Secrets of the Great Oak

Chapter 18

Jake and Anna followed the hiking trail around the park. They wound around the trail, through the brush.

"Man, these guys must've been dedicated partiers to come all this way. Especially if they were lugging kegs. How in the world did they get away with this?" Jake whispered, following close behind Anna.

Anna simply nodded, intently watching the trees on the right side of the path.

They kept moving until they found the little wooden chip engraved with a balloon nailed to one of the large oak trees on the right side of the path. Rain was in the forecast for this evening and it was just starting to sprinkle as Anna wheeled around to look at Jake.

"Jake! Jake! This is it. This is the symbol Maggie's diary talked about! We must be getting close." She looked down to see a faint hint of a worn path now grown over in years without use.

"It doesn't look like anyone's been down here for years," Jake said as he came up behind Anna. "Ladies first." He gestured with his hand for Anna to follow the path.

No one had been here for a very long time. Twigs and branches were scratching at every inch of the pair as they pressed forward. The forest floor itself was just a bit shorter for a long stretch, probably because of all the shoes that came this way, heading towards a rager in the woods. Anna smiled to herself. This was such a Maggie thing to do; sneak off, no parents, no rules, and have some fun.

Anna was too young to go to these parties then, otherwise, Maggie probably would've dragged her along. If only Maggie could see her now. The dreams that she had been having of Maggie had been jarring at first but, Anna grew to look forward to them. She decided that morning that she was simply seeing Maggie live the life she'd always wanted, marrying some prince in a faerie realm somewhere. Maggie seemed to be warning Anna away from her case. But, the dreams only spurred Anna on. Since reconnecting with Maggie in her dreams, Anna's desire to know what really happened to her only deepened.

Jake and Anna fought their way to where they knew there was a clearing up ahead, based on the journal. The hike on the trail had been about a mile, but this had to be at least another mile into the forest, that would make it more soundproof. So they walked for another 10 minutes and cleared the way as they went. Anna's excitement and nerves grew with every step.

She didn't know exactly what she expected to find in this old hang out spot, but she knew she needed to get there. The rain started to come down harder now, but the brush was less thick.

"I think we're getting close," Anna said.

"I think I can see the break in the treeline up ahead." Anna saw it too and stopped moving. "Anna, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." She said quietly and started to inch forward again. Then she saw it, the edge of the clearing that Maggie loved so much. And Anna stepped through the final tangle of branches, with Jake close behind her.

Jake let out a low whistle as Anna looked around in awe. This place looked like a scene out of one of Anna's stories. The trees made a canopy that moonlight could still breakthrough. Birds singing beautiful melodies sat in the branches of the surrounding trees. Wildflowers grew with reckless abandon and engulfed the area. They grew through old beer cans and over decaying snack wrappers from the last time somebody was here. But the way all the labels were washed out and degrading, Anna guessed it really hadn't been used since Maggie went missing.

Anna turned to look at Jake, but he was staring intently at the tree in the middle of the clearing. She cast her gaze in that direction and was blown away by the massive, incredibly old oak tree. Its trunk and limb were gnarled and mountainous.