BACK TO MY MAIN PAGE!

Old Omens

By Liz Laycak

Prologue:

August, 1997

After all of the unfortunate years, it had come down to this. It was a final destination for a group of simple journeymen. The storm clouds awakened a new sense of fear in the two middle aged men; the last of them. With a great strike of lightening the thunder clouds unleashed their load of rain onto the men and the cabin. The rain came in torrents and the thunder shattered their ear drums. The lightening crashed down to the ground at their very feet. The men stood strong. Every force on earth had stood against this crew of saviors to destroy what was their righteous moment, what was their Holy Grail. And the men stood strong. The two men flung the tarp over the building and stood as sentry men in front of the tiny cabin. The wood was rotting away, the beams corroded, and holes filled the roof. It was this building that held their memories and kept the very root of their souls alive. Was it to come to this? Was this the end of all their hopes and dreams, and the end of everything they had struggled so desperately to keep in their lives? The group had fought many a human being and even animal for what was sacred to them; however, they had yet to withstand the hungry rage of nature. Perhaps this was the end.

Chapter One:

May 1966

Willow Fairlong was ten years old and this was her reward for her years of dedication to her family, her friends, and most profoundly her church. She had begun menstruating for the first time in her white Conformation dress, halfway down the aisle, in front of dozens of family members, distant relatives, and worse; peers. How was she to except the body of Christ at this time? She was most certainly too, too young for this to be happening. Why now?

The first giggle erupted from the one she least expected and the one she most feared. The laugh came from Jaykob Alden. He was the oldest of her group of friends, four years, almost five, her senior, whom she had known before she could count. Jaykob was the one whom she most admired, and the one she secretly adored. Being the most mature, Willow had hardly expected Jaykob to laugh. She expected that behavior from Andrew Adolite perhaps. He was eleven and the biggest buffoon she knew. If he had been the first to laugh, Willow surely would have paid no mind. Jaykob had set the example and sent the school aged children into uproars of snickering. Even some of Willow�s relatives had begun to giggle. The second Willow had made her Conformation; her mother Eleanor rushed her into the bathroom. Willow�s mother was the town of Ridgebrook, Montana�s official do-gooder and a renowned Ms. Perfect. Surely Willow�s little situation had thrown her mother�s reputation entirely off course.

�This is so, so unbecoming willow.� Eleanor fumed.

Willow said nothing. She stared at her mother as if for the first time. Willow�s long, wispy blond hair was quit a comparison to her mother�s short black hair. Willow, in fact, did not resemble her parents in the least. Her pale creamy skin reflected nothing of either of her parents� darker skin. She was a fragile girl in every sense of the word and her parents were hard, so very hard. Eleanor�s black eyes glared down on Willow�s crystal blue ones.

�It�s time I got this over with, Willow. There�s something I have to tell you and I was waiting for your Conformation to break the news to you. I believe that this is a time of maturation for you, and you should be able to handle this like a mature young lady.�

Willow�s eyes were cast downwards. �I�m adopted aren�t I?�

Her mother fumed even more, �How dare you say such a thing! No, not at all! Though I wish you were!� Eleanor smacked her daughter across the face.

�You�re father is leaving us.� She proclaimed with as much pride as this pitiful woman could muster. Willow�s mother said �us� as thought it was both their faults instead of, simply, hers. Willow groaned and cried openly. She walked into a stall in the yellow, dank bathroom. Eleanor turned to walk out of the room,

�I will grab your jeans and t-shirt for the reception from the trunk for you now.�

Willow�s only response was her sobs. Her father was her best friend. He had always been there when Willow needed him most and now he was leaving her like a child who had grown too old for his favorite stuffed animal. She understood her mother was hard to live with, but Willow wondered if he even put up a fight to keep her.

"Who would want to keep a disgrace like me?� She thought, looking at her stained Conformation dress.

Willow was anxious as she drove with her mother in their sky blue Cadillac to the reception hall. She feared the faces of her five friends whom she would be sharing the celebration with. Perhaps she really only feared seeing Jaykob. She knew she could laugh with the rest. Surely Beck Seabright would defend her. He had always protected Willow in the most loving manner. He was thirteen years old and for the age difference she always saw him as a big brother. Willow had no siblings and this made living with her mother that much more frightening. Too many frightening things had occurred this past year for her to regain any concept of a normal childhood. She had seen things, frightening things which often made it difficult to cope with the world around her. Although, Willow was always a bit odd. Surely the events of this day would only add to her difficulty.

The mother and daughter Fairlong finally arrived to the reception hall. It was located in the middle of a rickety old shopping center. Spring was approaching and the air was warm and dry. The trees of the forests behind the shopping center and all around, were at peace and blossoming It was nearly seven in the evening and the sun had not even thought about setting yet. Willow, Andrew, Riona Flaherty, Brayden Ferrell, Beck and Jaykob were all celebrating their Conformation. Riona and Brayden were both twelve going on thirteen. Many of the children would call them the "Twins," but Riona and Brayden knew each other's slight differences. Riona had dark red hair, while Brayden's was much lighter and Riona had green eyes as opposed to Brayden's startling grays. Never-the-less, the two were much alike, especially in their love of nature, and maybe this is why the they were rarely separated. These were the most important people, to Willow, at this most important time in her life. It should have been important because they were just children, however, this was not so. The group of young ones had grown much older than their years due to the life-altering events of their lives. These children were very mature for their ages.

As Willow opened the big wooden doors to the reception hall her group of friends jumped up and yelled damaging comments of Willow�s embarrassing moment. Willow and her friends broke into laughter. They each gave her a big hug and a pat on the back, all except Jaykob. Jaykob, Willow thought, was missing. Her momentary joy from the release her friends offered vanished when Willow saw Jaykob flirting with a girl from his class. Riona recognized Willow�s dismay and understood why. She locked her arm around Willow�s and pulled her away. Willow knew Riona would try her best to make her little friend feel better, but it would never work. She could only make Willow feel worse. As Riona stood there, already blossoming into a grown woman with her long legs, flowing red hair, and perfect face, Willow felt worthless and immature. However, Riona hardly recognized her beauty and that always comforted Willow.

�Willow, forget about that creep!� Riona giggled and Brayden joined in

�I say we get Andrew to give him a wedgie in front of his new cutie.� He laughed.

Willow rolled her eyes and wandered over to Beck who was currently the target of Andrews flying rubber bands. Beck the intelligent one. Beck had short black hair that stuck out at all angles. His body was growing so fast the rest of him barely had time to catch up. Thirteen years old and his voice was already changing so much so that sometimes even Willow barely recognized him. Beck was Italian and very dark skinned. He had the bluest eyes which always put Willow at ease. The blue eyes were usually covered by thick, black rimmed glasses. In the coming years, Willow would come to call him her Champion. He had changed out of his awkwardly fitting suit and into a faded green t-shirt and torn khaki pants. Beck pushed his glasses up his nose and gazed adoringly at Willow as she approached him. He was sitting on a bench at a long table and Willow took a seat next to him. She plopped her head into her arms on the table. This was a blatant exaggeration of her feelings to receive Beck�s most adoring concern.

�Willow, don�t do that. I hate to see you sad.� He said in the sweetest tone, once again pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

She peeked her blue eyes out at him through her fingers.

�How can I not be sad?� She mumbled to the table.

�Silly girl.� He said. �You are ten years old and you worry more than my mother.� He giggled.

Willow found her self laughing as well. She still wondered how her friends so easily put off the horrible and amazing things that had happened in their life, it was often as if nothing had happen last summer. Nonetheless, she sat up and picked up one of the rubber bands from Beck and flung it at Andrew at the end of the table. Andrew hurled his scrawny body at Willow and gave her a wet willy. She groaned in complaint and Beck came to her rescue. He dumped a bowl of mashed potatoes on Andrew�s brown speckled head. He looked up in anger at Beck; his little face covered with freckles and mashed potatoes. Everyone joined in, everyone but Jaykob.

�Aren�t those your silly little friends?� Lucy Leonard asked mockingly of Jaykob.

Jaykob rolled his eyes and blushed. �Sometimes I wish they weren�t.�

Jaykob had a crew-cut of the whitest blond hair. His skin was tanned and his body fully muscled by Brayden�s adventures into the wilderness. With his good looks came the looks of older girls, and he could not help but want to impress them. However, it was difficult to impress with a bunch of grade school friends. While he could associate himself with more kids his age, it was difficult to let go of the people who had saved his life, it was difficult to let go of the people with whom he had experienced such remarkable things. Jaykob did not want to think of that right now.

Andrew yelled to Jaykob for backup. He idolized Jaykob as any younger boy would a more mature older friend. The look Jaykob gave Andrew as he walked out of the reception hall with Lucy could have scarred Andrew for ages.

All of Jaykob�s friends sat on the floor in a messy huddle, starring at the door Jaykob had just walked out of. The moment had happened, the moment they feared. The time when those they cared about would grow too old, had occurred. At the same time the �twins� stood up, mumbled �loser�, and followed Jaykob out of the door.

�What are those Red-headed fools doing now?� Beck questioned.

�I hope Brayden gives him the wedgie of a lifetime.� Andrew muttered.

�Amen to that, brother.� �I don�t get it, Beck.� Willow said. �You are only a year younger than Jaykob and you don�t treat us like this.�

At that moment, fear swarmed into Willow�s eyes, �You aren�t going to turn into that, are you, Beck?� She asked with utter concern. Beck focused on her eyes. �Never,� was his response. And Beck kept to his word. If it would hurt Willow, it would never happen.

At the age of twelve, Riona was already taller than Jaykob�s fourteen year old tempter� and twice as attractive. She flipped her red locks and stood in front of Lucy.

�If you don�t mind me saying, Lucy, you�re one ugly dog.� She said, seriously and Brayden tried not to laugh.

Lucy was in awe of this child. She did not plan to waste anymore of her time on Jaykob or his silly little friends.

�I�m out of here, loser.� With that, Lucy Leonard was gone.

Jaykob turned to Riona with his face turning as red as her hair.

�You devil. You crazy devil goat-sucker.� He fumed.

