants and a tank top.

After getting dressed, I made my way toward the bathroom to brush my teeth, but my upset mother stood in my path.

“Where have you been? It’s almost time to go,” she said.

I could tell she had been ready to leave, long before I was.

I had no excuse this time.

“I'm sorry, I’m just not quite ready yet,” I said Now I couldn’t tell if she was mad, or just patiently keeping calm.

She shook her head as she turned around, she headed toward her room.

I continued to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

One area at a time, I brushed my teeth.

The taste of the minty menthol was one of my favorite flavors.

As I finish up, I swish the water in my mouth, just to spit it out in the sink.

Today I skipped breakfast. I headed towards my moms room where she had wandered to. About halfway there, I stopped once I heard a slight series of sobs.

Wondering if i should check in on her. I had to, I couldn’t let her continue crying.

As I open the door I see her sitting on the end of her bed, crying as I stand there.

Page 3

As I proceeded to walk into the room, she turned around slowly, as if she hadn’t expected me to be there. After a long moment had passed she said

“Honey, can you please just go wait for your bus, I don’t want you late.”

“I just wanted to make sure-”

But before I could finish my sentence, she said

“Honey, I’m okay, please wait for your bus, we can talk later,”

I nodded, as I turned around to head out the door, she said

“Love you! Now please have a good day,”

“I love you too, I’ll try my best,” I said as I exited the room.

Page 4

The bus ride today felt like standing between two worlds, leaving one behind while not quite reaching the other.

I could still see my mom’s face in my mind,

the way she tried to hide her tears.

School was supposed to be simple,

classes, bells ringing and homework.

But nothing felt simple anymore.

Each bump in the road pulled me farther from the woods and closer to a place where I had to act normal.

Everyone beside me on the bus was laughing

with their friend or friends,

a reminder of how I sit alone everyday on this bus.

But that was okay with me

it always felt safer this way.

Page 5

After what really felt like forever, the bus finally came to a complete stop.

Outside my window, Westbridge middle school stands huge as always, it felt like every time I go here I feel lost. Lost inside a maze you could call it, or lost inside my mind

every time I step through these doors. Alone I exited the bus as usual. As I walked past the happiest groups of kids, I kept my looking down at my feet as I headed inside. But I could’ve payed more attention to my surroundings. I accidentally bumped straight into another girl. Which made us both stumble.

“Oh I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to,” she said completely embarrassed “Don’t be sorry, it’s completely my fault,” I said as my heart races.

“It’s okay, I’m okay, by the way. What’s your name,” she asked.

“My name’s Cheyenne, but my friends call me Chey,” I said anxiously.

“Your name’s so pretty!, if you want we can hangout at lunch,” “Oh right, sorry I forgot to introduce myself, my name’s Helena,” she said.

But before I could answer her, the bell rang. Which completely made me jump.

“Oh okay, see you at lunch Helena!” I yelled out.

Page 6

The hallway seemed to throw me into a familiar yet unfamiliar place.

Although I’ve been here for so long, i still feel like I’m walking into a trap.

I made my way quickly to first period. As i sat down at my desk, i tried to make myself look normal and unnoticed as i usually do. I just kept my focus onto my journal.

Waiting for my assignment as the classroom filled to its usual capacity of students.

But before i knew it, the class was full of loud whispers throughout the room.

Our teacher Mrs. Monroe had started to write down our assignment on the whiteboard.

The class still alive, which was not a good thing when Mrs. Monroe needed to speak.

Monroe was one of them nice teachers unless you get her bad side.

It was like she became a whole different person when she was mad.

Page 7

Mrs. Monroe cleared her throat once. Twice.

The room finally seemed to calm down, like when you throw a rock into a lake.

And you watch the water ripple around. But then it finally seems to calm into a smooth flat surface.

Markers squeaked roughly against the whiteboard as she finished writing.

Your weekend recap – 4 sentences minimum.

I could feel my stomach already tossing and turning.

She turned around slowly, just before setting down the marker on the tray.

“Good morning, everyone. Today we will be writing down everything about our weekends. I expect at least 4 sentences minimum, and make sure its real, and about you,”

Real, That word echoed louder than all the whispers did.

Page 8

My eyes back to my journal. The same one I carried everywhere. The same one that already knew too much of.

“Remember,” Mrs. Monroe continued, “this is not about being perfect It’s about honesty.”

But being honest felt way to dangerous. I just cant.

