FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The night continued on nicely, with the unperturbed atmosphere rolling onward. Leo had shifted his attention from the interior on to the outside. Mostly for the sake of changing it up, but also Missy had taken to pumpkin carving with the others.

A small fire was lit while people worked on making amusing pumpkin art around it. Not the most comfortable folding chairs. No complaints, at least. Missy herself had a few kids gathered around her with their parents close by. Mostly they came to gawk, but occasionally she would add a little detail here or there on their pumpkins with her filed nails. Despite the parental supervision, Leo still kept a close eye on her as he watched the others.

Leo himself was working on a pumpkin. A few of the kids had gathered around him as well after someone in the party had called him “the handyman.” He was currently carving up a pumpkin for a pretty princess, while two boys sat to the side with their carving kits.

“You sure you don’t want this as a unicorn or something?” Leo asked.

“No. I need an alligator! For the water part of the castle,” the princess replied.

“Oh, you mean the moat.”

“Yeah!”

“That’s pretty smart. I hope it’s a warm summer for them.”

“Why?”

“You know, when it gets cold, reptiles stop moving.”

A boy spoke up, “So you could uh, go and pet one?” He looked like a power ranger but looks were deceiving in this day and age.

“I mean, I guess you could, but you probably shouldn’t,” Leo said.

“If it was super, super cold, could you hug them?” the other boy asked. He was definitely some kind of comic book hero. The Flash?

“Well, yeah, but again, probably shouldn’t.”

“So if it’s cold, they can’t bite people. My castle should be in a desert,” the princess said. She looked as though she were thinking quite hard.

“It gets cold in the desert,” the power ranger said.

“No! It’s all hot and has no shadows.”

“It can get pretty cold at night,” Leo said. “The sand doesn’t hold heat, so it’s cold with no sun.”

The princess paused. “So I need something else in the moat?”

“Put lava in it,” the Flash said.

“Lava would make it too hot to live in the castle!”

“And the lava would turn into rock,” little power ranger added.

The kids devolved into a back and forth about the mechanics of lava. Leo could only chuckle and continue on with his carving.

“Wow, that’s a cool alligator,” Linda said. She came from the side and pulled up a chair.

“Thanks. I’m glad you actually knew what it was. I was stuck between long horse and flat, toothy dog,” Leo said. “Great singing, by the way, heard you all the way out here.”

“Thank you! Missy’s got some interesting taste in music, but I found something good.”

“You’re telling me. Anyways, you up for some pumpkin carving?”

“Oh, no, just out here for the calm. Kinda like a campfire, I guess?”

Leo snapped his fingers. “I should’ve bought marshmallows. You always forget one thing, huh?”

“Could melt chocolate, I guess.”

“On a stick? No, thanks. Not partial to licking bark.”

“Oh, right, no crackers.”

Leo looked back to the kids, who were now deep in conversation about how a medieval army would deal with lava alligators. He turned his attention to Missy, who was currently making all sorts of ridiculous noises at the behest of her little crowd.

“Sometimes I wonder if she’s too talented,” Leo said.

“That’s why you love her though, right?” Linda asked.

“Yeah. Yeah. One of the many reasons. Just so many things. You wouldn’t believe,” Leo replied. He stabbed into the pumpkin again to do another eye on the alligator. “So how’s working at the toy store? Get any cool discounts?”

“Well, you know, as a single girl, I don’t get much use out of it.” She giggled. “Oh, I do get some coupons for the other stores in the stripmall, though.”

“That’s pretty good. I might trade a few health benefits for that.”

“Speaking of which, how’s my uncle doing? Fun working for him?”

Leo stopped mid-stab. “He’s certainly doing well for himself. Never a dull time with him around, so I suppose that’s fun. You haven’t spoken in a while?”

“Oh, we talk, believe me, we talk. He just doesn’t wanna get into work at all,” Linda replied.

“Could be he thinks it’s just boring.”

“Sometimes I wonder if he thinks I’m still 12, keeping me away from work.”

“Maybe not thinks, but wishes,” Leo said. “Vern isn’t the kind of guy to put anyone down.”

