The children trooped down the darkened and overgrown path. The sky was darkened by the thick canopy above and the rain dripped off the drooping leaves. Osmium reached out and stroked one of the trees. The bark was grey and smooth to the touch.
After nearly a mile of this tramping, the rain had stopped, and Rhenium broke the silence.
“Where are we going? I’m tired and wet and hungry. We should be going back home, but instead we’re on a wild traipse in a random forest and not getting any closer to civilization, or anywhere for that matter.”
“We’re almost there,” Tantalum did not turn his head or break his stride.
“Almost where?!? How could you know where we are? You’ve never been here before. None of us have. You don’t know where we are, but I do. We’re lost!” Her voice rose in pitch. “Utterly lost! We’ll wander in circles until we starve to death. Starve!” Rhenium was nearly hysterical. “You brought us into this forest to die!” She screamed, pointing at Tantalum.
Tantalum finally stopped and turned. “You know, this sounds a little familiar. Wait, I don’t want to be Moses. Anybody else want to be him? You can be him if you would like to,” Tantalum offered.
Osmium laughed, but Iridium contracted the fear fever.
“We should go back… we really should. They’ll be worried about us,” She stared back down the path and toed the ground nervously.
Rhenium started ranting about snakes and the dangers of the forest; Iridium was so anxious that she started to dig the Grand Canyon with her foot and provided the Colorado river with her tears; the boys trying to placate both of the girls.
But before things could escalate further, a raucous laugh came from the tree above. Suddenly, there was absolute silence; Rhenium blinked, and Iridium sniffed.
Tantalum strode forth. “Grimmerly! I’ve been waiting for you.” His tone was stern.
“You have? How nice of you. Let’s not keep them waiting, shall we.” The voice was throaty and made the leaves quake… and Iridium. Landing in a crouch on the path in front of Tantalum, the owner of the voice rose.
“A Martian!” Iridium squeaked.
Grimmerly cracked a smile. He stood only three feet tall, and his skin was a deep green. His hair was black, and he wore an impressive set of leather armor. His eyes were a flashing grey. His arms and legs were thick and strong with lean muscle.
“Grimmerly, master of mischief and mayhem, at your service.” He bowed. “I’m pleased to see that you remember me, but I have no memory of you.” He tilted his head and stared up at Tantalum. “Oh, yes, now I remember. You were that boy who came unbidden. Tantalum. Yes, Tantalum. That was several years ago, I should think. I just about terrified the mess out of you.” Grimmerly laughed and it was not pleasant laughter. “Who else do you have with you?” He circled the group, eyeing each child. He rubbed his chin ceremoniously. He nodded slowly at Osmium, squinted at Iridium, and cackled with glee when he saw Rhenium.
“Just what is so funny?” Rhenium apparently had got over her hysterics enough to be herself again.
Grimmerly’s eyes widened, and he fell over, laughing, kicking his legs, and pounding the ground with his fists. “Ahhha, Ahha, Ahha! So very funny... Ahhha… nobody told you… Ahhha… wearing old clothes… Ahhha!” Finally, his laughter subsided, and he looked up with tears of mirth in his eyes. He stood and rubbed the back of his hand across his face. “Ah. Thank you. That was mighty amusing,”
“I don’t see what was so funny.” Irritation was written all over Rhenium’s face.
“Are you going to tell her?” Grimmerly asked, trying to keep his green face straight.
Tantalum shook his head. “No,” He eventually answered. “I was going to let them tell her.”
Grimmerly hooted at that.
“Who’s them and just what are they going to tell me that you won’t bother?” Rhenium demanded, nearly beside herself. Secret keeping had always bothered Rhenium.
“Nothing,”
“Nothing?!? Tell me!”
Tantalum shook his head in despair and Rhenium huffed.
“Fine, then. Keep your secrets,”
Grimmerly guffawed. “I can imagine her face when they tell her,” He called pointedly.
Rhenium rolled her eyes.
“You know what, I think I’ll come with you folks, that way I can watch her explode when she is told by them,”
Rhenium sighed and turned away. There was an awkward silence.
“Well, that was interesting,” Osmium joked.
Tantalum turned and strode down the path. Everybody else followed; Osmium silently, Grimmerly prattling overly loud about secrets and ‘them’ with Iridium who was nervously agreeing with the ‘Martian’, and trailing behind, while acting like she was ignoring him, was Rhenium, soaking up everything that Grimmerly said.
"The only thing that anybody really knows about this author is that he is a real nutcase."
-Anonymous reporter
Well...