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Submission for: https://cloudnovel.net/forum/writing-challenge/LunaLotus/monthly-writing-challenge-from-7th-june-until-7th-july

Today...

I'm on my way to the library after school.

No.

I'm not going there to borrow books...

My mother, Helen, has...

… Or had a brother who went missing when they were kids.

His name is or was...

… David.

He was about twelve years old when he disappeared, the same age as I am now.

She told me that he often went into the woods, but one day...

… He never returned. He just suddenly disappeared without a trace, so naturally...

… Everyone thought that he was dead.

I decided to find out what had happened and whether there was a possibility...

… That he was still alive.

Today I decided to start my search for him.

In the library I headed straight towards the magazine section to find news and articles about him from over twenty years ago.

One hour later after flipping through pages of old articles with little luck of finding clues other than missing person and news reports, I sighed.

“Not finding what you're looking for?”

I flinched and turned around to see an old librarian. A man with grey hair and round spectacle glasses. I gathered myself and responded.

“No...”

“That's a pity...” He replied. “Might I ask what you're searching?” 

I saw a glimmer of hope as a thought occurred to me.

This librarian must have worked here since he was young... Maybe he knows something about my uncle.


“Um... It's about my uncle.”

I explained to him what I'd heard from my mother about my missing uncle and that I had wanted to find out what happened to him.

After explaining, the old librarian looked at me in silence, as if in thought.

And after a moment, he sighed.

“I remember it clearly. It was over twenty years ago.”

“Do you really want to know what happened to him?” The librarian asked.

“More than anything!” I replied. “I've seen pictures of my uncle and ever since I've been told that he's missing, it bothered me. I wanted to know what happened.”

“Do you think that after all these years – if he is alive that is – he would want to be found?”

I had never thought of that before. What would make him not want to be found?

Did he run away...?

No.

I wasn't going to back down now. I had already decided, come what may!

“I want to find him. So please...” I begged. “... If you know anything...”

The librarian seemed to consider for a moment.

“Your mother told you, of course, that he disappeared in the woods, am I right?”

“Yes.” I replied.

“And you know the stories of the glade in those woods?” He asked.

“...Yes...” I replied hesitantly. “... But those are just stories.”

The librarian smiled in response.

“You mean the stories about children falling into the Myst during full moon, right?” I asked. “... I mean, the Myst is just an ancient platform with some carvings no one happens to know the origins from.”

The librarian chuckled. “You are a smart girl, but of course... If you want to find clues about the disappearance of your uncle, I would go there where it happened.” He said. “And it so happens that tonight there will be a full moon.”

I let out a mocking laugh. “Yeah, right! And what if nothing happens?”

“Then at least you tried.” He responded.

I noticed that he was being sincere. He really seems to believe that there is something in the glade...

Maybe... It doesn't hurt to check it out.
I thought to myself.

“But before you go...” The librarian said and reached out his hand. “... Take this with you. You might need it.”

I took a small object from his hand and examined it. It felt smooth and cool to the touch.

It looked like a whistle made of marble.

“Why would I need this...?” I asked as I looked up, but the librarian was gone.

Hours later in the night...

I snuck out when my parents fell asleep to make my way into the woods.

As I approached the glade, I squeezed the marble whistle in my pocket. It was dark, so naturally I was scared.

There was a platform archaeologists never seemed to have been able to figure out. I stepped on it, looked around for clues and waited...

After a while I saw a silver light. I looked up and the moon appeared above from behind the trees.

Despite having felt ridiculous for a moment there, I took in the beautiful view.

But then...

I felt the earth disappear from beneath my feet. I gasped, shut my eyes and screamed as I was falling.

“AAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!”

With all my might I took the whistle out of my pocket, placed it on my lips and blew...

Suddenly, with a slight impact, I landed onto something. By instinct, I grabbed and held onto it, whatever it was.

As I gathered myself, I could tell that I was lying on top of something... It felt warm and it was moving at a steady rhythm.

It was flying.

I opened my eyes and carefully raised my head and felt the wind hitting my face. I now saw that I was on top of some kind of giant bird.

There is sun light... It's day time?

I couldn't think straight. As a matter of fact I couldn't think at all. I was just holding on to dear life.

I shut my eyes again.

I don't know how long it lasted, but eventually the giant bird landed. I felt myself being lifted up by the shirt and set down on the ground.

I looked up and saw that it was a giant owl.

Oddly enough I wasn't scared. Bewilderment, awe and shock. I don't know what I felt. I was struck by a new reality...

“Simon!”

I jumped at the voice and looked around until I saw a man with a wide grin approaching.

“I knew it was you flying! It's been so long.” The man greeted the owl enthusiastically, then he looked at me. “Who is this?”

“This...is your niece.”

I gasped and turned around to see the owner of the familiar voice...

…In place of the owl stood the librarian.

“Niece?” Asked the man with a confused expression.

“D-David..?” I asked nervously.

His eyes widened at the mention of his name. I could now see the similarities between him and my mother.

“She was searching for you.” The librarian told David.

“I...” David froze and looked at me. I froze too...

“What's your name?” He asked.

“Um... My name's Laura.” I replied timidly.

After long moments of awkward silence and confused glances, we gradually started to get used to the situation and started talking, although awkwardly in the beginning.

Eventually David invited me and Simon, the librarian, to his home.

His home was in what looked like a giant, enormously thick tree and I noticed that there were many 'houses' like this.

David introduced me to his family. He has a wife and five children, cousins I never knew existed. One of them was even my age.

“Long ago, as a child, I got lost into this place when I visited the Myst during full moon. Simon helped me get back to your world.” He explained. “I visited this place many times back and forth until... I decided to stay here.”

“But what about your family?” I asked.

“They wouldn't have understood...” He explained and as I listened closely to his story, I started to understand why he would want to live here.

Here, animals and nature everywhere are huge. People made clothes out of enormous leaves and other nature's materials. It made them look like fae folk out of a fairytale book. 

He loved his family back home, but he was more drawn to this place and its people. He named it the Myst himself and the people accepted it as the official name of this place.

Some of the people were the children that had 'fallen into the Myst' from our world.

The more I had spent time with my uncle the more I wanted to stay.

I decided that I would visit him when I could and I promised not to tell my mother.

With the help of the marble whistle, Simon would always appear as an owl and fly me to see my uncle and cousins.

Not only was Simon an owl that could fly me to this world. He could travel through time, so I could visit any time during a full moon and remain for days and then return to the same day and hour I had left.

Eventually, as time has passed...

…This world...

… Became my second home.

-The End -