Wish by Moonstone

by Vanessa Haberkorn

  "You were born?" Samantha guessed.

  Joby tossed his hotdog stick at her. "That's another story! Anyway! This is a true story ― and ya better not spoil it, Samantha! But on the outer parts of Fayville, there's this old abandoned house. Long ago, they say a woman used to live there. She had a kid too, but nobody ever saw it leave the house, not even for school..."

  Beatrice's eyes were round, but Samantha smirked down at the fire. Evan was pretty sure he knew where this was going.

  "Some people used to say the kid was born messed up." Joby's face looked maniacal in the flicker of the flames. "Eventually the mother left, but nobody left with her. They say, that screwed up thing is still inside the house today. And sometimes, if ya watch the windows at night closely enough...ya can see a monster pacing."

  Beatrice didn't say anything, but she did seem to be holding her breath.

  "I never heard that one before." Oliver frowned at Joby. "Where'd you hear it?"

  "He changed the ending," Samantha said. "You never mentioned it actually being a monster. Only a man."

  Joby waved her off. "You're remembering it wrong, baby. I definitely toldja a monster." He turned to Oliver, smirking. "I just heard it around. I'm surprised you never did."

  "And let me guess," Evan said. "This house was that place we stayed at for awhile two years ago. You and Sam's hideout thing, right?"

  Joby made a face. "Well...maybe."

  Beatrice let out a sigh. "Good! I was about to ask if this was real..."

  "Joby's the only pacing man-monster thing you'll see there," Samantha reassured her.

  "Pbbbt!" Joby waved her off. "Like you weren't scared the first time we went there!"

  "I wasn't scared."

  "Oh yeah, you were! Ya looked like ya were about to curl up and cry for Evan when I first said to go inside!"

  "I never cry for Evan!"

  Oliver clapped his hands twice. "Enough! Settle this in the boxing ring tomorrow! But for now...who's going next with the scary story?"

  Beatrice glanced at Evan, prompting him into snatching another hotdog.

  "I'll go," Samantha said.

  "Not my life story," Joby said.

  "Nah, that's too scary." Long done with the hotdogs, Samantha tossed her stick into the fire. She watched it burn for a minute before beginning. "You're all familiar with the Tranludes, right?"

  "Of course," Evan said, Joby and Oliver nodding.

  Beatrice frowned. "Those things that caused all that trouble two years ago?"

  "Yeah, and the ones we helped to stop." Oliver stuck his chest out.

  "They can shape-shift," Samantha said, "but that's not all. At the back of their mouths, they have venomous fangs, much like a snake's. They can see right into our very minds, and read our deepest thoughts, or so I've heard...

  "But we don't know much about them at all. They live on a continent far across the ocean, where they keep to themselves. We don't even know what they truly look like."

  "But is that even possible?" Evan had to ask. "They've dealt with humans in the past, and not always on hostile terms. Were they always in shifted forms?"

  "Well, that's what's interesting. Throughout history, the Tranludes were said to take human forms before interacting with us. But there's some who say that's because they are humans. If you remember, they weren't born with all these special abilities. It's the result of years and years of experiments. Some scientists swear the Tranludes are just a civilization of humans who've evolved differently from us."

  "Really?" Joby said.

  "That's creepy." Oliver frowned. "Are you making this up?"

  "No. Sometimes the truth is scary enough." Speaking more in Beatrice's direction, Samantha said, "That's why it's important to remember not all of the Tranludes want a war with us. For all the violent ones bent on dominating us, there are many who want to live with us in peace. The news doesn't mention this much."

  Beatrice shrugged. "I still think we're better off separate. They sound creepy."

  "Well..." Pausing, Samantha glanced around, as if expecting to see a Tranlude who could answer for itself.

  After a minute had passed, Oliver asked, "Who's next? With another story?"

