Welcome to The Touch!
The Touch is a children's story about a girl named December who finds miraculous, inexplicable things happening to her all too often. Leading her little brother along, she discovers huge secrets about her small village.
Follow December on her adventures, chapter by chapter. We'll post the newest chapters at the bottom of this blog, so check back and keep scrolling.
Chapter 1- December and June
December wiped her face with her leather glove as the July rain kept falling down. December was a joyful girl, but the rain made her feel like she was truly at peace. When other 10 year old girls wince or hide from thunder or lightning, December would climb trees and laugh at the loud crack and stare as lightning blast struck all around. December wasn't crazy, she was brave, she was special.
December lives in a small village called Centerborough. It was a quiet village with about 50 families living there, surrounded by trees on all sides... climbing trees! Climbing trees that were the perfect height for adventurous 10 year old girls, and just a little too high for pestering 5 year old brothers. Sadly for December the trees were not high enough to escape the whining and threats to tell on her from her brother June.
And there June was, looking miserable and somehow looking very wet. December was basking in the rain, cherishing every drop. June had a grumpy look on his face and kept asking to go.
"Just go home." December told him.
June tightened his lips and bent his eyebrows... but didn't leave. "You said we could go to the cave today," he protested.
"It could be full of water, you could lose your gloves." she teased.
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" he shouted back. He thought about going back to tell on her, but decided he wanted to see the cave more. Plus she would get in huge trouble for talking about losing or taking off gloves. And June didn't like when she got in trouble.
But he did know how to get her to the cave. "You gave me your word, and you can't break your word!" he exclaimed.
"Ugh... he had to say that," she thought. December spent a lot of time with her father who taught her about honor and being honest. And at that same moment the rain started to fade so December decided the cave would be fine. "OK, we can go to the cave, but you can't tell mother or father."
June shook his head excitedly, but fully intended on telling on her after they got home. June was terrible at keeping secrets.
December started climbing down the tree. She knew June was going to tell on her but she had never shown anyone the cave and she couldn't wait to see the look on his face. Hmm... but not before a little fun.
"OK, lets go to the ca... ahhhh" she screamed as she fell from the top of the tree.
"NOOOO!" June covered his ears watching her fall! In a matter of a single second December smirked and wrapped her foot around a branch; she swirled and safely grabbed back onto the tree. "Oh I almost died," she said sarcastically.
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" June screamed!
Just as December started to giggle, she heard a SNAP!
She really was falling now...
Chapter 2- The Cave
December found herself flying.... downward..... fast, and not flying at all but falling! There was one last small branch between her and the root covered ground. She grabbed it! She held it, the thunder cracked.... no wait, that was the branch.
December fell.
And it hurt.
But December had been practicing not crying. She hit her legs hard on the tree roots. As soon as she could open her eyes from the pain she frantically checked her legs. Nothing broken, nothing bleeding. Not a tear drop fallen. June came running over to her.
"Are you dead? Or hurt?" He asked nervously.
"No I'm not dead, yes I'm hurt," she replied through gritted teeth.
His eyes got wide with horror as he asked... "We're still going to the cave right?"
"Glad to see what's important to you brother."
He stuck his tongue out but offered her some wild-berries. He sure was annoying sometimes, but he was a good brother.
December and June walked through the woods with the mid morning sun drying them off from the morning shower. "Man, I wish it would rain all day," December said aloud.
June's shoes were squishing with every step. "I just wish it wasn't so wet."
"You wish the rain wasn't wet? Ugh..." December replied in disbelief. About an hour later they were dry and at the cave.
"This is it???" June looked down disappointedly at a small hole in the ground that he may or may not fit into. December held back a knowing smile.
"Are you brave enough to check it out?" she taunted? She knew how he always wanted to "be brave." She could probably make him do anything if she just called it "being brave."
"I'm not scared of some rabbit hole," he replied.
"Well that's good," she came back, "Because it's a bear cave!"
June gulped. He didn't think he believed her, but their father had said the most dangerous animal in the woods was a bear. He said that if he met a bear in the woods he would run and hide. December and June's father was the biggest and strongest man in the village so if something sacred him, it was terrifying to them.
It wasn't really a bear cave... but it was amazing! As they got to the bottom June's mouth dropped open, and it stayed open. December took in the beauty of the cave, then reached over and pushed Junes' chin up to close his mouth. It was a cave like many other caves, except for one thing. The rocks and walls had strange blue designs, unnatural glow in the dark blues. It was beautiful and intense and exciting.
June looked over at December. "Best. Big. Sister. Ever!"
"Pretty amazing huh?" December asked proudly.
Some of the rocks were small enough to hold. One of them was half rock, half blue. That one was her favorite.
"There's a wall missing." June said quizzically.