“Yeah, maybe not. I’ll have to bug him about you next time we talk.”

Leo finished the last of the little details on his “pumpagator” and set it nicely down next to the princess as she went on a spiel about alligators being the perfect animal to hide in water. The other two boys were making a compelling case for sharks, however. He folded up his knife and neatly placed it back into his pocket.

“Boo!” Missy said. A jack-o-lantern with a devious grin and sharp eyes was pushed between Leo and Linda. “Scared ya!”

“Nice work on the pumpkin,” Leo said.

“You weren’t scared?” Missy asked.

“Might have to try a little harder.”

“Oh, can I see?” Linda asked.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Missy said. She handed the entire thing over to Linda. “Say, where’d Ruth get off to? I thought I heard her talking about giant bat eating Borneo snakes.”

“Neat,” Linda said, staring at the pumpkin. “Oh, Ruth is still watching karaoke. I think she wants to go up.”

“Just great,” Missy mumbled. She sat down on Leo’s lap, nuzzling her head into his neck, blocking Linda from sight.

“So, you got bored of slicing up pumpkins?” Leo asked.

“No, I didn’t get bored, I’m just done.”

“Those need a candle inside, you know.”

“Not mine. Just like my costume, it hides in the dark, waiting to strike.”

“Oh, yeah, I was gonna ask, what is your costume?” Linda asked. She had placed the pumpkin in her lap and placed her arms on it, resting her head on top.

“What, you didn’t know?” Missy asked.

“My first guess was Anubis, but Anubis was only dog-headed. The rest of his body was portrayed as a human. Maybe his daughter? Oh! Or Hermanubis? Not sure about that one.”

“She’s got you there,” Leo said. He smirked.

Missy’s ears flattened. Her eyes widened, snapping to Leo. A flash of ivory. Then it was gone.

“It’s not supposed to be 100% historically accurate. Part of being a good designer is taking inspiration. So I took inspiration from Egypt and made it my own thing. And I did it! Using practical effects to make something new and not just, I dunno, some weird smelly girl in toilet paper.”

“Not that I would let her walk around in just toilet paper,” Leo replied. Though she almost was.

“Yeah, and he wouldn’t let me either.” Missy poked his side. “I’m not supposed to be a ‘herm-whatever’ anyways. Everyone else at the party figured it out instantly. Just took a look and they knew what I was. That’s design. Plus, Leo loves the creature look, right?” Missy looked to him expectantly. At this distance her eyes were like saucers, staring right into him.

“It’s definitely more impressive,” Leo replied. “More style than what would be average.”

As he said that, Missy fiddled with his collar, looking up and down his body. She had more than just a question on her mind.

“Oh, yeah, that’s way cooler than just a mummy lady. Plus I’m sure production companies and more importantly professors would find it instantly appealing,” Linda said. Then she giggled. “I bet you didn’t wanna crawl on all fours either, huh?”

“Actually, I totally can. My design is that cool,” Missy replied. “The arm is basically like a stilt.” She extended an arm and ran a finger along it. “I could walk on all fours easily. Not crawl. Walk. You know, I’ll just show you. I’m super good–”

Leo held onto Missy, wrapping his arm around her stomach. She halted quick. “Don’t. Remember, sweetheart, that the monster part works like that, but the mummy part not so much.” He looked up at her, widening his eyes for a second. He didn’t need her walking around with her ass in the air. The man leaned over to see Linda. “Let me guess, history major?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that. I was super into magic and mythology as a teenager,” Linda replied. “You wouldn’t believe how many hours I wasted trying to cook up candles and charms just to talk to Egyptian deities.”

Maybe Missy was right. As if reading his mind, she leaned in and whistled a cuckoo into his ear. He nudged her back.

“So what’s your costume based on, Linda? I think I saw those witch packs at Party City,” Missy said.

“Oh, yeah! They had a deal and I thought, sure why not.” Linda nodded and tugged on the fabric of her outfit. “I was gonna go with, like, a look of the witches from Subeshi. You know them?”

