Hidden Moon

by K. R. Thompson

  I started to dread the idea of the hike, and almost called Brian to tell him I didn’t want to go, but the possibility of seeing Adam if he showed up, kept me from dialing the number.

  I had gotten my driver’s license after school that week. I stopped and picked him up at his house and we met the rest of the group at a wide spot down a gravel road. I counted more than a dozen people when I got out of the car and more kept coming.

  “News travels,” Brian looked at me, apologetically. “If you want to go back home, I’ll understand.”

  My eyes lit on two boys that stood where the trail crossed. Their backs were turned to me, but I could see their black hair tied back in tight plaits that ran down their backs. “No, it’s okay. Let’s go.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Brian said, waving me on, as someone called out to him.

  I walked towards the trail and the two boys turned. I tried not to look disappointed as the two youngest members of Adam’s lunch group saw me and smiled, their dimples creasing their left cheek.

  “Hey, Nikki,” Tommy and Michael said in unison.

  “Hey. Where have you guys been the last couple of days? Still searching for the lost hiker?”

  “Yeah. We’ve been looking for her day and night. We haven’t found anything, though. Adam, Erik and Ed are still out looking for her.”

  “Did you guys need a break?” I teased.

  “No, not really.” Tommy shifted around, not meeting my eyes.

  “Adam sent us to keep an eye on everyone and to make sure everyone stayed safe,” Michael said quickly, elbowing his cousin.

  “You mean he sent you to keep an eye on me.” I said, remembering the promise I had made to stay close to Brian.

  “He was worried about you.” Tommy met my gaze and ignored Michael’s incessant jabs to his ribs. “Although he did say to keep an eye on everyone, he said specifically to keep you safe.”

  He turned to Michael, who had resorted to stomping on his foot. “Quit that. She’d figure it out anyway when she realized we were two steps behind her all afternoon.”

  I left the squabbling cousins and walked back to meet Brian.

  “Sorry about that. I think everyone is ready to go,” he said.

  A large part of the group had started up the hillside. We fell in behind Beth and Ronnie as they started up the trail that seemed more of a path. It narrowed with some spots barely wide enough to accommodate a single person. Everyone’s head was bent down; watching for roots that could trip them and send them toppling down the hill.

  It was quiet, except for the sound of labored breathing as we trudged onward. I kept my eyes on Brian. As he took one step, a small rock came free from the dirt and went bouncing down the mountain. I stopped and watched it, catching my breath.

  True to their word, Michael and Tommy must have been two steps behind me. No sooner had I stopped when I felt someone bump into my back.

  “Sorry,” Michael said sheepishly.

  “It’s okay,” I huffed, and then looked back at him.

  Neither of them seemed to be even winded. I looked down at the watch on my wrist. We had been hiking for an hour and most of it was uphill.

  “You guys must be in good shape. I envy you.”

  “We do this a lot,” Tommy voice came up from behind Michael’s shoulder. “It will level out up around that curve up there. It will be wider, too, so it will be easier to walk for a little while.”

  I turned back around. Brian was a good ways ahead of me. He hadn’t noticed I wasn’t behind him any longer. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other until we reached the spot that Tommy had pointed out.

  The trail widened and opened out into a big meadow. By unspoken consent, everyone decided that here was the place to take a break. Backpacks and walking sticks went flying as people searched for water bottles and energy drinks. I sat down on a tree stump, took a long drink of my lukewarm water, and looked at all the red, sweaty faces that sat sprawled in various places.

  “So what do you think?” Brian grinned.

  “I think I’m in bad shape,” I said. He looked as if he had just gone for a stroll out in his yard. He hadn’t even broken a sweat.

  “Nah, you’re just not used to it.” Brian sat down next to me as Ronnie and John came over.

  “I love hiking, but I don’t like uphill. I think everyone has been too out of breath to even look for clues so far. I wouldn’t have noticed the trail killer if he was covered in blood and brandishing knives, unless of course he was standing directly in front of my feet. I don’t think I looked up past Ronnie’s boots the whole way up.” John grinned, plopping down on the ground across from us as he pulled Ronnie down with him. “I wonder if we’ll see the wolves up here.”