December was impressed! She had noticed that also. It's not that a wall was missing, the cave just went so far back away from the light and the blue seemed to stop. December spoke up, "I'm not sure what's back there. Yet"
"Oh no" he replied. "I'm not going there, besides I'm still playing."
December was brave, but walking into total darkness with her brother would not be wise. But as she inched closer to the black wall that wasn't a wall, the blue started to appear. So there was more blue on the walls, she just had to go deeper into the darkness...
Suddenly on one side of the wall the blue seemed to start moving.Or wait, some kind of dark shape was moving, and towards her. She could hear it! As it began to appear in the sunlight from the entrance, she couldn't believe her eyes... It wasn't a bear....
It was two!
Chapter 3- The Magic? Stone
"June! RUN!!!" December screamed!
The bears stood up, and June fell back in fear. December started running towards her brother but it was dark; she was farther into the darkness than she thought. She tripped over a rock and and fell hard. Her hands flew out in front of her. She landed in the rocks and felt a new, very scary pain, that she'd never felt before. She quickly got up and made it to June. He was still frozen and she couldn't speak. The bears walked slowly towards them.
That pain shot up through December's hand to her arm. She looked and there was a rock in her glove... NO!!! There was a rip in her glove! The rock was touching her hand. That explained the pain.
"ROAAR!" the bears seemed angry or... hungry! They started running towards them. There was nothing left to do. Almost without thinking December reached into her glove and pulled out the rock and threw it as hard as she could. It went so hard and so fast and BAM! completely missed both bears.
"Noo!" December thought. Why did that rock seem to move and fumble in her hand while she threw it? The bear on the left opened its' ferocious mouth, all of it's sharp and jagged teeth showing, and started to roar, one last time.
June covered his ears. December grabbed and shielded her brother and the bear... sneezed. "ACHOO" He stepped back and sneezed again, "ACHOO" and the bear next to him made the strangest noise, "Hmph, frmph, ga, ha, ha ha" Laughing! December couldn't believe it. One bear sneezed and the other bear laughed at it. Sneazy bear lifted his paw up to swipe at laughy bear but his paw hit the roof and dust fell down. Now they both sneezed and then both laughed. When December threw the rock it missed the bears, but it hit the cave roof and the dust made the bear sneeze.
"Now" December exclaimed! She grabbed June and they ran and climbed up as fast as they could. They ran from the cave and didn't stop until they saw the village up ahead.
"June I'm so sorry, I had no idea it really was a bear cave." December offered.
"I am telling." was his only reply.
"Well you won't have to. I'll tell father when we get home." She looked down at her glove. She could see her skin under the rip in the glove. It must have first ripped on the tree branch on the way down. As much trouble as she was going to be in for taking her 5 year old brother into a bear cave, it was nothing compared to the trouble she'd be in for having a rip in her glove!
The bears stood up, and June fell back in fear. December started running towards her brother but it was dark; she was farther into the darkness than she thought. She tripped over a rock and and fell hard. Her hands flew out in front of her. She landed in the rocks and felt a new, very scary pain, that she'd never felt before. She quickly got up and made it to June. He was still frozen and she couldn't speak. The bears walked slowly towards them.
That pain shot up through December's hand to her arm. She looked and there was a rock in her glove... NO!!! There was a rip in her glove! The rock was touching her hand. That explained the pain.
"ROAAR!" the bears seemed angry or... hungry! They started running towards them. There was nothing left to do. Almost without thinking December reached into her glove and pulled out the rock and threw it as hard as she could. It went so hard and so fast and BAM! completely missed both bears.
"Noo!" December thought. Why did that rock seem to move and fumble in her hand while she threw it? The bear on the left opened its' ferocious mouth, all of it's sharp and jagged teeth showing, and started to roar, one last time.
June covered his ears. December grabbed and shielded her brother and the bear... sneezed. "ACHOO" He stepped back and sneezed again, "ACHOO" and the bear next to him made the strangest noise, "Hmph, frmph, ga, ha, ha ha" Laughing! December couldn't believe it. One bear sneezed and the other bear laughed at it. Sneazy bear lifted his paw up to swipe at laughy bear but his paw hit the roof and dust fell down. Now they both sneezed and then both laughed. When December threw the rock it missed the bears, but it hit the cave roof and the dust made the bear sneeze.
"Now" December exclaimed! She grabbed June and they ran and climbed up as fast as they could. They ran from the cave and didn't stop until they saw the village up ahead.
"June I'm so sorry, I had no idea it really was a bear cave." December offered.
"I am telling." was his only reply.
"Well you won't have to. I'll tell father when we get home." She looked down at her glove. She could see her skin under the rip in the glove. It must have first ripped on the tree branch on the way down. As much trouble as she was going to be in for taking her 5 year old brother into a bear cave, it was nothing compared to the trouble she'd be in for having a rip in her glove!
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