“Uh, yeah. Go on.”

“Right, so I thought, ‘oh, I’ll just be one of them,’ but I didn’t think anyone would really get it. So I just went with a normal witch. But now that I know you went as a form of Anubis, maybe I should’ve gone all out too.”

“Ah, well, maybe next year,” Missy replied.

“Yeah, and hey, maybe I can host a Halloween party of my own.”

“That’ll be the day. What made you not wanna host this one? House not big enough?”

“Oh, no, my house is about your size. I’m just on the other side of the city, so not part of this area. I’m way out of my element when it comes to parties anyways.”

“Ah, that’s a shame.” Missy snuggled closer to Leo. Usually it wasn’t too bad, but now it was like snuggling into a jewelry store. “I used to love throwing parties all the time.”

“Though I have to say being here makes me wanna try. People love your party,” Linda said.

“Yeah, they suuuuuure do!” Missy said.

_

The outside had once again become peaceful, with just some chattering and more carving. People had largely finished their spooky creations and arranged them into a nice little group nearby. A few were even set up on the bed of Henry’s truck. Leo would have gotten a few pictures had Missy not glued herself to his lap and struck a few conversations along the way.

Linda had gone around admiring the pumpkins and had settled farther away from Leo and Missy. Likely a blessing for the wolficus. Leo on the other hand, was a little disappointed she couldn’t be around to bother Missy.

“Looks like a bunch’a corpses out here,” Henry said as he stepped out of the front door.

“Let us rest in peace, then,” Leo replied.

“I was thinkin’ we do some Halloween stuff.”

“Such as?” another person asked.

“Well, c’mon, put it together. Halloween, costumes, campfire. We gotta tell some stories!” Henry replied.

There were a few cheers and agreements, mostly from the kids.

Missy immediately perked up. “Ooh! I’d love that!” she said. “Let’s do that, Leo.”

“OK, easy, I’m not going anywhere,” Leo replied.

“Gather around then! Closer to the fire.”

For the first time in what fell like ages, Missy raised off the tomb that was Leo’s lap. He stood up, cracked his back, and pulled his chair forward.

“Here, you can sit down this time,” Leo said, patting the chair.

“You’ll crush me if you sit on my lap,” Missy replied.

“I’m not going to… Never mind.” Leo plopped back into the chair, and Missy quickly reclaimed her throne. It was much harder to appreciate her softer form underneath the curated mess of Egyptian clothing. “Next year you’re dressing up as a pillow.”

“I can always be your pillow,” Missy replied.

“Alright! Now who’s up first?” Henry looked over the campfire, giving a bit of an exaggerated wild eye. He was really getting into it.

Surprisingly, Missy didn’t dive head first into spinning a tale about herself. Instead, she patiently waited as several parents spoke of the usual few hook handed maniacs, devious monsters of the night, and mysterious disappearances.

None of it was too scary, of course. It was mostly for kids after all. Person after person adding to the fun of scary stories. Leo listened along, amused at what they had to say, and the reactions of the group. Some of their responses were almost speaking his mind for him.

“Have you heard of the monster that steals memories?”

“How do you remember one?”

Then the next one.

“And then when they looked away, they all forgot the beast was even there.”

“That’s like the other one.”

And the next one.

“They found one person. He was alive. But he had no face.”

“Cool!”

And the one after that.

“His eyes were gone, and all he could say was… ‘Run.’ “

“You’re gonna trust the blind guy?”

And the one after that one.

“The painting blinked.”

“Just throw it out!”

After much more spooky spatterings, an older gentleman spoke up. He had a serious look, but was clearly holding back a smile, visibly excited to share his own little horror tapestry.

“Now, this is just a tale about a monster I heard of way back when. I think I was logging at the time,” he said, straightening up.

Sidehill gouger, Leo thought. Gotta be it. Loved those funny things. Missy looked intently at him. She had swiveled from person to person as they spoke, engrossed in whatever they had to say.

“I am sure you’ve all heard of the skinwalkers. The native American creature that takes the form of others.” He stood up and raised his shoulders. “The large, hulking beasts with fangs as long as your arms.” A few of the observers pulled their heads back.

