Young Writers Society

Chapter One

They were both strangers

“Help!”

Gasping for air, Katie ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Cold sweat dripped from her forehead, trickling down her face. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and slowed her tracks. Her heart was banging against her chest, she thought it would explode. She looked around her but saw only wild bushes, thickets, and tall pine trees resting on soft earth.

Katie walked quietly but swiftly, often stumbling upon twisted roots and jagged stones. She repeatedly looked back behind her, fearing that the wolf was still chasing her. The branches of the trees stretched aloft, and as she looked among them, she saw the faint hues of pink and orange across the sky. The sun was still in the horizon, but clouds were already scattering. Birds are taking flight as their screams were heard from the sky.

She was safe. For now.

But she had run deeper into the woods, and she does not know the way back. She tried walking back where she came from but she was afraid she might see the wolf. Panting, she made a sharp turn and quickened her steps, hoping she might see someone that she could ask help from. It was getting dark, and the wind was getting stronger. She put her arms around her; the warmth from her sweater was not enough to protect her from the cold wind.

She had been lost once, when she was spending the summer with her parents. She was only four years old, and her parents took Mandy, her half-cousin, with them, so Katie would not get bored. Mandy was the happy-go-lucky brat who has lighthearted pleasures. During their two-week vacation on the beach, Mandy was always the first up in the morning. She loved playing near the water, removing her shoes and letting the water touch her feet. Katie dragged herself along, pretending to be interested in all nonsense things Mandy was doing.

And when Mandy had run far from the shore, Katie followed her, and eventually lost herself among the crowd of people, people she never knew. Ladies sitting under their large, colored umbrellas, men playing Frisbee with attentive and funny dogs, children building sandcastles and collecting seashells across the shallow waters–she made her way through these strangers, looking for Mandy and also searching for familiar faces; her parents. She started crying, and when an old woman saw her, she called an old uniformed man and they took her to a small hut, and the uniformed man went away. When he returned, he was with her parents. She was so happy to see them that she cried even harder, clinging to her mother’s neck, fearing she might not be able to see them again. Her father, carrying small Mandy in his arms, just patted her shoulder.

Would she cry again? Like what she did when she was lost?

Of course not.

She frowned when she saw an oak tree beside two pine trees. She was sure she passed this way before, when the wolf was chasing her. Impatient, she walked past the tree and made her way through the tall grass. What kind of forest is this? she thought. She began to feel scared because as the branches of the trees swayed, they looked like arms that were reaching for her.

Intentionally, she ran into the woods, hoping that the wolf was following her. When she saw how the wolf looked hungrily at Mandy, with its lips drawn back, that’s when she picked up a stone, hurled it towards the wolf, and ran when the infuriated beast came running towards her. She would risk her life for Mandy, her younger cousin that seemed more than a sister to her.

As her left sneaker got untangled, she bent down and tied it; smelling the scent of the wild flowers carried by the breeze. Then she continued walking. When she heard a strange sound coming from behind the thickets, she ran in a hurry, fearing it was the wolf. As she leaped from a pile of rocks, she scraped her left leg.

“Ouch!” she screamed. She sat on the grass as she rubbed her leg. It was no use. The bleeding continued, and she took her handkerchief from her pocket, tying it on her leg. “If somebody can only help me get out of this creepy forest…” she muttered as she got up and started walking again. She limped her way out of the tall grass, taking small steps at a time.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a dark silhouette move against a bush and disappear behind a bush. Katie swallowed hard. “Mom? Dad?” she called. It was silly, because if it were her parents, they would have rushed to her right now. If it was the wolf… no, it cannot be the wolf. Katie was sure it was human. Slowly she turned and started to run.

And she was surprised to see a young man standing in front of her.

“Hello?” she asked, a little surprised.

But the young man did not spoke.

For a while, their eyes met. Katie was looking directly in his eyes, his cerulean eyes, lost in his stare. He was tall, so Katie was looking up at him. The young man stepped closer to her, his straw-colored hair blown by the wind. He was lean, and very pale. He reminded her of those inexplicable characters, those she had often read in mystery stories. Katie thought she was seeing a ghost. Why was he very pale like that? Had she surprised him?

Katie did not know what to say, because she was too dumbfounded to say something. “I-I…” she began, and stared in horror as she saw the gray wolf, the one following her. It lurked behind the tall grass a few steps away from them.

“Wolf…” she blurted out, although she tried to stay calm. She pointed over his shoulder. “Right behind you.”

