“I’m not going!” I shouted at my parents.

I looked up from the living room couch to see my parents standing at the bottom of the stairs wearing dark green and dark purple cloaks.

“You guys look ridiculous,” I said. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Where are you going anyway?”

“Cassie,” Mum said. “You know where we are going. We are going to the Beltane celebration. We go to all the Wiccan Sabbats (Holidays), you know that.”

“Oh cool, so can you drop me off at Lisa’s on your way there? We are planning to see the new Brad Pitt movie with her Mum” I said.

“No, I think this time you are going to come with us” Dad said to me.

“What! No, I want to go to Lisa’s!” I wailed.

“Cassandra!” my father boomed. “You are going with us, and that is final!”

“Ahh! This is so unfair Dad!” I yelled and then turned to look at Mum. “Is he serious?”

“Your father is right Cassandra. We have tried to teach you the Wiccan Ways and about nature for years. It’s time you came to a Sabbat with us” said Mum.

“Ahh!” I yelled and stormed up the stairs, making sure to stomp extra hard on my way up.

Five minutes later I was back down stairs wearing my baggy army pants with my black tank top, and my dark blue sweater tied around my waist. I got my shoes on, walked outside, slammed the house door, and got in the car.

That’s fine, I’ll just make sure to be extra grumpy and mean tonight.

Mum and Dad got in the car; Mum turned on some horrible music and Dad pulled the car out of the driveway. We were off. Hurray for me.

Mum tried to start a conversation with me, but I just ignored her and stared out the window.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Mum announced happily “We are here!”

“Now Cassie, a lot of our friends are here, so I want you to be on your best behaviour” said Mum.

“Yeah, sure” I grumbled and got out of the car.

I saw someone come over to us and hug both my parents.

“And this must be Cassandra,” the man said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

I looked at the man and almost laughed out loud. He was dressed in the funniest looking outfit. His cloak touched the ground and it was all different colours. He looked like he just stepped out of the 1970’s and that’s not a good thing.

“Cassandra,” my father whispered to me. “Be nice and say hi.”

“Hi” I said and turned and walked away.

I could hear Dad mumble something about me being tired, but I didn’t care. It was their fault I was here in the first place. It’s not like I volunteered to come.

I decided that if I was going to be stuck here, I might as well see what all is here. I walked around my ‘prison’, looking at all the strangely dressed people, most of which where wearing cloaks. There were kids running all over the place, it was crazy.

Am I even on earth anymore?

“Cassandra,” my Mother called. “Would you like to join us? The ritual is about to begin.”

“No, I think I’m ok over here” I said sheepishly and walked away.

I looked around and noticed that everyone was heading towards a huge opening and were joining hands and standing in a huge circle.

I am so gone.

I turned and kept walking away from the crowd. I kept walking, lost in my own thoughts. Suddenly my shoes caught on something and down I went; hard.

“Oww! What was that?” I said aloud.

I looked around me and saw the root that was sticking out of the ground. That’s when I really noticed where I was. A forest!

“Ok, I’ll just turn around and find my way back” I said unconvincingly to myself.

But which way was back? I looked all around me and everything looked the same. It was all green!

“I will find my way. My intuition has always been good in these situations” I said out loud to myself.

Then I heard a noise in the bushes behind me. I froze. Slowly I turned around and faced the bush. I heard the noise again and this time the bushes moved.  Suddenly a shape jumped out of the bushes at me and I turned and ran for my life.

I ran as fast as I could and found a large tree to hide behind. I risked a glance around the side of the tree to see what jumped out at me. There sitting on a fallen log, was the silliest looking squirrel I had ever seen.

Why you little brat.

I was a bit annoyed at myself for having freaked out so much over a squirrel. But I waved that feeling off with gesture of my hand and kept trying to find an exit in the huge forest.

The sun was starting to go down and I could see the shadows on the trees even more now. I had to find my way out of here soon; but how?

Then I remembered one thing that Mum always told me. If I ever got lost, stop, and don’t panic. Close your eyes and listen. So, I decided to give it a try. It couldn’t hurt right? If I don’t move, it’s not like I will get even more lost.

So I was standing there, in the middle of a huge forest, with my eyes closed trying desperately to hear something that would help me get back to my parents.

Then I heard a strange noise. I’d never heard anything like it before. I guess you can say it was music, but it wasn’t music I would listen to. So I walked toward the noise, and as I walked, I thought I heard faint laughter. It was the festival! I ran as fast as I could towards the noise. Green colour flew by me in a blur. I stumbled over logs, and got caught in branches. After what seemed an eternity, I broke free from the forest. I was saved!  I ran towards the festival, my heart beating so fast I thought it would pop out of my chest. I desperately looked around for my parents and at last I found them.

“Mum! Dad,” I yelled.

“Cassie!” My mother shrieked. “Where have you been? We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“I got lost in that forest back there,” I said pointing “I never thought I would get out. But then I remembered the lessons you both taught me, and…here I am!”

I hugged my parents both and thanked them for their teachings. I also asked to come to another celebration, this time, promising that I would join in.