  Chapter 3

  The next few days were spent exploring the surrounding area more. Besides locating an indoor bathroom to Beatrice's relief, the five friends also tried fishing in a nearby lake. However, when the bites were few and the sun wild, soon Joby had managed to turn the whole event into a swimming session instead. The boys simply kicked off their shoes, peeled off their shirts, and went for a refreshing dive. Beatrice came prepared with a pink bikini, complete with yellow and orange polka dots.

  But Samantha was locked with indecision. She hated "that" kind of attention; she typically wore clothes that were either slobby or preppy, but always ones with a relaxed fit. She saw girls who wore revealing clothes as being loose and provocative. For this reason, swimsuits made her uncomfortable and self-conscious.

  But she was also with friends. If she didn't make a big deal about it, then nobody would think anything of it. It was normal to wear swimsuits while swimming, after all. It didn't mean a girl was a slut just for wearing one.

  Yet again, she hadn't even brought a swimsuit, perhaps because she probably wouldn't have ended up wearing it, anyway. Yet she still found herself internally trying to make up her mind anyway, maybe because she was still unsure about her decision. She confused herself sometimes.

  She ended up sitting on the edge of the water, pulling her capris up and soaking her feet. The soothing water felt warm and inviting. She wished she was here alone, so she could do it the natural way without feeling embarrassed. If only humans had never invented the idea of clothing...

  "Next time we should vacation at the beach." Folding her arms behind her head, Beatrice let out a sigh as she leaned back against a rock. "This beats mosquitoes and sleeping in the dirt."

  "We might still have time," Oliver said. "If we finish this up early enough." He glanced around at the water, then stopped to make a face at Evan.

  "What?" Evan asked.

  "You, man! You need to get out more! You're as pale as a seal!" Oliver started laughing, Joby and Beatrice joining in.

  "Most redheads are," Evan mumbled. When Oliver didn't stop, he splashed him. "Okay, Oliver! It's not that funny."

  Between laughs, Joby said, "I bet Samantha isn't that pale. At least she gets out."

  "Getting out isn't the thing," Evan said. "With the things she wears, the sun hardly touches her."

  Samantha pushed at his back with her foot. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

  "I'm just saying, I rarely see you wear sleeveless shirts. Or shorts. Or swimsuits."

  "Really." Joby swam over, a grin on his face. "A little bit of sun ain't gonna give ya cancer. C'mon!" He yanked at her hand. "Get in the water with the rest of us!"

  "I don't have a swimsuit."

  He nearly tilted his head. "Ya didn't think to bring one? Eh." He pulled at her again. "Well, that's okay! You can go like this!"

  Stalling, she asked, "You sure?"

  "Oh, who's gonna care? I know you're hot!"

  "What? ...Uh, fine, okay." Pushing off from the land, she sunk into the jittery warmth of the water. She felt the weight of her clothes absorbing the moisture, but it wasn't a bad feeling. In fact, it felt relaxing. The water was surprisingly shallow where she stood.

  "Such a nice day." Beatrice sighed again. "Spring is so great!"

  "Beats exams for sure," Oliver agreed.

  "Beats trying to find a job!" Joby burst out laughing. He slowed as a breeze blew by. Then, with his usual smile, he turned to Samantha. "Kinda nippy, huh?"

  Nippy? He never uses that word, Samantha thought to herself.

  As Joby went on to yap to Oliver about the latest humor videos on YouTube, Samantha glanced down at herself. She felt her heart give a little flip and sink as she noticed how her shirt clung to her chest.

  Nippy, alright.
/>   Joby planned this. She was sure of it. He probably thought it was real cute, luring her in with that sense of trust only to make her look like an idiot in front of the others.

  When she got up, Evan looked her way. "Something wrong?"

  "No." She paused, struggling not to blow Joby's head off right then and there. "I just...feel like going for a walk." She crawled back to land, deliberately avoiding the others.

  She felt completely humiliated, and yet Joby continued to laugh about stupid videos on the stupid Internet. Did he think their friendship was just a joke too? The thought made Samantha want to scream and cry at the same time. No wonder the guy could never keep a job.