“Not many know about this smaller beast. A foe to the Nimerigar. These small peoples that the native Shoshone drove off and killed.” The man eased out of the campfire’s glow. “In the dark, they would come to homes, steal children, murder livestock, and burn huts.” He paced back and forth, the flames barely illuminating him. “The native Americans could not do anything to these small peoples.”

“What did they do?” a child asked.

“The native Americans, after many attempts, finally managed to track them down to the caves of the Rocky Mountains. It was not easy, and many passed in that time, but they had succeeded. Barely squeezing through the holes that hid their homes.” He pulled himself a little forward. “Only to find that something else had gotten there first.”

The man’s arms raised and he took up a hunched posture. “In the dark, black as night, a creature stirred, feasting upon the bones of the Nimerigar. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. They could not see it, but they could hear it. Feel it.”

He stepped on some dead leaves to continue the sound.

“It spoke to them, groaning out in their language through sharpened teeth stained with blood. Why have you come, day stalkers, it asked. The Shoshone, surprised yet steady replied. We have come here to save our peoples, our land. The beast laughed.” He horked out some guttural noises. “I have come to do the same, it said, snapping another bone. You don’t intend to replace them, I hope, it continued.”

Leo had entirely focused on this, slowly losing track of the calm of the wild.

“Only to drive them back, a warrior said. The beast called out in many cries of the wild. How would my peoples trust that, it asked. The creature was right. How could these people claim to be any better than the short men they came to kill?”

“After much talking, the two came to an agreement. There would be one man and one woman from their tribes. They would be wedded to complete their vow, and be with child. The Shoshone were worried over this agreement, worried they had only made a pact with a violent spirit, but what else were they to do? The Shoshone sent off their chosen person off to the wild to meet their other half.”

“Once the child was born, the creature came back to the same warriors, still stuck deep in darkness. Their people were now one, and would be seen as such, it said. The beast was bathed in darkness still, but they could make out parts of its body. The deep dark eyes, the claws for killing, the proud mane that came from its head.”

“Then, throughout the years, the Shoshone would meet with these beasts under dark, drawn by their yells of the wild. The bears, the falcons, the mountain lions. Mere noises to the Nimerigar, but a call to arms to the Shoshone, who struck down their foes with their new half. The bodies of their enemy were never seen again. Dragged off into the dark as soon as they were unseen.”

“If you hear the call of a bird.” He raised his hand toward the sky. “The howl of a wolf.” His other hand presented the land. “Or the growl of a bear. Just know that you may be under careful watch by the beasts who want to keep this land to themselves.”

And it was over. Leo blinked, realizing Missy’s hands were wrapped tightly around his shoulders, and face pressed up against his. A few members of the group glanced around at the forest, jumping at any crackle of leaves.

The storyteller smiled. “But, that’s just what I heard back when I was chopping wood.” He settled back into his chair. There was a round of applause. Leo had to wonder if any of the parents would have to spend a few sleepless nights consoling their kids.

“Yeah, that one was pretty alright,” Missy said to Leo with a nod. “Not sure what he even added the midgets for, not like they did anything.”

“Be careful otherwise they might break your kneecaps,” Leo replied. His words were a joke, naturally, but that story had gotten his thoughts moving much more thoroughly than he had expected. He looked to Missy. That wasn’t too far off from her, was it?

“Didn’t you hear the guy? They got wiped out,” she replied. “Now I think it’s time I had my turn.”

Missy whipped right back around to the fire. “I think it’s my turn next!” she called out. A few people urged her on, and a few others were still scanning the forest’s edge.

The wolficus stood up in front of Leo. Were it not for the fire and the shimmer of her outfit, she would have completely vanished into the dark.

“This is a story about a girl and a boy going into the woods all on their own,” she said.

“Is it Hansel and Gretel?” a child asked.