I knew that I cant hide my story forever, forever felt impossible.

My pencil still hovering over my paper, not moving at all. Because I just couldn’t write what I was thinking.

What was I supposed to write?

About the woods?

About how the air felt different there, like it was breathing back at me.

Or about Mia, and how it felt she was closer to me right now than anyone alive.

Instead I didn’t write any of that, I just doodled a sketch of a tree and flowers and a path to nowhere, just to the end of my imaginary sketched woods. I almost wish I would just be this. Instead of the honest truth. The honest truth of the hatch. The cabin and everything inside it.

A place only I understood.

Page 9

The bell rang before I even realized class was over.

The relief washed over me, But not for long.

Because now I had to move to my next class.

The rest of the morning passed in pieces. Math formulas I could barely understand. Science notes that blurred together,

All I could think about was lunch. Not because I was hungry, But because of the possibility of Helena being there. Finally the lunch bell rang. The hallways now exploding with sound. Lockers slammed, Shoes squeaked. And laughter was throughout.

I hesitated near my locker, Pretending to find something, something that didn’t exist.

“Chey?”

I turned around to my surprise of Helena standing there.

Holding her tray like she wasn’t sure where to go either.

“You actually remembered,” I said out of pure accident.

“Of course I remembered, I didn’t have much else to remember anyways,” she said “I was hoping, that we could maybe sit together?” Hoping.

That word seemed to lighten the load a little.

Page 10

We sat near the edge of the cafeteria, away from the loudest tables. It wasn’t quiet, but it was quieter.

We talked a bit about our hobbies and schedules. Turns out that we have history class together next, at least I had somebody I sorta knew in my class.

“I need to return my tray,” she said as she started to get up from her chair.

“I’ll be right back,”

I turned my head slightly, just to make sure she was coming back.

After a short moment, she sat down next to me as she did before.

This time I knew I could trust her.

“So,” she said as she fiddled with a pen, “You’re a bit mysterious”

Page 11

I almost laughed, but I didn’t. I just knew I wanted to.

Almost.

“I don’t mean that in a bad way,” she added, “Just, like you’re somewhere else sometimes,”

“I guess, there’s just a lot in my head,”

“It feels like I have a construction site all in my head,” I joked Which I immediately regretted,

“Twins?,” she said, which took me a moment to realize that she was relating.

“Yeah, I guess we are twins,” I laughed this time, which made us both crack up.

We started to make jokes about almost everything, It was like the littlest thing would make you laugh. And you couldn’t control it.

And for once, I didn’t feel left out.

Page 12

The final bell rang, sharp and sudden.

Everyone moved at once, chairs scraping, but Helena stayed beside me as we walked out of the classroom.

“So,” she said, while putting on her backpack “my mom thinks we’re seeing a movie.”

I stopped walking.

“What?” I said as I giggled, but I instantly knew she was serious.

Because she did not laugh back.

“I told her it was one of those boring ones, so she wouldn’t ask about it.”

“Oh, okay” I said as I pulled out my phone. “I’ll let my mom know too.” I texted my mom to let her know what was going on.

‘Going to the movies with a friend. I’ll be home later.’ The three dots appeared almost instantly.

‘Mom: Oh okay, Be safe. I love you!’

It felt like I had just swallowed guilt. But I managed to push it down.

“Guess I’m seeing a movie too,” I said.

Helena smiled like we had just made a secret official.

Page 13

We didn’t head toward the buses. Instead we headed toward a whole new world.

As of now, I’m the only one who knows about this. But how could anyone explain this without sounding crazy. It just doesn’t seem possible.

Walking past the school and down the trail leading to the woods.

“So,” Helena said, “where are we actually going?” I hesitated for a brief moment.

“The woods,” I said.

Helena seemed to think about it for a second, “Like, spooky woods?” she said “More like,” I said carefully, “mysterious woods,” “Oh okay,” She shrugged, “Cool!”

The farther we walked, the quieter everything became. Cars faded, But the wind seemed to become louder as it picked up.

Page 14

The trees rose up around us, tall and so familiar.

Helena slowed down her steps, looking around.

“It’s actually,” she took a deep breath, ‘Kinda pretty here,” “And,” another deep breath followed “Sad,”

I nodded, “It’s like these woods have a story to tell,” I hinted

She didn’t question that.

We followed the path deeper, leaves crunching beneath our shoes.

Our old world felt like it fell out of its place, like we had just stepped out of time.