Brayden laughed. �Crazy devil goat-sucker? Gee Riona, that doesn�t sound like something a cool kid would say, right?�

She giggled, �No way would I go out with a loser who would say something like that.�

At that point, Jaykob raised a hand to hit Riona. Before he could hit his mark he was thrown into the brick wall of the building by the force of a bull; by the force of Brayden. As Jaykob tried to catch his breath, Brayden pointed a threatening finger at him as if he was about to say something. But the rage that consumed Brayden could not be quelled, not to the point where words could cure him. Instead, Brayden used his fists. Riona screamed for them to stop and soon the parking lot was filled with all of those in attendance, and the adults tried to break up the fight. But no one, not even an adult could stop Brayden in the midst of his rage. The fuel that drove him was years of watching his father abuse his mother. From this lesson, Brayden Ferrell learned that no man, not he nor anyone in his presence, would ever raise a hand in anger to any woman. Brayden beat Jaykob to a pulp and when was finished he stood to face his cowering friends. All of the muscles on Brayden�s large body gleamed with sweat and his red hair was a mess.

�Gee, Brayden. He just ignored us is...� Andrew said cautiously.

Riona clasped a hand over the naive boy�s mouth before he could say anymore. Brayden�s mother pulled him to their car muttering several obscenities and saying one line that was very obvious, �Do you want to end up in jail like your father?� If it took protecting the world from the women abusing scum of the earth, Brayden thought as he glared at Jaykob�s limp body, then yes, it was.

The adults tried to hurry the children back into the reception hall. Jaykob�s mother was busy packing the rest of her sons into the mini-van to take them home. His mother had checked him and understood that he was cowering from shame and not from pain. So, being a woman surrounded by men, she understood and let him be, for a few minutes.

Willow walked away from the crowd and crouched down next to Jaykob. She stroked his bruised face with her delicately angelic hands.

�Jaykob,� Willow said, but Jaykob would not open his eyes. He merely lay in a fetal position with his hand crossed over his knees.

�Jaykob,� She said again, this time believing he was asleep.

�I love you, Jaykob.� Willow said and softly kissed his temple.

She checked to make sure no one was around and ambled away. Jaykob followed her with his eyes. After Willow left his sight, Jaykob closed his eyes again, this time feeling much more at ease with himself.

Chapter Two:

July 1965

There are moments in a person�s childhood that can change them entirely. Almost a year prior to Jaykob�s religious confirmation, that moment had occurred. He had been friends with his little group since his preschool years, but never had he known they would ever grow this close; never had he known how much they cared. Jaykob was the youngest of four boys and was always vying for acceptance. He was not the smartest, nor the tallest, nor the strongest. He found his acceptance among his younger friends who looked up to him. It made him feel like more of a person. Never once had he felt he would give his life for one of them, or have the same happen in return.

It was the summer of Jaykob�s thirteenth year and he and his friends were off on one of Brayden�s earliest adventures. It was around this time Brayden had found his love of the forests which surrounded their homes in western Montana, and it was around this time when his imagination blossomed to its fullest. He would plan adventures for his friends. Sometimes these journeys would last for days. They had never yet found the end to these forests, for they went on for dozens and dozens of miles. The plan this time was to climb the steep hills in the forest and over one of the many waterfalls to find what Brayden believed was a mysterious cabin. The others had yet to see this cabin with their own eyes, but according to Brayden, it did exist.

The other children had told their parents that they were spending the weekend at Brayden�s. Brayden did not bother to offer his mother an excuse, he just left for the weekend. This was possibly going to be the most strenuous of their adventures yet. The group had never gone as far as where this supposed cabin was and Willow was not sure if she could make it. While she was probably more limber and agile than the rest, she was also the most delicate. Friday after school, Beck had warned her not to come.

It was the week of their adventure and Beck and Willow had stopped after school to sit under their special Willow tree on the corner of their block. This was the children�s favorite spot to relax and to play. Beck had chose this special spot to warn Willow, which he knew she would not be happy about.

�I really think Brayden is losing his mind with this haunted cabin thing.� He said.

Willow giggled and tried to hide her fear. �Well, I don�t want you going Willow.� He told her, pushing his glasses upward. �I don�t want you getting hurt.�

Willow felt embarrassed and even more like a child. She stomped away without a response. It was finally Saturday, the day of their adventure. The sky was a perfect clear, crystal blue. A spot of clouds here and there, and the sun was high. Birds sang their summer song, roses bloomed, and the trees made love, swaying with the wind. The beautiful afternoon harbored every childlike dream for every dreamer.

Now that the day had come, Willow was nervous, but excited. She walked next door to Riona�s house. Riona loved these trips just as much as Brayden did. She bounded the whole way to his house with joy. As they walked they met up with Andrew, Beck, and Jaykob. Willow put on her best smile for Jaykob, and of course, Jaykob walked right passed her to Riona. As Willow�s pathetic gaze followed him, Beck moved next to her. He knew she loved Jaykob and he felt it was the craziest thing. However, Beck knew better than to question her inane motives.

The group approached Brayden�s house. It was on the dead end of their street and passed that dead end was the forest that rolled on forever. It was alive this summer with the chirping of birds and the music of crickets. The sound filled Brayden with a love he could not explain. Forever had this forest been Brayden�s safe harbor. When his father flew into one of his fits of rage and his mother would yell for Brayden to run, to the forests he would fly. Brayden would run, even in the dead of winter, with the trees� half alive twigs scraping his cheeks, and he would hide in the dirt and snow. He did this for many years, of course, until the day Brayden ran at his father instead of to the safety of the trees. The group saw Brayden waiting on the steps of his porch, all smiles. Next to him were sleeping bags for everyone to carry on their backs which the children always left in Brayden�s safe keeping. There was also a map, bottles of water, and a shopping bag full of food.

�Nice to see that you are prepared as always.� Beck said of Brayden.

�Of course. I wouldn�t want a brain like you telling me what I did wrong.� Brayden said while punching Beck on the shoulder.

Everyone picked up their gear and set off into the forest. The trip began as usual. Andrew trying to entertain the group with his stupid jokes and stories and Beck correcting him at every chance he could. Brayden led the way with Riona at his side telling stories of the wilderness, which he had probably learned from his father whom he hated so much, but no one asked. Willow would stop at every chance she had to pick up flowers and often got lost from the group. Sure enough Beck would get her back on track. Then, of course, Willow would pout because Jaykob didn�t even care. Jaykob�s job always seemed to be to set an example. If Jaykob did one thing, everyone else followed. The group approached the first waterfall and took a break for lunch. Willow pranced around, climbing trees and such, and Beck was right below in case she might fall. Andrew swam in the river and Jaykob threw rocks at him, laughing. Riona and Brayden sat on a large boulder on the edge of the river. She took the map from Brayden.

�What is this anyway? It�s old and ugly.� Riona gazed at the relic of a map.

�I got it from one of the older guys at school. He said he found it in his grandfather�s junk. I mean, Riona, how amazing is that? This place really is a landmark of some sort. And we are going to be the first kids at Ridgebrook to take it on!�

Riona smiled brightly and hugged him, �Oh, Brayden! I can�t wait!!�

"The map says we've still got a ways to go, maybe a couple more hours." Brayden pointed at the waterfall at which they sat, the moved his finger a few more inches up the map towards the cabin. He stopped, the he looked around curiously, then back at the map.

"Brayden, what is it?" Riona asked.

"My house is right down that hill, only about a half hour away. The map's led us in a big circle."

Riona and Brayden scratched their heads, perplexed.

Meanwhile, the group noticed Jaykob had stopped throwing rocks at Andrew and the river had grown still.

�Where is Andrew?� Beck cried.

�Uh, I don�t know.� Jaykob said staring blankly at the water. �He just didn�t come up.�

As Willow rushed towards the water, Andrew jumped out and attacked her as Jaykob rolled over cackling.

�It�s the attack of Andrew, the Evil Water Monster!� He roared and chased Willow around as she screamed.

Riona, Brayden, and especially Beck glared angrily at Jaykob.

He laughed. �What? Ah guys come on don�t look at me like that. It was funny. Willow�s just so damn gullible.�

To that Riona walked up and shoved Jaykob into the water.

�Gee, Jay. I hope I didn�t mess up your precious hair.� Everyone laughed and Andrew and Willow stopped to join them. Jaykob was furious and refused to talk to anyone for the rest of the day.

By the time night came, the group had traveled another five miles to the next waterfall. They set their camp up a few feet away from the river. Jaykob started a small fire and the rest set up their sleeping bags in a circle around it. It was a full moon and all the stars were out. After a few rounds of ghost stories the group fell asleep. Not long after midnight the wind began to blow and the temperature dropped several degrees. Willow was awakened as a leaf blew into her face. She jumped out of her sleeping bag and looked around for intruders. There was nothing there, and she smoothed out her favorite tank top and pajama pants. At that moment she could have sworn she heard a faint voice humming on the wind. It sounded like a little girl humming a lullaby. Willow shook Beck awake.

�Willow?� He rubbed his eyes and reached for his glasses beside his bag. �What is wrong?!�

�Don�t you hear it? You have to hear it, Beck. Tell me you hear a little girl.�

Beck looked at her, confused. �You�re sleep talking and walking, right?�

Willow shook Beck violently. �This isn�t a joke!� She argued. �Listen.� She hissed.

Beck cocked his head and waited to hear this fantasy noise of Willow�s. He heard nothing.

�I knew you shouldn�t have come, Willow. See, you�re scared and on top of that, you are hurting me.� Beck rubbed his shoulders where she rested her grip.

�I�m sorry, Beck I really am. But there was the sound of a little girl humming a lullaby. Maybe she�s lost. We should help her.�

Beck rolled his eyes. �That�s one too many ghost stories for you, silly girl.�

He patted her on the head, took off his glasses, and rolled back up into a ball inside of his sleeping bag. Willow was furious. If Beck did not believe her, no one would. She knew there had to be a little girl out there, and missing too. Willow got out of the sleeping bag, put on her shoes, grabbed a bottle of water, and took off into the forest.

The rest of the group woke up with the sun the next morning. Beck was the first to notice that Willow was missing, and it seemed that he was the only one who cared. Brayden was still scratching his head over the map saying that they were still going in circles and they were really only an hour away from his house.

He questioned the rest of the group and they simply told him that she was probably just frolicking and picking flowers. However, Beck knew that the problem was bigger than that. He took off into the woods across from the river.

�Beck! What the heck are you doing?!� Jaykob shouted from across the river.

