Hall of Mosses

by Evans, Nicoline

  “Scratch that. We’re down two. How on Earth are we going to get you all back?”

  “They are small. We can carry them,” Roscoe answered.

  “You’re going to run again?”

  “There’s no other choice.”

  “Fine. I’m running with you,” Juniper said.

  “Why? There’s a bike for you,” Roscoe asked.

  “I’m not leaving you behind again. I’m staying by your side.” Her response was resolute and Roscoe did not argue. He gave her a quick kiss and she ran back to the others to explain the situation.

  Birk had riding experience and took the wheel of the Jaden Jaunt.

  “You guys know the Hall of Mosses,” she said to Dedrik, Wes, and Baxley. “Once you get there, take the trail on the left with the mossy-vined archway. If you follow the river, you’ll find it, no problem. If you don’t see it, or you’re unsure, just wait. We won’t be too far behind.”

  “I’m not leaving my baby here,” their mother protested.

  “Laurel, he is in better hands with them than he’d be with us,” Birk said, “and he’d only be further injured if you tried to take him back on the quad.”

  “This woman and I can sandwich him between our bodies!”

  “This isn’t normal riding. We are dodging freakish anomalies at every turn. The likelihood of him falling off is too great. Same with Cade.” He looked over at the parents of the injured passenger who wanted to stay behind with their son too.

  “We don’t have time for this,” Juniper interjected. “We need both of you at the wheel, taking these people to safety. No one else knows how to ride. We will take good care of your son.” She looked back at Dedrik, Wes, and Bax. All were visibly shaken up by their youngest brother’s injury. “Can you lead them to the Hall of Mosses?”

  “Yes,” Dedrik responded.

  “Great. Be careful.”

  The riders stood their bikes upright, closed their kickstands, and took off. The quads followed close behind. The sound of their engines disappearing into the dark amplified how alone the others were. Roscoe and Teek rounded the tree, each cradling an injured body.

  The river was lined with rocks, which created uneven footing. They took it slow in order to prevent a scenario worse than what they already faced. One twisted ankle and they all were screwed.

  A few miles in, Roscoe began to lag. He had already run countless miles from Elwha to the middle of Long Creek and he never got much of a breather before finding himself back on foot.

  “Let me take him. I can’t carry him long, but I can give you a break.” Roscoe reluctantly conceded and transferred Cade’s small body to Juniper. The boy was a 70-pound 11-year-old and she suspected she could give Roscoe a 2-mile reprieve.

  Yellowstone is about to erupt. You need to hurry.

  The voices of the trees caught Juniper off guard; she hadn’t heard them in a while.

  “What you do mean? I thought the core already attacked.”

  It’s the final phase. It’s one of four supervolcanoes across the globe to explode. The planet will be rebirthed in the darkness.

  “Will we be safe in Hoh?” she asked, out of breath.

  Yes, but you should be there already. We can only do so much to help you after the eruption.

  “Understood.” She hollered to Roscoe and Teek over the explosive creaking of the forest. “We have to hurry!”

  The trees were gone and they picked up their pace. They reached the Hoh River five minutes later. The moment Juniper thought they were in the clear, they felt Yellowstone detonate. The earth quivered violently for an entire minute before it began to split apart. Giant fissures with bottomless depths ripped across the landscape.

  The race to their safe spot in Hoh was terrifying. There was no predicting where these death pits would split open and the sound they made as they tore the earth apart was chilling. They were too wide to dodge if they happened underfoot. Juniper prayed the universe was on their side because the trees already said they had no control over this part of the attack.

