The Bones of the Forest

by Rachelle Reese

  ***

  “How do you like being outside the safety net?” the portly man in the dark suit asked.

  “I like it. There are a lot of new things to see.”

  “Like what?” asked woman in the green one-piece pantsuit.

  “Trees, frogs, fireflies, birds. Mostly just stuff in the woods. I haven’t spent any time in town yet.”

  “What are your intentions?” the man asked.

  “I’m looking forward to starting school and meeting new friends.”

  “Do you miss your friends?” asked the woman.

  “Sometimes. Especially when I’m bored.”

  “In your opinion, how are your parents adjusting?” the woman leaned toward her confidentially.

  “My Dad loves it. He’s excited about starting his new job. Plus he likes to teach me things.”

  “Teach you things? What sorts of things?” the man scowled.

  “Just stuff about nature – you know, like frogs and crickets and chiggers. He grew up in the country.”

  “That’s right. I see that here,” the woman consulted a thick folder with her father’s name printed in the corner.

  “By the way, you didn’t ask me if there’s anything I hate. Chiggers would be what I hate.” Amanda tried to change the subject from her mother.

  “Chiggers?” the man leaned closer. “What’s a chigger?”

  “Awful little red bugs. My Dad says they liquefy the skin. Look, this is what chigger bites looks like,” Amanda put her foot up on the coffee table and rolled down her sock.

  The man leaned closer to take a look.

  “Don’t get too close,” Amanda warned. “If the chiggers haven’t dropped off yet, they’ll get on you. And believe me, you don’t want that. You would have no immunity to them at all.”

  Amanda rolled up her sock and put her foot back on the ground. The woman reached for a can of disinfectant and sprayed down the coffee table. She looked up at Amanda, “You can go.”

  The man had taken out his magnifying glass and was examining the coffee table’s surface. “Make a note to look up chiggers when we get back to the city,” he said. “It might be a code name for chemical weapons. Did you see the bumps on her ankle?”

  “Don’t be paranoid, Karl,” the woman said. “They probably were just bug bites. Remember, she hasn’t had vitamins in seven weeks. Her system is probably breaking down.”

  Amanda closed the door behind her and part of her hoped she had left a chigger or two behind. Well, at least she’d avoided talking about her mother.