  “Have you seen them before?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “No, if I had, there is no way you’d catch me up here.”

  “He’s just trying to scare you,” Ronnie said. “He loves scaring people. There aren’t any wolves anywhere near here, it’s just stories.”

  “Oh, they’re real. Just ask some of the hikers that have wandered off the trail. There are actual reports of wolves that have been seen by hikers that have been lost in this forest. According to urban legend around here, they are huge dog-like creatures that are four or five times the size of a wolf. Supposedly, they guard the forest from outsiders, hunting and killing anyone that wanders away from the trail. I think that’s what has happened to the missing hikers. Not the legend, but the wolves. The idea of the trail killer is ludicrous, if you ask me. I mean, what guy is just going to hang out in the woods and wait for young women to happen by? He could be standing around forever, just waiting. But think, you guys, the forest has all sorts of wild animals living in it. They all eat something, right?” He shrugged. “I think the hikers just got lost, died, and then nature took its course.”

  “But they would still find bones,” I pointed out. I wanted to defend the wolves, though I didn’t know why.

  “Maybe, maybe not. The forest is a big place.” John grinned, as he watched Beth sneak up behind Ronnie and grab her. Ronnie squealed.

  “Are you guys ready to go again?” Beth asked. “We’ll just go as long as it stays level then we’ll turn around so it will be downhill on the way back.”

  “Sounds good.” I got up off my stump, and looked over at Brian.

  His knuckles were white as they gripped the sides of the stump. The muscles in his jaw tightened. He was staring straight ahead, not looking at anyone.

  “Are you okay?” I waved my hand in front of his fixed stare.

  He blinked, then looked up at me. “Oh, sorry. Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go.”

  Everyone had gotten their breath and the woods echoed with the sounds of voices and laughter of the people ahead of us. Brian stayed quiet. I thought we were the last of the group since I hadn’t heard any voices behind us, so I looked over my shoulder. Michael and Tommy were still behind us, moving soundlessly along the trail. Their brown eyes looked back at me, and I realized that it was the first time they hadn’t smiled at me. Their faces were serious and they looked older without their dimples.

  On the way back down, I noticed a small path cutting to one side of the trail, hidden by some low-lying bushes. Curiosity peaked, I left the trail. I looked over my shoulder to see if my two protectors had seen me wander off. So far they hadn’t. I decided I would go just a bit farther to see where the path took me. A small bend behind a clump of bushes led me to a small clearing packed with raspberry bushes, the path ended there. The plump, red berries were ripe and ready to be picked.

  I heard my name being called, and turned around to find Michael and Tommy coming up behind me.

  “What’s up? Did you find something? You know you could have said you were taking a detour,” Michael said, frowning.

  “I’m sorry, I just wanted to see where that little path led. I’m coming.” I walked back to them, wishing I could stay and pick berries.

  Everyone else had
made it to the bottom, leaving the three of us to come down last. Beth was busy talking to Brian, as he waited for me by the car. She was talking animatedly, gesturing with her hands, then realized he hadn’t heard a word she said. Irritated, she shrugged and walked off.

  Strange, I thought, looking at his face.

  I stopped in front of him, inches away from his face. His blue eyes stared through me as if I weren’t there. I reached up and pushed a dark lock of hair out of his eyes, and he blinked.

  “Hey, Brian. You’re worrying me again.”

  I saw his eyes focus on me and he gave me a weak smile. “Sorry, let’s go, eh? I mean, if you’re ready.”

  “Sure.”

  I walked back around and got in the car and saw Tommy and Michael were standing just a few feet away. They were still solemn-looking and they seemed to have lost all interest in me now. They were staring at Brian with that very close, guarded look I had seen on Adam’s face.

