The Strange Adventure of Maria Mercado (2 page)

“Well that’s cause she always go after
those
type of boys,” Neil said. “She just needs to give a nice boy a chance, that’s all.”

At this point the lunch bell rang, indicating the end of the period.  Just as Maria was about to get up, Madeline and Tyrell walked by their table, hand in hand.

“Oh where’s your friend, Maria?” she said with a smile that resembles the Grinch.

“She’s sick,” said Maria.

“Sick of seeing us together you mean,” said Madeline as her and Tyrell both laughed and walked away.

“Poor Jasmine,” said Neil, “maybe we can do something this afternoon to make her feel better,” he grinned.

“That’s a good idea Neil, “ said Maria. “I’ll see you guys later. I have to work tonight at the store but not til 6 so I can hang out til then and study a little. I gotta run to class now though.”

She got up and left the cafeteria. She stopped by her locker to pick up a change of clothes and hurried to the gym for her next class. She still needs to change and she was already running late. The gym teacher Mrs. Sheppard is pretty strict about punctuality. Her demeanor actually scares Maria quite a bit.

Before she even entered the girls’ change room, she could already hear the commotion coming from the inside. There were murmurs mixed with talking and laughing. The most noticeable sound however, was Madeline’s shrieking cry mixed with her high-pitched voice.

“Get it off me! Get it off me!” she screamed.

The sight that met Maria’s eyes was so amusing that she couldn’t contain her laughter. Madeline was standing in nothing but her bra and underwear. On her long, beautiful black hair was a green, jelly-like substance.

It looked a lot like Neil’s blob.
Jasmine must have swiped it earlier when she tripped on Neil’s backpack.  Maria knew how determined Jasmine could be, especially with her feelings hurt. She knew that gym was the next class because she was supposed to be in it too.  She definitely planted it on top of Madeline’s locker so it would fall on her hair when she opened it. 

Well it worked beautifully.

All of Madeline’s friends were desperately trying to get the blob off her hair. As Neil had said, it is very difficult to remove. As Maria and some other girls stood in the change room laughing, nobody noticed Mrs. Sheppard walking in.  She is about 40 years of age and is a big butch of a woman. Rumor has it that she used to be the star athlete of the school’s football team back in her day.

“What is going on here?” she demanded.

“Her! She did this to me! And I can’t get it off!” Madeline said, pointing a finger at Maria. “I was changing my clothes for class and this disgusting thing fell on my head and it won’t come off!”

“Me? It wasn’t me!” Maria objected.

Mrs. Sheppard looked around at all the girls. “Is this true?” she asked. Nobody replied. Maria’s mouth was left hanging, as she shouldn’t believe that nobody denied what Madeline had accused her of doing.

“Come with me to the office young lady,” Mrs. Sheppard said as she got a hold of Maria’s arm and started to walk with her out of the gym, and towards the direction of the principal’s office.

Great.

When they got there, there was no other student there, so they were ushered right away by Ms. Pollock, the receptionist, to the principal’s office.

Mr. Grayson was sitting behind his desk. He is in his late 50’s, with gray hair and a little bit on the overweight side. He had been teaching for over 30 years, and this is currently his 7
th
term as the principal of Resullar Junior High.

“Now, now, what do we have here,” he said in his usual gentle tone. Among all the faculty and staff in the school, he was the one most liked and most respected by the students.

“Miss Mercado over here has played a very cruel prank to another student,” said Mrs. Sheppard. She was shaking her head and looking at Maria as she spoke.

“I didn’t sir, I swear! It wasn’t
me
.”

“Well then, what happened? You may leave us Mrs. Sheppard.”

Mrs. Sheppard gave Maria one final stern look and then left.

“Sir, it really wasn’t me. When I walked in, she already had the blob on her hair.”

“The what?”

“The blob.” Maria proceeded to tell him about Neil’s newest creation. She also explained how it had already happened before she got there and that she wasn’t the one who left the blob on top of Madeline’s locker.

“Ah I see. Well then if it wasn’t you, then who?”

Not wanting to rat on her best friend, Maria just put her head down.

“Well, if you don’t want to tell me, then I’m afraid that I will have to suspend you, Miss Mercado.”

Ughhhh great.
“Okay, I guess.”

“I must say that I do admire your loyalty to your friends Maria.” The principal got up and opened his office door. “Ms. Pollock? Please put on the records that Miss Mercado is herby suspended for the rest of the day and tomorrow as well.” He then turned to face Maria. “You may now leave the school Maria. You are aware that this will go on your permanent school record?”

She nodded her head.

“Very well. If you decide to tell me the truth later, my door is always open and we can still rectify the situation.”

Maria picked up her backpack and existed the office. She stopped by her locker to get the rest of her things before leaving the school. She took out her iPhone and was about to text jasmine but she really wasn’t sure what to say. She slammed her locker shut and headed out through the front doors.

Mom and Dad are going to kill me.

