The Light in the Woods

by Jean Marie Pierson

  “Is she nuts?” Ray uttered to himself. There’s an air raid drill going on. The trouble they could get in from the government, let alone their moms, would be beyond anything they’d seen in the fifth grade. Then Ray thought she might be in trouble. Ray scoured the Mott house for movement. When he looked back into the woods is when he saw what Olive must be signaling about. Excitement gripped his neck. He didn’t know if it was from fear or thrill.

  There it was. The light. Bright and constant, piercing through maples in Olive’s backyard. She had seen it too. Ray grabbed his flashlight from under his bed and flicked the light on and off in her direction. Once he got her attention, he opened the window and stuck his arm out into the cold. He reached below the window so that she could see where he was pointing. He stretched it down as far as he could and pointed toward the ground. Now was the time for courage, he figured. He faced hunters and crazy dogs and survived. Something was out there and whatever it was, wanted him to know it. It was high time he found out what it was.

  Olive’s light flashed twice signaling her compliance. He pulled his arm in, slammed the window shut and flung the black curtain down. He set his flashlight down where he grabbed his coat. He couldn’t take it with him. They couldn’t risk being caught by the person holding that light or the police. There were some fast-moving clouds in the sky but the moon shone bright. Besides, Ray knew those woods. He closed the back door gently and kept his body pressed flat against the cedar shakes of the house. The siren’s cry sounded even more ominous outside. His eyes darted from the spot where he last saw the light and Olive’s back door. He saw no movement until he felt a hand grab his elbow. Then he saw his arms fly in the air from fright.

  “I’m sorry. I thought you saw me,” Olive said over the siren’s cry.

  Ray gripped his ears and steadied himself. If Olive were a boy, he’d punch her shoulder for scaring him half to death. But he would never hit a girl, let alone the one who was about to go with him on the biggest adventure yet. He tried to whisper through the siren.

  “It’s ok,” he said as he took another breath. “Just tell me you saw it.”

  “The light in the woods? Yes. It was right over there.” She pointed towards the empty woods that lay behind the tire swing. “But I don’t see it anymore.”

  Ray looked out in the woods and saw nothing. “Get behind me but stay close,” Ray whispered. He positioned Olive behind him and started to walk towards the light’s last location. They didn’t get halfway between the two houses before he felt Olive yank his sleeve.

  “It’s there!” she said as she pointed to the light glowing in Ray’s front yard. The two froze in their boots. The light seemed to float at the bottom of Ray’s driveway. It remained there for a few moments before it traveled across Jacob’s Lane and into the woods that lay beyond it.

  Ray gulped. He hoped the sound of the siren covered it. What they were about to do began to dawn on Ray as the two ran across the paved road. Now he regretted not taking his flashlight. He knew the woods behind his house like he knew his bedroom. The woods in front of the house, however, was a different story. The last time he ran through this brush was hours ago with Oscar. There were hunters, weapons, angry animals, and a ravine in these parts. He remembered how relief flooded over him when he and Oscar reached the road. What happened with the hunters shook Oscar to his core and made Ray nervous. Nothing scared him like seeing a grown-up upset. Ray didn’t want to step foot in those parts anytime soon, let alone at night during an air raid drill with no light coming from any houses marking the way home.

  “Can you see who it is?” Olive said as she jogged next to Ray. “I can’t see who’s holding it.”

  The moonlight reached through the branches but still kept whatever was holding the light in shadow. Ray needed to look periodically down at the path to make sure he didn’t fall onto or into anything. The farther they ran, the more Ray began to get his bearings. The woods grew brighter and he knew they were going towards the old racetrack. When they broke through the branches and into the clearing, they stopped. The light was gone.

  Ray put his hand out in front of Olive to stop her. Their panting breaths that puffed up to the night sky were the only movement on the field. Ray squinted to see if he could get a better view of the person holding the flashlight. As his eyes began to adjust its aperture to the moonlight, the field grew black as pitch.