I stopped when the clearing of a creek came into view.

Helena caught her breath.

Page 15

“Chey, what is this place?” Helena said totally out of breath.

I took a step forward.

“This is where everything changed for me” I struggled to say, “This is where my grandma, Mia still is,”

Mia’s name seemed to bring me the courage I needed most, “I wouldn’t bring you here if it wasn’t important,” I added.

“And if I didn’t trust you.”

Helena looked at me, more serious than before.

I trust you too.”

I pushed aside the leaves. The hatch appeared slowly.

Like it had been waiting for me.

I can tell she had not been expecting this.

“That’s not just a hatch,” she whispered. “That’s a door.”

I nodded again, “There’s a ladder beneath it” “It leads somewhere else.” I explained.

Somewhere that looked like these woods. Somewhere that held a cabin filled with memories.

I rested my hand on the metal handle.

“You don’t have to come with me,” I said.

“You don’t get to bring me this far and then leave me behind.” Helena said.

“Of course, I’m coming with you.” she added.

I smiled, nervous but certain. Then I opened the hatch.

Page 16

Cold air rushed upward, brushing against my face like a breath held for too long. I leaned forward, peering into the dark. The ladder waited beneath

Its metal rails stretching farther than they should have, disappearing where you cant see the bottom below.

I swallowed.

“This is the part where you need to decide,” I whispered loud enough to be heard.

Helena resting her hand on the edge of the hatch. She looked down, then back at me.

“I have already decided,” she said.

I climbed down first.

I knew what to expect here, or that’s what I thought.

But there are always surprises. The metal was colder than I remembered.

The deeper we went, the quieter the world above became. Leaves. Wind. Everything.

The air grew warmer.

Like it belonged to a entire new world.

Page 17

When I finally reached the bottom, I looked up to see Helena still descending.

“Chey?” Helena called from above.

“I’m right here!” I called out.

She moved carefully, slower than I had.

Each step seemed to take courage.

When she finally reached the bottom, she froze.

“Oh,” she whispered.

I could tell by Helena’s face.

That she couldn’t believe what she is seeing. But I did. And I never figured out why.

Maybe its because I knew Mia was somewhere closer than home.

My heart.

I now knew what Mia meant when she said it was the key to her heart.

The ground felt solid. Real.

Real was a hard word for me. Nothing felt real.

Yet, here I was bringing a friend into this place.

Page 18

These trees stood taller, their bark smoother, almost alive. The air carried a warmth that didn’t belong to the season.

Helena turned in a slow circle.

“This feels,” she paused, searching for the word. “Like a memory.” I nodded.

“It is,”

She looked at the ground, at her hands, then all around her.

“I don’t feel scared,” she said softly. “I thought I would.” she added.

“You’re not supposed to be,” I said. “This place doesn’t hurt people.”

Her eyes landed on the cabin in the distance.

“Who’s cabin is that,” she asked,

“My grandma’s,” I said proudly, “Mia’s.”

Helena’s expression seemed to lighten.

“She must have been really important.”

“She still is.” I said with all my heart.

Page 19

Helena took a few steps forward, then stopped.

“Chey,” she said quiet, but steady.

“But why,” she started. “Why did you bring me here though,”

I thought about lying.

But I knew this place deserved the truth.

“Because you’re the only I trusted” I said.

She turned to face me.

“And, because,” I continued, “I just didn’t want to be alone in this anymore.” And for a moment, the woods held its breath.

Then Helena reached for my hand.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.

Somewhere deep in the trees, the wind moved through the branches.

And for the first time, the new world felt complete.

For the first time in a long time.

I felt complete.

Page 20

We walked slowly toward the cabin.

The air carried a specific warmth, the kind you feel when sunlight hits a wooden floor.

Helena didn’t speak at first. She kept glancing around.

Like she would wake up if she blinked. But this wasn’t fake.

It was real, but at the same time, unbelieveable to others.

The cabin stood just ahead of us, Worn in the best way.

It looked exactly like it belonged here, like it had grown out of the ground instead of being built. But i guess it looks like a place straight out of some wild dream.

Helena stopped beside me.

“This doesn’t seem like a place you find,”

“It feels like somewhere you’re brought.” she told.

I thought about it for a second.

I really never thought about it this way, Deep down i knew she was right.

Page 21

The porch creaked beneath our feet.

I reached for the door handle. But i hesitated.

