Secret Places and Hidden Things

Chapter Two

A long time ago...

Two companions found themselves on a grassy hillside covered in yellowing leaves. The midday autumn sun hung low in the sky, bright and cool, throwing long shadows behind distant trees. There was a sound, like shouting, behind them, but it faded quickly.

"William, isn't it pretty?" Jack asked, tromping through the leaves.

William inhaled deeply. The air smelled earthy and fresh. He also caught something like cinnamon from the spicy cloud that always seemed to follow Jack. Abandoning his usual stoic demeanor, he ran up to the crest of the hill and collapsed into the roots of a lonely maple. Jack followed, laughing, and began building a nest.

"I want to stay here forever, Will." Jack's eyes opened wide with earnest. "Do you think we'll get to stay here?"

William looked out on the endless pastures rolling away before them. Isolated oaks and maples, red and yellow and brown, scattered their leaves into a persistent breeze. It was hard to believe in forever when the trees themselves had given up. "No, I suppose not," he sighed. "Things never stay the same."

When Jack's face fell, William shook his head. "Don't worry about it. We're here now, aren't we?" Reaching over the leafy pile, he ruffled Jack's hair, releasing another cloud of spice. Jack leaned out of the way automatically, his initial happiness floating away on the rippling waves of grass. William folded his hands behind his head and laid back, deciding to let the mood pass.

These two had known each other a long time, and for a while they just sat there, as close friends often do, Jack rustling the leaves as he shifted. Clouds moved overhead, blotting small shadows in the distance. Wind brought the empty plains to life.

William was the first to break the silence, hoping to tempt Jack's wandering mind. "There's something different about a place like this. It's like we've broken free from certainty, adrift on some current that'll carry us away from things we're supposed to remember and worry about."

Jack gave him a long look. "But, what are we doing here?"

William could only laugh. "Now that is a question. What are we ever doing anywhere? We're here now; we'll be gone later. That's just how things work." He looked over at Jack, who was staring out into the hills with a furrowed brow, his eyes focused on something beyond sight.

"It's just...you're right. Things are different. It's not this place, though; I think it's us. It's felt this way for a while."

William was surprised. He had never seen this side of Jack before. "Well, changes happen. We just have to live through them and hope we come out the better for it."

Jack didn't respond. He began picking the bark off a twig, his fingers acting automatically. A slight breeze passed by, causing a few leaves to whirl their way down the hill and off into the distance before dissipating. Aside from a dull crackling, it was quiet.

William reached across the leafy barrier and wrapped Jack in a one-armed hug. It was an awkward position, and after a moment the two fell sideways in a flurry of leaves. "Explosions of foliage!" William yelled, and dropped a pile of leaves onto Jack's face.

"Hey!" Jack sat up sputtering. "I was serious!"

"I know, and it was weird."

"Well fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." He crossed his arms. "You'll notice it soon enough."

William just shrugged. "I never really notice things until it's too late. Then I just think about them endlessly."

Jack tossed his stick down the hill. "I guess we're both wasting time. Maybe we should just forget it and enjoy the leaves."