What He Heard

Chapter 18

            Placing the platter of vegetables, cheese, and crackers onto the dark wood table carefully to avoid a food avalanche, Willow took the chair across from Rune, leaning back into its comfortable leather embrace. He looked at the plate, then at her, eyebrows going up. “Please tell me you don’t expect me to eat all of that, or even half. I know the stereotype is that guys eat a lot, but there’s no way I can manage that.”

            Willow could feel her cheeks heating up. “I’m not. I could eat all of it myself without any problems. So eat however much you want.”

            Rune stared at her for a moment, then chuckled. “Seriously? I mean, I know you eat a ridiculous amount at lunch, but I thought you didn’t eat anything else until dinner. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were preparing for hibernation.”

            Her cheeks flaring pink, Willow muttered, “I can’t help what my body does. It’s only this bad in summer and fall and it’s not like I actually sleep all winter.”

            Laughing, Rune shook his head. “I was joking. I didn’t think you’d actually be getting ready to hibernate! You really are part bear, aren’t you? Do you get extra hairy or anything? Will I notice you getting fat?”

            Willow glared at him. “Keep teasing me about it and I’ll show you how much of a bear I can be. I’ll start by biting your head off.”

            He only grinned. “Try that with someone you didn’t force into self-defence lessons because you were worried about me. But fine, since your impending hibernation’s such a touchy topic, I’ll change subjects. How do you think Mr. Beasley liked our sweet, pun totally intended, cell?”

            She rolled her eyes. “You’re awful. But I think he liked it. Or he will once he reads our report about what we made everything out of and how we made it a theme. He has a sense of humour, even if he tries to hide it. When Zach convinced Jean during class last year that Dawn of the Dead had really happened, you could see Mr. Beasley’s shoulder shaking as he tried not to laugh.”

           Rune laughed. “She actually believed that? Man, I’m going to have to shake Zach’s hand next time I see him. That’s quality, right there.”

            “I get the feeling that you two are either going to become instant friends, or instantly dislike each other. The scientist in me wants to record the whole thing. Or mess with both of you as a social experiment.”

            “Hey! I’m supposed to be the evil genius here.”

            She smirked. “You’d have to be a genius for that to be true.”

            “Oh no, you didn’t,” Rune replied, snapping his fingers either side of his head, his lips pouted out.

            Willow laughed, causing him to break down and join her. “Please, please tell me you’ve seen what you look like when you do that!”

            “Only once, in the mirror.”

            Opening her mouth to reply, the loud clanging of a bell rang through the open windows of her house. Willow instantly jerked upright, her head snapping in the direction of the sound. She leapt to her feet, Rune a moment behind her, looking around. “What is it?” he asked.

            Face paler and eyes wider, Willow’s mouth worked for a second before she managed to get words out. “That’s the alarm bell. It means something big’s happened. The last time I heard it… Uncle Hector had died and Aunt Agatha became Eldest. I need to go to the meeting hall,” she said, taking a few steps before remembering Rune. “You might as well come. It’s not like we have anything left to hide from you.”

            Rune hurried after her as Willow eased into running, barely stopping long enough to shut her front door. They sped down the dirt path edged in trees, past houses that stood empty but with lights blazing, bikes laid on their side, and balls left abandoned on the ground. Reaching the centre of the property, they could hear the gathered Byrons before they saw them, their voices blending together into a dull roar that rose and fell.

            The meeting hall was the centre of the swarm, people pressing to get in and spreading out around the entrance, all talking at once. Willow didn’t see her Uncle Allistair, but if this was the bad sort of emergency, he’d be inside already, with the rest of the Elders.

            Willow led the way forward, Rune sticking close to her as they joined the streams of her relatives hurrying inside. In the wood rectangle of the building, they were forced to squeeze their way through the crush, finally stopped when they had a wall beside them. Everyone was standing, no one bothering to get and set-up the chairs, except for the line always left on the back platform for the Elders. She could see that every one of those chairs was filled.

            As the last few stragglers got inside, the whispers slowly died away. It was Willow’s Uncle Oswald who stood and walked to the front of the platform. He swept the crowd with his gaze before saying, “We need everyone to remain calm as we explain this situation. You’ll be sorted into group shortly, but for now, please just remain where you are.”

            He waited for a few seconds, watching the sea of Byrons, before nodding. “This afternoon around three, Austin James went to play in his yard. He hasn’t been seen since then, and after searching the area and checking with the other children, we believe he’s run into the woods. This wouldn’t be such cause that we would call it an emergency, but as you’re all aware, we have cryptozoologists in the forest. We’re mobilizing all adults and children over the age of fifteen. Everyone else is to remain here, under the eye of the Elders. Elder Allistair will start organizing the groups, so stay where you are until you’re called. Thank you.”

            As voices erupted all around them, Willow turned slowly to look at Rune.