  As the ground fractured haphazardly, the sound of the apertures grew louder. The attack was catching up to them as they ran west. Teek ran beside her with Noah in tow, Roscoe was a few paces behind. Juniper turned her head to check on him, only to have the earth slowly disintegrate beneath her feet. Horrified alarm took over her senses as she tried to beat the fissure. Teek was a few steps ahead, leaping over mounds and cracks that formed as the earth crumbled into nothing. Juniper was having a harder time. She was closer to the middle of the fracture and the way the ground collapsed was ever-changing. She tripped with Cade in her arms and felt hot air shoot upward from the newly formed hole. The sickening warmth grazed her back, reminding her to hurry. She picked up the boy and focused only on her end destination. Teek had his arm outstretched, ready to assist her once she was close enough. Two feet from solid ground she lurched and tossed Cade into Teek’s arms, but the force of the exchange knocked her down. The ground was rapidly disappearing and she only had a moment to react before she’d be sucked into the depths. She frantically crawled toward Teek, who had both boys placed safely next to him. The ground beneath her was gone and she caught Teek’s hand just in time. Her body dangled above a cavernous sinkhole. He pulled her up and she used her free hand to grab the roots at the solid edge of the fissure. She swung her leg, latched it onto the unaffected earth, and pulled herself out of the deathtrap.

  The world raced around her in a blur. Her heart was pounded relentlessly with fear and adrenaline. She gasped for air and took a brief moment to recollect her wits and slow her heart rate.

  “Where’s Roscoe?” All fear of death vanished and was replaced by that of lost love. She looked across the ten-foot wide sinkhole to see Roscoe standing on the other side, a distant silhouette in the moonlight. He did not move or speak, he just stared back in defeat. A swelling surge of nausea filled her body.

  “No,” she whispered in despair.

  “At least he’s alive,” Teek offered.

  “He’s all alone.”

  “He’s a mountain man, he knows the forest better than anyone. He will be okay.”

  “I can’t leave him there.” She fought the tears that were forming.

  “This fracture goes on for miles and there are more forming. We don’t have time to find where it ends,” he pleaded. “We can’t stay here.”

  She took a step closer to the edge.

  “You have to go,” he shouted. She shook her head, not wanting to accept this option.

  “I can’t leave you.”

  “You have to.”

  There was a moment of silence. The space between them felt larger than ever.

  I love you, he said telepathically.

  I love you too. The tears fell.

  He nodded and she turned away, unable to watch him grow smaller as she abandoned him. With angry force she wiped the tears off her face. “Let’s go.”

  Together they made their way back to their safe spot in Hoh. They encountered little trouble and made it back safely. Upon arrival, they placed the boys in a safe spot to rest, then she noticed the group looked thinner.

  “Where is everyone?” Her voice was strong and commanding.

  “We tried to stop them, but they wouldn’t listen,” Irene answered.

  “When we came back without you, Roscoe’s buddies thought you might need help,” Brett explained further.

  “Their spouses, the Wolfe family, and the parents and sister of Cade went with them,” Clark added. “Half of the people you saved in Maple Grove.”

  “I told you all to stay here,” Juniper exclaimed, frustrated that more people were likely dead under her lead. “How many left?”

  “Fourteen,” Jeb responded.

  “Damnit. I can’t afford to lose anymore.” Juniper stormed off and looked for a spot where she could be alone. They couldn’t see her breakdown; they couldn’t see her cry. She had to stay strong and confident in her lead, but right now she felt anything
but capable. A mossy canopy hung in solitude and she found a secluded spot to hide this moment of weakness from the others. She might lose her Second, the man she loved. And now she discovered she lost half of the small following she had mustered by pure luck. She only had thirty-four people secured to outlast the dark with her, and most were either very young, very old, or related. When the time came to rebuild and repopulate, they’d be in grave trouble.

  She failed. Her mind raced around all those she letdown: Gaia, the trees, her Champion sisterhood, Roscoe, the human race, and most importantly, herself. She was so sure she’d pull through, that she’d find her inner warrior and succeed without fear. She acted courageously, but the entire process had been riddled with doubt. And even though she was where she needed to be and she met the bare minimum of what was expected from her, it was hard to count her victories when she was surrounded by failure.