  After this, she ended up going for a walk alone for awhile. She was sure nobody would mind, as the boys were too busy gaping at Beatrice to care while Bee-Bee herself was too busy going starry-eyed over Oliver. It was quite a spectacle, and one that left Samantha frustrated. The whole point in the camping trip was to get away from society, enjoy nature, and have fun. Now it might as well have been called "clubbing in the shrubbing." Next to nature's simplicity, humans seemed trashy and impure.

  She still couldn't believe Joby tricked her.

  Samantha didn't return to the others until nightfall. She still felt stupid ― and a bit ticked at Joby. They were close friends, but sometimes she felt like he didn't respect her much. All the little things ― being teased for being nerdy, picked on for being cautious, laughed at for clinging to Evan ― were all starting to get on her nerves. Joking around or not, she was tired of being called "babe" and talked to like he only saw her as being just a female, and a loser one at that.

  When she approached the campsite, she was almost a bit annoyed by the lack of care of the others; Joby, Oliver, and Beatrice continued right along with their apparently humorous conversation, not even asking where she'd been the last few hours. Or were they still laughing at her for before?

  As she wondered this, Evan came over. "I've been looking for you. I found something cool."

  "What?"

  "It's actually not too far from here, if you want to see it." It was unlike him to be vague. She could tell he was proud of finding whatever it was.

  "I guess I'll go." She shrugged, not really in the mood. "It's sort of late though, isn't it?"

  "No, it's the perfect time. You'd kick me if I waited until morning."

  "You're not the one I'd kick." She eyed the back of Joby's spiky head.

  "It's just over this way some."

  After a short walk through the woods, Samantha and Evan came upon a wooden lookout tower with zigzagging stairs and an open top compartment with no roof. Its sheer height was impressive, but Samantha doubted this was the point in showing her it. Despite Evan's firm denial, she knew he was uncomfortable around heights.

  "Is it a fire lookout tower?" she asked.

  "That's what I first thought. But there's actually a telescope up there." He tilted his head back, peering up. "Actually, you can't see it now, but I saw it when it was still light out."

  "Oh, wow. You can probably see the stars really good out here. Feel like taking a look?"

  He shrugged. "Might as well."

  Samantha went over and started up the stairs, hesitating slightly at the creaks, but then speeding up as the view became more interesting. As the trees were pushed down more and more, she could see the vast stretch of forest and the magnificent velvet sky above, accented with a dash of sparkles. The sight made her heart beat with excitement.

  Once she got to the top, she peered down over the siding to see her brother slowly making his way up, his hands sliding along the railing. He was stiff and moved sporadically, occasionally coming to a stop, only to rush ahead, only to falter again.

  At one point, he noticed her watching him. "Don't lean over the siding like that! Idiot!" But after this, his pace became more normal.

  Samantha didn't understand his need to put on a strong façade in front of her. It wasn't like she would laugh at him for being afraid of heights, or for being uncomfortable around strangers or pretty girls.

  Once Evan finally got to the top, he still didn't leave the rails. "You can go first." He sounded breathless.

  Samantha bent down and peered into the telescope. While the telescope itself wasn't anything fancy, the boost of the tower made the view much better. She could make out twinkling stars, some yellowish and others more of a blue. The two moons stared back at her like two piercing eyes, lighting up the whole sky. "Gah, the moons are enough light pollution."

  "Heh."

  She swiveled the telescope around, trying to find a darker area. "I think I see a planet. Not sure which one it is though. Want to look?"

  "N-no thanks."

  She looked up from the telescope. Evan was definitely looking off, clinging to the railing and leaning heavily inward and away from the siding. She could hear his breathing now, fast and irregular.

  "Evan? Do you need to sit down?" She got up, stepping over to him.

  "Eh, I just feel dizzy."

  She took his arm. "Do you need to sit down or... Here, let's just go back down."

  He wouldn't budge.

  "Evan, c'mon. I won't let you fall."

  "I feel like I can't catch my breath." But this time, he let her lead him back down the spiraling stairs.

  With them both clinging to each other's arms, Samantha was half-expecting to see Joby and the others down there waiting, ready to laugh at Evan's sad state and obvious fear-induced panic attack.

