It was like any other night in our treehouse, it was cold and dark, when Alyssa looked out the window she said she saw a coyote. I’m not to sure though, ever since mom started telling stories Alyssa will see anything at anytime to please her imagination beside she has seen this coyote for three nights straight. I got up and moved to the floor, where I pulled out a puzzle. “Ok kids one story then off to bed.” my dad loved mom’s stories as much as Alyssa did. Dad said it reminded him of his childhood and it made him feel young again, Alyssa said that the stories were cool and it kept things interesting, but mom, she said the stories were alive and if we disrespected them they would hurt us. I thought they were just stories, some were cool and real enough to be true but it wasn’t, they are just words written on paper to entertain us. As mom sat down in her chair Alyssa handed me a marshmallow, I began to roast it.

Tonight it was a story about some rich dude who stole from the rich and gave to the poor after he lost everything. When the story was finished Alyssa and dad clapped their hands and smiled saying this was the best one yet. I don’t see how it's just like every story, good triumphs evil…..wow so original. Mom noticing my quietness looks at me with a frown, oh god here we go again. “Anthony do you not like my stories, you never clap or smile, I picked this for you the least you could do is say thanks.” Why is it that I HAVE to enjoy her stories, them coming to life is as real as the boogeyman who comes after misbehaving kids. “It was just like the other one. The hero always wins, even if in reality he would lose before he could start. Can we have one where the humans or hero or whatever it is loses, and how was I supposed to know this was for me you never even told me” I am trying to keep my voice calm even as anger threatens to rise up. “Fine” anger floods mom’s eyes, “Tomorrow night the hero will lose everything, he will watch his family die then he will die.” oh no mom is wearing her creepy look, I glance over at Alyssa and she starts shaking. “No I want the hero to win” Alyssa was standing with her hands rolled into fists “ Anthony doesn’t know what he is talking about, and how much the hero goes through to win.” Why does she always wants everything her way, I wanted to see how this story was going to end. “Then maybe this story will help me realize this. Mom could you tell this story please.” Mom grinned and nodded her head, dad realizing we had peace, told us all to go to bed.

The next morning me and dad went to work, he does all the chopping with some other guys while I mainly just stack the wood up . There were other houses in the forest but there were rumors of the forest being haunted so not a lot of people lived here. The only reason anyone lived here was because it was cheap. While I was on break I overheard Jake and Luke talking about one of the families. They always knew everything about everyone and I decided to go back to work right next to them. Although there was a look of annoyance from Luke but that didn’t stop him from running his mouth. “It happened to another house. The family and the house are gone everything is back to how it was. Trees are in the house’s place almost like nothing was there. It happened to the Millers this time.” As Luke said this I looked around, Mr. Miller wasn’t anywhere. “Such a shame he had the most wood out of all of us. If something did happen to him I would have liked to keep some of his belongings.” It was true, everything any of us owned was made of wood except the windows and lightbulbs, it was strange all of the tree houses were disappearing without a trace along with everything in them.

After a few more hours of working the bell marking end time finally rang. As me and Dad started to head back I decided to ask him about what happened to the Millers. “ Why didn’t Mr. Miller come to work he never misses a day of work? Did something happen?” There was a pause before my dad talked “No...he just moved that's all. It was so sudden people are just exaggerating what really happened that's all.” I didn’t realize how bad of a liar my dad is until now but I didn’t ask anymore questions, it is clear that Luke and Jake were telling the truth.

By the time we got home there was a sunset and mom had a book out, she smiled when she saw us but when I got close enough to look her in the eye I saw something like fear and dread almost like she knew something bad was going to happen but all she did was whisper in dad’s ear. When it was time for the story Alyssa handed me a marshmallow and told me the coyote was back, dad sat on the couch again but instead of mom sitting in her chair she sat on the floor next to it. Tonight it was a story about some dude named peter and his fairy sidekick tinkerbell along with his “crew” of seven kids. As I was doubting the story and what my mom thought when I said something different the floor begin to move. The floor started to replant itself, almost like it was going back to how it was before. I knew I wasn’t dreaming when Alyssa clung to my shoulder and asked mom what was happening but before either of my parents could reply a whisper that rode on the wind surrounded us, “You have been cutting down trees, the very trees that provide you with more than enough supplies yet you take more and more. Well it is about time we take everything back one house at a time.” As the voice said this I realized what happened to the Millers and all the others when I looked at my mom there were tears in her eyes and pointed out “ You wanted a story where the humans died well here is your story, don’t worry just listen to my story I am telling you now” As she began reading dad put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Alyssa hadn't moved and didn’t show any signs of moving no matter what happened. By the time the floorboards under mom were turning back to trees she was at the part of the story where the girl named Wendy who wanted to go home and wouldn’t stay in neverland no matter what Peter said she would not stay. All of a sudden I felt myself falling and I could hear Alyssa screaming, although I could not hear I had one last thought about the story, Peter would give anything to make Wendy happy but she still left along with all his little friends and although he still had tinkerbell and all his friends on the island he was alone again. I guess not all st