He waded through the water and caught up with Beck as the rest watched on, confused. �Jaykob, just stay back. You know you don�t care about Willow. She probably ran away because of you.� Beck lowered his eyes on Jaykob with an ce-melting stare, �If that�s true, and if something bad happened to her, I�ll kill you.�

While Jaykob was the oldest, Beck was stronger than him. Jaykob surely understood that if something bad happened, Brayden would be on his back as well.

�Beck, just let me tag along. If it is my fault, you have to let me help.�

Beck thought it over and trotted on without a word. To Jaykob, this meant he was aloud to come.

Back at the river, the rest of the group was wholly confused.

�So, should we go with them, or keep going on our path?� Brayden asked of Riona.

�We should just keep going on our way.� Andrew responded.

�Do you ever worry about your friends?� Riona questioned.

�No, not often.�

�� Explains a lot.�

Brayden and Riona went back to their bags and decided it was best just to stay as they were in case of Willow�s return. Meanwhile, Andrew swam in the fish infested river.

Chapter Three:

As the day wore on and the sun began to set, Beck and Jaykob started to lose hope. They had walked all day following the blossoming areas of the woods in hopes that Willow would follow the flowers. However, Willow was nowhere to be seen.

�I�m sure she just went back home.� Jaykob said as they decided to take a break.

�No, Willow loves these trips too much. She loves them so much that she wouldn�t even let a fool like you destroy it.�

�Why do you like Willow so much, she�s just a stupid, little girl.� Jaykob spat the remark from his mouth, and Beck glared at him. His face reddened over with rage. He punched Jaykob square in the face. Jaykob rubbed the spot.

�You don�t understand!� and then, much softer, Beck said, �You don�t know what I know.�

�Well what do you know?� Jaykob asked, still rubbing his face.

�She is special.� Beck said. �She knows things. She�s magic, in every way.�

�What are you talking about?�

�Every time something bad is about to happen, she knows. I think that�s why she ran away. Either something very good is about to happen�.� He lowered his eyes, �Or something very bad.�

�Well, knowing our luck, it�s probably the latter.� Jaykob stood up, �Let�s get looking for your magical little friend.�

Beck grabbed a hold of Jaykob�s wrist, �Our magical little friend.�

Jaykob nodded in agreement, and then they were off on their journey with determination in their hearts.

It wasn�t until nightfall that the saw the first sign. Willow, and they were sure it was Willow�s work, had drawn in the soil near the river. It was a butterfly with a tear in its eye. Beck believed it was a depiction of the girl Willow had thought she�d heard crying the night before and then it came to him.

�She�s looking for a missing girl.� He said

�What are you talking about? Who�s missing?� Jaykob asked.

Beck had not planned on sharing this information with Jaykob, because he was sure he would not understand. Beck suddenly regretted shunning Willow as he had last night, perhaps this was all his fault and not Jaykob�s.

Beck cast his eyes to the ground as he spoke to Jaykob, �Jay, Willow woke me up in the middle of the night, last night, and told me she thought she heard a girl in the forest humming a lullaby. She said she thought the girl was missing and we should go help her,� He slowly raised his eyes to meet Jaykob�s, �I just passed it off as one of her worries.�

Jaykob glared at Beck, �� And you had the balls to tell me it was all my fault?�

Beck tried to crack an innocent smile, �yeah I guess.�

Jaykob took a seat on a rock and motioned for Beck to join him. The sun was setting and the sky took on the hue of dark navy, purple-red clouds dotted the sky and the moon took the stage. The boys sat in a clearing in the forest and giant white pine trees surrounded them, and the deepest green moss covered the ground and rocks. Jaykob rubbed his eyes and face, then he turned to Beck.

�Maybe its me, or maybe its too much of you, but doesn�t it seem like we are all in way over our heads?�

�I think it�s Willow.� Beck said.

�You think everything has to do with Willow.� Jaykob laughed at that thought.

Beck smiled, �No, seriously. We are always on alert feeling like we have to take care of her. It makes us feel kind of like parents.� He frowned, remembering last night, �When really, as young as she is, she doesn�t need our support. We need to take a step back and just be kids with her.�

Jaykob nodded and poked Beck�s shoulder, �You, my friend, make a very good point.�

�Which is why I think we should get back to the clearing. She�s either already there or we are going in the wrong direction. If she�s looking for a missing girl she�ll be following sounds, not flowers.�

Jaykob thought over it for a moment, a little worried, but finally agreed.

The two jogged about half of the way back, hoping they would not have to spend too much time in the dark. Thanks to basic directional skills learned from Brayden, the two made it back to their camp at the waterfall in less than an hour.

Their overjoyed friends ran up to them happily; however, Willow was not to be found.

Jaykob turned to Beck, �So I guess she chose madness over reason.�

Beck glared at Jaykob then turned to accept Riona�s open arms. Brayden showed a small sign of rage which soon dissipated. After the hug was over Riona stepped back and shoved the two boys into the dirt.

�What the hell were you two thinking running off like that?� Riona interrogated them with her hands on her hips, her red hair spilling out of its ponytail. She was wearing a dirty pair of khaki pants rolled up to her knees and a white t-shirt, the same outfit as all of the boys were wearing. Looking at her, Jaykob admired her dazzling anger.

�Sometimes you aren�t enough to hold us back, Riona.� Jaykob flirted.

�Hey, Jerk, save it.� Riona unleashed.

�Yeah, fag, shut up.� Brayden said, practically boiling over.

�Okay, okay, gross. Back to the point, where�s Willow?� Andrew said, desperately trying to change the subject.

Beck told the rest of his friends about the events of the night before. He spared them all the arguments between he and Jaykob of whose fault it was.

�That crazy kid went chasing after voices� that were probably just in her head.� The rude comment came from Andrew Adolite. The comment was quickly followed by a punch in the shoulder from Beck.

Andrew rubbed his shoulder as Brayden tried his best to devise a plan to find Willow. Sadly, he came up short.

�We can�t split up, because that never ends well. You�ve seen the movies.� Brayden said.

�I think Brayden�s right, lets just stay the rest of the night here and leave in the morning to get help, all of us.� Riona suggested.

The rest of the kids thought it over and finally, out of lack of sleep or lack of ideas, they all agreed.

Andrew munched on a candy bar as he watched Brayden build a fire. Beck wrote in his journal before turning in and Riona unraveled everyone�s sleeping bags. The moon was high in the ideal, clear night sky; every star shone as if it were the love of every man�s life. Jaykob sat on a boulder near the water fall staring at that sky as though it held some key to his future.

Beck closed his journal and looked towards Jaykob, �Are they telling you where to find Willow.� He asked of Jaykob.

�What?� Jaykob said, surprised anyone had noticed him staring at the sky.

�The stars, do they have any answers for you?�

Jaykob stood up and walked over to Beck, then he sat down next to his sleeping bag.

�How is your mother doing Beck?� Jaykob asked, changing the subject.

Beck was taken aback, but answered, �As good as any woman with Multiple Sclerosis can be I guess.� Beck�s eyes were cast downward and he slowly pushed up his glasses. Jaykob recognized this nervous habit of Beck�s, and he changed the subject back to the original.

�No, Beck. The stars have never had any answers for me.� Jaykob said then went to his sleeping bag.

Beck crawled into his own sleeping bag and pretended to sleep; however, he could not sleep with his mind turned to worrying about his mother. His mother had developed Multiple Sclerosis shortly after he was born. Beck had become accustomed to his mother�s problem and he had become accustomed to her never being there for him. The only thing Beck had not yet adjusted to was his father�s sudden decline. His father had put so much hope and so much energy into his mother, that it had taken a terrible toll on the man. He had lost all of his lust for life and all of his hope in anything and everything. It seemed as though all of the weight for hope had been put on Beck�s shoulders and it was starting to become too heavy for him to carry.

Jaykob had many dreams that night. Dreams that seemed as though they were from another person�s mind, or perhaps, from another life. Wars fought, battles lost, and pain. It was in the midst of a dream where he was killing a young woman, he heard screams, terrible screams, and he awoke in a cold sweat. The screams were real.

However, they were not the screams of a young woman; they were the screams of a young girl: Willow. The rest of his friends had awakened to the screams as well. Terror crossed their faces, their bodies frozen. Jaykob�s was not frozen, he flew to the trees. Beck soon followed then Brayden and Riona. Andrew was afraid, but Riona pulled him by the collar of his shirt.

The shrieks stopped, but Jaykob was sure he could spot where they were coming from. He was running blind, for the night was still dark and the moon offered little light. Beck was running with him now, in tears, but he did not stop to wipe them from his eyes. Brayden pulled a fallen branch from the ground and ran with it, holding it across his chest, prepared to fight for his little friend. Every member of the group had a terrifying dream that night, and were preparing for the worst.

Jaykob was running uphill now, alongside the waterfall, and they would soon reach the top. Riona was lagging behind, trying to coax Andrew to keep up with them. Andrew�s face was stricken with fright. Riona stopped and knelt next to him, �Andrew, she�s fine, its fine, we�re going to find her. Don�t be afraid.� Her green eyes were full of love for the scared little boy.

�No, Riona, no she�s not. None of us are.� Andrew�s face was content now, but his eyes illustrated dread. His words and his eyes scared Riona enough that she too, could not move. Brayden noticed this from ahead, and ran back to them. He pulled them both up.

�We have to hurry.� He said The two reluctantly followed Brayden and finished their ascent to the top of the waterfall. Jaykob had finally reached the top and at the top of the waterfall

was a clearing in the forest. Willow was in the clearing, holding two baby kittens, cowering in front of a nearly seven foot tall grizzly bear. The bear glared down on the little girl and let out a loud, billowing roar. Saliva slithered out from the cracks of its teeth.

Riona screamed and Brayden slapped a hand across her mouth. Her green eyes were wide, her body was shaking. Andrew ran back into the woods and curled into a fetal position, crying. Brayden took his hand off of her mouth and placed his index finger to his lips.

Jaykob�s mind was racing; fear, anger, and confusion swarmed his thoughts. Next to him Beck was shaking and even Brayden seemed fearful while holding the large branch in front of him. Jaykob knew this was his chance, although he did not know why he was about to do what he did.

