Dennis ran through the woods until he tripped on a root falling face first into the soft soil. Breathing hard, he took a moment to observed his surroundings. The trees slowly swayed with the autumn breeze. Orange, red, and brown leaves shook from their branches and floated down to the bottom. As Dennis looked around, he noticed where the ground was patted down and darker than the rest of soiled ground. An Indian trial, he thought. This must be where Karma walks. Stepping on the trail, Dennis followed it deeper in the woods. He crossed a small creek with a bridge that was built across it. Afraid at first, Dennis took careful steps across. When he knew that it wasn't going to fall underneath him, he walked little faster.

The more that Dennis entered the woods, the denser and darker it became. Why on Earth would Karma ever want to come this deep into these woods? Dennis thought with uneasiness. Dennis stopped dead center on the trail and looked up. A treehouse had caught his eye. Dennis tilted his head as he went closer and closer to the old wooden box. He looked around the tree to find a way up inside but could not find one. How did you get up there? The question seemed to burn in his head. But the most serious question was: what could be hidden inside that would acquire no way in?

He suddenly heard the sound of leaves crunching and branches being broken. Spinning around, Dennis saw Alice and Star making their way toward him. "There you are!" Alice said once she saw him, eyes blazing. "What in God's name are you doing out here? You know well enough that mom and dad don't want us in here. We could get in big trouble, mister."

"I just wanted look." Dennis said stomping a foot on the ground. "And I intend to found out." Then turning on his heels, Dennis began to his search for a way up inside the treehouse.

"Urgh!" Alice screamed. "You bull-headed freak! Why don't you ever listen to me?" Star placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Let's just humor your brother," Star said. "If we help him up in that tree and find nothing there, he'll have to come back." Alice sighed. Her friend was right, of course.

"Fine, you little troll, we'll help you." Alice said as she searched for a way in. Star helped as well, looking under leaves and inside tree knolls. As they searched, Dennis began to feel helpless. How was he supposed to know what happened to his sister if he couldn't even figure out how to get up inside a treehouse? He sat down beneath the treehouse with a huff. Dennis buried his face in his knees as the feeling of hopelessness settled in.

"Hey guys!" Dennis heard Star called. "I think I found something. Come here!" Dennis jumped up at once and ran toward Star. She stood by a tree not too far away from the treehouse holding a stick that curved at one end.

"A stick? Seriously, Star?" Alice said annoyed. Star rolled her eyes at Alice.

"Yes, I'm serious. Looked at this," she held out the stick to them. "The stick has little craving markings on them. This stick was carved out like this."

"So?" Alice said crossing her arms.

"So, what if it's a way to get into that treehouse." Without further explanation, Dennis took the stick and ran to the treehouse. Looking up, Dennis spotted what looked to be a hatch. Dennis squinted his eyes and tilted his head to get a better look. He spotted a little latch that hung from the hatch. Dennis looked from the latch to the stick then back to latch. Smiling, he lifted the stick up to latch and once Dennis hooked it, he pulled. The latch fell open with a rope ladder in toll. Dennis smiled even wider as he turned toward his sister and her friend. Almost immediately, Dennis began to climb up the rope ladder. Alice and Star soon followed. For the most part, the treehouse was plain, all except for the multiple pieces of paper that littered the ground and the huge paper map the filled one wall.

Dennis gaped at what he saw. Was this literally were his sister, Karma, spent most of her days at? "What in God's name is this?" Alice said, also surprised by the mess.

"I wish I knew." Dennis said. He walked around the small treehouse that barely fit the three of them. Dennis started to pick up the random pieces of paper from the floor. Each one either had an idea on it or sketches of some creature.

"What's Ar-u-la?" Star asked sounding out the name of the world they yet to know of. She was staring at the map that hung on the wall. "If I didn't know any better, I say that your sister had some imagination."

"More like an obsession." Alice commented, looking at the map as well. Dennis ignored his sister and her friend and kept looking around. There must be something here that tell us where she went, Dennis thought as he came to a small table in the corner of the treehouse. Sitting on the table was a blue composition notebook, curious, Dennis opened it up to the first page. It read:

8/9

It has on been a few months since I bought that book and things had gotten interesting. I only wish that people would understand, but I guess it's because people don't like what they can't explain. I can't even begin to understand. Just weeks ago, I recently found this old abandon treehouse in the deepest parts of the woods. I wondered who built it. I was afraid to go inside though. I refuse to go up inside for the longest time, but when I realized that it had been abandon for years, I made it my own and made it my workplace. Here, at least, I can work in peace.

~ Karma Windale

Dennis flipped through more of the notebook and stopped on page that had caught his eye. This page was written years after her first page.

