I rubbed my hands together, trying to ward off the cold October air. Adjusting my book bag for the tenth time, I fretted, chewing on my hair and wringing my hands. I was worried, and worried for a perfectly good reason. After all, one of the worst bullies had written me a note that revealed that he knew all of my secrets. Well, at least the most important one.

      I scanned the park one more time, looking for him. I was standing at the top of a big hill, so I could pretty much see everything. The castle-like playground was in plain sight, as was the soccer and baseball field. I could even see the entrance to the park. And as I stared at it, I noticed someone that someone had just entered the park. Someone with a book bag on his back. That someone was the one I was waiting for. The one whose arrival I've been dreading. As I waited for him to reach the hill, I pulled a folded piece of paper from my pocket. I unfolded it and stared into the face of Quetzal, and I thought about all of the other creatures I've met. What if Jeremy was the previous creature dreamer? I clutched the drawing; I don't want to lose any of the creatures. I sighed, and put the picture away, just as Jeremy started to climb the hill.

                      I waited until he was in front of me, and then prompted, "So, about the note...." I decided that I was going to try and be tough- even though I tear up every time I get a mosquito bite. I stopped slouching, and actually looked at Jeremy. When I did, I realized he was holding another bag; one that looked fit for an explorer. He wore dark clothes, and had a  safari hat covering his platinum blonde hair. He wore huge brown boots and had on a big belt that had supplies stuffed in the pockets that hung from it. I stifled a snort; he looked ridiculous, and that's coming from a girl who wore a My Little Pony costume for Halloween a few years ago.

            He said, in a low voice, " You ARE the Night Caller, right?" I nodded my head, afraid of what he knew. He pulled from his bag a notebook. It had a leather binding, and looked as if it came from the Queen of England herself. The cover had an intricate design on it, which depicted a beautiful owl flying in a circle, surrounded by swirling smoke. The back was bare, though, and as he handed me the notebook, I could just feel how old the journal was. It made me feel odd, as if I was going back into the past. I rubbed the cover, and looked at Jeremy, who said, " You can open it now, or wait till you get home. But I'd rather be here to see what's in it, so...." 

                             I looked at him, and said incredulously, "You haven't opened it yet?" He shook his head and  said, "I was told not to open it until I showed you." He shrugged, and said, with a hint of impatience, "So, are you going to open it?"  I nodded my head, and took a deep breath. My hand was hovering near the cover, ready to flip to whatever's in there, when a thought struck me. What if Jeremy was playing a trick? He seriously could have heard me muttering about my dreams; I used to have a problem with  muttering secrets. He could be tricking me....

                              I shook my head. It was too late to turn back. Plus, he could actually have good information. I mean, it's a long shot, but I have to see. I finally flipped the cover to the next page. Instantly, a page of words hit me. I gasped, and started to read.

               I gasped, and reread the page to make sure my brain wasn't playing tricks on me. Owra wrote this? She doesn't even have thumbs. And the other Night Caller is destroying the world? I started breathing heavily. Jeremy noticed, and said, " Err.... Are you alright? What does it say?" I turned to him and tried to control my breathing. "So.... Where did you get this?" Jeremy looked around to make sure no one was around, and then said, " I had a dream. An owl visited me one night, a few weeks ago. She told me to give this to a person who dreams and draws creatures.... when I woke up, it was in my lap." 

                             What? Why would she give him the journal to give to me instead of giving it to me directly?  And how is Jeremy able to dream her? Jeremy scratched his head, and said, " She- She also said that the book explained everything..." I nodded, and tried to calm down. I said to Jeremy, "Err.... thanks for giving this to me, and not, you know.... tricking me." He adjusted his safari hat, and said in a questioning tone, "Why would I trick you?" I replied, " Well, at school-" He interrupted, saying, " Ah. See, I get kind of hot-headed at school.... don't take it personally." He started to walk down the hill, walking towards a family that was setting up a little camp. 