  But no, only the trilling of the crickets greeted them once they reached solid ground. After a few minutes had passed, Evan became more steady.

  "I'm not sure what came over me," he said. "I just felt really dizzy."

  "You always look off when you're somewhere high."

  "Eh." He ran his hand through his hair, a nervous habit of his. "Those steps looked pretty raggedy. In...in the day, I hadn't noticed."

  "Right." While she wished Evan would be a bit more open about his feelings, she knew teasing him about his acrophobia would be a surefire way to shut up any future hopes of this.

  Instead, she'd just continue to offer a harmless ear. After all, she was the only one he trusted with a lot of things, including reading the stories he wrote, so this approach seemed to be working so far.

  She was sure it was their hardnosed, traditionalist father who had made Evan insecure like this. She was the only one who knew all the times Evan used to break down as a kid, saying how he'd never be good enough, only because their father could never say a kind word to him.

  Behind Evan's calm exterior, she knew he had a lot of self-doubt. At times, he seemed to expect too much of himself. Even though he was the "older" twin and the one often burdened with protecting her, Samantha still helped him in any way she could.

  Samantha was still thinking about this when Evan said, "Well, I guess I'll call it a night."

  "Already?"

  "Today's been a long day."

  "Yeah... I'll probably look through the telescope some more."

  "Alright. Goodnight, Sam."

  "Goodnight."

  Once she was back at the top of the tower, Samantha glanced around at the surrounding area. The silhouettes of the trees seemed like cracks in the perfect night sky. The black, jagged forms seemed ominous and threatening, but also mysterious. What lied concealed beneath their thick canopies? A nameless creature? Thoughts of the unknown kept her scanning the horizon.

  She was losing track of time, and feeling quite drowsy, when she suddenly saw it. Something small blazed across the sky. Then, in an instant, it trailed down into the woods below, disappearing.

  Had a shooting star just made landfall so near? Struggling to shake her brain awake, Samantha hurried down the stairs, keeping track of the direction.

  If she could find the remains of an actual shooting star... It could be the first important scientific item in her possession. An actual rock from space.

  The tiny meteor had seemed to fizzle out somewhere to
the south, so Samantha had to pass by her group's campsite to search for it. She was hoping Evan would still be awake, so he could help locate the rock.

  Unfortunately for her, as she neared the two tents, she heard nothing but snoring. Oliver and Beatrice's tent was zipped shut, allowing the lovebirds some privacy, while the second tent was still open. Evan and Joby must've left it open for her.

  She crept up to the tent she and the two boys had been sharing over the last few days. When she poked her head in, she saw Evan was completely zonked out: snoring, drooling, and the whole nine yards. But then she saw Joby sit up.

  "Something wrong?" He grinned.

  Oh, it's just nippy, Samantha thought sarcastically to herself. Instead, she said, "I was hoping Evan was still awake. Never mind then." Getting back up, she began walking away from the tent.

  Joby suddenly popped out after her. "Hey! Where ya going now?"

  "For a walk."

  "Oh, ya just went for a walk for the last several hours!" He blocked her path, still with that smirk on his face. "Are ya avoiding me?"

  "No, everything isn't about you. Now, if you'll excuse me..." She tried to slip past, but he swerved in her path again.

  Finally his smile seemed to waver. "You're mad at me, aren'tcha." It was more of a statement than a question.

  She sighed. "Look, I know what you did before, but I'm busy now."

  "What'd I do?"

  "I don't want to get into this right now."

  They both startled at a snort, only to realize it came from Oliver's tent.

  She lowered her voice. "I just saw a shooting star land not too far from here. I need to find it before I forget where it is."

  "I'll come with you."

  She grimaced. "I can handle this."

  "Yeah, that's why you came running for Evan."

  "I was not running to Evan!"

  "I was just joking! Why are ya being so touchy? Does it really matter if it's him or me?"

  Balling her hands, she growled. "Well, obviously it does, if I chose to ask him and not you."