Sun of The Dark Forest

Malang, 07 Januari 2014

Once upon a time, a boy named Sun lived in a small village near the dark forest. He lived with his parents in a small house. Sun is the only kid in his family. He has white skin, short and black hair, big eyes, and he looks so handsome with his dimple on his cheeks. Sun’s parents really loved him. Sun knew it very well. Because of that, Sun acted like a spoiled kid in front of his Dad  and Mom. He always requested candies, new toys, new clothes, and delicious food. Sun’s parents were poor. They were just poor merchant. But, they tried very hard to fulfill every single request from Sun. Sun did not care about his family conditions. What was on his mind was just he wanted every single wish of him was granted. That was why, he always wanted what he said to be followed by others. And he often ignored what people said to him.

Sun had a best friend since he was a kid. Her name was Maya. Maya was a very cute girl. She had long curly hair and the color was scarlet. She also had big eyes, sweet smile, and brown skin. She always wore orange dress with polkadot motive. Maya really loved her dress. That was given by her late mother. Maya often came to Sun’s house to play with him. Both of them played anything together. Sometimes they went to paddy field to catch dragonflies. Sometimes they stayed at Sun’s house to play with clays. But that day, Maya did not go to Sun’s house alone. She brought her cousin, Cloud with her. Maya introduced Cloud to Sun. But Sun, did not look happy when he met Cloud.

Three of them played together in a paddy field near small river. They played with mud and made a mud doll with it. Sun made a mud doll which was believed as a dog. But actually it looked more like a mess ugly dog with one eye. Maya laughed when she saw Sun’s mud doll. Sun seemed irritated but he also laughed when she saw his own doll. Cloud also laughed but he said something which made Sun seemed really angry. Cloud told him that Sun’s mud doll was not well made. He suggested him to not mix the mud with much water when making the doll. Cloud showed his own mud doll to Maya and Sun. Maya complemented Cloud’s mud doll which looked like a real cat. Sun stood in front of Cloud and took his mud doll. Then, he threw it into the river.

            “What are you doing Sun! That’s mine!” Cloud shouted angrily.

            “That’s the price that you have to pay for what you’ve said to me!” said Sun.

            “What’s wrong? I just gave you a suggestion. I didn’t even break yours!”

            “Don’t play like you are clever here. I know that you just want to get Maya’s attention. Right?”

            “Hah? How can you say that?”

            “Okay, let’s settle this! How if both of us compete each other to decide who is the one who will be Maya’s friend?”

            “Sun! What do you mean? Stop it! I don’t want both of you quarrel just for trivial thing! Let’s be friend and play together. Okay?!” said Maya.

            “Shut up Maya! This is men’s problem!” Sun looked at Maya’s eyes. Maya could not bear to see his eyes. “Well, how about if we set this thing by run competition. And the goal is the center of the dark forest!” Sun pointed his finger to the dark forest.

            “Are you crazy?! It’s very dangerous. I’ve heard that many people missing in that forest!” shouted Cloud.

            “Cloud is right Sun! We don’t need to do this. Nothing good will come if we go to the dark forest. I got bad feelings about this.” Said Maya.

             Sun stared Maya’s eyes then moved to Cloud’s eyes. “Are you afraid huh? Well, that settles everything. In fact, you are just a cry baby Cloud. You do not deserve to play with Maya again!”

            Cloud tried to hold his anger. “Okay! I take your challenge! How about we hold it tomorrow morning?”

             “Morning? Are you kidding? Nothing challenging if we go there when sun raises. We start the competition at night.” Sun spoke with full of confidence.

            “Sun! Enough! Are you trying to kill yourself in dark forest? You don’t know how dangerous dark forest is. It is possible that you can’t go back home once you got there. Just like my mother.” Maya’s sound trifled. She can’t hide her sadness of her mother.

            “Then, I’ll be the first who can go home!”

            “Why can’t you just listen to me Sun?! Why can’t?”  Maya shouted.

          Sun did not pay attention to Maya. He walked straight to go home without say anything even turned his head to see her.

***

            Sun and some boys from his village were in front of dark forest that night. Cloud and Maya were there too. Sun and Cloud prepared themselves to start the competition. A boy named Killa, moved in front of them and told the rules.

            “The winner is the first one who can get to the center of dark forest and bring the black rose with them when he goes back to the start line. There is no limited time. The participants are allowed to bring some food, water, lantern, and small knife. Other than those things are forbidden. The competition will start when the jury release the bird.”

            Killa moved away from Sun and Cloud. Both of them were ready to run into the dark forest. A moment later, the jury release the raven. Cloud and Sun started to run to the center of the dark forest.

            Sun quickly ran into the forest. He thought if he just ran straight, soon or later he would arrive at the center of dark forest. Sun brought a lantern with him. With the little light, he could see the trees everywhere, bushes around his legs, and darkness upon him. There was no step way to be followed. Sun only ran straight without paying attention to the surroundings. In the middle of the way, Sun remembered Maya’s advice to get to the center of the forest.

            “Sun, you have to follow the star if you want to go to the center of the dark forest!”

            ‘What star? I can easily arrive at the center and bring all those dark bloody roses by my self!’ thought Sun.

            “Polaris will lead you to go there! Just look at skies and you’ll find the brightest star. That’s Polaris!”

            ‘Polaris? Who need that useless thing? I can just follow my compass! And it leads me  stright to the center of the dark forest.’

            “Listen to me Sun! You know why bringing compass forbids the rule...? It’s because...”