CHAPTER TWO

A little history about Resullar City might be in order. Discovered by British explorers in the 1600s, Resullar City became a central trading post in Canada. The relatively small and sparsely populated city started out with just a few families as its initial inhabitants. Overtime it has grown to a cozy population of over 200,000. As the city’s economy grew, so did its attraction to immigrants and expats from around the globe.  Resullar City became a prominent city, continuously growing in both economic and physical aspects.

The central part of the city surrounds the harbor front area of Main St. Numerous shops and other businesses occupy the area. It is a popular spot among residents and visitors alike, especially when the cruise ships stop by on the harbor.

The streets surrounding Main St. are composed of a mixture of residential and business structures. A few condominium buildings had been built over the last few years to accommodate the increasing population. The city currently has 5 elementary schools, 5 junior high schools and 5 senior high schools. It also has one university as well as a few private and community colleges.

Although Main St. provides an excellent selection for the palate of most shoppers, a lot of people prefer to do spend their money in the recently finished Chin Plaza. Owned by Madeline Chin’s father, Robert, it is situated just a few blocks away from the waterfront and boasts a competitive selection of both high-end and affordable chain stores. Most of the kids in Resullar City spend a great deal of their weekends in this mall, mainly just hanging out in the food court or the arcades.

About a kilometer east of Chin Plaza stands the biggest public park in Resullar City: The Autumn Colors Park. Like most public parks, it has plenty of green areas available for picnics and relaxation. There are a few water fountains and statues as well as playgrounds for children to enjoy. There is even a small outdoors theatre for summer performances and festivals.

Buried deep inside the park lies a sinister-looking plot of land known only to local residents as the Forbidden Area. From an onlooker’s point of view, there is nothing special about it; yet every time someone tries to enter the Forbidden Area, it has been reported that they get a bad feeling or premonition and almost immediately change their minds. Local legend has it that those who get too close to the boundaries end up disappearing permanently. But of course the local authorities deny these allegations, and reassure the public that the area is perfectly safe. 

It was here, in this Forbidden Area, in the very heart of The Autumn Colors Park in Resullar City, that the once ordinary life of Maria Mercado was changed forever.

***

After the incident at the gym, Maria left the school but she didn’t want to go home. There was nothing to do there. And besides, she needs to think about exactly what she will say to her parents. She had never been suspended before, and if she tells them that it was all Jasmine’s doing then they would definitely make her tell Mr. Grayson the truth. This was not an option she was willing to consider, out of loyalty to her best friend.

She kept walking on the sunny side of the street. She kept thinking about her parents and their possible reactions. Mr. and Mrs. Mercado immigrated to Canada from the Philippines before Maria and Peter were born. They worked hard to establish and build a new life in Resullar City. For years, her father found his place in construction and her mother became a nurse in the hospital; both of them picked up double shifts when possible, as they try to save up for a house.  After two years of effort, they bought their first home in a new subdivision close to The Autumn Colors Park. Two more years passed by before they decided to start a family. Nine months later, Maria Elizabeth Mercado was born. And just a year after that, Peter Wilfred Mercado joined the clan.

Her mother settled as a homemaker to looked after her two young children as her father progressed in the construction industry. It wasn’t long before he became the boss of the Resullar City branch. Unfortunately, he suffered an on-site accident, preventing him from continuing on the job site. He received worker’s compensation from the company as he recovered. After a time, he decided to start his own specialty food store, along with his wife.  Their products are imported from all corners of the globe and proved to be an immense hit among the growing number of residents in the increasingly diverse city.

When Maria and Peter were old enough for school, their mother joined their father in looking after the store. The business was small but prosperous enough to support their little family. It became increasingly popular as a regular stop for the cruise ship passengers when they disembark. Eventually, the Mercados were able to open a second branch in another area of the city.

Now that Maria is 15 and her brother is 14, they are able to take shifts at work to help their parents out. They got compensated as any employee would but they were also expected to work as hard as the other employees. Their duties involved cleaning, doing stock, receiving deliveries and storefront selling. They did the job diligently and with minimal complaints, making their parents very proud of them.

And so here Maria is this fine sunny afternoon, roaming around the park, suspended from school, thinking of how to break the news to her parents.  She kept walking around among the beautiful greenery, looking for a suitable tree with a nice shade so she can take a nap under.

Maria wasn’t paying much attention to where she was going. Eventually, she found herself around the border of the Forbidden Area. She got an uneasy feeling but she quickly forgot about it when she looked to her left and saw the most perfect maple tree she had ever seen. And underneath it was the most perfect shade in the entire park.

Maria walked over to the maple tree and took off her backpack. She touched the ground to feel if it’s wet and was glad to feel that it was dry. She took off her coat, rolled it up and placed it on the ground. She then lay down and positioned herself comfortably under the tree, using the coat as a pillow. She took out her iPhone and her earphones from her pocket and started to listen to soothing music. She kept the volume low, wishing to remain aware of her unfamiliar surroundings. Smiling to herself and feeling content, Maria started to fall asleep…

             
Cr-ack!