“Maybe a little, but everyone knows about Hansel and Gretel by now. This is something much more interesting,” Missy replied. The story hadn’t even started and she was already trying to drum it up. “A long, long, long time ago, way back when, there was a boy and a girl. They were the bestest of friends. They would do everything together. Anywhere she would go, he would go, and anywhere he would go, she would go. Mostly he would follow, though.”

“One day, they were playing in the forest, like they usually do. But for once, the girl was bored with the forest. She looked deeper inside. Any number of fun things could be inside.”

“Like a bear?” the princess asked.

“There could be bears, or wolves, or any other kinda monsters. The girl runs over to the edge of the deep forest and tells her friend to follow. Of course, he wasn’t the very adventurous kind, so he needed a lot of pushing and prodding.”

“Before her friend follows along, she hears a voice. A calm one.” Missy’s storytelling voice relaxed. “ ’Come in. Come in.’ Way up in the trees that voice echoed down, while twigs and leaves snapped below.”

“Of course, this only makes the girl more curious. She calls out to her friend, and he loves to be with her, so they eventually go walking on in. Bravely! Step after step, they walked inside.”

“So the boy says, of course, that they should turn right back around and go back home. Just then, an owl swoops in and lands on a branch. Immediately the owl asks for help, saying how his friends in the forest are further in and stuck in a log. He promises some berries for their help as his sharp claws snap into the branch he sits on. ‘No problem,’ says the girl. ‘Guess we should help,’ says the boy. And so they march on.”

Leo crinkled his brow, trying to imagine what Missy was trying to get at. It was plainly obvious who was what in this scenario, but other than that it was a strange story to tell. He decided not to interject, letting her weave her odd tale.

“The boy and girl, now getting a little hungry, decide to speed up their search for the owl’s friends. By this point, the trees get closer, the ground gets rougher, the plants get pointier.” She squeezed her body. “The boy says they should probably go back again, but a quick stare from his friend was all that was needed, and she tugged him along.”

“Was it getting dark now?” the power ranger asked. “Super midnight dark?”

“It’s dark, but the sky is still bright and sunny. The trees just get tighter, and tighter, and tighter. Branches weave together, tangling, choking, blinding. Even the animals in the forest have trouble getting through like that, but that didn’t stop them one bit. They kept on going.”

Like most of her endeavors, Missy was really getting into this, gesticulating for emphasis every chance she got. She swung her bejeweled body every which way and pitched her voice up and down when necessary.

“So at this point the trees are all gnarled, twisted. The leaves above are replaced by hundreds of branches all squirming around one another. It gets quieter and quieter. The boy starts to tell his friend that he doesn’t think there’s a log, and that there probably couldn’t be either. The girl tells him to be quiet and points off at a distant tree.”

“This wasn’t just any old log that fell over. It had smashed into another tree, and that one began growing through it. Around it. The best friends walked closer to find not owls, but a porcupine. A big one.”

“How big?” a young soldier boy asked.

Missy paused for a moment and walked over to one of the larger pumpkins there. “This big. With razor sharp quills and sharp teeth. The porcupine looks up at the friends and tells them–“ Missy lowered her voice, changing it to a sadder tone “–‘Sorry. You just missed the friends. They walked off with broken wings.’ Then the porcupine stares and stares and stares.”

The Egyptian woman stared at the group, widening her eyes as far as they could go. Leo could tell she was trying be slow and artificial about it. Not sure how well that would work, he thought.

Missy got right back to her story. “The boy finally asks which way they went. The porcupine thinks, then points off to the right. The girl nods but also asks if the porcupine has any food. He shakes his head and says, ‘No, sorry, I ate all of what was here.’ “

“The boy stops his friend for a moment and mentions how dark it’s gotten and how there’s no way anything is actually in here. The girl looks at him and frowns. She wants adventure. Exploration. The one chance they get it, and she’s taking it. The boy doesn’t say anything but does take her hand.”

“By this point, the trees feel like they’re trying to stop the two.”

“How?” a ninja boy asked. “Are they pushing them?”

