X-Marks: Rising Shadows

After

I strolled up the side of the steep hill, letting the warm blades of grass sink between my toes and the cooling air of the summer's breeze rush under my arms. The sun was bright today, hitting my skin like a warm embrace and much stronger than it had been in weeks. It was the perfect day for this. A reminder of how far I had come and how much there was to remember.

I stood on top of the hill and walked towards the short tree nearby. I hadn't visited it in weeks but today felt like the right day. With the waves of the water keeping me awake at night, it was as if she was calling me back here.

I looked down to the small round stone in the earth and rested a bunch of white wildflowers on top.

I traced my fingers along the words carved into the stone, "Ocean," it read.

Beside the rock laid the others stones. Buggy, Madelyn, J and as many as I could remember.

There were so many names here. So many faces I could only see in my memory. So many things I now understood that I wished I could just say, thank you.

Nate also came up this hill almost every day and talked with the stones he made for his family. Evee was due to deliver their first child any day. I was up here when he shared the news with them.

I watched the blades of grass flutter in the heavy breeze.

It made me think of nan that day on the canopy.

"Change has its price too. If you're willing to pay that is," she had said to me.

I just didn't know the price would be this.

"How are you up here?" Mat said as he stood behind and blocked the sun from my view.

"Better," I said and smiled back up at him.

"I was getting worried," he said and laughed, "I thought you had run off on me."

"You know it's not that easy to get rid of me," I said and wrapped my arms under his waist to help him steady his weak leg on his crutches.

I walked beside Mat, holding his hand and looked down at the little homes made of vines and lumber. We had only been here for two years ago, but already we had settled like we had been here our whole lives.

There was peace here. A way to forget anything and everyone outside of this place.

At the bottom of the hill, the forest grew far out into the planes of the land. I walked between the trees, feeling my hand on the rough bark and let my feet pick up wherever they wanted to go far into the uncharted paths.

"Hey," I heard Mat say from behind, "Where are you going?"

I snapped my neck towards him, the spell of the forest was broken.

"I - I don't know," I said and stared back into the forest.

"Come on," Mat said with a warm smile, "Let's go back home."

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The journey is over, but there's much more to explore! 
Read on to the next page to learn more about the next chapter in The Shadows Series.