Moon and Storm

Part Three

The next morning, Moon packed her bag with two lunches as usual, but she also threw in her binder and a history book. When her mother saw her heading for the door, the woman stopped her. "Where are you heading off to?"

"I was going to go to the library to do some studying." She motioned to where the twins were, fighting with play swords and making a raucous. "I can't focus here."

Her mother seemed relieved and pleased. "Alright. Just stay away from the forest, and be back in time for dinner."

"I promise, Mama!" She slipped out the door and headed off through the cul-de-sac, aiming for the library. She waited until she was well out of sight of her entire neighborhood before she turned to the forest. In the distance, she could already see Fox and Storm waiting for her, just at the edge of the woods, though she hadn't told them where to find her. She smiled wide and ran for them, and the boy stepped back and opened his arms.

"You came!" he exclaimed as she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. He held her tightly, and it was only when the deer urged them both away from the forest's edge that they released each other and let Fox lead them deeper into the woods.

"I did my best. My mother thinks I went to the library."

"Will she be able to find out you lied...?"

Moon shook her head. "I don't think so, not if I work it right." She threaded her fingers through his. "Would you show me something, Storm?"

"Of course. Anything you'd like." He smiled wide. "The whole forest is yours. Just say the word and I'll take you there."

But again, Moon's face must have given her away, because after a moment his smile faded. "You want to go there, don't you?"

"I think I do."

He sighed heavily, but started to walk in a new direction now, and Moon was sure he was taking her where she wanted to go. She wanted to see where Cory Larson had supposedly drowned.

"I don't know why you're so obsessed with him," Storm said. "You didn't know him, you said so yourself. You just know of him."

"Maybe. I don't know how to explain it. I think that's why Fox brought me out here—I think I'm supposed to help him in a way that you and she weren't able."

Storm looked at her with confusion. "But he's dead. How can you help him?"

"I don't know. Maybe his spirit isn't at rest. Maybe it needs to be put to rest. Or maybe there's something else I'm supposed to be doing. I just know that I need to see it with my own eyes."

Grudgingly, the boy accepted this, and the rest of their trek was taken in near silence. At first, the boy would try to break the silence from time to time to explain something about the area to Moon, but the closer they got to the other side of the forest, the closer they got to Beaverton, the quieter he got, until eventually he stopped talking altogether. The last half hour they walked in complete silence, save for the rustle of the wind through the trees. Finally, they came upon the back end of the same stream he had shown her before. This was far away from where the frogs were playing, however, and this part of the forest felt darker somehow, almost tainted. She could feel the death in this place, and the trees themselves seemed to warn her to turn away while she still had the chance.

She almost did just that, and she even found herself reaching for Storm's arm, to stop him in his tracks, but before she could open her mouth to suggest they abandon this foolish mission he stopped of his own accord and pointed with a shaking hand to a particularly wide part of the stream.