Jaykob ran for Willow and her kittens as Brayden and Riona screamed, �No!�

He kept running despite their pleas. Leaves crunched beneath his feet and the grizzly had its eyes on Jaykob. Close behind him was his backup, Brayden and his weapon. As Jaykob ran the grizzly approached Willow, as if it somehow knew it would hurt Jaykob, its attacker. The bear stuck out its paw and reached it claws past Willows hair, blowing in the wind. She looked towards the ground, preparing to meet her doom as Jaykob flew to her and pushed her with all of his strength as he came crashing to the ground where Willow had been. At that moment the bear slashed Jaykob chest with its massive claws. It growled with anger in Jaykob�s face. Beck ran past the attack and picked up Willow and carried her shaking body and the kittens. He ran with her into the forest and kept running, for she was all he was concerned about.

The grizzly slashed Jaykob across the face, then across his stomach. Blood spewed from Jaykob�s body like water from a faucet, and bones were broken. Riona was crying hysterically, unable to watch the damage being done to Jaykob's now frail body.

Brayden came up behind the bear and, with all of the force he could muster, took his weapon and hit the grizzly in its head. This merely distracted the bear from its attack. Brayden was not stupid enough to put up any more of a fight with the bear. He ran to Jaykob, picked his nearly lifeless body up with his arms, and called to Riona.

�Get Andrew and follow me!� He screamed, his voice cracking.

Riona did as she was told, and as the adrenaline flowed through her body, she raced to Brayden. The grizzly bear screamed with rage behind them. The group ran with their hearts racing as they followed Beck deep into the woods towards yet another clearing, with yet another object to fear.

At the next clearing, Beck fell to his knees with Willow in his arms. Willow released the two kittens from her grasp and they began cleaning each other. Beck�s attention was focused on willow but as he looked up to the rest of the group, he could see their attention was focused somewhere else, beyond Willow and himself. Beck slowly turned around to see what their stares were focused on. His eyes widened, and he slowly stood up and faced the cabin. Brayden ran towards it with Jaykob�s limp, bleeding body in his arms.

�What are you doing?!� Beck cried �We have to get Jaykob help. Maybe someone lives there, maybe there�s a phone� Either way it should keep us safe from that grizzly,� He called back as he ran.

The grizzly bear�s call was closing in, and Brayden�s last statement convinced the group to follow him. The cabin wasn�t much larger than an outhouse, and it looked old and worn. The children were not positive if it would withstand the bear�s strength. The cabin had one window and the logs which created it were eroding and covered with moss. There were three plywood steps leading to the entrance. Brayden was the first to the door. He shoved his way in, the door had no lock. The rest of the group waited for confirmation as Brayden entered. The children�s confirmation was a scream from inside the cabin. It was a scream of bewilderment and maybe even joy.

Riona and Beck looked at each other in shock with a question in their eyes. Willow and Andrew released from their embrace of fear. Riona walked timidly towards the cabin and motioned for the rest to follow. As she entered, she fell to her knees. The cabin was completely empty save for a single wooden table and chair in the middle. On the floor beside the table, Brayden, covered in blood, knelt next to Jaykob. Willow and Andrew gasped as they approached the door. Willow sprinted to Jaykob�s side and held his hand. Jaykob was free of any harm or damage, although his clothes were bloody. He appeared to be perfectly healthy. Jaykob sprang to his feet and put his arms around Willow�s shoulders.

�You�re fine! Thank God, you�re okay!� He cried with joy.

�Of course I am, but you!? How�d this happen?� She asked.

Jaykob looked at his friends, mystified. �What�s she talking about?� Beck approached Jaykob, understanding he did not remember any of the recent events, and explained, �Jaykob, you saved Willow and the bear attacked you instead. He tore you to shreds, and Brayden ran with you in here,� Beck gestured around the cabin, �And here we find you perfectly okay.�

Beck looked to Brayden for verification, but he was still in his kneeling position, his gaze fastened to where Jaykob had lay.

�Brayden!� Beck yelled for his attention. Brayden jumped from his position and placed his frozen gaze on the rest of the group.

�I don�t.. I d-don�t know. I don�t know how� I ju- just� I just b-b-brought him� I do-don�t know.� Brayden stuttered his explanation.

Jaykob looked into Brayden�s eyes with intensity, �Brayden, you have to tell me what happened. Just calm down and tell me.�

Brayden sat in the rickety chair at the table and face the group surrounding him with questions on their faces. Then, he held his hands over his face and took a deep breath.

�The second I got into the cabin, Jaykob fell out of my arms, onto the floor, and I felt like a hammer hit me in the head. Then the next thing I knew I was on the floor in front of him. That�s all I know.� Brayden said honestly.

�Well everybody�s fine. I say we get home and forget all of this crap.� Andrew said, desperate to get away from the cabin.

Beck shook his head. �We can�t do that, guys. There�s something special about this cabin. We owe it our thanks, it healed Jaykob!�

�Beck, what the Hell are you talking about?� Andrew argued.

�No, no, he�s right.� Brayden said because he believed so himself.

�We should at least promise to take care of this place. Even make sure no one finds out. We can�t just forget it, but we can�t tell anyone either.� Everyone nodded in agreement, even though they did not want to admit the extraordinary powers that an immobile, lifeless cabin had. Everyone except for Willow. She had gone outside to retrieve her kittens. Jaykob noticed this and followed her outside.

�Willow, are you sure you�re okay?� Jaykob questioned.

She looked at him with her crystal blue eyes, and the look almost made Jaykob cry.

�You saved my life, Jaykob. How couldn�t I be okay?� She said, so blissful because she finally knew he really cared.

�Well, Willow, you�re my friend, I couldn�t let anything bad happen to you. But I think something weird came over me when I saw you next to that bear. I don�t know if I would have done what I did otherwise.�

�That�s fine,� She said, her eyes still shining. �There�s a reason for what happened, just like there�s a reason why this cabin saved you. It was just meant to be, don�t question it.�

Jaykob stood next to her in bewilderment. How could this little girl know so much? No matter what the reason, Willow put his worries and his heart at ease. And at that, Jaykob gathered his younger friends and left the forest that rolled on forever, the forest of mystery and of dreams, and returned to a quieter place, with trepidation and silence. They traveled onward planning to forget the experience, the bear, and the cabin entirely. To forget, that is what the six had intended.

Chapter Four:

June, 1966

The summer had just begun and the kids met at Brayden�s by his request. It was a rainy summer day so they retreated indoors. The group could never be certain of what to expect when inside of Brayden�s beige vinyl-sided, modest home. The front door opened to a small living room, which was attached to an even smaller dining room, which then led to, in comparison, a minuscule kitchen barely large enough to hold one person. A hallway at the other end of the living room led to two bedrooms, his mother�s and his own. A narrow staircase descending from the kitchen led to a laundry room and a relatively large basement covered in shag carpeting and floral printed furniture with a large fireplace. Also in the basement was the Ferrell's new color television and a fish tank filled with a myriad of bright, colorful fish. It was in this portion of the house that the group was now located. Brayden sat in what was his father�s favorite large, reclining chair which faced the rest of the room. Riona and Willow sat on the larger of the two floral couches, Beck and Jaykob sat at the edge of the fireplace. Andrew was not present.

�Where�s Andrew?� Willow asked, always the curious one.

�I didn�t invite him.� Brayden said simply enough. Riona, Jaykob, and Beck were confused and asked why. Willow played with the ringlets in her hair.

�Last weekend I visited the cabin.�

A loud gasp came from their mouths and Willow�s sparkly blue eyes widened with fear. Riona looked down dejectedly, upset that for the first time she was not included in Brayden�s plans.

�Riona� Everyone, I�m sorry I didn�t tell you.� Riona rolled her eyes.

�I knew I couldn�t protect all of you and I didn�t want to worry about anyone but myself getting hurt.�

Riona was furious, �What if you had gotten hurt?�

�I had to take a chance, so what?�

Riona�s teenage tendencies took over, �Whatever,� and she rolled her eyes again.

Beck took a stance, �Now everyone just calm down. I�m sure Brayden had a reason.�

Jaykob had yet to forget what Brayden had done to him, �Yeah, so he could prove what a tough guy he was.�

Brayden held himself back just long enough to explain his purpose.

�That�s not it at all, that�s not even close. I just had to make sure it was still there. I don�t know about you guys, but I haven�t stopped dreaming about the place since we found it. I had to be sure it was real. It might have been Jaykob that actually experienced whatever happened, but I SAW it with my own eyes.�

Everyone nodded in agreement, that yes, he had been the only one to actually be there for what happened.

�And from my dreams, and from what happened, I also got it that if that place can be used for good, couldn�t it be taken advantage of just as easily?� Everyone nodded in agreement once again.

�Well, I was proved right.�

�How?� Riona asked.

�When I reached the cabin, Andrew was there.�

�No way!� Jaykob argued, �You have to be making this up.�

Brayden argued back, �You aren�t taking this seriously enough do you know that! I don�t know what he was doing but he was there and he ran away when he saw me.

�Well that doesn�t necessarily mean he was doing anything wrong. Maybe he was having dreams too.� Beck tried to make sense of what happened.

�No it doesn�t seem like it means anything. But I just feel like his being there was a bad thing.�

Willow stared at Brayden, she was the only one that didn�t seem surprised by what he said.

�Brayden�s right.� She said, monotone, and she would not stop staring at Brayden.

�Willow! What the Hell are you doing?� Jaykob stood up and started shaking her.

�Awe, man she�s doing that creepy thing again.� Riona said.

Willow had a peculiar habit that only her group of friends understood, or even knew about.

There had been several occasions in the past when Willow would take on this very stance and in her own way verified that she did know what was going to happen, be it good or bad. Her friends would never say that she was clairvoyant or a mind reader, but she was special in every way and, sometimes, children can see what the disenchanted cannot.

�Well that�s enough for me. We�ve got to do something about Andrew.� Beck said, because despite his logical mindedness, he always believe in Willow.

Jaykob was outraged, �No, no, no you aren�t going to go after Andrew just because Willow�s a freak.�

�Jay why don�t you just go hang out with your �cool� friends and stop picking on us just cause we don�t meet your standards.� Beck flared back.

Brayden broke his eye contact with Willow and stood up, and that is never a good thing, especially for Jaykob. �Call Willow, or any of my friends a freak again and I�ll personally kick you out of my house.�

Jaykob backed down, �Okay I�m sorry.�

�That�s what I thought.� Brayden said, sitting back down. He faced the rest of his friends. �So, what do we do?�

When no one answered, Brayden looked to Beck. �What do you think, Beck?�

Beck shook his head, �I�m not sure, but I�ve got to get back home to make dinner for my mom and dad.� Beck stood and left the room. The group listened to his footsteps going up the stairs and out of the house.