                               I shook my head, and started to walk towards the playground, where my mom stood, watching Samuel try to scale the rock wall. I sighed, and then ran the rest of the way, ignoring Jeremy and his family. When I reached mom, she assaulted me with questions. "Was that a friend from school? What were you guys talking about?" I shrugged, and said, "Sort of... we were just talking about... um, our science project." She nodded, and then ran to the rockwall, saying, "Samuel, be careful!" I walked over to a park bench and sat down, watching mom hover underneath Samuel as he kept on climbing higher and higher. I hugged the journal, wondering what else was in it. All that I know for sure is that trouble is coming.

                                                                                       ...

                          I put the journal on my nightstand and crawled into my bed. As I closed my eyes, I thought about what happened today. And, for the millionth time, I wondered why Owra came to Jeremy in his dreams. Even if Owra wasn't able to contact me, it didn't make sense that she'd chose Jeremy to give me the journal. Why not one of my family members? I shook my head, trying to rid myself of these thoughts. It didn't really work, but I closed my eyes anyways. I soon drifted off to sleep, confusing thoughts still filling my head.

                                                                                              ...

                            I opened my eyes, instantly feeling both awe and sheer terror. I stood on the edge of a cliff, where, a hundred feet down, a huge, gorgeous forest stretched out beyond the horizon. The air was filled with the sounds of birds tweeting and crickets chirping, and the smell of a thousand roses blooming. Even thinking about the devastating fall that could happen any moment didn't stifle my awe: This place was amazing. Most of the trees were a rich green; the others were blossoming with pink and white flowers. And everything was washed with a brilliant orange color, which came from the setting sun. I let out a sigh of wonder, and turned around to see if it was just as beautiful behind me. I was expecting huge blooming trees and colorful wild flowers. Instead, what I saw was something that definitely  ruined my mood.

                              A field of tree trunks ever bigger than the forest behind me filled my vision. The tree trunks were the remainders of once-beautiful trees, cut down by.... something. The grass and the weeds that also filled the field were yellowing, dry patches of life. Some of the grassy ground was black, burned to nothingness. I could tell that this place used to be as beautiful as the forest behind me; I could practically see the forest that once stood here. I tried to look for a sign of animal life, but there was nothing living that stood in that desolate field other than dying weeds and a weirdly shaped tree, which was only a few feet away from me, facing the burned-down forest. It was shaped kinda like a deer, and on its branches, which kind of looked like antlers, was one little leaf, which swayed with the breeze. I walked closer to it, I studied the burned wood near the bottom of its trunks- which looked a lot like hooves. As I brushed my hand against it, a creaky, whisper voice came from it, and said, "Please don't do that." I jumped back startled. I watched as the odd tree shook its branches, which were now obvious antlers, and opened it eyes.As it talked, it opened its mouth, revealing a hollow inside.

                          "Are you a creature?" I whispered. It nodded its head sadly, and said, " I've been here for centuries. Watching the forests change and grow, flourish and bloom. But now, well, now the forest is gone forever." I looked at the field of chopped-down trees, and whispered, "What did it used to look like?" He gave me an odd look, and then said in his sad voice, " It's been a long time since I talked to anyone. Since the forest got destroyed, I've had no one to talk to. Come, sit next to me... since I can't really move to you." I sat near his feet, which were firmly planted into the earth, held there by thick roots. " He looked at me, his eyes pitch black and full of sorrow, and then looked at the forest.

                             " Once, there used to be trees here that touched the sky. There used to be beautiful bluebirds and other animals that would fill the forest with their chatter. And, well, there used to be others like me. I used to have a sister that stood beside me, telling me jokes and whispering stories. I used to have a friend, who would play little guessing games with me. In fact, the forest was practically filled with creatures like me. For centuries, we stood there, talking to each other, keeping each other company. I wish they were still here." The creature finished with a sigh.