  Roscoe’s face came into her mind. His smile lifted her spirits until his image was replaced by that of his silhouette standing alone on the opposite side of the fault. She could not reach him, she could not help him; they were separated by miles of empty space and unimaginable depths.

  Roscoe, can you hear me? she called to him telepathically.

  There was no response.

  If you’re alive, please answer, she wept.

  Their connection was lost. There was nothing solid on the other end for her mind to grab hold of. Normally, she could feel him; there was a weight on the other side of her thoughts. Now there was nothing. Juniper screamed to drown out reality, refusing to believe he was dead.

  As soon as the quakes stopped, she’d rally a search crew and find him. Even though he was better trained than anyone to traverse this new harsh terrain, she still feared for him. There was no telling the dangers that lurked in the forest now that the entire landscape had shifted. She could only hope that the others, all who were less equipped to navigate and survive in the wilderness, would find a way to endure until she could send out help.

  It was a mess. She could feel her Champion sister’s calling out to her in her mind, inquiring the status of her quest, but she did not feel like rehashing her scarce success.

  Instead, she rested her body on the wet moss and closed her eyes. Perhaps she’d awake to a miracle.

  Chapter 27

  There were no miracles waiting for her on the other side of her nightmares, only Clark, who had found her hiding spot and watched over her as she slept.

  Juniper stretched and let out a yawn. The entire night was filled with earth-rattling quakes and her body ached from nature’s rough bed. She emerged from the moss canopy and was greeted by the darkest day she’d ever seen.

  “You okay, kid?” Clark asked.

  “No.”

  “Can we talk? You know how much I care about Roscoe too. He’s like a son to me, and I’d like to know what happened.”

  She didn’t want to talk about it, but Clark deserved to know. She explained how the riders came to be injured and how Roscoe ended up on the other side of the sinkhole. Clark looked at her for more, but the words were hard to say.

  “I had to leave him.”

  “But he’s alive?” She nodded. “Thank God!” He didn’t know about their telepathic connection and she couldn’t explain how his presence when she tried to reach out was gone. She kept that fear muted, to Clark and herself.

  Clark continued mulling over the story she just relayed. “I suppose Yellowstone erupting explains the black sky.”

  “Yes. We are safe from the lava and ash here, but the entire world will be dark for a while. As soon as the aftereffects of the volcano stop, we’re going to find Roscoe.”

  “Of course.”

  “How is everyone back at camp?”

  “Rattled. They need you.”

  “I just needed a moment.”

  “I understand.”

  They returned to the main group, who were just waking up as well. They tossed and turned as they stretched awake on their earth-made beds. Juniper’s first group task would be the construction of shelter. The group would turn sour fast if forced to sleep on mossy rocks for too long.

  The morning sky was blanketed in gray ash. The sun brightened the darkness but was unable to shine through. The forest felt surreal and movie-like with its drastic shadows and dark contours. Though everyone was awake they stayed quiet, unsure what came next.

  “The tremors seem to be over,” Carine said, shivering with her arms around her body. They were terribly short on supplies, another misstep for which Juniper took the blame.

  “Have you spoken to the trees?” Jeb asked. “Any indication what we need to do next?”

  The newcomers who remained reacted to this question with furrowed brows.

  “You talk to trees?” Zaedon, the 22-year old son from the Devereaux family asked with a scowl. He looked at his older sister Genavieve with an arrogant smirk.

  Juniper was aggravated no one filled them in. Dealing with their certain doubt and understandable hesitation was one more headache she didn’t need.

  “Can someone please inform our guests about my situation? And no, I haven’t received any new updates, but they told me previously that we must wait out the darkness in our assigned safe spot. It could be weeks, months, I’m not sure, so it’s best we make this place as comfortable as possible.”

  “It’s strange knowing the rest of the country is now vacant of human life,” Irene said, cradling her babies at her sides.

  “Others must have survived,” Aunt Mallory objected. “It’s foolish to assume every single life perished in these attacks. There must be some lucky bastards out there who dodged the worst of it.”