  “Ray, look,” Olive whispered. “In the sky.”

  Ray looked up. It seemed God untied his blackout curtains and let them fall over the moon. Clouds began to drift over the light of the night sky, leaving them completely in the dark. But there was one thing in the sky. A streak of light. One end started above their heads and led across the field to the other side.

  “Is that a shooting star?” Ray asked. “Or a plane?”

  “No,” said Olive. “It would have disappeared by now if it were either. It looks like…well, it can’t be.”

  “Looks like a what?”

  “It looks like a comet.”

  Ray remembered what his mother said about the Star of Bethlehem. If you’re looking for direction and you see a bright light, you follow it. Ray grabbed Olive’s hand. “Let’s go,” Ray urged.

  He could feel Olive nod in the dark as they started across the field hand in hand. Don’t separate, Ray repeated in his head. If they did, they wouldn’t be able to see each other in the woods or hear each other with the sirens going. The more they jogged, the more the nothingness of the field surrounded them. Ray could tell they were somewhere near the center, somewhere around the spot where Ray saw the bucks begin to sprint towards the woods’ edge. Somewhere in clear view of the tree stands that held those hunters. The thought of their arrows pointing at him and Olive as they ran sent a sad chill through Ray’s heart. That is what war must feel like. His dad must have felt like this. Except hunters over there held weapons far more sinister. They didn’t know his dad or Olive or himself but someone on the other end of the world, at the other end of a gun, wanted to see them dead in a field. And for what? For working on cars? For wearing glasses? For playing kickball in school? The thought made him grip Olive’s hand harder and his feet move from a jog to a full run.

  When they reached the edge of the track Olive yanked Ray’s arm to stop. The clouds began to part and moonlight came out again. Ray turned around and noticed Olive staring at something with her mouth open.

  “What?” Ray pleaded. “What is it?”

  Olive said nothing as she let go of Ray’s hand. She slowly walked past him and towards a large branch that lay on the floor of the woods.

  “Olive!” Ray cried out. She seemed to not care about the light or even the comet but what lay in front of her, as if something was calling or drawing her towards it. She knelt down on all fours and began to crawl slowly towards the branch. Finally, Ray’s feet became unglued as he ran over to her side. Then whatever breath that came out was instantly sucked back in.

  “He’s hurt,” Olive said as she reached her mitten out towards the animal. “We got to help him.”

  Inches away from the tips of Olive’s knitted fingers laid the enormous buck. With the bright moonlight Ray could make out the stick coming from the buck’s neck. One of the hunters landed their shot. The buck moved its legs and blinked but the dark stain around the snow meant it wasn’t running away soon.

  “Watch out,” Ray said as he grabbed Olive’s hand and pulled it back. “That’s a wild animal. He could kill you with those things.”

  “He’s not going to kill anyone,” Olive insisted. “We have to help him.”

  “What are we going to do?” Ray said. “We can’t take the arrow out of his neck.”

  “But we have to!” Olive’s face began to contort into the beginnings of a cry. Ray ran his hands over his head to grab his thoughts. He knew what they needed to do. He snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

  “We’ll
tell Oscar. He’ll know what to do.”

  “Will he hurt him?”

  Ray shook his head. “Promise he won’t. If there’s anyone who won’t hurt him, it’s Oscar,” Ray said as he looked up at the comet and spoke to it, more than to Olive. “I promise we’ll tell Oscar.”

  “Let’s just take the arrow out first.” Olive began to reach for the arrow when the siren’s wail drifted down into nothingness, leaving room for the noise that was underneath it to be heard. The two froze in the snow as the low sound of growls surrounded them. Olive let out a gasp and Ray’s mouth let out a silent scream as they saw Fluffles and his two other mangy brothers crawl into view, their evil snarls showing off all their drool dripping from their pointy teeth. A hum of fear began to come from Olive as Ray himself wanted to cry. He could feel his lips begin to quiver and said the only words that came to his mind.

