It was a breezy Autumn day.
April skipped through the park on her way home from school, the leaves crunching under her feet as the wind whipped at her long, auburn hair. This was her favourite part of the day - passing by all the trees and flowers, the familiar faces sitting on nearby benches, people strolling with their dogs, and small children running around and giggling.
It helped her forget about school. She was an average student - often jealous of the high-achievers - and she liked to pretend, as she skipped through the park, that she was somebody special.
The fact of the matter, however, being that she was not special.
She was not good at sport, she didn't excel in her school work, she wasn't popular - she was also very plain in appearance. Not unattractive, but she certainly didn't have boys falling over themselves to be with her.
April sighed as she pushed open the front gate of her yard. A girl of 17, she was in her final year of school. She had not once been asked to a dance, and as winter approached, and the other students were preparing themselves for the Winter Ball, she had decided that she would not be attending.
But this wasn't the way she wanted it to be.
As she fumbled with her key in the front door, movement in the corner of her eye drew April to look at the neighbour's house. There, standing at the door, with his trendy clothes and perfectly sculpted hair, was Jason. April froze for a second, before dropping her key to the ground. She gasped as she knelt to retrieve it from the nearby bushes, but she managed to hit her head on the door on the way down. Losing her balance, she instead fell, and joined her key in the shrub.
Red-faced, she struggled to stand up, retrieved the key, and hoped that Jason hadn't caught her fall.
She quickly looked over to where he was standing, and he raised his eyebrow, before shooting her a half-cocked smile, and stepping through his front door.
April's face burned as she finally stumbled through the door, and trudged up the stairs to her bedroom. Unfortunately, her bedroom window faced Jason's house (most notably, his bedroom), and as she caught a glimpse of him once again, she quickly pulled the curtains shut, before falling face first onto her bed, and wallowing in self-pity.
April skipped through the park on her way home from school, the leaves crunching under her feet as the wind whipped at her long, auburn hair. This was her favourite part of the day - passing by all the trees and flowers, the familiar faces sitting on nearby benches, people strolling with their dogs, and small children running around and giggling.
It helped her forget about school. She was an average student - often jealous of the high-achievers - and she liked to pretend, as she skipped through the park, that she was somebody special.
The fact of the matter, however, being that she was not special.
She was not good at sport, she didn't excel in her school work, she wasn't popular - she was also very plain in appearance. Not unattractive, but she certainly didn't have boys falling over themselves to be with her.
April sighed as she pushed open the front gate of her yard. A girl of 17, she was in her final year of school. She had not once been asked to a dance, and as winter approached, and the other students were preparing themselves for the Winter Ball, she had decided that she would not be attending.
But this wasn't the way she wanted it to be.
As she fumbled with her key in the front door, movement in the corner of her eye drew April to look at the neighbour's house. There, standing at the door, with his trendy clothes and perfectly sculpted hair, was Jason. April froze for a second, before dropping her key to the ground. She gasped as she knelt to retrieve it from the nearby bushes, but she managed to hit her head on the door on the way down. Losing her balance, she instead fell, and joined her key in the shrub.
Red-faced, she struggled to stand up, retrieved the key, and hoped that Jason hadn't caught her fall.
She quickly looked over to where he was standing, and he raised his eyebrow, before shooting her a half-cocked smile, and stepping through his front door.
April's face burned as she finally stumbled through the door, and trudged up the stairs to her bedroom. Unfortunately, her bedroom window faced Jason's house (most notably, his bedroom), and as she caught a glimpse of him once again, she quickly pulled the curtains shut, before falling face first onto her bed, and wallowing in self-pity.
April woke up to the sound of her door opening. Groggy and dazed from her nap, she rolled over, and saw Aden, her younger brother, standing in the doorway. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, and noticed he was grinning widely, hands behind his back. "What do you want?" she croaked.
He continued to grin has he pulled a book from behind his back, and opened to a page. Her eyes widened as she realised what Aden was holding, but it was too late. He began to read loudly and emphatically...
"DEAR DIARY, TODAY JASON LOOKED RIGHT THROUGH ME-"
"OH MY GOD," April cut in. She grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be her alarm clock, and lobbed it at Aden's head. He dropped the book in shock, and tears welled up as the clock collided with his forehead.
"I'm TELLING!" he cried, as he ran from the room, "DAAAAAAAAAAAAD APRIL THREW HER CLOCK AT MY HEAD!"
April sighed as she retrieved her diary from the floor, and sat back down on her bed. Sometimes, she hated living out such a cliche.
He continued to grin has he pulled a book from behind his back, and opened to a page. Her eyes widened as she realised what Aden was holding, but it was too late. He began to read loudly and emphatically...
"DEAR DIARY, TODAY JASON LOOKED RIGHT THROUGH ME-"
"OH MY GOD," April cut in. She grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be her alarm clock, and lobbed it at Aden's head. He dropped the book in shock, and tears welled up as the clock collided with his forehead.
"I'm TELLING!" he cried, as he ran from the room, "DAAAAAAAAAAAAD APRIL THREW HER CLOCK AT MY HEAD!"
April sighed as she retrieved her diary from the floor, and sat back down on her bed. Sometimes, she hated living out such a cliche.
"Dinner's ready!"
Her mother's voice rang through the house, and, after putting her now non-functioning alarm clock back where it belonged and finding a new hiding place for her diary, April made her way downstairs, where she found her family sitting around the dinner table, already digging into the spaghetti on their plates.
Aden poked his tongue out at her, and April realised he had a bandage wrapped around his head - presumably the result of the "injury" she inflicted on him. She just glared.