  “For the first time in my life, I hope you’re right,” Juniper said.

  “Can we leave to get supplies?” Clark asked. “We wouldn’t have to travel far, just into town.”

  “I’m not sure, but I think it’s worth the risk. We need to leave this spot to search for Roscoe and the others anyhow. If the short detour isn’t safe, the trees will let me know.”

  “So how do we do this?” Clark asked.

  “One search party. I can’t afford any more people getting lost in the woods. Each round will only have four to five people. Clark and I will lead the first search party, with Jeb and Brett. We will see the state of the forest now that the worst is over, and determine the condition of the trails. It will help me decide who is equipped to help during these searches. The rest of you need to stay put. No wandering, no sudden urges to leave. Don’t move from this area, no matter how long we take. Is that understood?”

  “Got it,” Irene answered as everyone else nodded.

  “Good. We will be back soon.”

  They began the hike back along the Hoh River. She hoped to find Roscoe somewhere along the edges of the fissure that had separated them. With luck, the others would be in that area too. If they weren’t, she wasn’t sure where to begin their next search.

  Chapter 28

  The trails within the park were unrecognizable. There were no remnants of the forest she once called home. If it weren’t for the Hoh River, they’d be terribly lost.

  “I can’t believe the drastic change. It’s like we’re in an entirely different forest,” Clark said in awe. Just like Juniper, he could once navigate these woods with his eyes closed. It made her nervous that Roscoe was in greater danger than she initially imagined.

  “If we follow the river we will get to the fissure that separated us.”

  “Let’s just hope he stayed put,” Jeb said, his voice bleak. They all knew Roscoe wouldn’t sit idle and wait for others to save him. There was little likelihood that he remained where she last saw him.

  When they reached the giant crack in the earth, their suspicions were proven accurate. Roscoe wasn’t there.

  Juniper’s heart raced. “Okay. He wouldn’t have left the edge of the fracture. He’d have traveled along it until he found a way around. Then he would’ve followed the opposite side back to this spot and let th
e river lead him to the Hall of Mosses.”

  “There’s no telling how far this fault goes. It could stretch from Oregon to Canada,” Brett said.

  Juniper didn’t respond. Her breathing quickened as she tried to stay positive.

  “We can’t jump to worst case scenarios yet,” Clark chimed in. “Today we’ll head south and see where that takes us. Tomorrow we’ll head north. If it means long trips spanning a few days, so be it.”

  The group nodded and headed south. They walked for five hours before conceding that they needed to head back. The further they traveled away from the Hall of Mosses, the thicker the air became with ash residue. Not only was the air hard to breathe, but the gray sky was turning black and they did not want to worry the others.

  “Tomorrow’s walk north will include a trip into town, which means it’ll be an overnighter. We saw ash today, so I imagine the town is also covered. We will need to dress appropriately; noses and mouths covered.” Juniper instructed as they reached the spot where the fault cut the Hoh River in half. Their side was connected to the Pacific Ocean and flowed like a waterfall over the fault’s edge. The river had been pouring into the crack for over a day and there was no sign of the crevice being filled. No sign of the water, just a black and empty pit. Juniper hoped the spirits of nature fixed this before it lowered sea levels. The other side of the river was almost dry.

  “Have the trees said anything?” Jeb asked.

  “No, which means we can search the forest without fear.”

  They continued their quiet walk along the Hoh River. Juniper hid her anxiety, but inside she was shattered into a thousand pieces. The thought of losing Roscoe was too much.

  Roscoe, if you’re out there I need to know. She kept her head down so the others could not see her grief. Please answer me.

  There was no response.

  They made it back to the others, who were huddled around a bonfire.

  Juniper couldn’t be around the others right now, so she retreated to the spot she found their first night. It was turning into her private sanctuary within their safe haven. She couldn’t see the group, but she could hear their chatter, which only made her feel worse. Roscoe and the others should be with them.