The wolf leaped in the air, its paws stretched, ready to attack. Just before it could land on the young man’s shoulder, he turned and caught the wolf by its neck.

Yowling in pain, the wolf scratched and fought, leaving light bruises on the young man’s arms. With a powerful hand, he threw the animal on the rocks, as if it were a doll. As the wolf wobbled away, wailing in pain and leaving a trail of blood, Katie felt so sick that she fell on her knees. “W-Who are you?” she asked.

The young man turned to her. “Bryan,” he replied. He held out his hand and helped Katie to her feet. “You’re hurt,” he said when she stood up and winced in pain.

“So are you,” Katie said and smiled.

“What are you doing here?”

Katie looked around, then turned to him. “I think I’m lost,” she said. “And I think you know the way out of this forest. Can you help me?”

It was a very dumb thing to say, since Katie was not even sure if Bryan lives here.

Bryan looked at her with stern eyes. His glare made Katie cringe. She felt she had said something that upset him. Instead, she just glanced up the sky, avoiding his stare. It was dark blue, and stars scattered like tossed flowers. The sun had set. It was beginning to get dark. Bryan leaned closer to her. He cannot handle this anymore. The small red spot on Katie’s leg had begun to spread, and a tiny drop of blood trickled down her skin. He was attracted by her scent, and he kept looking at her wounded leg. Bryan swallowed hard.

“Yeah, it hurts,” Katie said, thinking that Bryan was concerned about her leg. “See, I really need help. I do not know how much about this place.” She eyed the patch of woods nearby. “I think I came from that direction. Problem is, I do not know the way back.”

“Are you new here?” Bryan asked.

“Yeah,” Katie replied, a little surprised since Bryan seemed uninterested in her case. Still, she felt relieved. “Why?”

“You’re not the one I’m looking for,” he said and walked away.

“Wait!” Katie called. “You’re not going to leave me here, are you?”

Bryan stopped walking and turned to her. “Why don’t you walk back where you came from?” he asked. “You told me you came from the woods. Then why don’t you go back?”

Katie stepped closer. She could not believe she was wasting her time on him. Nevertheless, Bryan could only be her last hope if she still wanted to get out of this forest. “I already tried that,” she calmly said, although she is a bit exasperated. “Nothing happened. It was like going in circles, around and around. Is there a way out of this place?”

The wind blew harder. Dried leaves rustled while being carried by the breeze. The branches of the trees swayed, and birds flew, towering the tops of the trees. Silence fell over them.

“Don’t you even know this place?”

Katie looked around. Except for the tall and brawny trunks of pine trees and oaks, and for the thorny thickets and heap of stones on one side, and the scattered dried leaves on the ground, there was nothing much to see. “Like I’ve told you, I’m new here,” she said and turned to him.

Bryan was already gone.

Katie shrugged her shoulders. She was alone again.

In the cold wind. In the dark.

“Bryan?” she called.

Again, the wind whipped small twigs and dried leaves to her feet. “Bryan?” she called again, cupping her mouth with her hands. “Are you still there?”’

Only cold wind answered her.

“I need to find my daughter,” Mrs. Ashmore said, nervously walking back and forth in the living room. She pushed her rimmed glasses that were slipping from her nose. “I need to find Katie. Who knows whatever happened to my dear daughter?”

“Calm down, ma’am,” said Captain Mike Jensen, a roly-poly man with thick moustache and a protruding belly. He removed his cap, wiped his balding forehead, and put the cap again. “The local police were in a search now. Perhaps your daughter had not gone that far, so we can find her easily. And don’t worry, ma’am. Dogs were also brought.”

A tall police officer arrived. “The forest is a bit dangerous, ma’am,” he said. He produced a small notepad from his shirt pocket and clicked on a pen. “How long has your daughter been missing? We need enough information to locate her.”

“Katie’s been missing for about two hours,” Mrs. Ashmore replied, looking at her watch. “We thought she just dropped by the lake with her cousin, but when Mandy came home she was not with her.” She buried her face in her hands. “Please…look for my daughter, I’m begging you.” She sank on a cushion chair and wept.

Mandy entered the room with the phone in her hand. “I’ve been trying to call her, but she’s not answering my calls.” She sat on a chair next to Mrs. Ashmore.

“How old is your daughter, ma’am?” the tall police officer asked.

“Fifteen,” Mrs. Ashmore replied between sobs. She wiped her eyes with a tissue paper that Mandy had given her. “She’s about five feet four inches tall, fair-skinned, and brown-haired.”