          Sun tried to not think about what Maya had said to him. He just ran and ran into the darkness. But then he realized something weird. Eventhough he had ran for a while, he still could not reach the goal. He ran again still following the direction which was shown by his compass. But his tired legs felt like killing him smoothly. His breath was rushed. Sweats wet his face and cloth. Sun stopped running when he realized his lantern were going to die soon. He knew that he had to fill the lantern with fuel again, so he could keep going. Then, he opened his bag then looked for fuel. But, he found nothing. He remembered that he had left it at home cause he thought he did not need it. Sun seemed angry to himself. ‘Why am I such a fool?’ he thought. He regretted his decision leaving the extra fuel. He also regretted his action eventhough Maya had warned him to bring the fuel.

            Sun decided to run again. He thought he should get to the center of the forest and take the black rose before his lantern died. He still followed his compass. He ran straight where the needle pointed. After a while, when he looked at his compass again, Sun panicked! His compass went crazy. The needle pointed randomly to all directions.

            “Listen to me Sun! You know why bringing compass forbids the rule..?” Sun remembered Maya’s message.

            “It’s because it couldn’t give you the right direction! Compass doesn’t work in Dark Forest. You have to follow Polaris to find the way. Polaris will show you the right path.”

            Sun realized something terrible. Maya was right. And he was all wrong. He felt like a fool. But Sun did not want to admit it. He still did not follow Maya’s suggestions. He ran and ran into the deepest of darkness until his lantern died. Darkness slowly started to swallow him. He could not see what was upon him. He only could hear the sound of night creatures. The cuckoo bird voice surprised him. The shadow of racoon shocked him to death. Little by little, Sun’s mind was consumed by fear, regret, and despair. He had no idea where to go.

            “Polaris will show you  the right path.”

            Sun once again remembered Maya’s message. Polaris! That was the only way to get out from the darkness. Sun looked at the skies. He tried to find the brightest star, Polaris. Sun’s eyes were gleaming when he had found what he looked for. He then ran and ran following Polaris direction. Sun looked so happy when he found the way. But, that happiness in his face gradually vanished when dark cloud covered the skies and hid the star. Sun ran panickly. He cursed to the cloud. He ran and ran until his eyes saw Polaris completely swallowed by the cloud. Sun still ran when he could not see the direction again. He passed through the bushes. He hit the tree. Ran and ran. That was the only thing that he could do. Drop by drop, rain fell upon him. His face started to wet by rain, sweats, and tears. Sun did not care again. He just want to run. He tried to leave his regret behind.

            Suddenly, his right leg slipped caused by the mud. That made him fell into a dark ravine. His legs looked so hurt. He even could not stand upon his feet. Sun felt his body was broken. Pain covered his body from head to toes. Coldness also started to chill him. Rain made his body felt worse. He even could not feel his own hands.

            “Sun! Enough! Are you trying to kill yourself in dark forest?” again, Sun rememberd Maya’s voice.

            ‘No, Maya! I just want to show you who I am! I just want you to know that I’m a hero!’ Sun answered in trembling voice.

“You don’t know how dangerous dark forest is. It is possible that you can’t go back home once you got there! Just like my mother.”

             ‘It’s like what you’ve said Maya. I think I’ll never come back home again. I’m sorry. I’m such a fool right?’

            “Why can’t you just listen to me Sun?! Why can’t?” 

            ‘You’re right! Why didn’t I listen to you? Listen to every single of your advice. Listen to your stories. Listen to your messages’. Sun could not hold his tears anymore.

‘I’m so sorry Maya. I’m really the foolest person on the earth. I know it! I regret it! But, I can’t just admit it in front of you and others. I’m afraid that you’ll end up hate me. I don’t want others dislike me especially you Maya. I really am the selfish one right? I messed up everyone cause I’m jealous with Cloud. And now I can’t go back again. I’m broken. And I don’t have any confidence to see your innocent and warm eyes.’

‘If only I listen to you Maya. Maybe right now, I can see your smile again. Thank you. I’m so sorry.’

Sun’s conciousness lost within the darkness of the dark forest. Heavy rain still covered and the stars did not show themselves. Time went on. And the night started to  swallow his presence and life.

***

Maya looked out the window, heavy rain still poured outside. Her face looked sad. She remembered that night when she could not hold her tears cause once again she lost her precious person. It had been two months since Sun’s burial. And still, she could not forget the pain which strucked her heart when she knew Sun was gone forever. Everything was never be the same again. Sun would never come back again.

 Two days later after the run competition, villagers found Sun’s body in the deepest of the ravine where Sun fell. Sun could not make it to the start line. Unlike Cloud, who could get to the center and brought the black roses with him. Cloud spent 5 hours to finish the competition. That made Cloud out as the winner since Sun did not show himself before Cloud. Sun who did not come to the start line after 10 hours, made Maya worried. When she knew that Sun did not back home until then, Maya realized Sun was gone. She lost him. Just like when she lost her mother.

Tomorrow morning, Maya walked by herself to the front of Dark Forest. She brought some red roses with her. She put them on the ground and she kneeled. Then she closed her eyes and began to pray. She prayed for her late mother and her precious friend, Sun. She opened her eyes and put a paper beside the roses. Maya stood up and looked at the dark forest. It was still dark just like the name. Maya then turned back and walked. In front of her, there were two persons who waited for her, Cloud and her father. The wind blowed when Maya waved her hand toward them. She stopped for a while and looked around. Those good memories felt like dance around her. She smiled and continued to walk. Three of them walked together. Maya decided to go out the village and aim to go to the other world which waited to discover.

The wind blowed brought the coldness of autumn. The petals of roses flied around. And the paper which was left by Maya opened. There was a simple drawing on it. A boy and a girl held hands together with big smiles on their faces. There were also writings beneath the picture,

“Sun and Maya”

“We will always shine together. Just like the sun in May.”

FIN

Author : Izzatur (zaturania)

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