Deep in the Forest (Wattpad Editor's Pick, June '22)

3

The cool night air nipped at Zoe's nose and neck. The rocking bench swayed as she tugged the orange and tan Pendleton blanket tighter around her. 

Flannel sheets and soft pillows called her to bed, but tomorrow would be another long day of classes and worrying if her dad would live long enough to have his surgery, just like today and the day before, for countless months now. She wasn't strong enough to face that, so she allowed the rocker to give her sanctuary for a few more minutes. 

Zoe's eye wandered from constellation to individual star imagining the inhabitants that lived on the planets circling them. Since she was little, she wondered what types of bugs she would find and what traits they might have. Would they be the size of a car or small? Would they have something in their systems that could cure cancer like they did in that movie with Sean Connery in it? 

"I thought I might find you out here." 

Zoe stopped rocking. She accepted a mug of chamomile tea from her mom with a smile. "Thanks. Is dad asleep?" 

Tessa sat on the bench, wrapped in her own red and black blanket. "He settled down twenty minutes ago." 

"Good." A bit of tension eased from Zoe's shoulders knowing he was resting. The floral smelling steam from her drink warmed her face as she blew on it. The silence hung comfortably between the two women as Zoe gently pushed off the dirt under the bench, setting the swing back in motion. She propped her head against the white backrest and thought about the green or blue color the space bugs might be. 

Half of Zoe's mug of tea was gone, before Tessa asked, "Do you remember the story about the creation of the milky way?" 

Zoe glanced at her mother's oblong face and straight long nose. She had thick eyelashes surrounding her brown, almond shaped eyes. At sixty-one, she didn't look a day over forty with her long black hair that held no strands of silver. Tonight, it was loose and flowing instead of in its usual set of braids. 

"Which one was that?" Of course, Zoe remembered most of the stories her mom told her, but she would always say she didn't just to listen to them again. 

"Long ago, the people flailed around in the dark woods, starving and lost." Tessa's voice grew strong, full of conviction as she continued, "The wolf, the cleverest of all hunters, watched the ongoing struggle. One day, he took pity on them and shifted to make himself look like man. He brought the people back to his camp. Wolf spent many days teaching them how to work with the other animals to survive and the safe places to hunt. The people were grateful for wolves' guidance. As a reminder of all that he taught them, he left the wolf trail across the sky." She waved her arm over her head, pointing to the visible parts of the milky way. 

"Good thing wolf took pity on us." Zoe chuckled lightly. 

"Zoe." Tessa's eyes pleaded with her to take this seriously. "It's important that we remember to respect nature and the boundaries to places we should not go." 

"What happened up at Culver Ridge?" 

Tessa sipped her tea. "People have gone missing up there or came back changed, unable to speak clearly or function in public." 

Zoe thought about Joseph Silverstone, a hiker that went missing when she was young. Last summer, he walked out of the woods looking like a hermit who ingested more psilocybin than psychologically safe. His mossy brown head and facial hair covered his upper body and his eyes never stopped darting around his surroundings. "People go missing all the time, what does this—" 

Tessa's warm hand laid on top of hers and squeezed. "I not sure what happened to them, but your grandfather told me to stay away from Culver Ridge. Respect the boundaries, baby girl. Okay?" 

Zoe nodded. "Of course, but why didn't you mention this before now?"

"You never ventured off the path before."

Zoe savored the earthy aftertaste of her tea, mulling over her mother's words. 

Tessa held up her empty mug. "I'm off to bed, don't stay up too long." 

"I won't. Goodnight, mom." 

Tessa kissed Zoe's forehead and left her to her thoughts.