The tall officer pocketed his notebook and pen. “Thank you ma’am; this information will be enough to find her.” He looked at Mrs. Ashmore with concern. “For a while, take a rest.”

“I will not be able to relax unless my daughter is here with me,” she said.

Mandy closed the door after the men had left. “Don’t worry, Aunt Ellen,” she said, smiling. “I know Katie will be fine. They’re going to find her.” She led the woman upstairs to her room.

After Mrs. Ashmore had settled in her room, Mandy went downstairs and took the phone. She dialed Katie’s number again. Katie’s phone kept on ringing, but no one answered it. She placed the phone on the center table. Where was she? And what made her go into that forest? She raised a curtain and tried to look outside, against the dark. The maple tree near the front porch swayed its branches, making small dried leaves fall. She could see the dark sky, and she could see the glistening stars.

“Mandy,” Mrs. Ashmore called from the closed bedroom.

“Yes?”

There was a pause, and then, “Nothing, dear. Get some sleep now.”

Mandy started up the stairs. “Okay.”

When she was in her own bedroom, she sat up in bed, thinking of Katie, her sophisticated but loving cousin who seemed like her own sister. She had lived with the Ashmore family ever since she could remember, and it was like almost thirteen years. Her real name was Madeleine, since she was born in France, and it was Katie who started calling her Mandy, since “Maddy”, her nickname, sounded much for a boy. Her mother died while giving birth to her, and since her mother’s close relative is Ellen Ashmore, being her half-sister, Mandy came to live with them. Her father continued to work in France but occasionally visits and financially supports her.

She came to live with the family when she was a month old, wrapped in a snug pink blanket. When she first arrived, carried in her father’s arms, Katie looked at her with disinterest. She was propped up on a velvet pillow, playing with a rag doll. “Look, dear,” Ellen had said, holding Mandy in her arms, showing her to Katie, “isn’t she an angel?”

“Yeah,” Katie snapped, and then continued playing with her doll.

“It isn’t often that you have a playmate,” Katie’s father said. “Madeleine’s going to live with us. She will make a good cousin, perhaps even a good sister. Don’t you like that?”

Madeleine. What a stupid name. Katie rolled her eyes then looked at her father. “How can I play with a newborn baby?” she asked.

Her father had smiled, one of those exceptional but pure smiles, because he never does that. “Of course you wouldn’t,” he said. “You have enough time to grow; you’re only two years old!”

“Oh, Daryl,” Ellen exclaimed, bringing the baby closer to her face, “she’s so pretty!”

Daryl put an arm around Ellen and nodded.

And little Katie, then two years old, watched as this little brat, this little “angel” smiled and cooed, getting her parents’ attention from her.

The Ashmore family adopted Mandy, treating her like their own child. She was brought up well, taught, and cared for. It even occurred to her that she was already living with her real family, and she almost could not believe it whenever they tell her that she was not really a part of their family. For Mandy, things will really be hard especially if you live in a world full of strangers.

She was called Madeleine, even in school, but at some other times, Daryl and Ellen would call her Maddy for short. Until she reached second grade did Katie started calling her “Mandy”, reasoning that, “Maddy is just too boyish for her.”

Mandy smiled and looked at the wall clock facing her bed. The glowing numbers read: eight thirty-five. She sighed, then got out of bed and went downstairs, hoping that a glass of warm milk would help her calm down. She kept on thinking about Katie, gulping down the milk as if it was water. Then she wiped her lips with the back of her hand, left the empty glass on the sink and headed upstairs to her room.

Leaning against the trunk of an oak tree, Katie sighed and stared up. She has been walking for about thirty minutes; her legs were tired and her wound hurts. She rubbed it with her hand, and then winced in pain. Forcing herself to stand, she steadied herself against the trunk and felt the pain slowly ebbing away. Is this what I get from helping other people? she thought. And where was Mandy? She was supposed to help me right now; the police should have been here now.

As she continued walking again, it appeared to her as if this forest was a huge maze, with its twists and turns, uneven paths and rocky ledges, tall scary trees that looked like strange figures of people with outstretched hands, and that mysterious guy, Bryan. Yeah, very mysterious.

“This forest is so big, I could spend my whole life walking inside it,” Katie said aloud. She sighed. There is no use in talking to herself right now. She looked silly, walking alone in that dark place, illuminated by the moon’s radiance, her sweater tight around her. She frowned. It is the middle of summer, yet why it is freezing cold?

