Walking In A Rainforest

• Sophie Hobson, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2015

The birds' songs filled the air as I trod softly through the rainforest. The trees whispered gently in the wind, talking in an unknown language. As they gathered, the hum of insects grew louder and louder until it was almost a roar. I cast my eyes upwards where the canopy of leaves shrugged out most of the light. A dim ray of light broke through the thick shroud of leaves. A bird flew overhead; it didn't soar, but fluttered, so close that I could almost hear its little heart beating. Twigs snapped painfully beneath my bare feet; they were knobbly, but I didn't care. I was lost in this captivating world that was so happy and lively, I forgot about the polluted world outside. A small bird landed on my arm and tweeted as if I was its best friend.
'Your home is being destroyed, little one,' I whispered. 'Soon you will no longer have somewhere to live.' It twittered and flew off as if it understood me. A bubbling stream flowed nearby and I went off the path to drink. Here was a clearing that allowed sunlight to radiate through. The sunlight glittered off the water, lighting up the depths of the velvety blue. I wished I could dive in, escaping this world, leaving behind the sunlight and swimming to the depths of the infinite sea. But no, I was needed here. I gulped down the cool water; it was sweet and clear, washing out the roughness in my throat. I was in wonder in this place. It was a beautiful rainforest, a place where wildlife was preserved, where everything was in harmony. But not for long...
It was so breathtakingly beautiful, I didn't understand why people would want to destroy it.
"Because of its supplies," a little voice in the back of my head whispered.
'I hate the way humans treat this world!' I mourned. 'They pollute it, exhaust it of its supplies and expect the earth to generate those supplies just as quickly - and then expect it to be okay. Humanity is filled with a flock of pig-headed, dimwitted fatheads!'
I didn't want to stay anymore. Nothing I could do would change the world. I walked back to the glistening stream and dove in. The water was icy cold, but I didn't care; all I wanted was to get away from this place, my thoughts and my bewilderment.
I turned around and opened my eyes. The water stung them, but through the droplets I saw sunlight trying to penetrate the darkness, trying to bleach the world of all ugliness, of all darkness. There was nothing I wanted more than to escape from this world into my own paradise, into my dreams. The land beneath the world.