1. Invisible George Part1

George was invisible, but even so, his mother always told him to only go out if it was a dark night, she also said he must stay in the shadows and run home very quickly if the sun started to rise because he could evaporate in a heat wave.

Tonight was an especially dark night and he decided it was about time that he got a girlfriend.
He found the perfect place to stand, it was in a clearing, in the forest; he knew it was clear because he stopped bumping into trees and tripping over rocks a few moments ago.

He was so excited that he almost forgot what his mother taught him.
He paced back and forth for ages making odd noises to prepare his voice, and then finally, he took a deep breath and called out loud "Arooogaaahhh!"

He waited a moment, almost expecting an instant reply, but nothing; just the usual forest night time noises.

So he called again "Aroooogaaaahh!" and still nothing back.
So again "Arooo....." he cut his call short. He thought he heard something in the distance. He stood still, trying to be as quite as a snail. Again he heard nothing so he took a deep breath and just as he was about to call out.
There it was; "Agarooogaaahhh!" it wasn't too loud but George got excited. "Aroooogaaaahh!" he called back.
"Agarooogah!" came the reply.
The two of them called out to each other again and again, George stayed waiting and the other voice drew closer and closer until at last it was within the clearing.
"Aroooogaaaahh!" "Agarooogah!" "Aroooogaaaahh!" "Agarooogah!"
Then gradually, one step at a time the two of them got closer and closer until finally... they met
(This part of the ritual did seem to take a long time)

George was so excited he pounced like a big kid, his hands fumbled around in the darkness until he found a face and he gave it the biggest kiss ever.

"hmmppfff! mmpff! pfmmmpf!"
He heard, but didn't stop
"hmmmp! Mmpfff! Meeeee!"

He stopped kissing, "sorry, I'm kind of new to kissing"
"GEORGE!!!!!!!!"
"Dad?"
"GEORGE!!!" exclaimed his Dad
George couldn't see this but his Dad was spitting and wiping his mouth clean on his arm and fingers, in total disbelief that his own son had just given him the sloppiest, soggiest kiss, EVER.

"GEORGE! Why are you shouting Aroooogaaaahh?
"I’m trying to find a girlfriend, so I'm shouting Aroooooooogah!"
Boys shout Agarooogah. His Dad said.
"Oh!" he said
"now that you mention it, Mam did keep saying I did something wrong." he chuckled nervously
"at least it wasn't Grandad Joff"

"GEORGE!" his dad said with a scornful tone.
"Besides", continued George, why are you out trying to find a girlfriend"
"erm.. " Georges dad was a bit stumped at that question.
"I... well I'm looking for your Mam"
"what do you mean looking? Mam's invisible just like us!"
"oh yeah I forgot!"
"How can you forget something like that" said George laughing at his Dad.
George couldn't see his Dad cringe embarrassingly.

But suddenly his Dad exclaimed
"Ok! Ok! Ok! Ok! That's enough. I can't play this silly game anymore"

George nearly fell over with surprise.
"What game Dad?"
"The invisible game, it's got to stop, George - YOU ARE NOT INVISIBLE.... "
There was a moment of silence before George responded.
"Ok! So let’s figure this out logically, - can you see me now?"
"no"
"well there you are, we're invisible"
"but it's dark!"
"Duh! If it was light, we'd evaporate in a wave of heat"
"Stop talking nonsense son, we are not invisible and I'll prove it to you! He paused before adding - If you're brave enough that is!"
George stopped short of his initial response and thought about being brave. He took a deep breath puffed out his chest and smiled as he said
"yes. I am brave"

"look, it's been dark a few hours, so if we set off now we'll be there as the light starts rising"
"whoa, slow down there Dad, didn't we already talk about this evaporating thing?"
"didn't we just discuss this being brave thing?" replied his Dad.
George realised he had to follow to prove he was brave. So off they went, talking and singing as they went.
George said it was so they stayed together, his Dad knew that George was really scared.