            I looked up, and saw the he had his eyes closed, as if dreaming of how it used to be. I took a deep breath, and then asked him, " So... what exactly are you? And what happened to the forest?" It opened its eyes, and looked down at me, as if deciding whether or not to answer. Finally, it spoke, its creaky voice filled with grief, " We- I mean, I am a Woodtail. I am the last of my kind. And what happened to the forest is tragic. Too tragic. I cannot speak of it." I stood up, and then begged, " Please, Pleeease? I might be able to help you!" The Woodtail shook its head, and wagged its little deer tail. He said, in a slightly irritated tone, "What can you do? Bring my friends and family back to life? I don't think so." He shook his head, making his antler/branches almost whack me in the face. I jumped away before that could happen, and then said, " I'm sure I could do something. Please, just tell me!" 

                                He sighed, and then looked at me again. "Fine. I'll tell you." He took a deep breath, and began, " Around a month or so ago, another human visited the forest. He told us that he was the Night Caller, that he was the one who would bring us to the human world. We believed him, trusted him. We let him do his magic spells and jinxs. My sister, my friend, everyone I knew, even the little creatures, thought of him as our savior. We didn't really pay attention to what he did; as long as it helped us."

                              "What he did became obvious once he left. Because, as soon as he disappeared into his world, a fire started where he stood. It was a blue fire, and it was impossible to stop. The birds and the other animals definitely tried their best; they filled boat sized leaves with water and poured it on the huge fire. But it was no use. The fire spread, burning all the trees, and, eventually, all of the Woodtails." He took a deep breath, and then said in a whisper, " The flames died as they touched my roots. I don't know how or why, but they did."           

                                                       I gasped, and awkwardly patted the Woodtail's head. It gave a little grin, and then told me, " Woodtails are famous for being the keeper of knowledge. We live throughout centuries, experiencing and learning as we watched the world change. We may know a lot, but we do not know everything. For instance, I thought that my memories were like salt to a wound, making things worse. I've avoided thinking about what happened, and how things used to be. But you have taught me that memories can also be like the sun, bringing life and joy to me. Thank you for convincing me to tell you." He smiled.

                       I smiled back at him. Then, I looked at the burned, ruined forest in front of him. His home was completely destroyed, his family gone. I know that I have some magic in me; maybe I can regrow at least a bit of the forest. I closed my eyes and concentrated hard on what I imagined the forest looked like a month ago. I imagined the thick oaks and tall birches, the twittering birds and chattering squirrels, and the hundreds of Woodtails, talking and chatting, watching the forest. I turned my hands to the field of burned down trees, and concentrated, coaxing my magic to work. Finally, I felt the air change as my magic started to work.

                                   I opened my eyes to see.... one little oak tree. I frowned, and said, "Hmm. Let me try again." I raised my hands to the field, but before I could do anything, the Woodtail said, " It is okay, little one. You do not have to do anything else; you have helped me already. I am sure that the forest will grow back someday, anyways." I opened my eyes, and then looked at him. "Are you sure?" He gave a little nod. I smiled, relieved. I may be the Night Caller, but my magic is limited. If I kept on trying to regrow the whole forest, I might pass out. If you can pass out in a dream, that is.

                           Just as I was about to tell the Woodtail goodbye, I felt a tugging in my gut. I started to hear a slight buzzing in my ear, and felt myself starting to awaken. I said "Goodbye!" as fast as I could, knowing that I was about to wake up any second. Sure enough, the Woodtail, and the burnt forest disappeared, replaced by my bedroom. I sat up and looked around. I gave a sigh, and thought, "The Night Caller really  is destroying the Creature world. And if the former Night Caller can make an invincible forest fire, then what chance do I have of defeating him?"

Hi guys! Sorry it took me practically the whole summer to finish this chapter. I spent most of the time swimming and sleeping, so.... lol

Here's another version of the picture shown above the chapter.