  “Dad, help…” he begged.

  The moonlight grew even brighter, illuminating more of the dogs. One of the hounds turned around suddenly and barked viciously at something behind it. Ray’s eyes broke from Fluffles and saw the two enormous bucks behind him. Both stood in a fighting stance, their antlers low and pointed at the dog.

  “Christopher Columbus,” he heard himself say as he looked around. Two more bucks came into view, one behind each dog. One banged its rack against the tree, causing snow and a few loose branches to fall on one mutt, giving it a start. Then the smell of earth and animal jumped into the air as two more bucks emerged from the woods, one on his left, then another next to Olive on the right, each buck snorting and stomping their hooves on the floor of the woods. Fluffles and his stray brethren lost their minds as they turned their barking and snarling towards the deer. Ray grabbed Olive’s shoulders and started to walk backwards. He looked up to see another cloud about to drift in the way of the moonlight. Ray leaned towards Olive.

  “Run. Now!”

  The two turned and ran back towards the direction of the clearing and away from the horrific sounds of angry, fighting animals. Once in the field, Ray let Olive run in front of him. Even though she ran like lightning, he wanted to make sure he didn’t get past her. With no sirens, he heard their panting and their feet stomping over the flattened weeds and rye. Then he heard another sound. More running. Only it wasn’t coming from them. It was hooves. Ray didn’t need to turn around to see what was behind them. The next sound was him crying out to Olive.

  “Faster!”

  But as soon as they got to the other end of the field, Ray stopped. He didn’t know these woods like the woods behind his house. He had no bearings and could barely see Olive.

  “Come on, Ray!” Olive yelled as she faded into the brush. Ray looked up at the comet above them. They just needed to follow that streak in the sky, he thought. That’s the way home.

  Ray began to run when the clouds drifted back over the moon and encased the woods in darkness. When he turned his head upwards to see if the comet was still there, a log reached up and smacked his feet out from underneath him. Ray’s shoulder hit the ground and his body followed. He rolled quickly onto his back and looked up only to see the underbelly of a deer. Ray yelped and tucked himself into a ball.

  “Go! Go away!”

  Ray opened his eyes. Although he couldn’t see much he could smell the animal. It had to be almost on top of him. He scrambled to his feet and saw a faint outline of the buck in front of him. When Ray moved to the left, so did the deer. He quickly tried to dash around him but the deer got in his way. What if they killed those dogs and now were coming after him? Ray tried to stay calm but he could feel the panic rise.

  “Move,” Ray urged. The deer was not spooked. Each time Ray tried to pass it, the buck would block his path. The sounds of dogs barking grew louder. Fear gripped Ray’s chest.

  “Please move,” Ray begged. “I’m scared.”

  The deer did not obey but the clouds did. The clouds flew out of the moon’s way and light began to make its way to the ground. Ray could see past the buck to the road. A police car sat in the distance. Then the beam of a flashlight cut through the trees. Finally, the deer leapt away from Ray and bounded back into the darkness. The flashlight must have scared him, Ray thought. A wave of relief started to wash over Ray but stopped as he began to walk towards the beam of light.

  “Christopher Columbus,” he said again as he stared down. A few more steps and he would have landed at the bottom of the ravine, torn to shreds by thorns, briars, and all sorts of horror that lay at its floor. If that buck hadn’t been there, Ray thought, I would have been cut to pieces. He turned his head to see if the deer was still there. The light of the moon and the flashlight gave nothing up.

  Ray carefully navigated around the ravine’s edge, jumped over the logs that stood in his way and ran towards the paved road. As his feet hit the street the light beamed in his face.

  “That you, Raymond? What are you doing outside so late?” asked Officer Boland in his thick Irish accent as he stood outside his police car. “I just chased the Mott girl off the road for being out here. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph you should both be home in bed.”