�It looks like there really isn�t much we can do but confront Andrew.� Riona said.

Jaykob was upset that everyone was so quick to attack Andrew. He was the only one that really respected and looked up to Jaykob. �I think maybe we should give him a break. He�s a good kid.�

Brayden was incredibly confused. �I know he�s trouble, but I don�t see how. He was so scared of the cabin when we first found it.�

�Fear in men is a dangerous thing.� Riona said knowingly, �That�s what my mother told me.�

~*~NEW!~*~

Chapter Five:

Andrew Adolite was positive that he was not as immature as some of his friends and some of the adults in his life might think. He knew he was doing the right thing by using the cabin to his advantage. A good way to make a buck, he thought. Things would be easier if he were still in school. He would be able to at least get larger groups together; however, word was spreading. He could only hope it did not reach Brayden. Brayden knew something was up, and he would be keeping a close eye on Andrew. Perhaps, Andrew could share the profits. Would Brayden even be interested? He is or he isn't, Andrew was not going to place that much worry in the situation, he had much more stressing matters at hand.

Andrew was meeting with his most recent group of what appeared to be high school boys. If they didn't see a good show, Andrew might take a beating. Oh, but would they see a show. Andrew met the boys at his appointed meeting spot. The second waterfall, the one which Willow had run away from. The kids in the area were not strangers to the forest, and the high school boys especially, were not strangers to this waterfall. It always served as a good make out area.

The first trip Andrew took back to the cabin was a difficult one. The waterfall was easy enough to get to, but from then on was a complete blur to Andrew. The straight shot uphill to the bear is was stuck out in Andrew's memory, and that hill was apparent in the foliage. From then on to the cabin was simple enough to find. Andrew had since taken four groups of five children. At five dollars each, Andrew had made a lump sum of a hundred dollars. Which was quite a lot of money for a boy his age. Now he was working on another group of five high school boys, and there they all were, waiting in the clearing.

"There's that kid," a tall black haired boy said, never missing the obvious.

Andrew waved. After the greeting, what appeared to be the tallest, meanest boy of the bunch approached Andrew.

"My name's Clarence, what's yours again?" Clarence asked like he had not already heard Andrew's name through the rumors.

"My name is Andrew." Andrew said, trying to stay calm.

"Okay, Andrew. I'm the guy that will be kicking your ass for wasting my strength and my day on this trip, if it doesn't turn out to be true." Clarence said, grinning.

Andrew was unavoidably frightened now.

----

Jaykob stormed out of the blue door of his Victorian house. He was furious. About two minutes earlier he had received a phone call from a boy he did a few labs with in his science class last year.

"Hey Jay! Heard about your friend Andrew's new discovery?"

Jaykob did not have to ask what the discovery was, "How do you know about it?"

His friend sighed, "Andrew had been taking some of the younger kids up there, charging five bucks a piece. Well, word got to the older guys. Did you know he's taking the Jaguars up there today?" Jaykob did not bother to hang up the receiver as he bolted out the door.

What the hell was Andrew thinking this time? He was risking his life for five dollars. The Jaguars weren't the type of kids Jaykob would ever think of messing with, let alone little Andrew. The Jaguars were a group of the toughest guys in high school. Even though most of them were old enough to be in college. They were too dumb to get their way with words, so they got their way with fists. But sometimes it wasn't just fists, but bats, pipes, and some said guns. Jaykob knew he would need Brayden's help, but perhaps Brayden would cause more damage to Andrew than the Jaguars would, so Jaykob headed on to the forests alone.

---

Andrew's breath came in gasps as he was shoved up the hill towards the cabin.

"Hey, Clarence!" One of the more stupid, fatter looking boys said. "I'm not so interested anymore, I think ill just wait here." He heaved, sweating like a pig, as he took a seat on a rock.

Clarence left his position behind Andrew and went toward the fat one. He pulled the boy off of the rock and spit in his face. "You disgust me you fat cow! We'll sit when we get to the top."

Every trip up this hill, Andrew thought, was always more tiring than his first. It's more difficult to tire the body when you are running on adrenaline and fear. He always feared the bear though. Except for now, he was hoping it would run out and scoop up the mean boys and take them to its lair. The top of the hill was near however, all he would have to do then is show them the cabin then be on his way. Hopefully, he'd be on his way with twenty-five dollars, but he was not betting on that happening with these guys.

The sun was shining gloriously through the trees as they reached the clearing. Andrew felt chills run up his spine every time he approached the clearing. The ground was a bit soft today due to the previous day's rain. Andrew and Clarence reached the clearing first, as the rest of the guys lagged behind. Clarence walked to a cluster of trees to take a leak. Andrew clenched his jaw and tried not to cry as the rest of the boys were reaching the top of the hill. Among the sounds of the crickets and the birds harmonizing, Andrew heard a noise like a whistle which was foreign to the animals of the forest. Andrew turned to the noise and then he spotted Jaykob, who was waving him over. His heart sank, how did Jaykob find him here? Andrew shrugged his shoulders and gestured to the large boys. Clarence returned from his break to huddle with the other boys. Andrew, figuring they would not notice, walked towards Jaykob.

"Hey, you!" A large boy yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I just had to go to the bathroom, okay?" Andrew responded.

The boys laughed, and Clarence looked at him seriously, "Go ahead, idiot. But don't be long."

Andrew trotted off to Jaykob, who was now behind a large oak tree. As soon as Andrew walked into Jaykob's line of sight, he was pulled by the collar of his shirt behind the tree.

Jaykob glared at Andrew and whispered furiously, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?!" A vein in the middle of Jaykob's forehead stood out powerfully. This only scared Andrew more and he looked towards the ground as if he were a traitorous coward.

"Now, you've only left yourself two options," Jaykob said, calmly now. "And its terrible it had to come down to this. You can leave now, never return, and you and our friends will deal with the Jaguars. Or, you can go on and loose your friends for good."

"What?" Andrew was the furious one now. "How can you give me that decision? I can't leave these guys"

"HEY!" The voice came from the clearing. "Hurry up, kid."

Andrew was anxious with fear now, and Jaykob began to walk away, in the direction of home.

"This is your last warning Andrew. Take it how you want to, but I won't keep quiet about this for long if you make the wrong decision" And with that, Jaykob disappeared down the hilltop.

Andrew dropped his stare to the ground once again and returned to the group like a coward.

"Follow me guys, the cabin is about twenty minutes away."

Chapter Six:

After another ten minute break induced by one of the larger boys, the cabin was now in their sight, clear as day, only a few tree branches blocking the group's view.

"Wow, there really is a cabin way out here." One boy said.

"Yeah, but let's see if it really does what the kid says." Clarence retorted.

Andrew turned back to the group with a sneer, "Oh, it will."

Two of the boys the laughed, the other three remained straight faced, serious. This was to Andrew's liking. He could not wait to prove the boys who were laughing wrong, and to impress the ones who might have believed him. Andrew did worry about what Jaykob might tell his friends, and he did worry about losing his friends. However, with this raising popularity, he was sure everyone would want to be his friend. Besides, what option did he have? Who knew what the Jaguars would do to Andrew if he ran away. When the group reached the cabin, they formed a semi-circle around the plywood steps. The cabin looked almost the same as it had the year before when Andrew and his friends had found it, aside from some added wear and tear.

"Now, show us what's so great about this ugly cabin." Clarence ordered.

"Alright." Andrew said with a sigh. He raised his right hand palm up and showed it to the boys. It was free of any marks or scars, pale and soft. The boys stared at it. Next, Andrew reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his father's Swiss army knife. He pulled out the blade and held it to his hand, and slowly sliced his palm vertically from his middle finger. Andrew squinted his eyes in pain and let out a small cry. The boys watched on and laughed when he cried. They inspected his hand as blood poured from the wound.

Andrew breathed deep, "Okay, follow me into the cabin."

______

Jaykob was approaching the end of the forest, behind Brayden's home, when something stopped him. What was it that stopped him? Despite the answer, he had he been wanting to stop for some time. Jaykob could not believe he just left the one friend of his that actually believed him. He also couldn't believe he left Andrew to take advantage of the cabin yet again. Jaykob turned around and looked towards the hills and trees of the forest, then to Brayden's backyard. He would need Brayden's help this time for sure. As he progressed towards Brayden's Backyard, from the trees of the forest, he spotted someone with darker red hair than Brayden's, and much longer than his as well. There were two red heads on Brayden's back porch. Jaykob's jaw dropped. Riona was moving awfully close to Brayden.

_____

This cold cement porch on a hot summer's day, this backyard, the look of those trees leading from the yard, up the hills, to their forest; all these things, that belonged to Brayden, made Riona feel calm at heart. Brayden made Riona feel calm at heart. However, her heart was speeding this afternoon as she sat so very close to him. The two had spent the better part of an hour sitting like this, in silence. The silence was not out of the ordinary, because rarely did the two need words to communicate. Riona searched her still young heart, which already felt as if it was aging, and found a secret she'd been hiding from herself for what seemed to be an eternity. She looked from her heart now, to Brayden's face. His skin was tanned that perfect tan that only careless children can achieve. His already light hair was bleached a lighter color from the sunshine in which he loved to bask. Brayden was shirtless and wore his favorite, torn khaki pants. He slid his hand close to hers, staring into her green eyes intently with his gray ones. Riona felt sick to her stomach, but the feeling was glorious. While she did not lead a depraved life like Brayden, she did struggle and he was always kind, and always there; as she had been for him in return. Their friends had joked of it for years, but now the time had finally come. After exploring her heart, she realized the secret. Riona loved Brayden beyond friendship. She took a hold of his hand and clasped it tightly. She did not let go of his gaze. While she knew he probably understood what she was thinking, she had to say this one thing. Still looking in his eyes, she broke the silence.

"Brayden, I would die without you." And she threw her arms around his rough shoulders. After holding her a minute, Brayden pulled back.

