The Fossegrimen Folly

by Michael Almich

  "Shy?" Tad sat up.

  Shy cringed. This was exactly what he didn't want to happen.

  "Yeah…. I…. I fell out of my hammock."

  "You OK?"

  "Yeah."

  With that, luckily, Tad turned and lay back down. Shy then succeeded in getting into his hammock, and breathed a sigh of relief. He must have fallen right to sleep.

  Now it was morning, and although he was still tired, he knew he couldn't go back to sleep. Tad had already left to head down to the lodge. Shy changed his clothes, grabbed the box, and jumped out the trapdoor onto the net below. Immediately Ralph hailed him from the nearby platform.

  "Shy! Shy, over here!" He shouted.

  "Hey Ralph!"

  "C'mon… They guys are all up. They sent me to get you. Do you have it?"

  Shy nodded and lifted the box from his side to show him. Ralph gave Shy the thumbs up and a smile, and then quickly looked around.

  "Is Tad gone?" Ralph said as he glanced up at the Raven's trap door.

  "Yeah…. He went down to the Lodge. "He said we should all meet him down there for breakfast in an hour or so." Shy answered.

  "Let's go then.... That doesn't give us a whole lot of time. The guys want to open the box!" Ralph pulled Shy from the net onto the platform, and practically propelled him forward.

  They walked a twisted path, and ended up by the Magic Rope.

  Shy looked at Ralph and pointed down to the forest floor, and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

  "Yeah, we go down here…. They found a good spot for us to kinda hide while we open it."

  "How early did you guys get up?" Shy asked as he swiped his hand forward to find the Glamour hidden rope. Without waiting for Ralph to answer, he gripped the rope and swung his body out into space, and was smoothly dropped through the forest canopy to the ground. There, he found the others waiting.

  "'Bout time you get up, pardner." Sawyer gave his best cowboy imitation, which included hands grasped around an imaginary belt buckle.

  Shy smiled when Finn punched him. They were the same old kids, treasure or not.

  Ralph dropped down next to Shy and said to the others, "Tad wants us to meet him at the Lodge in an hour…. We don't have much time."

  The boys were circled around Shy as he held out the box. Just then a low gravelly voice said, "There you are. Trying to escape without your escort?"

  Shy slyly shifted the box behind his back, as he and the other boys turned. Ralph, nervous in the best of times, had jumped at Gust's voice.

  "Ralph…. Why so jumpy? You boys getting into trouble again?" Although the rangy, white haired man smiled to soften the question, Shy could feel his eyes piercing into him. Shy's hands began to sweat. He could feel one of the boy's behind him, tapping his back. The hands then began to pull the box from Shy's grip. Shy was more than happy to let it go. Whoever had taken the box, Shy thought it was probably Daniel, moved away from where Shy was standing.

  "You need to stick with me, Shy. Let's head on down to the Lodge." Gust nodded in the general direction of the path to the Lodge. As Shy stepped forward, Gust continued, "You other boys, I know you are up to something. You all got guilt painted on your faces. Stay out of trouble, and head down to the lodge in a bit. Got it?"

  They all nodded. Shy turned back to the group as he moved in the direction that Gust indicated. The frustration welled up inside him, and he was sure it showed on his face, but he couldn't say anything. As they walked side by side down the hill, Gust was silent. Shy seethed inside. They would probably open the box, and he wouldn't be there. It wasn't fair! He had done all the work and deserved to be there when they first opened it. He almost wanted to cry. Suddenly he missed home tremendously. Gust must have sensed something from Shy, because he repeatedly looked down at him as they walked.

  "Listen kid, I can tell something is wrong. Do you want to talk about it?"

  Shy shook his head.

  "Uh-huh. Well… if you need advice just ask. I might understand more than you know. Besides myself, Shy, I have never met someone that can see through Glamour… it makes you special.

  Shy looked up at him, "You can see through it?"

  "I could, when I was younger, like you. Then something happened, and the sight was taken away. Don't know how I ever got the ability, and I sure don't know why it went away, but it did. It pushed my life down a different path than where it might have ended up. I don't want that to happen to you Shy. I'm gonna be honest with you. This is a wonderful place to spend your summers. Magical, really. Most of the creatures here live together with us. Indeed, they even enjoy some human interaction. There are some, though, that don't. It seems like that they have been growing stronger lately. The fact that you showed up this year, with your abilities in sight, can't be coincidence. There is a tension in this forest that I have never felt before." He shivered, and then continued. "I'm not sure what to make of it, but I feel like it has to do with you." He locked eyes with Shy. "Kid, there are some of these creatures that think they are better than us humans. They don't like that you can see through some of their tricks. It almost feels like battle lines are being drawn up."

  Shy just looked straight ahead and walked, although inside, Gust had definitely distracted him from his frustration. A battle? Here? And somehow Shy was a part of it! With his military background, Gust would be one to know when a battle was forming. Why, though?

  "That huldra that you saw the other night…. That was dangerous. Clancy and I did some checking…. There hasn't been any claimed sightings or rumors of a huldra in this area in a hundred years... near as we can tell. If she had gotten you to go with her, we probably would never have seen either of you again. Clancy is considering the future of the camp. She can't have kids disappearing. You understand that… right?"

