After making their way back to the clearing, which was much more difficult than they thought it should have been, they found it empty. Completely deserted.
It was quite disconcerting that Willow just disappeared like that without saying anything. Andrew was starting to believe he had imagined her, except they had all conversed with her, they had all seen her. He really wanted to find Willow, but Josh, with his usual flick of his head and protruding teeth, said,
"I'm hungry. When do we eat?”
"Yeah, let's eat!" said Tim, who didn’t seem bothered at all that the girl had just vanished. Andrew on the other hand, was completely creeped out.
Andrew was about to argue that they look for her, but then paused and decided that getting some food would be a good idea to collect their thoughts. As the de-facto leader of their merry band of rangers, Andrew’s words seemed to get them unpacking their respective lunches. Tim’s face was flushed with the idea of food and Josh was already through half a sandwich by the time anyone else even started munching.
Andrew well knew that a full tummy would bolster their spirits and maybe then he could convince them to search out for Willow, but something else was calling to him too.
That flashing object he noticed when he fell. He didn't know why it pulled at him so, but he kept that to himself. Something about it had sparked his interest, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to put his sandwich down and head straight back to where he fell from the tree. He knew the compulsion was silly, but it nagged at him anyway. His stubbornness came to the fore and he forced himself to forget about it while he ate his packed lunch with his friends.
After what seemed like an age, and during which time half of his sandwiches were donated to Josh, who seemed like he hadn't been fed for days, Tim suggested they look for rabbits and other critters and in the process look out for Willow. This suited Andrew, and gave him the excuse to scrounge around in the bush by himself. Josh too thought it was a great idea, and lamented that he hadn't saved any food to share if they found a rabbit. They made off in different directions, promising to keep within calling distance.
Andrew's mind was firmly on the shiny object. He was sure if he went back to where he fell, he would be able to find it. So off he went, soon leaving the others behind. He could still hear them moving through the forest, Josh calling out, "Here, rabbit, rabbit!" with Tim shouting at him to "shut up!" because his voice was scaring all the rabbits away.
Andrew soon reached the spot he had fallen and had to lie down on the ground to get his bearings. Once he looked around, he quickly located the object. It was shiny and more than half buried. He scrabbled over and moved the brush aside. To his astonishment, it was oval in shape and sparkling. Perhaps it was metal, or maybe glass? He was nervous to touch it.
His curiosity was piqued though and so with both a mixture of anticipation and trepidation he gazed at it in awe. Then, making sure not to touch it directly, Andrew decided to set the object free from its earthen prison.
He ripped at the roots and soil that clung close to it, almost possessively. He wanted to call out to his friends to see what he found, but for some reason, perhaps a selfish reason, he kept silent. It was a peculiar-looking item, like a ball but different somehow, with an otherworldly golden gleam to it, almost as if it held a secret waiting to be discovered.
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Intrigued by his find, Andrew finally reached out for the object, and moved to clasp it in his hands, immediately feeling a strange warmth emanating from its surface. The moment his finger tips made contact with the egg-shaped item, a surge of energy coursed through him, tingling and crackling like miniature bolts of lightning. it startled him.
As he examined it more closely, he noticed intricate patterns etched into the smooth exterior. It wasn't just an egg—it was something extraordinary. Something he had never seen before.
He carefully rolled it around his grubby palms, marveling at its weight and texture. As he held the egg-shaped object, Andrew realized that this was no ordinary find. Its shape, weight, and the electrifying sensation it emitted were unlike anything he had ever encountered. It was as if the egg had a life of its own, waiting for someone, well not someone, but somebody, and it felt as if that somebody was Andrew. He was the one chosen to unlock its mysteries.
Suddenly, as if it had reached a critical level of charge, it fizzed and sparkled anew. A new sensation swirled through him, making him dizzy. As it happened, Andrew heard a garbled message in his head. It hit him right between the eyes, the string of noise and words bypassed his ears completely and formed in his mind. He knew there had been actually no sound, except what he perceived in his head. The words were totally unintelligible. Much like an old fax machine, except for one word that blared through clearly: “Help!"
Andrew was startled by that and almost dropped the egg. Grasping it more firmly before it fell. Looking at it again, he became filled with excitement and curiosity and wondered what secret he had stumbled across and what else lay hidden within this enigmatic egg. Little did he know that this extraordinary discovery would soon take him on a journey beyond his wildest dreams, one that would offer him solace, friendship, and a chance to heal his grieving heart.
Now he just had to find a way to explain it to his friends.
When they met up again in the clearing, Andrew presented the egg. Surprisingly, Josh was pretty cool about it. He immediately identified it as an ostrich egg, although Andrew knew he was wrong. It was not made of eggshell, and certainly bird eggs didn’t have intricate engravings on them. Josh was adamant that it must be a replica egg then, decorated by engravings that someone had lost or chucked away in the forest.
Tim on the other hand was mesmerized by the egg. He wanted to hold it, but Andrew was strangely reluctant to let him. Seeing the disappointment on Tims face, and remembering his own disappointment when Tim had withheld his survival knife, he handed it over, expecting that it would have a message for him too. Perhaps he would understand more of those words if it sent a message to him.
However, this did not seem to be the case. In fact it lost its shine completely the moment it left Andrews hands. Tim said there was no warmth, nor tingly feeling and certainly no message. Josh said the same, seemingly unimpressed. Yet when Andrew got the egg back into his hands, it began to glow softly. Almost as if he had taken ownership of it, or more likely it had taken ownership of him. The thought sent a thrill through him. He also noticed that sound became acute when he held it and it was as if the forest around him was suddenly alive with movement. Every time he turned to identify what was moving, he found nothing. It was as if whatever moved, happened at the edge of his vision and he just couldn’t catch whatever was moving while he stared directly at it. Puzzled by this, but not overly put out, Andrew put the egg into his carry bag and gathered the guys to go home. They had spent a long day in the forest and he knew it was time to go back. His mom would probably be waiting for him anyway.
To Andrew, the day was a success. They had found his soccer ball, and they had made a new friend, and now he had this amazing egg.
As Andrew, Tim and Josh walked back to the house, They talked about Willow. She was a strange girl, her disappearance stranger, but she was also kind and helpful.
Andrew vowed to find Willow and discover why she had disappeared, and maybe she would know more about this exciting enigmatic egg-shaped wonder