"I'll never leave you, Riona, because without you, I would die." Brayden said this just as seriously as she had. After he was positive she understood this, he put his right hand behind her neck, stroking her hair. As a young boy, when Brayden was nervous, he would always stroke strands of Riona's hair. She smiled at this habit of his, and he in turn laughed at himself. The two did not say that they loved each other. Perhaps it was because this feeling they shared was beyond any human concept of love, inexpressible and foreign. Nevertheless, this feeling which was transcendent upon love filled Riona and Brayden's young hearts. With his hand still behind her neck, Brayden pulled Riona's face close to his, and kissed her lightly on the lips. He lingered there for a moment, and with his face still close to Riona's, he let out an exhilarated sigh and smiled, so did she. At that moment, Riona heard a twig break somewhere in the backyard and jumped out of her seat. Brayden laughed, still a bit nervous.

"It's probably just a deer; I'll go check it out."

Brayden jogged from his porch towards the sound. As he approached the top of his back yard he spotted a figure crouching behind a tree. <p>He moved closer and was startled as Jaykob stood up, red faced. Brayden's face turned red also, but with anger. Before he had a chance to yell, Jaykob stopped him.

"Now wait, Brayden! I was coming to get you and I saw you with Riona. I was just curious... I'm sorry."

"You creepy little perv!" Brayden yelled as Riona jogged up the hill to see what the commotion was.

When she saw Jaykob, she was taken aback. "Jay! what are you doing here?"

"I need Brayden's help, its an emergency." Jaykob explained.

Riona was embarrassed and stood behind Brayden.

"What's good enough to delay me from beating your ass?" Brayden questioned.

Jaykob looked towards the ground, and actually feared what rage would be created in Brayden when he heard the news.

"It's Andrew. He's been taking groups of kids to the cabin and making money off of it," the vein in the middle of Brayden's forehead protruded more with every word Jaykob uttered, "And somehow word got to the Jaguars. He's with them now. I followed him to warn him, but he didn't listen. I came here to get your help before he screws things up even more." Jaykob wanted to cover his face, but Brayden did not strike. What is more important, his anger retreated and his expression softened.

"If he's with those jerks, Andrew's going to need our help." Brayden turned to Riona. "Wait inside my house and well... Prepare for the worst, okay?" Riona nodded. She would have much rather gone with Jaykob and Brayden to save Andrew, but she knew they would need someone at the house in case of an emergency, and that was as much a brave act as any. So she went towards the house as Jaykob followed Brayden in a powerful sprint towards the forest that rolled on forever.

Chapter Seven:

Riona entered Brayden's kitchen through the back door. In the dining room attached to the small kitchen sat Mrs. Ferrell. She was smoking a Lucky and reading the day's newspaper. She was a frail woman with peroxide hair. Mrs. Ferrell wore her nurse's uniform and red nail polish. Wrinkles and scars covered what was once a beautiful face. Riona admired this woman greatly, just as she did Jaykob's mother. However, maybe because she had only one son to support alone, Mrs. Ferrell still maintained some sanity. As much as Riona liked and respected Mrs. Ferrell, she was still nervous upon approaching her. She hated lying, especially to people she respected.

"Mrs. Ferrell, Brayden went to play in the woods with Jaykob." Riona lied.

Mrs. Ferrell did not look from her paper. "Well, that's fine. Have a good day." She said with her raspy voice.

Riona did not move, "Um, I was wondering," She said, twirling her red hair around her finger, "if it was okay if I watched the television or something downstairs until they got back."

Mrs. Ferrell looked from her paper and smiled.

"Of course you can, Riona, You don't have to ask." She returned to her paper. "I do have to go in for the night shift in about an hour. But Brayden should be back by then, huh?"

Riona looked at the clock on the wall. It was seven o'clock and would be dark soon, she prayed they would be back within the hour.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Riona said, turning from the kitchen doorway and running down the basement stairs. She walked past the laundry room and sat in Brayden's father's large recliner. Riona saw it as Brayden's recliner now. She curled up in a ball and smelled Brayden on the fabric. It smelled like soap and laundry detergent. Riona breathed it in, thinking of their kiss. It was her first kiss, not counting the one when she was five, which was a dare between her and some buck-toothed boy named Milton. She laughed just thinking about it. It was a nervous laugh, the kind one creates to ignore their anxieties. She feared for Brayden and Jaykob with those big, angry men... The Jaguars, what kind of name is that? Riona looked now to the fish tank behind the large couch. It was her fish tank. Brayden bought it for her last year with his allowance money. Together the two filled the tank with fish, plastic mermaids, and fake sunken treasure. Riona loved the forests as much as Brayden, but her true love was of water. Brayden promised to take her to every ocean in the world one day. Riona curled up even tighter on Brayden's chair and wished for their quick and safe return.

Chapter Eight:

The two reached the clearing where Jaykob had been attacked by the bear and the sun was low in the sky.

"Not long until dark, now." Brayden said, with a hint of worry in his voice. Jaykob nodded and explored the area with his eyes, nervous, as the jogged further on.

"You don't remember anything about being attacked by the bear?" Brayden questioned.

"Well, I remember it better than what happened in the cabin. But saving Willow from the bear, that was more like a dream. I don't know why I did it."

Brayden smiled. "Because you're a good person." The two stopped by a cluster of trees.

Jaykob looked to the ground, fearful of whether or not he really was. "I've been having dreams..." Brayden looked at him curiously, then ahead.

"There they are!" Brayden whispered when he heard a high pitched giggle.

"Man, one of those guys has a really girly laugh," Though Brayden could not tell which boy it was that laughed.

Jaykob looked up and saw the cabin and the group of boys in the near distance. The two sprinted closer, and hid behind a large tree. They watched as Andrew raised his hand and cut if with a Swiss army knife.

"What the hell is that jackass doing?" Brayden questioned.

"Making money." Jaykob said sarcastically.

"I wish I had the branch that I hit that dumb bear with." Brayden said, searching for a weapon.

"There they go!" Jaykob said, as Brayden also noticed and jumped from his hiding spot. Jaykob followed as Brayden hurried to the cabin

"STOP, WAIT!" Brayden yelled.

Andrew stopped at the plywood steps and the Jaguars turned to looked at the two boys. Brayden, with all of his ego and muscle, was frightened. These were no boys. There were six, and most of them looked like fully grown men, or, convicts. A few of them were smoking. Some of the boys wore sleeveless shirts, and some wore white t-shirts with packs of cigarettes rolled in the sleeves. They all had greasy hair and exposed large arm muscles, but had fat beer bellies. All did, except who Brayden could only assume to be their leader. He was all muscle and he wore a leather jacket. This "boy" was over six feet tall. He looked at them with a grin. Jaykob stopped short behind Brayden.

"What do you want, kid?" The leader asked.

"Brayden, what the hell are you doing here?" Andrew asked, about to cry.

Brayden didn't even look to Andrew. "Saving your ass."

The leader laughed, "Brayden, huh? I'm Clarence. Don't make me break you. Now leave."

He turned around and walked towards the cabin with the rest of the group.

Jaykob spoke up, "Wait, we just want to get Andrew out of this. The cabin is a joke, okay?"

Clarence turned back, angry now, the group stopped. "We'll just have to see for our selves."

"No, we can't let you." Brayden said bravely.

Clarence gritted his teeth, he gestured to two of the guys, "Ray, Monkey, hold these two babies down." Ray and Monkey did not move.

"But then we'll miss the trick." Ray said.

Clarence turned around and held his fist to Rays face, "Soon you'll be missing teeth, now go!"

Ray and Monkey reluctantly dragged Brayden and Jaykob by the collar of their shirts and shoved the two to the ground. They held them down with one foot on their chests, close to their throats. They laughed as Brayden and Jaykob squirmed and yelled.

"Get off of me you disgusting idiot! You don't know what you could be doing!" Brayden yelled. No one paid attention except Andrew.

"Could you guys just let them go?" Andrew pleaded. Clarence laughed and pushed him into the cabin.

Brayden, Jaykob, Monkey, and Ray all strained to see what was happening. There was a thud from inside the cabin, a scream, and lots of noise like someone was jumping up and down incredibly fast on the plywood floor. Brayden heard someone shout a few obscenities and the four Jaguars flew from the cabin and into the forest. One of the boys yelled to Ray and Monkey.

"Get the hell out of here!"

Jaykob and Brayden looked to each other in fear. The Jaguars removed their positions and ran to the forests, Brayden and Jaykob flew as well, to the cabin.

____

"NO!" Jaykob cried.

Andrew was on the ground convulsing as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and foam came out of his mouth and ran down his chin. Andrew was having a seizure and Brayden recognized it as one. He dived to Andrew's shaking body and tried to hold him down.

"Jay, I need you to hold him!" Brayden screamed, but Jaykob was vomiting out the door of the cabin.

"JAY!"

Jaykob finished and hurried to Andrew's body.

"What should I do?" Jaykob questioned, trying to hold Andrew with tears streaming from his eyes.

"Just hold him while I look for something he can bite on."

Jaykob obeyed. Brayden stood up and could find nothing. He turned to the wooden chair at the table. He picked it up, and bashed it against the wall of the cabin, splintering the wood from the chair and the wall. Brayden pulled a large splinter of wood from the chair and knelt to Andrew.

"It's going to be okay, buddy." Brayden said. Trying to hold back his tears he squeezed Andrews cheeks and placed the wood between his teeth. Brayden put his arms on Andrews shoulders helping Jaykob hold him.

"This might be a while." Brayden said looking to Jaykob. Jaykob looked with soft eyes at Andrew's shaking body and watched his eyes roll back in forth.

"Please come back to us Andrew. Please. Please. Please." Jaykob and Brayden were both crying now.

After about five minutes the shaking slowed down then stopped altogether, but Andrew was unconscious.

Brayden looked to Jaykob with worried eyes, "Go to my house, tell Riona and my mom if she hasn't gone to work yet. We need help."

Jaykob obeyed again and walked to the door. Before he left, he turned to Brayden. "How did you know Andrew was having a seizure?"

Brayden was staring at Andrew when he answered. "My mother would have seizures when my dad beat her over the head."

Jaykob nodded and walked out the door. The sun had set and darkness had engulfed the forest.

Chapter Nine:

Willow had just finished a difficult dinner with her mother. It was time, now, to see her friends. She dressed in a white sundress and flip-flops and walked out of her screen door. Willow went towards Beck's house, three doors down from her. Standing outside of his door she heard a loud argument between Beck and his father. This was not unusual, so Willow left to Brayden's. Riona should be there. It was ten to eight at night and Willow saw Mrs. Ferrell opening her car door. Good, she was not late.

"Mrs. Ferrell! Willow yelled from two houses down.

