The Tale of Tomorrow (Gary, AYAOTD)

Tuesday, July 19th, 1994

I saw something strange tonight.

I'm not even sure I should write about it in fear of Mom finding out.

But I think I will anyway. I don't want to forget this night.

After a long day of cheer, I decided to take a run through the forest at the edge of town, the very same one that I somehow go to during my worst moments. I hadn't been inside the forest in a long time -- probably not since the time the police found a dead body in there. Gruesome, I know. It scared me to be in there by myself.

I couldn't help myself tonight, though. Caroline had gotten onto all of us yet again, and Jenny didn't come today, so I couldn't spend the time complaining to her about it. I couldn't even call her because she was out of the house. I had no idea where she was, but she usually told me if she was going to miss practice or not. Hopefully I'll see her tomorrow and ask her about it.

Anyway, I found myself at the edge of the forest after cheer practice, just as the sun was going down, and I knew I had to take a quick walk before it got dark. Somehow, though, I got turned around in the fading light, and before I knew it, I was lost in the place I used to call home. That was where I stumbled upon something I knew I shouldn't have.

The first thing I saw was a fire blazing with a few people sitting around it, laughing together about something that I had missed. Because of the flames that were dancing, I couldn't really see how many people were there or what they were actually doing. Still, there were people basically having a party in the forest.

I made my way to where I had thought I came from, trying to stay as quiet as possible, but I still stumbled over some sticks on the ground. They cracked underneath my feet, and I could hear the people around the fire go quiet. I probably scared them pretty bad, but then one guy laughed suddenly, the sound ringing out around me. The last thing I heard from him before I ran away was him saying, "Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society --"

I couldn't hear anything else because I knew I had to get out of there. But there was something about that voice that sounded so familiar. I'm still trying to figure out where I've heard it before. But I also want to know what the Midnight Society is, and why they're meeting out in the woods in the dark. 

It's getting late, and I hear Mom walking down the hallway toward our room. Megan's snoring away, and I should be, too, but I had to write about this before I forgot everything important.

- Orchid, July 19th, 1994