I know this isn't exactly a short story so even if you just read a sample that would be helpful. Any suggestions for a better title would be helpful. Also i haven't really edited it properly.
1……….AWAKE
It was early; the sun was peeking through the gap in Max’s curtain. He wanted to get up, but didn’t feel like sneaking around, eating breakfast, trying not to wake the whole family up. He descended down the stairs and out the door for a morning walk. The dense forest was enlightened pleasantly in the early morning. The forest was set out the back of his house. It was a great place for peace and quiet – which was hard to get with 4 siblings. Entering was like entering a new world. All noise was blocked out until all you could hear was the crunching of your own footsteps. Max sat down on a rock, taking in the serene atmosphere.
“Claargh”.
It was the most disturbing noise Max had ever heard. Sending shivers down his spine, it pulled him right out of his relaxation. He decided to cut his walk short and go home.
“Claargh”, it said again.
Max fastened his pace a little.
“Claargh, Claaargh”.
He tried to push the thought out of his mind but it was becoming obvious. It was following him. Anxiety caught him jumping at any sound that wasn’t his own desperate footsteps. The atmosphere seemed tense and unwilling. Deciding that he was being paranoid, he pulled himself out of it and tried to think about what he would have for breakfast. Then it all went wrong. The sky faded into darkness. The earth shook like an earthquake and Max felt himself falling but couldn’t figure out where he was going or where he had come from. One thing was for sure, this was far from normal.
Max shivered. His shoulder was starting to ache. It felt like it had been hours since he had awoken and decided to go for a pleasant morning walk. He was not afraid of the dark but this darkness was surreal. It was suffocating him like the feeling of claustrophobia only he was surrounded by black walls of the unknown. He waited and waited, too scared to move. The pain was slowly overtaking the fear in Max’s mind. Still he held his curled up position. It could have been minutes or hours, Max did not know. He was slowly falling asleep, or unconscious, either one. His whole body was tingling with numbness and he had given up on trying to move his toes. He had to give up. His legs were sliding but he didn’t have the strength to keep them up. He lay his back down. Relief was pulsing through his body, stronger than fear. He stretched his toes. Nothing was wrong, it was simply dark. 1….2…….3 he counted. Deciding to get up. 1…2….3. No, next time, he told himself. 1…..2…..3 and he stood up. It was like a fierce wind had hit him, only mentally not physically. He Staggered and struggled to stand up. He fell to his knees. He was powerless against the pummelling force. Taking control of him he fell, unconscious.
TIMBER…….
The air was still and the mid-autumn leaves were falling gently. The house came to view and Max was grateful. He tried to slow his pace down as he came through the door. His Mum was cooking toast and Belinda was sitting at the table in her pyjamas.
“Nice walk?” she asked.
“Yeah alright”, he replied.
“It’s a lovely morning, isn’t it?”
“Yeah”….. now, he thought.
“Yes…. Well I’m going to… to have a shower.” Max made up.
He went up the stairs, thinking deeply about what had happened. He looked in the mirror, staring into his own eyes. The iris was a brown splodge shaped dam with a dark green circle surrounding it. He ruffled his brown hair that was the colour of un-shelled macadamia nuts. He did look a bit pale, but it was nothing compared to what he felt.
Going down to breakfast he felt a little better. He’d racked his brains and found no answers so he gave it a rest and tried to forget about it.
“Morning.” He said.
A few sleepy voices replied “Morning”
He went to go make himself some cereal.
“So is anything interesting going on this weekend?” their Dad asked the whole room.
It was unusual to have the whole family eating breakfast at the same time.
“I’m going to need all of your help to clean out the cupboards”, said Mum
Tom, one of the youngest groaned.
“I’ve got footy tomorrow Mum”, said Matt.
“Well it won’t take too long with so many of us”, she replied.
“Yes and I need some helpers to get some wood in, it’s getting colder every day”, said Dad.
“Alright”.
“Max, Matt, you can do the wood. Everyone else, helping me”, she said.
Max pulled on a pair of old gloves and headed for the sound of the axe. Max and Matt packed up a wheelbarrow and wheeled it to the wood shed.
“So who are you playing tomorrow?” asked Max.
“Ranold, he answered, “apparently they’re hard to beat”.
Matt parked the barrow and they started unloading the wood.
It was nearly empty. Max was picking up a rather large chunk when he heard a large amount of wood toppling and rolling.
“Matt!” he yelled.
He rushed in to the shed, it was dusty and half the pile lay on the ground. Matt was on the floor, logs of wood covering him so only his head and feet were sticking out. He looked at Max and groaned.
Max shook a little as he tried to get the wood off as fast as he could.
“Are you alright?” he asked, though judging by the look on his face he wasn’t.
Matt clutched his arm.
“I don’t know what happened. It...They just……..fell. My arm is killing.”
“It’s alright”, Max said. “Just wait, I’ll go and get Dad.”
Matt nodded.
Max sprinted as fast as he could. Out of breath he managed to alert his Dad and they ran back together.
Shock lined his fathers face when he saw Matt sprawled on the ground with all the wood on top of him.
“Can you sit up?” he asked.
Wincing he sat up.
“Come on”, said Max going to help him up.
Together he and his Dad lifted him to his feet and walked him to the house.
“Jane”, he said calling to Max’s mother.
“What is it?”
“Sit him on the couch,” said his father.
Max helped his brother to sit down.
He couldn’t think of anything to say but “Are you alright”…. And “Where does it hurt”.
His mum entered the room with an ice pack.
“Where does it hurt”? She asked.
“My arm and my knee and there” he said rubbing the left side of his stomach.
“I’ll go and get some peas”, she said handing him the ice pack.
When she was gone he continued on their conversation
“That was weird Max” he said.
“They were all stacked so neatly, and I hadn’t even put the one in my hand down yet.
“The top ones started falling and then the rest of them, I didn’t even touch them.
“Hmm”, said Max.
“How’s your arm?”
He shrugged.
Max smiled back.
His mother walked back into the kitchen.
“I’m going to take you to the doctors”.
“See-ya Mum”, bye Max”, she replied. Make sure the twins don’t get into any mischief.
“Yep”, said Max with a smile.
“Bye”.
Max sat; now alone thinking of the things that had just happened. It struck him how weird it had all been. That same morning he had woken to a pleasing sunshine and an innocent seeming day waiting to be started. He fell deep into his thoughts as the part of his mind he’d been trying to overlook, opened. He tried to think it was a dream. He tried to force himself into thinking that it had been nothing at all, just a bad nightmare. It made sense. While he had thought that the sky was black, he had actually had his eyes closed, dreaming. It was possible. He couldn’t remember going to sleep. It had all seemed so lifelike.
Max looked out at the early afternoon. Nothing seemed wrong. Everything seemed normal.
“Hey Bell”, he said as he walked into the kitchen.
“Hey”.
His older sister, Belinda was stirring what smelt like soup.
“I’m just heating last night’s soup”, she said despondently.
“I feel like I do everything around here”.
“Yeah?” asked Max.
“Maybe I’m just grumpy”, she said shrugging.
“Go tell the others lunch is ready”.
“Yep”, said Max.
By the time all the soup was eaten and the plates washed, the others were home. Matt walked in, a sling on his arm.
“So what’s wrong with it?” Max asked eagerly.
“Its not broken, but I have to go get an X-ray tomorrow”, Matt replied.
“Well that’s alright then, you won’t be out of footy for too long”.
“Honestly, is that all you two worry about?” asked Belinda.
“Nice job of the kitchen”, said their Mum, stopping what could have erupted into a fight.
“See, she does appreciate it”, said Max under his breath.