  Shy looked up at him and nodded.

  "OK, well… long and short of all this is, I need to stick by you… to keep you safe. I can tell you resent that. Don't be angry. Maybe in these last couple weeks of camp, we can figure out what is going on? Together. OK?"

  Shy didn't answer. They were now within sight of the Lodge. As they walked through the back picnic yard, Shy kept running the different events of the camp through his head. So much had happened really. There was the light in the woods that he saw from the Hive, the interactions with Tom T, and another light that helped him when he was being chased by Crutch's gang. Then there was the fossegrimen, the huldra, and the other side of the waterfall with its treasure and demon horses. Maybe tonight he could find Tom T, and try to talk to him about what was going on.

  They stepped into the dining hall, and Shy could see Clancy, Tad, Meg, and the other two counselors talking as they set up breakfast. Shy seated himself at his spot, and began to trace his name that was carved into the table.

  Left to his own thoughts for a while, he drifted back to wondering if the guys opened the box. He convinced himself it would be OK. He was sure they would share whatever they found, and besides, he was the one that was lucky enough to have crossed over to the other world. That brought him back to thinking about the fire horses. He smiled. He had outrun flaming angry stallions! They had been trying to stop him from taking the box, of that he was sure. They had moved closer and closer to the water and him, but did not react aggressively or turn flaming red until he raised that box from the water and began to run. He would have been bitten or trampled for sure if he had not made it back to the passage in the cliff. He shivered.

  "What'cha thinking about?" Tad asked as he walked over.

  Shy shrugged his shoulders.

  "Gust said you were a little surly on the way down here? You understand he needs to watch you for your own protection, right?" When Shy nodded, he continued, "Also, he needs to keep everyone safe so that Clancy can keep this camp open. It's all she does, and it really is Gust's life. He even lives here year-round."

  At that, Shy looked up. He had assumed that Gust and Clancy had other jobs the rest of the year.

  "Did I tell yo
u he was special forces… in the military?"

  Shy furrowed his eyebrows. "Maybe… when you were telling us about you and the trolls."

  "Right, so after he came back from Viet Nam, he began working as a wilderness guide up in this area. Shortly after, Clancy bought this camp. He had stayed in touch with her since they had been kids and she asked him to come and help her run the camp. He has been here ever since. No one knows these woods better than him, and there is no way to keep you safer than having him watch you. He feels this land, Shy. He is a part of it almost, know what I mean?" When Shy didn't answer, he just pushed on. "He thinks something strange is going on Shy. Nothing to worry about yet, but he can sense some change. Some force that is growing. Kinda like how old people say they can feel a weather change coming… in their bones? He can feel something happening here, Shy. In his bones. Understand?"

  Finally, Shy spoke up. "I'm not really mad about having him keep an eye on me."

  "So, what's wrong?"

  "Nothing."

  "Yeah, I can see that, "Tad said sarcastically."Well, you need to let me know if you want to talk, OK?"

  Shy nodded sullenly again. Tad moved off with the others again. Shy wasn't sure why he acted the way he just had. He chalked it up to being tired.

  ***

  Eventually, the other campers wandered into the Lodge. Breakfast was ready by the time the other Forest cabin boys arrived. Shy could immediately sense something was wrong. They were quiet as they filed in and sat down. They didn't make eye contact with Shy. He looked from one to the other for some hint of what was going on.

  "Where's the box?" He asked Daniel.

  "We put it back in your hammock."

  "AND???"

  "What?" Daniel finally looked up at Shy.

  "Paper. It was a stupid recipe!" Henry whispered angrily.

  "What?" Shy looked from face to face.

  "The box only had an old piece of paper in it," Finn explained.

  "Yeah, and it looks like a stupid recipe!" Sawyer added from next to Shy.

  Tad came over and told them to go line up to get breakfast.

  As they walked up to the front table, Shy couldn't hide his shock. Crutch snickered at him as he walked past the Cave table. Shy didn't even care. He was flabbergasted. Paper? Where was the treasure? He had risked his life for paper? So much for giving his Mom a bunch of money… and getting his Dad to move back in. His mind continued to race as he walked back to his table. Claire looked up at him as he walked past her table with a thundercloud forming in his head. He didn't even think twice when Portia gave him a little wave.

  "I wanna see it." He stated when they were all back at the table. I gotta get away from Gust though."

  There was no real response from the guys. Daniel nodded as he ate. The others had seemingly lost interest in the whole idea. Shy just couldn't believe that something that was so hard to get, and had been protected so well, could be just a piece of paper.

  He looked back to Daniel. "You're sure it's not a map or something?"

  Daniel shrugged. "It sure didn't look like it. Don't worry….It's no biggie. It was a fun adventure, right?"

  Shy admired Daniel's good attitude, especially since he himself was crabby. Shy decided he would tell Gust that he was tired after breakfast, and head back to his cabin. If the old man came with him, he doubted he would sit up in the cabin with him. Shy wrapped a cinnamon roll in a napkin to take back, and with a renewed sense of purpose, he tore into the rest of his breakfast.