  That wave of relief finally hit Ray. Olive made it out of the woods safely. He turned one last time to the woods he just exited. Not that far off stood the outline of a buck.

  “I’m sorry, Officer,” Ray panted. He tried to think of something to tell Officer Boland that wasn’t a lie. “Olive and I went to the old track to see the comet.”

  Officer Boland rubbed his cap with his flashlight. “Comet? What are you talking about, a comet? There was nothing about a comet in the papers.”

  Ray looked up at the stars. The light in the sky that pointed them home was gone. And so was the buck.

  CHAPTER 17

  Oscar’s House – Southold, New York, 1944

  Morning couldn’t come soon enough. Ray counted every second that ticked off the wall after his mother kissed him good night and left his room. Officer Boland escorted him home but didn’t give him the third degree since Ray’s mother worked during the drill. Ray explained in partial truths to Officer Boland why he and Olive were running around in the dark so soon after the air raid drill. They followed something that looked suspicious. That was all true. Upon closer inspection, they believed it was someone walking their dog. That part was not true. Olive and Ray lay in their respective beds staring up at their respective ceilings trying to sift through the details of what they both saw that night. Both worried about a buck: one with an arrow lodged in his neck, one with a white streak on its face. Both were eager to get up with the sun’s first rays and tell the same person.

  Ray was dressed with his coat half on before his mother even turned on the kettle.

  “Where do you think you’re going, Mister,” she said as she shuffled through the kitchen, fastening the tie on her robe.

  “Oscar’s,” Ray answered as he slid an arm into a coat sleeve while jamming a foot into a boot.

  “Oh no, you don’t. It’s not even seven o’clock in the morning. And it’s Saturday. I’m sure Mr. Taglieber would like some extra sleep. Sit down. Let me make you some pancakes.”

  “But Mom? It’s almost Christmas! There’s so much to do!” Ray whined. His mother stood in the middle of the kitchen with a frying pan in one hand and her other over her heart.

  “I’m happy you like to spend time with him and that you are serious about the work. But Raymond, it’s only six…”

  Then a light fast rapping broke his mother’s train of thought. They walked to the front door and saw Olive standing on the stoop, tired and bundled for the cold. Her glasses sat crooked on her face as she bounced impatiently on her toes.

  “See, there’s Olive. I have to go.”

  “But…but what about pancakes?”

  Ray ran towards the door as he called out. “I’ll just be there for a few minutes. I’ll come back for breakfast. Promise.”

&n
bsp; Ray let the door slam as he rushed to Olive. She didn’t even wait for Ray to reach her before she turned and started to run towards Oscar’s house. She ran with one hand up to her face. Ray looked over at her puzzled.

  “What happened to your glasses?”

  “I stepped on them last night when I got home.”

  “So your mom didn’t catch you?”

  “Nope. Nobody knew I was gone. But now she’s going to kill me.”

  “Don’t worry. Oscar should be able to fix them,” Ray said hopefully as they rounded the corner to Oscar’s driveway. Olive stopped and grabbed Ray’s arm.

  “You promised he wasn’t going to hurt that deer.”

  Ray bit his lip. He didn’t know if that buck even made it through the night. The arrow looked like it was in the neck pretty deep. But if he had lived, Oscar would not hurt him. His brain knew it. His heart knew it.

  “I promise.”

  Olive tore off to the front door, removed her mitten and knocked feverishly. She didn’t stop until a very tired Oscar, still covered with a large blanket, opened the door. Rubbing sleep out of his eye with his palm, he yawned as he spoke.

  “What’s on fire? Who’s on fire?”

  Olive looked back at Ray as tears began to pool in her eyes.

  “Oscar, they got one,” Ray said.

  “One what?”

  “A deer. One of those bucks. With an arrow.”

  Oscar’s sleepiness evaporated. He shot up straight, his shoulders squared and his eyebrows crumpled into an expression of concern and anger that made Ray nervous.