Brayden's mother strained her eyes. "Willow, that you?"

Willow jogged to the car. "It looks like that's Jaykob coming from the woods, don't you want to wait and say hi?"

Georgia Ferrell looked at Willow curiously. "What? I have to be at work in a bit, honey." She smiled and turned to the car door.

"But no, just wait a minute okay?" Willow pleaded.

Riona walked out of the house with a frightened look on her face. "Willow? What's wrong?" she asked.

Georgia turned to her backyard. "I don't see Jaykob, are you okay?"

Willow looked too, waiting. "Just wait one minute, please?"

Riona rushed to Willow's side and stared in her eyes. She put her hands on Willow's shoulders and shook her hard.

"Willow, tell me what happened!"

Willow kept her eyes on the forest.

Georgia was very confused. "Riona, why are you shaking that poor girl?"

Riona did not take her eyes off of Willow. As she was about to shake her again, there was a shout from the backyard.

"Riona!" Jaykob was running wildly down the hill to the front of the house. Every one looked towards Jaykob. He reached the three females in the driveway.

Jaykob's face was drained of color. "Mrs. Ferrell, please, there's an emergency. Andrew is sick in the forest, we need help."

Riona fell to her knees. Georgia Ferrell looked to Willow with an open mouth and wide eyes.

___

After Jaykob explained what happened, Georgia sent a doctor and a few nurses to her house. This crew followed Jaykob to the forest. Riona and Willow were not aloud to come, they were sent home. Instead, the two girls went to Beck's to give him the news and to wait for something good to happen, hopefully.

When the girls reached Beck's, the house was quiet. At least the worst of the fighting had subsided. Beck answered the door. When he saw the girls, he averted his eyes which were red from crying. He walked out of his house and joined Riona and Willow on the porch. Beck sat on his porch swing and rocked back and forth. Riona looked towards Willow who curled up close to Beck on the swing. Riona joined the two.

"Why is there an ambulance at Brayden's?" Beck asked.

Riona explained what she knew of Andrew's story.

"According to Jay, he had a seizure this time, inside the cabin. Brayden's waiting with him at the cabin, and Jaykob is leading the doctors there."

Beck shook his head.

"How's your dad," Willow asked.

Beck looked to the moon. "He's taking care of my mom. I think he's the one who needs care."

The three sullen children lowered their tearful eyes and could only wish, hope, and hold each other.

Willow and Riona both fell asleep waiting for their friends' return. Beck looked down to willow's head resting on his shoulder. He admired her childish beauty and simplicity. Beck thought he could see her skin glow. He wanted to drink in her aura and, perhaps, he too would shine. Beck looked at the stars. Instead, he could only wish on those stars that perhaps something glorious would come out of all of this. Maybe out of his mother's sickness and his father's depression there would be a place in those stars for he and Willow.

As if she could hear his wish, Willow awoke and looked to Beck with her sparkling eyes.

"My mother is taking me away."

Beck was confused, "What?"

"After the divorce, we are moving."

Could things be any worse for Beck Seabright? "No, no that can't be. You can't go, Willow. I need you here."

Willow smiled. "But I can. You don't need me, Beck. Besides, I don't want to be here with the bad things."

Bad things? What bad things? "What are you talking about, Willow?"

She rested her head on his arm again. "I'll miss you too, Beck."

He cried even more this time, as quietly as he could.

At nine thirty, Beck saw people emerging from Brayden's backyard. He awoke the sleeping girls next to him. Riona jumped.

"Brayden!" She yelled as Willow rubbed her eyes.

"I think that's them over there." Beck said.

The three ran to Brayden's to see what happened. As they neared the house, they saw nurses placing Andrew on a stretcher. Riona's heart skipped a beat when she saw Brayden, but he looked drained, tired, scared. He was standing next to Jaykob who looked even more drained. Mrs. Ferrell kissed Brayden's forehead and began to walk to the house.

"Mrs. Ferrell, what happened to Andrew." Riona begged.

Georgia turned to Riona, downcast. "He's in a coma." Riona, Beck, and Willow felt terror sink into their hearts. "Now excuse me while I call the boy's mother." She retreated to the house.

Jaykob sat on the stairs in front of Brayden's house. Then, Willow took a seat next to him, followed by Beck. Riona stood in front of Brayden.

"I'm so happy you are okay." She told him.

Brayden stared into her eyes hoping to lose himself there, when a scream came from the other end of the block.

"WHERE IS MY BABY BOY?" It was Mrs. Adolite, Andrew's mother.

"Oh God." Brayden said. "I can't take this." And he began to walk to his house, when his mother stopped him at the door.

"You will tell that woman what happened to her son." Georgia told Brayden, and walked with him to the ambulance where they met up with Audrey Adolite.

"Is that my son in there?" She asked, crying. "What happened?"

"Brayden will tell you, Audrey."

Audrey looked to Brayden, crying and shaking. Brayden was crying now too.

"He had a seizure, in the woods."

"WHAT?" Audrey said, moving towards the ambulance, but Georgia stopped her.

"Mrs. Adolite, you're son is in a probably temporary coma." Georgia said.

Audrey yelled, her brown hair in all directions, wearing a nightgown.

"A Coma? How did my son get into a coma?" She tried to hold herself up but fell to her knees.

Georgia knelt down close to her.

"Let me see my son, where is my son?" She cried, shaking.

Georgia took her to the ambulance. The other nurses closed the doors and drove off with Andrew and Mrs. Adolite.

Georgia Ferrell and the head doctor approached her son and his friends.

"I want to know everything about what happened today, and I want to know what you were doing in that cabin... Immediately."

Jaykob told her everything, afraid what might happen to Andrew if they did not know all the facts. The doctor, of course, did not believe them. He was a short, balding man, with thick glasses.

"I think I've heard enough." He said. "I'll be seeing you at the hospital once you get yourself together, Georgia." The doctor got in his shiny, 1965 red mustang and drove away.

"It's the truth, mom. I don't know what else to tell you." Brayden said.

"Well, you've certainly made me look like a fool." Georgia said wearily. "I've got to get to work. Brayden get inside, the rest of you had better head home."

Georgia got in her car and drove to work.

"Well, thanks for holding my mom long enough for Jay to get here, Riona." Brayden said, turning to his house.

"But I didn't. Willow did." Riona said. Brayden turned around.

"What?" He looked at Willow who was playing hop-scotch in the driveway.

Jaykob nodded, "When i got here, your mom was staring at Willow like she was crazy."

"Willow knew Jaykob was coming here?" Beck asked.

Willow walked over, "Someone say my name?"

"I know you can be weird willow, but you could never see the future before. . . Well except for the other day when you knew about Andrew." Brayden said.

Willow looked at him curiously.

Jaykob walked over to Willow. "How did you know something was wrong?"

Everyone was staring at her now. "I can't see the future, silly."

"Well how did you know?" Beck asked her softly.

She looked at her friends. "The little girl told me."

_____

"What little girl, Willow?" Riona asked.

"The one in the forest, last year, when we went to the cabin." Willow said, playing with her hair.

"You were just chasing after kittens though." Jaykob said.

"No, there was a girl crying, I told Beck." She looked at Beck for support.

"Yes, but I just associated that with kittens crying." Beck said.

"No, no. it was a girl. We played together in the woods."

"What's her name where's she from, how did she know what would happen to Andrew?"

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know." Willow said stubbornly. "She just told me a few secrets."

Beck took Willow's hand and looked into her eyes. "But Willow, we are your best friends, you can share with us."

Willow pulled her hand away furiously. "I am not that much younger than you. You don't have to treat me like I'm a toddler."

Jaykob knew the effect he had on Willow. "We just know that maybe this girl is causing it, hurting your friends."

"She isn't. She told me to be here, to get the nurse to help Andrew because he was a trouble maker. That's all I can say."

With that, Willow began her trip back home, as the rest of her friends stared at each other dumbfounded.

"Willow is moving away with her mom after her parent's divorce." Beck divulged to his friends.

"What?" Riona gasped. "She can't leave."

"Yeah, we have to find out about that girl." Jaykob said.

Beck shoved Jaykob and began to walk home. He turned around and said "She's more important to us than that, you idiot."

Jaykob looked to Riona and Brayden for help, but they only gave him a look of disgust.

"I'll miss her too, but. . ." He shook his head, "Oh, never mind." With that, he walked away.

Riona and Brayden were alone again, just as they had been at the beginning of this chaotic night. Riona reached for Brayden's hand. He was cold. She stood in front of him and looked into his lifeless eyes.

"Are you gonna be okay tonight?" Riona asked.

"Sure, I will." Brayden said but Riona did not believe him.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" She asked.

Brayden reluctantly told her what was on his mind. "I can't stop thinking about the way Andrew looked, having a seizure, in that coma." He held back his tears. Riona cried for him and he wiped at the tears on her cheeks.

"That's the second time I had to watch something crazy happen to one of my friends in that cabin. I want to know who the Hell that girl in the forest is." He said, angry now.

"I fell to my knees when I found out about Andrew. But it wasn't because I was worried about Andrew. It was because I was so grateful that you were okay." Riona cried to him.

Riona held him. After a few minutes, Brayden broke away.

"Go on now, Riona, it's late." Brayden walked away and Riona watched him until he entered the house.

Chapter Ten:

A Month Later

"They found the cabin." Jaykob said as Brayden answered the door.

It was eight o'clock on a warm July morning. Brayden was still asleep when Jaykob began pounding on his door. He answered in a pair of boxers and a dingy white t-shirt, his red hair a mess.

"What are you talking about? Who found the cabin?" Brayden asked, the importance of the news had not completely settled in yet.

"Andrew's mother and father and some other parents from the neighborhood. Andrew had the map in his room, why did you give him the map?" Jaykob asked, finally catching his breath.

"Wait, what? So, what are they doing about it?" Brayden asked, now joining Jaykob on the porch steps.

"My brother said he saw Andrew's dad heading to the cabin about an hour ago with a gas can and matches."

Brayden's eyes widened. "They're going to burn down the cabin."

Brayden and Jaykob began going around the neighborhood waking up their friends. Brayden went first to Riona's. Her mother answered the door and told Brayden she was asleep.

"You don't understand Mrs. Flaherty it is very important."

She looked at him curiously, "Honey, why are you still in your night clothes?"

Brayden tried his best not to roll his eyes at what was at the time a completely irrelevant question. "Please." He said.