Every time before this, I’d been alone.

“This is the cabin,”

“It holds memories. Not just objects, feelings too,” I said proudly.

Helena nodded, serious now.

“I’ll be careful,” she said.
“I promise.”

That was all i needed to hear, and as that i opened the door.

Warm air wrapped around us instantly, as if Mia was hugging us tightly.

That was exactly what i imagined.

Inside, the cabin glowed.

Page 23

Helena gasped quietly.

“Oh,” she breathed.
“This is beautiful.”

I watched her take it in, just like myself when i first came here.

Nothing felt rushed here, Time moved differently.

“It looks better than the photos,” she said.
“Like it’s alive.”

“It is,” I replied.
“Just not the way people think.”

Helena walked slowly along the walls, stopping in front of a photo of Mia sitting on the cabin steps.

“She looks happy,” Helena said.

“She was,” I answered.
“She felt safe here.”

But Helena turned to me.

“So do you?”

That really caught me off guard.

I hadn’t realized it until she said it.

Page 24

The furniture looked exactly how I remembered.
The chairs slightly angled.
The table worn out in the center.

This place remembers her,” Helena said.

“But it remembers you too.”

I felt my throat tighten.

“No one’s ever said that before.” i let out.

Helena smiled.

“Some places don’t forget those who belong.”

I led her toward the back of the cabin, stopping in front of the bedroom door.

“This was her room,” I said.
“I fell asleep here once.”

Helena didn’t ask how, neither did she question it.

She just placed her hand lightly against the door.

“It feels peaceful,” she said.
“Like nothing bad can reach you here.”

“That’s how she looks over me,” I whispered.
“Even when she wasn’t here anymore.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

But somewhere in the quiet, the feeling of being watched wasn’t unsettling.

It was comforting.

Like arms around your shoulders.

Page 25

Helena turned to me.

“Chey,” she said, empathetically.
“Thank you for trusting me with this.”

I nodded.

“I didn’t know how heavy it was,” I admitted.
“Until I don't have to carry it alone anymore.”

She took my hand.

“We can sit for a bit,” she said.

We sat at the table, the cabin holding us gently.

And for the first time since Mia passed,
the memories didn’t hurt.

They surrounded me with care.

Page 26

The table felt warm beneath my arms, like it remembered every story it told.

Sunlight beamed through the windows, landing on our skin.

We sat there letting the moment soak into our minds.

The cabin smelled like fresh pine and something familiar that I can't name.

Helena leaned back in her chair. Her eyes on Mia’s full bookshelf.

“Your grandma really loved books,” she said.

“She said that her books were doors,” I started saying.

“Some you can walk through, and the others carry with you”

Helena smiled, like she understood it well.

Now the quiet didn't feel empty anymore.

It felt full.

Sitting here, with a great friend and a great cabin belonging to a great person.

I knew that the world was really greater than my city.

Page 27

Helena stood and looked along the bookshelf.

She stopped at one book and carefully pulled it out halfway.

“Did she read these a lot?” she asked.

“All the time,” I said.

“She said the stories were like a gold mine”

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't," I said

Helena slid the book back into its place.

“I think she's still doing that,” Helena said

I looked around the cabin again.

The way it seemed to glow vibrantly inside and out.

It also seemed like something was waiting patiently.

For the first time, I wondered if this place had more than just memories.

Maybe it was meant to guide me somewhere next

Page 28

I walked toward the window and looked out into the trees.

They stood almost still, not empty.

Like they were watching, the same way they always had.

Helena did the same, both of us staring out the window now.

“It feels like this place knows you,” she said.

I thought about that, about how it never felt like I was trespassing here.

“Maybe it does.”

“Maybe it's been waiting for me to come back,” I said.

Those thoughts didn't scare me.

“Some places aren’t meant to be visited once,” Helena said.

“They always wait,” I answered.

Somehow I knew, it wasn't the end of the story.

Page 29

Helena stepped away from the window first.

“So, is there something here that you want to find?” She said.

I didn’t have an answer.

But my eyes drifted towards the hallway.

There was one small drawer inside Mia’s old desk.

“I’ve never looked in there,” I said as I pointed to the drawer

Helena nodded.

“Well, then maybe today’s the day,” she said.

My heart was now racing.

Not because of fear, but because of hope.

I slowly walked toward the desk, my hands against the rough wood.

For a second I hesitated.

But then I opened the drawer.

