Dryads and Nymphs

Chapter 24-Lost

Maryse was pacing in her bedroom restlessly. She could not find Ariana anywhere. She had been to her house, where Ariana’s mother—almost back to her usual self  other than a dark mood that hung over her like a cloud—had denied having seen her at all since last afternoon, when she had left the house without an explanation. She had been to the little clearing, but had not found anything except for an empty sack, which had contained apples and pears last night.

She had checked her own house but no sign of Ariana. Salem had been with Ariana’s father and she hadn’t considered telling him until just now, when George had arrived at her house saying that Salem needed to speak to Ariana but he couldn’t find her. She had told George to get Salem then, and was walking from one end of her room to the other waiting impatiently.

There was a knock on the door and Maryse rushed out of her bedroom, down the stairs but before she could answer the door, Clove yanked it open to reveal Salem, with George standing a little behind him. Salem’s eyes regarded her sisters thoughtfully and seriously before saying politely, “Good evening. I need to speak to Maryse. May I borrow her for a moment?”

Before Clove could reply, Maryse pushed past her and was out on the steps, slamming the door shut behind them.

“Maryse—” Salem started to say disapprovingly, but she raised her hand to cut him off.

“George,” she said turning to the nervous brown haired boy, “you can leave.” He nodded and turned back the way he had come.

“I can’t find Ariana,” Maryse said in a half whisper, watching George’s retreating figure, to keep herself from looking up at Salem.

Salem started. “What! But I-I thought she was here with you or someplace else.”

Maryse shook her head regretfully. “I looked everywhere I could think of; her house, the clearing, my house. I even asked a few people.”

“Did you see her at all today?” Salem asked, his gray eyes darkening.

She shook her head again. “I should have gone to practice with her and Dylan, but I didn’t want to. I thought she would come looking for me when she saw that I wasn’t there, but she didn’t. I got angry then, but after a few hours I got anxious. I started looking and I couldn’t find her.”

“Is there someplace you didn’t look?” Salem asked softly.

Maryse frowned as she tried to remember. She had said something about a lake once hadn’t she. What were the chances she was there now?

“The lake,” she whispered.

“Lake?” Salem echoed.

“She goes to a lake sometimes. She told me about it a week ago. But I don’t know where it is.”

“But it has to be somewhere in the woods right? Even though I don’t know about any lakes in the countryside we’ll have to search for it,” Salem said decisively, and began to walk away.

“Salem!” she called out before she could stop herself. She couldn’t bear the look on his face right now. He looked so devastated, his gray eyes troubled. If there was one thing, she couldn’t bear more than the look on his face was waiting around for the news of what had happened.

He was waiting for her to say more, half turned around in her direction, so she breathed deeply and said, “I’m coming with you.”

*  *  *

The woods were dark. The evening was turning into dusk as if the sun was rushing to get away, and night couldn’t wait to take its place. Maryse wished it would get cooler as she brushed the stray strands away from her face and the nape of neck, which were already wet with sweat.