  I dropped Brian back off at his house and offered to stay with him until he felt like himself again. He made me go, saying he was just going to lie down for awhile, though I made him promise that if he needed anything he would call me and then I left to go home.

  The construction guys were finished, I could start painting. It wouldn’t be dark for a few hours, I decided, as I pulled up in front of the house. Mom hadn’t made it home yet and Emily was at a friend’s house for a sleepover.

  Looks like it’s just you and me, I looked up at the big, rambling house as I went up the steps. I put on my old jeans and an old tank top and pulled my hair back in a messy ponytail. Then I scrounged around to find a big paintbrush and the paint.

  I set the ladder up against the house, then I popped open the can and stirred the thick, white paint, watching the oil on the top disappear. Satisfied that both the paint and I were ready, I started up the ladder, paint can in one hand, ladder in the other, and the brush shoved in my back pocket.

  I had never been afraid of heights. In fact, I loved them. The thrill of seeing how far up I could go constantly got me into trouble when I was younger. I was always getting grounded for going up the neighbor’s apple trees, but I couldn’t help it. They were the only trees around. I learned fast that palm trees would skin your knees and didn’t have enough places to hold onto to climb. So Mr. Bugg’s trees always tempted me. By the time I was seven, my parents decided the only way to stay in the neighbor’s good graces was to put me in gymnastics class. There I could climb, flip, jump and tumble with a nice, safe padded floor to catch me as I learned. I never did get up into the apple trees anymore after that.

  There isn’t anyone here that teaches gymnastics. There are plenty of mountains, though. Maybe I could take a rock climbing class, I thought, climbing up near the top of the ladder, to set my paint in the upstairs windowsill.

  I concentrated on filling the cracks in the old wood siding. I grinned, watching the old boards seem to transform with the new paint.

  I hummed to myself. I should have put my stereo near the open window. It was too quiet. Normally, I heard the birds singing from the nearby woods. The only noise I heard was the wind as it blew through the trees and stirred the leaves in the yard.

  Everything was quiet. That means there was something there earlier. There are things in there you wouldn’t understand. Promise you won’t go into the woods by yourself, Adam’s words echoed in my mind as I listened to the silence.

  I shook my head, there wasn’t anything there. It was just my imagination at work. I looked over at the trees near Adam’s path. A dark shadow flickered among the darkness. I blinked and then stared harder.

  Nah, you’re just nuts is all. Nothing is there, I thought, and began painting again.

  Soon, I became engrossed in the task, and didn’t pay attention to anything but the paint and my brush in my hand. Time flew by. I almost had the top part finished. I stretched to reach the last bare spot in the top corner of the house so I wouldn’t have to get down and move my ladder over.

  I can reach it. I stretched, willing my short arms to be longer. I was as high as I could go, but I needed an inch more. I slid my foot closer to the edge of the ladder. I could almost reach it, if I could just make it a little farther.

  I felt the ladder shift to one side. I lost my grip and fell.

  Oh, no, I thought as nothing but air brushed by me, this will kill me. I’m too far up.

  I noticed a dark flash from out of the corner of my eye. I tensed, waiting for the ground to take me. I closed my eyes tight. I felt myself hit, and then the breath was knocked out of me.

  The ground grunted with my impact. I gasped, trying to get my air back in my lungs. What felt like an air bubble, burst in my chest, and I gulped in the warm summer air. I lay there, looking at the sky. I was afraid to move when I realized the ground beneath me was moving up and down as it took short, shallow breaths.

  It grunted again, and a muffled voice came from below me, “If you’re okay, can you get off me? You’re heavier than you look and I’d like to breathe again.”

  I rolled over to my side. I had landed on someone.

  Brian took a deep breath and sat up. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” I experimented in bending my arms and legs.

  “You’re nuts. Why did you hang off the ladder like that? Do you just like falling off of stuff? Why didn’t you wait until someone got home and held it for you? You know you could have called and I would have come and helped.” He sent questions flying at me one after another before I could say a word.