3/4

Two years it had been ever since I left Arula and I can't help the growing feeling that something is wrong. I've been getting these awful headaches that only seem to go away when I'm drawing in that book. I often think that that book is controlling me in some way, but that's crazy, right? "Don't let it take control. Don't let it change you." That's what that woman, whom I got the book, from said. Everyday those words haunt me and every day I look at that book and wonder its true power. Maybe it was a mistake for me to take that responsibly. Maybe I'm just not ready. Will I ever be ready? Who really knows.

~ Karma Windale

Dennis' heart began to pound heavily against his chest. He did not like this, not at all. What was Karma talking about? What is Arula? And most importantly, what's going on? Dennis was almost afraid to read on. Then he came across a page that had this year's date on it. Taking in a shaky breath, he read it.

5/23

I would never had thought this day would come. Never have I ever felt so betrayed. I don't know how Omar gave me that message, but one thing is for sure, I must go back. This ruin's my plans for the next couple of months. I didn't want to leave like this, not in this situation. But I must. I must put Arula back in order. I fear this will be the last time I see Lake Side, Georgia. If only I had a bit more time to say good-bye. I will miss my family terribly and I know they'll miss me too. It will hurt, but I know I'll be able to move on and so will they. It is only a matter of time.

~ Karma Windale

Shaking now, Dennis turned to what seemed to be the last page in the notebook. Hesitantly, Dennis read it.

5/23

If this is ever found, no matter the years or months of this discovery, I only wish that you do not follow me. For you will only go to your own destruction. I do not wish for those I love to go on a wild goose chase. But, please, if you ever find this, give them this notebook. Because I don't think I was ever able to give them it myself. To look at the eyes of my family, I only saw disappointment. I was never one to earn their praise or as much love I except to have. If you could, look up these people,

Adam Windale

Mary Windale

Alice Windale

Dennis Windale

Tell them that I only wish our time together could've lasted longer and that I'm sorry. For everything. And if you ever find a box, bury it, where no one will ever find it. Do not open it! I repeat do not open it. There are things in this world that I'm afraid you and everyone else will not quite understand.

~Karma Windale

Angry, frustrated, sad, Dennis didn't know what. Out of rage, he threw the notebook across the room. Alice, who read over her brother's shoulder, could only stare. Not even she understood. She looked at her brother, who's eyes began to water. Alice could only shake her head. Growling, Dennis kicked the table legs. He heard a small cling on the wooden floor. "Hey, look what I found," Star said, turning Dennis' attention away. She was squatting in front of a cabinet. She pulled on it to find it locked. "Oh, shoot." Alice sighed and hung her head down. Why was all of this happening to her? Why couldn't she have a normal life? With a normal family? She squeezed her eyes shut and reopened them, her eyes focusing under the table. Something caught her eye. Bending down, Alice discovered a key. She picked it up and twirled in between her thumb and forefinger.

Looking at the cabinet that Dennis was trying to open, Alice sighed. Great, she thought as she walked over and jabbed the key in the lock. The cabinet opened with a pop and inside was a lonely box. Dennis notice the box and took it out. He tried to open, but the box, much like cabinet, was locked. "Why won't it open?" Dennis snapped. Both Alice and Star looked at each other.

"Well for one," Star said. "It's locked. We need a four-number digit to open it."

"Great," muttered Alice. "That could be anything!"

Dennis stared at the four-digit number code. Lost in thought and soul. "7-6-7-6" Dennis suddenly said.

"What?" Alice asked.

"7-6-7-6" Dennis repeated. "It's the code Karma and I used when we played spies as kids." Alice was just to about to argue with her brother but thought better of it. When Alice put in the last digit, the box popped opened an inch or so. Alice opened it slowly and gasped when she saw what was in it. Four glowing orbs laid peacefully inside. Dennis reached in and pulled one out. "Uh?" He questioned.

"What are you doing?" Alice said. "Put that down, who knows what it is." Dennis ignore his sister but decided to listen. As he was about to put the orb back, it slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor. But, nothing shattered, instead it exploded into different colors until it formed into an oval. The trio had screamed and ran to the back of the room, watching the glowing, floating oval. It flashed many colors as it floated there.

"What is it?" Star asked.

"You think I know?" Alice said. Dennis looked at the oval for the longest time, then suddenly he understood. The oval looked just like a portal, like the ones he seen in video games and television. Dennis remembered Karma saying something years ago, when he asked if they lived in the future, what would be the fastest way to travel. She answered by saying a portal. "You just say where you want to go, and it will take you there." Karma had told Dennis that day. Dennis turned to look at the map behind him. He read the first name he saw,

"Shurli!" He shouted and the portal exploded into different colors until it finally settled back down.

Alice and Star just stared at Dennis as he made his way toward the portal. "And where do you think you're going?" Alice said, voice shaking.

"To find our sister." He said as he entered the portal and disappeared with Alice and Star close behind him.