Her dad chuckled as he noticed the exchange between the two. "Now, April," be began, in a stern voice, "Do I need to remind you that we don't throw clocks in this house?"
April rolled her eyes as he continued.
"We throw books. They're heavier. Cause more damage. More corners."
April's mother nodded, "Exactly. And not at the head. Try to aim for the limbs."
"MUM?!" Aden cried out in opposition, but the rest of the family burst into laughter.
They all soon fell silent, however, as they heard the knock at the door.
Her mother's voice rang through the house, and, after putting her now non-functioning alarm clock back where it belonged and finding a new hiding place for her diary, April made her way downstairs, where she found her family sitting around the dinner table, already digging into the spaghetti on their plates.
Aden poked his tongue out at her, and April realised he had a bandage wrapped around his head - presumably the result of the "injury" she inflicted on him. She just glared.
Her dad chuckled as he noticed the exchange between the two. "Now, April," be began, in a stern voice, "Do I need to remind you that we don't throw clocks in this house?"
April rolled her eyes as he continued.
"We throw books. They're heavier. Cause more damage. More corners."
April's mother nodded, "Exactly. And not at the head. Try to aim for the limbs."
"MUM?!" Aden cried out in opposition, but the rest of the family burst into laughter.
They all soon fell silent, however, as they heard the knock at the door.
"Who is it?" April's mother sang out, but there was no reply, "April, sweety, go see who it is, will you?"
April nodded and walked through the living room to the front door. She looked through the peep hole, but she couldn't see anybody. She sighed. She knew what was coming. There would be a flaming paper bag filled with something unpleasant. Or she'd open the door and get pelted with eggs. She knew how this worked.
Sighing, she turned the handle, and eased the door open.
There was nobody in sight, and no eggs came flying at her face. She sighed of relief and looked at her feet, and noticed a large, brown parcel lying nearby. Curious, she picked it up. It wasn't heavy at all, so she shook it. It didn't make much noise. She sniffed it, just in case.
It smelled like paper.
She turned it over, and realised it had a tag attached to it. Looking closely at the tag, she gasped as she realised what it read.
'for April' .
April nodded and walked through the living room to the front door. She looked through the peep hole, but she couldn't see anybody. She sighed. She knew what was coming. There would be a flaming paper bag filled with something unpleasant. Or she'd open the door and get pelted with eggs. She knew how this worked.
Sighing, she turned the handle, and eased the door open.
There was nobody in sight, and no eggs came flying at her face. She sighed of relief and looked at her feet, and noticed a large, brown parcel lying nearby. Curious, she picked it up. It wasn't heavy at all, so she shook it. It didn't make much noise. She sniffed it, just in case.
It smelled like paper.
She turned it over, and realised it had a tag attached to it. Looking closely at the tag, she gasped as she realised what it read.
'for April' .
**
"So... what's in it?"
April's mother eyed the package that had been placed in the middle of the table.
April shrugged, "I have no idea. I'm kind of terrified to open it in case it's a practical joke or something."
Aden gingerly poked it with his finger, "Can I open it?"
April shook her head and picked it back up again, "I'll keep it in my room. Curiosity will get the better of me at some stage. In the meantime, I've got homework to do." She walked back upstairs to her room, set it down on her bed, and sat down at her desk. She opened her maths book, and attempted to work through her calculus homework, but she couldn't concentrate. She was too busy wondering what was inside the package.
She dropped her pencil and pulled her curtains open to stare at the stars for a while. Before long, she found herself standing in the middle of the room, watching the package.
Movement outside the window caught her eye. She turned her head, and saw Jason at his window, holding up his notebook; a hastily scrawled note written on it. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Flushing, she picked up the package and showed him. He nodded, and quickly scribbled another note, "WHAT IS IT?"
She shrugged, as he scribbled again, "FIND OUT. SHOW ME."
She smiled, nodded, and began tearing away the paper, gasping as she realised what was inside.
April's mother eyed the package that had been placed in the middle of the table.
April shrugged, "I have no idea. I'm kind of terrified to open it in case it's a practical joke or something."
Aden gingerly poked it with his finger, "Can I open it?"
April shook her head and picked it back up again, "I'll keep it in my room. Curiosity will get the better of me at some stage. In the meantime, I've got homework to do." She walked back upstairs to her room, set it down on her bed, and sat down at her desk. She opened her maths book, and attempted to work through her calculus homework, but she couldn't concentrate. She was too busy wondering what was inside the package.
She dropped her pencil and pulled her curtains open to stare at the stars for a while. Before long, she found herself standing in the middle of the room, watching the package.
Movement outside the window caught her eye. She turned her head, and saw Jason at his window, holding up his notebook; a hastily scrawled note written on it. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Flushing, she picked up the package and showed him. He nodded, and quickly scribbled another note, "WHAT IS IT?"
She shrugged, as he scribbled again, "FIND OUT. SHOW ME."
She smiled, nodded, and began tearing away the paper, gasping as she realised what was inside.
Feeling the rush of adrenaline the roar of her new chainsaw gave her, April's face twitched as she stood up to show Jason. His stomach dropped as he saw the insane look in her eyes, but it was too late. April smashed through her bedroom window and launched herself across to his. He couldn't get out of the way in time, and the chainsaw collided with his stomach, tearing his body in half.
As he lay at her feet, he tried to speak but he couldn't. He was cold, and he looked at April, who stood laughing maniacally above him.
As the world grew dark, April knelt down and kissed him tenderly on the lips before contorting her face into a snarl, "One tree has fallen. Soon, the forest!"
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