Page 30

The contents inside the drawer seemed to excite me the most.

Inside the drawer was a folded piece of paper and a brass compass left beside it.

Helena leaned closer.

“Chey, is that a map?” she asked.

My hands were shaking as I picked up the paper.

It felt old, but not forgotten.

Carefully I unfolded the paper, one fold at a time.

Each fold revealed more of my next journey.

It was a map.

Not of the town.

Not of the world above the hatch.

It was of these woods.

Page 31

The markings on the map went deeper than the cabin.

Farther than the creeks, into places I have never been.

But what shook me the most, two words in a corner of the map.

In handwriting I would recognize anywhere, ‘Keep going’

My throat tightened.

Helena picked up the compass, it didn't point north.

Instead it didn't have letters.

No N.

No E.

No S.

No W.

Just a small needle that seemed to know where it was going.

As if it was deciding for itself.

“What kind of compass is this?” Helena asked.

Page 32

The needle wasn’t spinning randomly.

It was pointing in one clear direction.

Not toward the hatch or the cabin.

It was pointing somewhere deeper than I thought.

It seemed to be pointing past the same trees I thought were the edge of the world.

“Chey,” she continued, “I think there is more to the story here,” she said.

My heart beating loudly.

“I think this place has something deeper than a memory,” she said.

And for the first time since Mia passed.

I didn't feel like I was chasing her memories anymore.

It felt like I was following her path.

Page 33

Suddenly the cabin felt smaller.

Not in size, but in purpose.

I looked at the map again, the markings seemed to have been set perfectly.

As if Mia had known exactly where it would lead.

Helena stepped closer to me.

“You don't have to go today.”

“Your decisions are always up to you,” she exclaimed.

I didn’t answer right away.

But I knew she was right.

The words ‘Keep going’ didn't feel like a suggestion.

They felt like an option I needed.

It was as if Mia trusted that I was capable of what came next.

Page 34

I folded the map carefully, just like when I unfolded it.

Holding it to my chest before lowering it down into my pocket.

The compass is still pointing with all of its beliefs.

I took a deep breath.

“Not today.”

“But soon,” I whispered.

And somehow, I knew the woods around me approved.

We didn’t rush, Helena took one last look around the cabin.

Like she was memorizing it.

“It feels a lot lighter here,” she said.

I nodded.

“Maybe it was waiting for us to notice its worth,” I replied.

Page 35

I walked to the door, and placed my hand on it.

Now that I think about it.

This used to be a place where I would come here to hide.

Sitting here with grief before.

Just to feel close to what I lost.

But now it feels different.

Not smaller.

Not lesser in value.

It felt complete, as if it gave me all it had to offer.

The woods didn’t feel heavy anymore, they felt wider.

Like they were making room for a new journey.

And as Helena stood aside me, I came to notice.

I wasn’t walking back home with the same girl anymore.

I was walking back with a direction on where to go next.

Page 36

We stepped off the porch together.

The air felt warmer against our skin, almost like it was waving at us.

I turned back once, just to look back at the cabin.

It didn’t look lonely anymore, it looked like it had let go of the past.

I just then found myself smiling.

Smiling, because I was now closer to Mia than ever before.

Helena also did the same as she looked back at the cabin.

“You’ll come back,” she said.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“But next time, I won't just be visiting.”

We made our way through the trees toward the hatch.

The compass rested inside my pocket.

Without even looking at it, I felt like I knew exactly where it wanted me to go.

I grabbed the metal rails.

For once, going back up didn’t feel like leaving something behind.

Instead I was carrying it with me.

Page 37

As we climbed out the hatch, the wind seemed that it hadn’t changed.

The trees above us swayed back and forth.

Helena pulled herself out of the hatch, brushing the dirt off her clothes.

For a moment none of us spoke.

It was strange, because we just left something that seemed impossible.

Although the world above the hatch seemed perfectly normal.

“Well,” Helena continued. “I guess we are back for now.”

Birds around us were chirping above.

Everything seemed like it always had.

But something was off, I had that gut feeling in my stomach.

Page 38

I closed the hatch and locked it tightly, as it needed my protection.

“Okay it's locked shut,” I said.

Helena nodded and smiled, as we made our way back to the main trail.

“Chey, what time is it?” she asked.

I pulled out my phone to check the time.

“6:43 PM,” I said as I showed her.

I noticed a few text messages from my mom.

‘Where are you?’

‘Please respond.’