When she heard a muffled sound behind her, she ran, forgetting her wound, her aching legs.

It could be the wolf; perhaps it had followed her trail. Then she slowed down. Frightened, she looked around her. She sighed. How long has she been here in this forest? She looked at her watch. Eight fifty-two. Great. Her parents will surely kill her when she arrives. She could imagine their faces, sick with worry. Her mother always worries about her. Her dad? Her dad will arrive at nine o’clock, after having some business with a friend in town.

A cold hand landed on her shoulder.

Katie almost jumped. She screamed.

“Are you alright?” someone asked.

“Bryan?” she said upon recognizing his voice, and turned to him. “What are you doing here? And why are you always startling me?”

She was angry, of course. She curled her lips and looked furiously at him.

Bryan held out a cellular phone. “Is this yours?” he asked. “I found it near the lake. And it has your picture in it.”

Katie snatched her phone and quickly pocketed it. “Thanks a lot,” she said in a voice without deep gratitude. “So…you live around here?”

Instead of answering her, Bryan turned and looked around, distracted by a faint sound he heard from behind the bushes. Katie was surprised when Bryan held her hand as he continued looking around. Frightened, Katie crept closer to him and whispered, “Why?”

“Someone’s coming,” he said, his eyes fixed on the bushes. He held her hand tightly.

From behind the bushes, a wolf appeared. Katie started to scream, but she covered her mouth with her other hand. Then blinking and squinting her eyes, she saw that it was not a wolf, but a large black German shepherd. The dog barked at her, its saliva sputtering from its mouth. Katie also noticed that it had a leash, meaning there was someone behind it. Gently, Bryan let go of her hand and looked at her.

“They found you,” he said, and ran away.

Katie thought Bryan had called the police, informing them about her. How nice of him, she thought. The dog continued barking, and she heard men’s voices. A man appeared, pulled the dog on its leash, and shone a flashlight to her. Katie covered her face, startled by the light, and then recognized that the man is a police officer. “There’s a girl here,” he said and turned to his colleagues. Captain Jensen came closer.

She ran towards the man. She was almost crying. “Help,” she said. “I’m lost, and I don’t know the way out, and then…” Katie did not finish her sentence. She wiped her eyes as the Mr. Jensen helped her enter the jeep.

“You’ve got a nasty wound there,” he said, eyeing her leg. “Are you alright?” Two other police officers entered another car. Soon they were on the road, with a few trees marking the path. “No one approached us, only your cousin and mother informed the police.”

“Oh,” Katie said. “Can I ask something? Does anybody live here?”

“In this forest?” Captain Jensen asked, looking directly at the path ahead. “There was this odd couple, and their two teenage sons. They have been here as far as I can remember, because I know they are already here when I was a child. Really odd.”

Katie nodded her head. “Where did they come from?” she asked.

“I really don’t know,” he replied, glancing perfunctorily at her. “Some say they came from Europe; others said they were only vacationing here. They have been the talk of the town for many years. Some even say they were witches.”

Katie slumped back in her seat. A witch? Probably. She remembered Bryan’s ashen face, and his cold hands. He could be a ghost, too! Oh, what am I thinking? Katie whispered.

“So, you can narrate your story to us, young lady,” Captain Jensen said.

It was a windy afternoon, so Katie and Mandy decided to wear sweaters before going to the lake. It was only a ten-minute walk from their lodge, about east of the forest. Katie’s younger brother, Lyon, stayed at their lodge, reasoning he wanted to help their mother prepare supper. Katie’s father left on an emergency trip, but will stay with them after two days.

Mandy walked, passing wildflowers that were growing on the ledges near the lake. Katie trailed behind. She was not that interested, unlike childish Mandy; she wished she just stayed with her mother, but the latter refused. “You two girls get along together,” she often said. “Mandy was like a younger sister to you; isn’t that nice?”

“It’s over there,” Mandy said, pointing in the distance. “Katie, why are you such a slowpoke?”

Katie quickened her steps, then stood beside Mandy near the lake’s bank. “What?” she asked, then her gaze fell on the lake, glistening against the afternoon sun. The verdant mountains on one side highlighted the lake, making it even beautiful. And Katie noticed it was also very calm, a few ripples emerging to the surface. The birds flew out from the treetops, and the wind blew.

“Well?” Mandy asked, as she sat on a rock, untying her shoes. “Would you like to wade?”

Katie sat on a rock far from the bank. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m afraid of the water, remember? The lake looks beautiful, but I cannot wade. I can’t.”