             
She woke up with a start.
What was that?

             
Cr-ack, cr-ack.

             
The sound was coming from deeper in the forest.
Sounds like someone is walking in there.
They’re crazy
, she thought. Maria ignored it, and closed her eyes again.

             
“Oh no, oh no!” a little voice said.

             
Maria sat up. “Who is there?” she asked as she looked around, spotting no one in sight.

No reply.

Maria got up, grabbed her coat and stashed it inside her backpack. She walked slowly towards the direction of the voice.

             
“Oh no, oh no!” the little voice said again.

             
“Hello?” Maria said.

             
Silence. But something is moving around among the bushes. Something small. She could see the leaves shuffling and she began to get scared. However, she continued to move forward to try to see who or what was over there. Maria was very curious.

             
Suddenly, a little twig came out running and stood in front of he, staring. For a moment there, the two of them just looked at each other, wide-eyed.

             
“What the-?” Maria started.

             
“Oh no, oh no!” the little twig said as it turned around and started running deeper into the forest.

             
“Wait! Wait! I’m not gonna hurt you!” Maria ran after the little twig.

             
Am I seeing and hearing things? Cause I’m pretty sure that it’s a little twig that I saw looking at me and talking. And now it’s running.  A piece of stick is running!

             
Maria continued to run after it, even though it was running pretty fast for something so small.  She could see less and less until eventually it disappeared in the dark. Maria, nervous and curious, kept walking. Eventually she came into a small clearing, with pretty pink flowers that she had never seen before. She came over to touch one of the flowers, and to her surprise, it opened an eye that was in the middle of one of the petals.

             
“Ahhh!” Maria screamed.

             
Suddenly, a little voice behind her said “Shhhhhh! Be quiet! You’re going to wake them up!”

             
Maria turned around to find the little twig standing behind her. It was nothing more than a foot tall, and really looks like a twig; the only difference was that it seems to have four arms and a face.

             
“What are you?” Maria said, looking down at it. “My name is Maria. Maria Mercado. And who am I suppose to be waking up? The flower is already awake.”

             
The twig started to walk away. “Come with me,” it said.

             
Maria followed. “So you’re not going to introduce yourself?”

             
When they’re no longer in the clearing and are back in the woods again, the twig turned around and spoke. “I’m Meeka.”

             
“Hello. Meeka. I beg your pardon, but
what
are you?”

             
“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.” The twig paced around nervously. “I am an Omtar.”

             
“A what?”

             
“An Omtar.”

             
“And what is an Omtar?” Maria asked, confused.

             
“That is my species, we are called Omtars. Oh no, oh no,” Meeka said, as he continue to pace back and forth.

             
“What’s the matter Meeka, what is making you so nervous?”

             
“Because I’m in big trouble, big, big, trouble!” He paused. “I suppose I better take you to meet the others. Luxa will know what to do, come with me.”

             
“But why are you in trouble? And I don’t know about going further into this area, I have never been here before,” Maria said. She slowly followed Meeka anyway.

             
“I’m trouble because you’re here!”

             
“Oh. I guess I can leave.” Maria turned around and began to walk towards the other direction.

             
“No, you can’t!” yelled Meeka in his tiny voice. “You’ve seen me. And you’ve seen the flower. You must come with me now. The others will know what to do.”

             
Maria was reluctant to go with him but her curiosity was overwhelming.  She turned around and started to follow Meeka once more.

             
“Okay, I’ll go with you. But can you tell me something? I mean, what was that flower? It had an eye!”                           

             
“It’s a Mooksha. They’re harmless. It’s the Lakoova you have to worry about, they’re poisonous.”

             
“Oh. Are the Lakoovas the ones you didn’t want me to wake up?”

             
“What?”

             
“Earlier, when I screamed because of the, er, the Mooksha, you told me to be quiet or I would wake them up.”

             
“Oh that. No, I was talking about the Doxpats. They’re still sleeping and we’re not allowed to wake them up. Come on, it’s not far. Ah, we’re here.”

             
Before Maria’s brain could process all the new information, they arrived at a part of the forest with different trees. These ones are so high that Maria couldn’t see the top.

             
“Okay and where are we exactly?”

             
“This is my home. Us Omtars, we live here. In the trees.” Meeka then proceeded to make some sort of call that sounded like a cat in heat. Within seconds the trees around them had what looks like a bunch of twigs running down the trunks and branches. It wasn’t long before Maria was surrounded by what appeared to be hundreds, if not thousands, of walking twigs, all whispering and murmuring and talking in the same tiny voices as Meeka. 

Unbeknownst to them, a figure is hiding in the dark shadows of the trees, listening in. It stayed long enough to get a proper glimpse of Maria before sneaking away, disappearing into the forest. Nobody noticed the figure or its movements.

              Meanwhile, Maria was feeling a little bit overwhelmed. “Meeka, what is going on?” she asked her new friend nervously.

             
“Listen everyone! QUIET!” He did the weird catcall again and everybody stopped. The forest was silent.