‘Honey?’

The guilt hit me like a ton of bricks.

“We need to go home,” I said.

Helena seemed to agree.

“Yeah, it's getting late,” she said.

Page 39

“Do you want to come over to my house?” I asked.

Helena thought about it for a moment.

“What about my mom?” she said.

Just then an idea came to me.

“We can tell your mom that you stayed over at my house,” I said.

“Yeah, let's do that,” she said.

I gave my phone to Helena, so she dialed her mom.

I waited patiently as she talked.

Helena gave a thumbs up and handed back the phone.

Since my house is near, it only took 10 minutes to get there.

Page 40

There was a police car outside when we entered the apartment complex.

Two officers stood at the front desk.

They were talking to my mom.

The moment we saw them, we both understood how serious this was.

When the door closed behind us, the sound was louder than it should have.

The officers turned around.

Their eyes landed on us only.

They almost looked shocked to see us standing there.

But I guess they had been waiting for us.

I wasn't thinking about the compass anymore.

I was thinking about what we were supposed to say.

I couldn’t hide the guilt anymore.

“Im so sorry," I pleaded.

Page 41

My mom rushed toward me before I could say anything more.

She then wrapped her arms around me so tightly I could barely breath.

The moment brought back the same feelings from when Mia passed away.

“Where were you?” she said, her voice shaking more than before.

But before I knew it.

I could feel the tears on my shoulder.

The tears were not just my mom’s, it was from both of us now.

“I thought something happened.”

The guilt now deeper into my chest.

“I'm sorry,” I said again.

Page 42

One of the officers stepped forward.

“We just needed to make sure you were safe,” he said, "that's all.”

Helena stood next to me, quiet but brave.

“It was my idea to go walking,” she said. “We lost track of time.”

It wasn’t exactly the truth.

But it wasn't a lie either.

My mom let go of me and stepped back.

“You can’t just disappear like that,” she said.

“Not after everything.”

Those words always seemed to fill my head.

For a second, I wondered if she meant Mia.

Page 43

The officer gave mom a nod, as if the situation was over.

But we all knew it wasn’t.

“She’s home, that's what matters,” he said.

“We’ll be going now,” the second officer said.

And as they left.

A switch inside me had flipped.

Now that I think about it, I can't go back to those woods.

Not now.

Not anytime soon.

Not without issues.

Page 44

Mom stood by the door for a moment, like she was making sure they were gone.

Then she turned to me.

“You didn’t go to the movies,” she said.

I could tell it wasn’t a question.

My stomach dropped.

Helena looked at me, then she quietly stepped into the hallway.

“But I was,” I quickly lied.

It was an obvious lie.

Something in my moms face told me she knew everything.

“You went to the woods,” she said.

My heart seemed to slam against my ribs.

“But,” I started, “How did you know?”

Page 45

She let out a deep breath.

“Because your grandmother used to disappear there too,” she said.

Everything felt like a dream now.

But I knew it wasn’t a dream.

“She told me, it’s not just the trees,”

“She said it was a doorway,” Mom continued.

What she said was true, the woods were a doorway.

I thought about the hatch.

The cabin.

The ladder.

I wasn’t the first.

Page 46

Mom looked at the floor.

“I never went back,” she said.

“You didn’t?” I asked.

“No,” she continued. “I wanted to, but I was too afraid.”

“I made the choice to stay safe.” she added.

I could feel the weight in my chest.

Mom shook her head.

I reached into my pocket, the compass still there.

“Maybe, it's time to change that” I said as I pulled out the compass.

She smiled her normal smile, but this time it was the biggest smile.

I’ve never seen a smile that big before.

Page 47

Mom looked at the compass in my hand.

“I stood at the edge of those woods too many times.”

“Never have I had the courage to go beyond the trees,” she said.

Then a thought went through my head, and out my mouth.

“Regret seems to have gone for so long,” I said.

My mom gave a small laugh.

“Too long.” she said.

I couldn't tell if she was making a joke or not.

But one thing was for sure.

The journey may not be over.

Extras Page

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Wattpad.

wattpad.com/story/407547014-a-million-miles-away-chapter-2

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Google Play Books.

play.google.com/store/books/details/Bear_A_Million_Miles_Away_Chapter_2?id=wr-tEQAAQBAJ

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Google Play Audio Book.

play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Bear_A_Million_Miles_Away_Chapter_2?id=AQAAAECaMAVwjM

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