"Fine, fine. But you know Riona; I doubt she'll be pleased about this." As she walked from the door Brayden had full view of the kitchen area. Riona's father was in there now having his morning coffee, reading the newspaper. As was usual when Brayden saw Riona's father, or any of his friends� fathers, he was struck with jealousy and maybe even hurt. Why couldn't he have a normal father? Who would he have coffee and read the paper with when he was older?

Riona entered the room in a pair of gray shorts, white socks, and a similar dingy, white shirt as Brayden's. Her long red hair was in tangles and her green eyes were glossy with sleep. As she stepped onto the porch she punched Brayden in the shoulder.

"What?" She said, not as angry as Brayden had figured.

"Go put on a pair of shoes, I'll tell you on the way to Beck's." He said, looking suspiciously at her mother, he did not want her to hear.

"Why? What's wrong?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Please, Riona, hurry up."

She was not going to question further and did as Brayden suggested. As the two reached the street, Brayden explained the situation to Riona.

"So, what are we going to do about it?"

Brayden had not exactly thought that far ahead, "Well, I'm not sure. Shouldn't we stop them?" He asked her.

"Well it did put Andrew in a Coma and disabled him probably for life." Riona said.

"But it saved Jaykob's life."

Meanwhile, Jaykob approached Willow's door. She was already awake and sitting in the living room with her mother, wrapping picture frames in bubble wrap. Jaykob was struck with an overwhelming feeling of sadness at finally coming to the realization that he was losing a valued friend. He stood at the screen door looking in at the mother and daughter, close to tears, unable to move. Willow spotted him at the door and jumped from her seat.

"Jaykob!" She said with glee, her blonde hair bouncing with each step.

He smiled at her as she opened the door and said, "Wow, you're up early."

He finally remembered why he was there. "Yeah you have to come with us," he lowered his voice, "It's important."

Willow understood his tone and looked to her mother.

"Mom is it okay if i go outside for a bit?" She asked.

Eleanor frowned, "Fine, just don't be long, we've got a lot of packing to do before the weekend."

It was Monday; the Fairlongs would be leaving Sunday morning. Jaykob realized this and again, he almost cried, and froze in his place. How could he make up in one week for all the years he had neglected this young girl who loved him so.

"It's okay, Jaykob." She said, looking angelic and omnipotent as usual.

Jaykob forced a smile, "Of course. Come on, lets hurry."

The two took the stairs of Willow's house three at a time. By the time they reached the street, Brayden and Riona were already there, looking confused and scared.

"What is it?" Jaykob asked Brayden.

"Well, we aren't sure if we should even bother protecting it."

"Protect what?" Willow asked.

Riona looked down at Willow, "The cabin Willow. Andrew's parents want to burn it down."

Willow's eyes widened, making her look more human than usual.

"Oh... wow." Was all she said.

"Well we need to go get Beck and see what he thinks we should do." Jaykob said.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Brayden agreed and Riona nodded her head.

Willow looked to Beck's house and said, "They had another big fight last night, I heard a lot of yelling.

"Why don't you go get him, Willow, he'll be happy to see you." Jaykob assured her.

Willow did so and started walking towards Beck's house. It was very warm today, humid even from the storm the night before. Willow never liked the rain. it was not because of the usually fear the naive had of thunder and all those scary noises. Willow hated the lightening, she hated the feeling it brought her. But, today was better, a clear day. The sun was already starting to shine better as it moved farther up the sky.

Willow was now standing in front of Beck's house. As much as Willow loved Beck, his house always made her feel uncomfortable. It always smelled of medicine and sadness. Beck's father answered the door. Puffy and swollen eyes had become a permanent feature of what had once been a handsome face. Now it was drawn with sadness, sagging with the weight of depression. His eyes had forgotten the meaning of hope. The lines around his mouth told that he had once known how to laugh, but that was now only a memory. Willow could not remember the last time she saw Mr. Sebring smile. She remembered it was a beautiful smile once.

He acknowledged her as one might acknowledge a fly on their windowsill. As he turned to walk back inside Willow saw Beck's figure sitting on a recliner in the living room. She waved to him and he stood up lazily. Mr. Sebring had walked down the dark hallway as though he was hoping to be forgotten, hoping to go to the same place his dreams had hidden so long ago.

Beck walked onto his porch with Willow. "What are you doing up so early." His face broke into an awkward smile, a smile that did not seem to belong to him.

"There's a problem, and everyone needs your help." Willow pointed to their friends on the street. They waved when they saw Beck look at them. He gave another weary smile.

"I really don't feel like going out today Willow." He began to walk back to the door, but Willow grabbed his arm to stop him.

She looked deep into his eyes and gave him a huge lopsided smile, "Please?" she asked.

Beck felt as though he could melt right there. How could he ignore that smile, that smile on this perfect little girl whom he loved so much?

"Fine, you've convinced me." He said with a small laugh.

The two walked down the sidewalk to join their friends. They were sitting in the grass of the Kamperts' lawn. Beck and Willow sat down to join them.

"So, what's the problem?" Beck asked.

Brayden chose to explain the issue to Beck.

"Andrew must have gotten the map off of me somehow when we went to the cabin last year. It was still in his room, his parents found it and they got together with some other people in the neighborhood..." Brayden stopped for a minute to make sure Beck understood. "They went up there this morning with gas cans. They're going to burn down the cabin, Beck."

Beck's eyes widened considerably. "Shit." He said.

"Yeah, pretty much." Jaykob responded.

Brayden took Beck's arm, "We need to know what to do Beck."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, should we stop them?"

"They've probably gotten there and burned it down already." Beck said.

Riona shook her head, "No, no. Remember, the map takes you in circles. It takes almost a day to get there with the map when its really only a little more than an hour from Brayden's."

Beck nodded, remembering now. "Oh... Yeah."

Brayden tried to hurry him up, "So, what do we do?"

Beck thought. All of his thoughts went to his mother. He had been hoping, planning for almost a year now of saving his mother with the cabin. However, he could not let his friends know about that.

"It saved Jaykob. There's something special about that cabin and we all know it. We should stop them." Beck decided.

Riona shook her head, she knew somehow this was going to end badly. Everyone stood up except Riona. Brayden looked down at her and offered her his hand. Riona reluctantly took it, and when she looked up to Brayden, he locked her eyes with his. His eyes told her this was the right thing, and she believed him.

Chapter Eleven:

The five friends went through Brayden's backyard and began their journey to the cabin. It was barely nine and they were already sweating through their shirts.

"Geez Louise, Riona. Don't girls wear deodorant too?" Jaykob asked, covering his nose with his shirt. Everyone laughed at the joke whole-heartedly, even Riona. She still had to hit him though.

"What? Brayden pulled my butt straight out of bed; I didn't have anytime to shower." She said.

That was the last thing anyone said for at least a half hour. They walked passed the first waterfall without taking a breather, and they were now nearing the second. The five heard raised voices nearing the waterfall from the other direction from which they had approached.

"We better get running." Brayden said as he began to jog.

The rest of his friends looked at him like he was crazy.

"Run. Up that hill?" Beck asked.

Brayden did not bother to answer, so the rest followed him. Half way up the hill Riona began to feel light-headed. Brayden noticed this and put his right arm under her left and around her back and he ran with her.

The heat was getting to all of them now. It was definitely too hot to be running up a hill like this one. When they reached the top, Riona did not look well at all. Brayden stopped with his arms around Riona and his friends gathered around. Her face was pale and her eyelids heavy. he put a hand to her head, it was hot and a cold sweat was coming through her damp red hair.

"She needs water, Brayden." Beck said.

"I'll take her back down to the waterfall, you guys have to stop them on your own, and she won't be able to make it back up the hill."

Riona's eyes rolled to Brayden's face. "Don't you even dare, Brayden." Her voice was strong.

"Riona, you're sick." He said sweetly.

"I'll kill you. I'll never talk to you again. I can wait for water." She said.

Brayden rolled his eyes and began walked down hill with her anyway. Riona pulled away and tried her hardest to knock him over, but he did not budge.

She yelled at the top of her voice now. "NO! No Brayden!" And she walked unsteadily on towards the cabin. The rest stepped into place with her. Brayden followed, reluctantly.

Jaykob put a hand on Brayden's back, "She'll be fine, man."

Brayden moved away from his hand, "Shut up."

They were at the cabin now. It was defying gravity still standing there, fall apart, corroding.

"So, what do we do to stop them?" Jaykob asked.

"Good question." Beck said.

"We stand in front of them. and don't move until they leave." Brayden answered.

"I doubt that will stop an angry mob of adults." Riona said wearily.

"You're the stubborn one who had to come here." Brayden snipped.

Riona rolled her eyes, too tired to argue.

"Maybe she should go in the cabin." Beck offered.

Riona fixed her eyes on him, "What?"

"Well you're sick, maybe it will help you."

She looked away, "No, I'll be fine without that stupid cabin."

"Then why don't you just go get water if you think it's stupid." Brayden pushed.

"Because I am just a much a part of this as the rest of you, I'm not going to just ditch you guys." She said ending the argument.

"They're coming." Beck remarked as he heard the voices ascending the hill.

The five friends then joined in a row blocking the cabin. Willow, Beck, Brayden, Riona, then Jaykob. And they stood strong.

The first one to break through the clearing was Andrew's father, James Adolite. James held the damaged map in his hands. He looked much like Andrew. He was pudgy around the edges, brown freckles swarmed his arms, his brown hair was a mess, and he had that same innocent look of ignorance on his face.

"What the hell is this?" He yelled across the clearing to them.

Beck felt Willow begin to shutter at his side, he took her hand and held it firmly.

Audrey Adolite appeared behind her husband. She was followed by Maura and Henry Kampert a graying couple who lived next to Beck. Mickey and Tommy, the Nelson twins, were the last to approach. Riona always spoke of how bad she felt for them. Thirty year old men still living together in the same house they grew up in. They both worked managing the supermarket down the street from their houses. As far as the friends knew, the twins had never had a girlfriend. They were ugly, dirty men who were in bad need of a shave and a shower... And maybe a steak or two. The two combined could not have weighed 200 pounds Mickey wore thick, black rimmed glasses, and Tommy still had a terrible case of acne. They were not too bright either. Jaykob's oldest brother had told him they had to repeat the twelfth grade three times.

BACK TO MY MAIN PAGE!