  I sat calmly. When he finally took a breath, I answered, “I thought I could reach it. I normally don’t fall off of anything, and I’m quite capable of going up a ladder by myself, thank you very much.”

  “It appears you’re capable of coming down it, too.”

  “Yeah, I guess it appears that way. But I am glad you were at the bottom to break my fall. Other than getting squashed, are you feeling better?”

  “I am, thanks. I thought I’d get some fresh air and walk up and see if you had heard the news,” he said as a reluctant smile spread across his face.

  “I haven’t heard anything from anyone since I saw you last.” I stood up to retrieve my paintbrush out of a rose bush and smacked it against my leg to knock the dirt out.

  “Mom made it home a little while ago and told me. They think they’ve caught the trail killer.”

  “No way. Who was it?” I stopped and turned, giving him my full attention.

  “They think it was Mr. Walters that lives in the rental house across town. The Appalachian Trail comes down pretty close there. Someone called in a tip and they went and checked it out. They found one of the girls’ ID bracelets in his garage, so they took him in for questioning,” Brian said, brushing the dirt off his jeans.

  “That’s great.”

  “Yeah, maybe he’ll tell them where he put the bodies. But on the upside of things, at least there’s one body they won’t have to look for now. Adam and the other guys found the last hiker, right about the time we finished our hike. She had wandered off the path and stepped in a hole. She hit her head when she landed. They took her to the hospital. She has a mild concussion, but they think she’s going to be fine.”

  “I bet Tommy and Michael aren’t too happy they got left out of that adventure,” I mumbled, turning my attention back to the house.

  “You’re not going back up there.”

  “I have to finish that spot, it won’t paint itself. Besides, you’re here now so you can hold the ladder and catch me if I fall again,” I said as I set my ladder back up.

  “You’re not going back up there,” he repeated, grabbing the brush out of my hand. “As much as I love to play hero, I nearly didn’t catch you. You hold the ladder and I’ll finish it.”

  He was halfway up before I could object, so I stood there holding the ladder and watched him finish what I started.

  “I found raspberry bushes on the way back down the trail today,” I said.


  “I know where they are. You can get there from here. It isn’t far. Mom and I used to visit Aunt Mae and we’d all go berry picking. It was fun. You just go through the trees over there and walk straight ahead for about fifteen minutes, it will lead you to the other side of the patch you found.” He used the brush to point toward a clump of trees behind the shed.

  “Since they’ve already caught the trail killer, maybe I’ll go tomorrow and pick some. Do you want to come?”

  “I would love to, but I can’t. Tomorrow we have to go visit my grandparents over in Roanoke. We’ll be over there all day. But thanks for the invite, maybe I can go some other time,” he said as he came back down the ladder.

  “It’s a deal. Thanks for finishing that up. I hate to leave something half-done.”

  “No problem. Just do me a favor and don’t do something that crazy again without someone else here,” he said, stepping closer to me, his eyes serious. “You could have gotten hurt—or worse.”

  “Okay, I’ll call you next time and see if you want to come and play catch again,” I teased, trying to lighten his mood.

  “Promise?” Brian stepped closer. He was only inches away from me now.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  He looked different to me now. The bones of his cheek and jaw were more pronounced. He looked stronger and more mature. The sun seemed to bring out the glossy black of his hair as it fell forward. His skin was darker, now a bronze that made his bright blue eyes stand out like two sparkling sapphires.

  He reached up and traced his finger down the line of my cheek. I felt my heart start to race as he leaned in closer and closed the small gap between us. He kissed me, a bare whisper of lips as his brushed mine.

  Over the pounding of the pulse in my ears, I thought I heard a snarling growl that came from the trees. A small smile played on Brian’s lips and his eyes hardened as he turned and looked toward the edge of the woods as if he had heard it, too.

  “I need to head back,” he said, suddenly. “I’ll call you tomorrow night?”

  “Sure,” I said, unable to stop the blush that rose in my cheeks. “I’ll walk you around.”