  ***

  Shy had been right on the money about Gust's reaction. When Shy said he was going to go lay down, that he wasn't feeling well, Gust asked Tad to bring him back to the cabin, and check in on him.

  "You are not to leave the cabins without me. Got it?" Gust had instructed. "Send one of the boys to find me when you are ready to leave, or I will come find you when lunch is ready."

  Shy had quickly agreed to the terms and left the others to their practicing. So, he lay in his hammock, waiting for Tad to leave. The counselor straightened some things around the cabin for a bit. Shy felt like he was waiting to see if Shy wanted to talk. He felt stubborn, and was dying to get at the box that was now warming his hands under his pillow. Shy lay quietly, not talking. Finally, Tad said he was heading back to check on the others. He reminded Shy to follow Gusts' instructions. Shy mumbled an answer and waited to hear Tad on the net below.

  Once the older boy was gone, Shy jumped up and pulled out his hidden cinnamon roll. He placed it on a side table, and nearby he piled up the laundry that had been building up in his hammock. He knew that sooner or later Tom T would show. In the meantime, he turned back to the box. It was smooth and light blue in color. Shy turned it over in his hands as he explored the exterior. He could see the seam where the box closed, but could not see any hinges. He hesitantly placed his fingernails along both sides of the box, attempting to pry the top off.

  The top smoothly slid off, and Shy saw the others had been right. A single piece of paper lay inside. Though it looked ancient, like yellowed parchment, Shy picked it up and began to read,

  Beneath the seen lies many a danger

  Beauty uncovered holds hidden device

  To play in the garden safely

  The wise will always look twice.

  Take the beauty of the petals of the butterwort plant

  Steep with water not yet soiled.

  Mix in sap from an elder pine

  Wipe the lids of unseeing eyes

  To uncover that which is hidden.

  That was it. In its entirety. Shy was dumbstruck. Why would these few words be something that was protected by killer horses? Shy read it again. And again.

  He was still deep in thought, when a disembodied voice startled him.

  "One should not have that in the open!" Tom T appeared to Shy, as he turned from the box. "Such as that should be guarded."

  The little hairy nisse was nervous. He fired twitching glances around the cabin, as if unseen enemies lurked in every corner, and he tapped his hooked staff on the pine planked floor. Shy had never seen the usually confident and demanding creature in such a state. He went directly to the cinnamon roll and began to devour it, so Shy took his shot.

  "Why is this treasure? Where is the gold? And jewels?"

  The nisse stopped eating and turned to Shy. "What you hold is more precious than any earthly possessions you could find. It is sight. Sight you have, but sight you also hold."

  He returned to gobbling the roll. Shy reread the words again, and something clicked to him. Quickly he looked at Tom T again. "This is a potion, isn't it? It allows a human to see through the Glamour? Like I can already!"

  The nisse had already moved to the laundry. As he gathered it up into a huge burlap sack he had produced from behind his back, he said, "You hold power over our world in your hand. Treasure indeed depends on the holder. Word will spread over time. Many will come. You should not have taken a precious thing such as this. I can keep these forces at bay for a time but not forever. One day you will need to decide. Return this or there will be a high price to pay. Mark my words…. Mark my words. The eventual storm was already gathering. You have hastened it."

  With those ominous words Shy watched him run ever-so-quick and bound through the trapdoor. He carefully placed the paper back in the box, but reread the words, again and again, committing them to memory.

  ***

  Days passed, and Shy spent an increasing amount of time in his room. Try as the other boys might, they could not get him to do anything more than he had to. They had basically forgotten about the box. None of them asked about it, so Shy didn't bring it up, but it bugged him. Based on what Gust had been feeling, and what the nisse had told him, Shy felt the weight of responsibility weighing him down. He certainly didn't mean to cause problems at the camp, or with the fey, as Tad had called the fairy creatures. He needed to do something, but was scared. There was no way he could face those red horses again. He didn't know what to do, so he stayed
in the Forest cabins, where at least he felt a little safe.

  Tad was obviously worried. When Shy did go out, Gust watched him closer than ever. Shy would practice his event with Daniel, go to meals, and even visited with Claire once, but immediately would return to his cabin to check on the box. True to his word, the nisse kept the Forest cabins free from those that might be seeking the box.

  A new problem had brought itself to Shy's attention, though. What would he do when camp was over? There was now only two weeks left, and he had to make a decision of how to deal with this. He had his last practice tonight for the nighttime geo-caching. Then, the camp competition would happen the next week.

  If this recipe that allowed people to see the magical fairy creatures of these woods was so important, Shy thought, he couldn't just leave it in his cabins. Eventually it would fall into the wrong hands. Tom T had hinted as much. He considered bringing it back through the waterfall and throwing it back in the lake. He definitely was scared to face those horses again, but maybe he would have to. Suddenly he remembered that he couldn't get back to his world through the waterfall tunnel if he didn't have the box! How could he return it? He would be stuck there if he did!