Mandy finished removing her shoes and socks. She stepped on the damp stones near the dock. “Come on,” she called behind her shoulder, walking up the dock. “Katie, you’re just going to sit here beside me. And don’t worry–I won’t drown you.” She giggled.

“I’ll just stay here,” Katie said and smiled.

“Suit yourself,” Mandy said. She sat on one edge, her legs dangling from the dock. She laughed, feeling the cold water against her feet. Mandy moved her legs back and forth, forming large ripples on the water.

Katie just sat still, a few steps behind Mandy. She wanted to join her, but she has been afraid. It happened one summer, when they went to a beach in Florida. Mandy was still a baby, about fifteen months old, and Katie was three. She was sitting on the sand, playing with a plastic shovel and pail, as the water rushed to her repeatedly. She went near the beach, until the water reached her legs. Her mother, sitting under a large umbrella, saw her and called her.

“It’s a bit dangerous over there, honey,” she said, placing Mandy on her lap. “Don’t go far beyond the water or you’ll drown.”

Katie eyed her mother enthusiastically, and instead of moving farther from the shore, she took a step forward, her shoes damp with water. Making sure her mother was not looking, she took another step, until her knees were soaked in water. She smiled. Suddenly, a wave rushed towards her, and swept her from the shore into deep water. Now her clothes were all wet, and the water reached her chest.

Her mother, Ellen, was busy with Mandy, and she did not notice Katie near the shore. She turned to call her, and saw her daughter being swept from the shore, floating among those ignorant people who never seem to see her. She almost dropped Mandy, but hug the baby tightly. “Katie!” she called. “Katie, wait for me!”

She sped down the shore, and by that time, many people surrounded Katie, including a young lifeguard, who climbed down from his station and ran to the beach. He carried her in his arms, and laid her on the sand. Katie cannot stop crying. Her mother wrapped an arm around her. “You’ll be fine, honey,” she said in an assuring voice. “Mommy’s here for you.”

Katie smiled at the memory. She looked at Mandy, who was throwing stones on the water. Then, from behind her, she heard something move from behind the bushes. She turned and saw a wolf, and she almost screamed in fright. What is a wolf doing here? She noticed that it was looking directly at Mandy, its lips curled, showing sharp white teeth. Katie gulped. What would she do? If she tried to warn Mandy, then the wolf would attack either her or her cousin. If she tried to distract the wolf, then it could attack her first, then Mandy.

Quietly, she picked up a stone, and then hurled it towards the wolf. It barely missed its left ear, grazing the hair above it. The wolf looked at her, silently growling. Katie looked at Mandy, her cousin unaware about the wolf. Her plan was to distract the animal, and then help Mandy get out of this forest, back to their lodge. She looked at the wolf again, and this time it was looking angrily at her. She does not know whether to scream or run. Breathing heavily, she wiped the cold sweat forming on her forehead. Then she stood up, took a step back, and whispered, “Follow me.”

Confused, yet eager, the wolf followed her, making light steps, pawing the ground. When they were out of Mandy’s sight, Katie hysterically ran into the woods, stepping on soft ground, twigs, and leaves. She ran farther; the wolf pursued a few steps behind. Katie pushed aside low branches and stems that were blocking her path.

Meanwhile, Mandy went down from the dock, her feet still wet from the water. “You should try this at least once, Katie,” she said picking up her shoes and socks. She looked behind her, and saw the empty rock where Katie had sat. “Katie?” she called.

No one answered her.

Quickly, she put on her socks and shoes, and then walked up the forest. “Katie?” she called again. What is this? Is Katie playing a game with her? She peered behind every tree, hoping that her cousin was only playing hide and seek. What would she tell Mrs. Ashmore?

She heard a rustling sound, and she quickly turned. “Katie? Is that you?”

A tall lean man appeared from behind a tree.

That is when Mandy rushed home to call Mrs. Ashmore.

It was about quarter to ten when Katie arrived with the police to their cottage. The headlights and the noise of the engines of the jeep and the car startled Mandy, who was half-asleep. Katie’s parents are in the living room, drinking coffee while waiting for them. Mr. Ashmore paced back and forth, his warm mug in his hand. Upon hearing the noise of the vehicles, he went to the door and opened it. Mrs. Ashmore also stood up and went to the door.

“Good evening, Mr. Ashmore,” Captain Jensen said, and he entered the living room, with Katie behind him. Mrs. Ashmore wrapped her arms around her daughter, and sobbed.