"Dad"
"yes George"
"Do you remember when those scary monsters came around and ate all our food?",
"No! Don't think so George"
"you must do; one had a scar right across his face, and the other had a funny walk- oh, and a wonky tooth that wobbled when it ran after us, they were furry everywhere but their faces and even had hoops on their heads."
"huh! That was granddad Joff and Nana Loot and we all have hoops on our heads, even YOU that's how we can sleep in the trees when the floods come."

"now you are being silly Dad, we have horns on our heads, with poisoned tips, to defend ourselves against monsters and when the floods came I remember Mam raising me up to spike me to the roof in my bedroom"

At this moment Georges Dad cursed having such short arms, not to reach out and shake George, tempting as the thought might be, but because he knew Georges arms wouldn't grow long enough to reach the top of his hoop until his hoop stopped growing long enough for his arms to catch up.

On they walked
"George?"
"yes Dad?"
"you know when we walk along and we sometimes get our heads stuck on the tree branches?"
"yes Dad?"
"why do you think that happens!"
"the trees grab us and pick us up, nasty things. It takes me ages to shake loose of their grip sometimes. But I know which trees have the strongest grip. There is Chatar, just outside the main entrance and there is Frett down by the stream, oh.. and there is...."
"STOP!!!!!" shouted his Dad.
"You've given the trees actual names... do you seriously believe they are alive and that they pick you up and stop you from passing them?"
"Duh! Have you not seen the trees dancing Dad?"
"THEY DON'T DANCE, well, they kind of do, but they don't do it themselves",
"Their not puppet's Dad"
"no, it's the wind, it's the wind..... George why are you so STU......(he paused and changed his response)... dious", he finished, slightly quieter than he started.
"what does that word mean?" asked George.
"erm.. I think it means that you study lot's!"
"I must know more than you if you think it's the wind that makes the trees dance"

"we're here" his Dad said, relieved he could change the subject.
"where's here?" asked George
"At the base of the spiral tree!"
George nodded to himself in approval, "cool name, better than Chatar even.. Mind, i can't believe you just named a tree"
"it's not just a random name plucked out of someone’s head, there are vines on the tree that spiral upwards, to the pool of reflection, it's the most important tree in the forest"
"the pool off reflection? WOW! That's an even cooler name" said George.
"It's not cool George, it really is a pool of reflection"
"What's a reflection Dad?"
"A reflection is where you see yourself in the pool, in this case both physically and metaphorically"
"Metal fork a what?"
"Metaphorically -well, when you gaze into the pool, some believe you see so much more than a mere reflection, you are almost drawn into the pool with your mind and can see the reflection of yor soul, some say they can see their future, others say they can see the spirits of our ancestors staring back at them from the afterlife"

"What about you Dad? What do you see?"
"I see you coming of age today son! A moment to be proud of"
"Maybe I'm not ready for this, I don't want to see my ancestors just yet!"
"Son, if you really think your ready for a girlfriend, then how better to impress one, than with tales of the spiral tree and the pool of reflection?"
"Ooh! When you put it that way, how do I get there?"
"Believe it or not, you walk up the spirals as far as you can and when you get to the thorn King you must wait with him, there you will have a little time to soothe the aches and pains of your journey - before the sun begins to rise and with a little light you will see the pool of reflection awaken before you"
"George?" He called out
"George, I know your still here, are you listening?"
"Mmm ... yeah!" Replied George.
"Not scared of heights are you?"
"No not me, was just surprised to hear I was going to meet a king. Is he a good king?"
"What! NO! it's a metaph.. Oh never mind, you'll need to go before the sun rises, I'll wait hear, it's not far so you can still talk to me if you like"

"Give me your left hand" said his Dad
"Now, move over here" he said shuffling George over
"This is the vine of the tree, keep one hand on it at all times and just follow it as you walk"
George set off at pace, but quickly slowed at the thought of the King, didn't want to go bumping into royalty.

To be continued....