“Oh, Katie,” she cried and hugged her tightly. “Where have you been? I’m so worried!” She touched Katie’s face, and then hugged her again. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“She got a wound on her leg,” Captain Jensen said. “You’d better let that checked up, young fella.” He turned to Mr. Ashmore and talked with him. They sat on the beige sofa, while Captain Jensen narrated what happened to Katie. Mandy wearily came down from the stairs.

Mrs. Ashmore saw Katie’s wound, tied with a handkerchief. “Oh, dear,” she said, “what happened to your leg? We should better wash it, before it can turn to infection.” She took Katie’s hand. “Come on, we need to attend your wound.”

Mandy helped Mrs. Ashmore prepare dressing and medicine for Katie’s wound. After washing her leg in warm water, she wrapped a long clean bandage. “We’ll have to go to town tomorrow afternoon. Your leg might be infected with something.” She sighed. “Katie, what has gotten into you? Don’t you know we have been worried about you?”

“I’m sorry, mom,” Katie replied, her eyes low. “I will be fine; it’s just a scratch.”

Mr. Ashmore closed the door, while the police cars sped away, their loud sirens screeching. When everything was silent again, the family gathered in the small living room. “Katie,” her father said, “you need to rest. So do you, Mandy. It was way past your bedtime. You can tell us tomorrow morning what really happened.”

“What did they told you about the forest?” Katie asked.

“They assured me, saying that the forest is naturally inhabited by wolves,” Mr. Ashmore replied. “I believe them, because there were several incidents involving children being chased by offended wolves; particularly mothers who want to defend their young.”

Maybe, the wolf that chased her is a mother who was offended when they went to the forest. But what difference does it make? Surely, the local animal center guaranteed that the wolves are safe, and that they can associate with them. “I can go back there, right?” Katie asked.

“No, you will not,” Mrs. Ashmore said, her voice firm. “I don’t want anything like this to happen again. It is dangerous out there, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Mr. Ashmore smiled, and then wrapped his arms around Mrs. Ashmore’s shoulders. “Ellen, you don’t have to worry about Katie. She’s older now, and she can take care of herself. The forest may look dangerous to you, but I can see how it interests Katie. It just proves that your daughter is an adventurous type.”

Katie sighed. Her father was right, but her mother would never agree to this kind of situation. Her father almost agrees into anything, while her mother does not. Her mother is a city person, not used to going outdoors, camping, and vacations in forests. This vacation was her father’s idea, and her mother reluctantly agreed. She complained of going to precarious places, where they can go to the beach instead. Her father just shook his head and smiled.

“It’s been a long night,” Mr. Ashmore said and rose from his chair. He helped his wife to his feet and they started up the stairs. “You go to bed now, the both of you.”

“Yes, dad,” Katie answered, as Mandy helped her climb the stairs.

When they were alone in their room, Katie sat on the edge of her bed and gazed outside the window beside her bed. The moon was low, illuminating, and was covered by tufts of dark clouds. She took her brush on her bedside table and combed her hair. Nearby, Mandy tucked herself underneath the heavy covers, yawning. “Aren’t you going to sleep?” she asked Katie.

“Later,” Katie replied. “This afternoon, in the forest, have you seen a pale young man, wandering about in the woods?”

Mandy sat up in bed, and then looked at her cousin. “Yes I did, but I was frightened, so I ran away. He looks ghostly, with that cold glare and pale complexion. You know him?”

“Bryan,” Katie said. “His name is Bryan. He helped me find my way out of the forest. Sadly, I forgot to thank him, because he ran away.” She broke into a smile. “I don’t know why, but I find him interesting. I need to find him tomorrow, to thank him. Surely, mom and dad would be eager to meet him. What do you think?”

“You know what?” Mandy said as she lied down again. “You really need to sleep.” She yawned, and then covered her mouth. “If you have any plans to go back to the forest, then do so. Uncle Daryl said you can come back as often as you want.”

“But you’ll come with me.”

“Just go to sleep, Katie. I’m tired!” She rolled on one side, her back against her.

Katie smiled. She loved annoying Mandy, and she often teases her. She climbed into bed, and slid beneath the blankets. “Mandy?” she whispered.

“What?” Mandy impatiently said, without even looking at her.

“Nothing. Good night.”

Outside their bedroom window, the dawdling wind played with the dried leaves gathered near the roots of the old oak tree. The curtains swayed leisurely, letting the cool wind enter the room. Hidden among the few remaining leaves of the tree, Bryan was sitting silently on a branch.

Watching closely.