“The roots are all pushing up and winding around one another.” Missy took a few shaky steps around the fire. “It’s hard to even take a step. Some branches even look like they’re reaching out as a gentle wind goes by. As they move, the boy swears he can see toys and skeletons in the roots, but the girl ignores him. Brave as can be.”

Leo felt another spark of familiarity. A small window opening in his mind, vaguely seeing the picture she had painted, feeling it flow into his senses. His eyes narrowed but he didn’t say a word.

“The dead silence is broken. One lone tree sits ahead. It’s a clearing in the madness of the forest, but it’s no brighter. ‘Stop,’ a voice says. Before the two can even look around, the bark on the tree snaps and contorts.” Missy stepped on more leaves and writhed her spindly fingers between one another. They vaguely fit into a face shape, and she walked around the fire for the group to see her hand puppetry.

The storyteller’s voice lowered. “ ‘Why have you come here, outside children?’ the tree asks. The two friends freeze in place, surprised by the tree’s new face. The pair of them explain to the tree that they’re in the woods looking for an owl’s friend. Though it’s been so long, and hunger is getting to them that they almost forgot.”

Missy continued her puppetry. “ ‘The animals of the forest should not be trusted. Do not go any further,’ the tree continued. Then its face disappeared. The girl yelled, ‘Yeah, well what would a tree know?!’ but the tree didn’t reply. The boy only watched the trees around them.”

“Of course, how could a tree know anything about the world, the girl thought. It was just a dumb plant rooted to the ground. This one didn’t even have any friends. For once, her friend said they should move on, but even when they did, he stared back at the tree until it was out of sight. Almost like it was staring back.”

“The girl had kept on her path but it was hard to even tell which way they had come in from. Every tree looked more like the last one. Each one just as dead and dark. They might’ve been dead, but they almost felt like they were breathing. The wind whistled through them.”

“A sudden snapping stopped them in their tracks. Just in front of them a mole tore through the floor of roots between a bunch of bushes, tossing up dirt every which way. Its nose was covered in a bunch of little feelers.” Missy mimed her words, wiggling her fingers in front of her face. “It loudly sniffed and crunched down a bone. It said, ‘I thought I smelled food.’ It looked at them. ‘Food not yet.’ “

“ ‘Do you know where the owl’s friends went?’ the boy blurted out, surprising the girl. ‘If not, we’re leaving the forest.’ The mole raised its head and sniffed. ‘How do you plan to leave the forest?’ it asked. The two friends looked at one another. ‘The owl’s friends went further in. Down. Come down.’ “

“The two perked up, almost expecting that their quest would come to an end, but a branch snapping ended that. The mole immediately glanced back and hissed, digging downward and blocking off the hole. ‘Wait!’ the two called out. The boy then tugged on the girl’s dress and pointed off at whatever made the noise.”

Missy took a few deep breaths.

“Something was moving within. Pushing, shaking, stomping. The girl thought she saw a dark figure moving around. The boy dug his heels into the dirt but that did little to stop the pair from moving forward. The shaking continued, slowly making its way across the outer ring of the trees. Until they came to a stop at the very edge.”

Missy placed her hands in front of her face, palms facing outward. She shifted upward, standing on her toes. Slowly her hands parted, as if she were peering through bushes. Her eyes were wide open now.

“Come in. Come in. Come in.” Her jaws opened all the way. Then she yanked her hands apart. “The boy and girl go running off as fast as they can! Their hands tightly hold on to one another, never slipping. Not once.” Her feet pattered against the ground. “They never look back but they can still hear that voice. ‘Come in! Come in! Come in!’ “ Missy’s words were getting to Leo himself.

“What was chasing them?” a concerned princess asked. A few of her friends nodded along, clear worry splayed across their faces.

“A good question,” Missy replied. Her eyes narrowed and a smile grew on her face.

Leo immediately perked up. “Too hard to see from the running. They had to get away quick.” He shot a wayward stare at Missy, who seemed more elated than bothered that he interrupted.

“Right, they’re moving so fast and stumbling around that they can’t even tell!” Missy says. “Anyways, they duck under a log just above a small hole in the ground. All they can see is dark, spindly legs through the hole above. There’s a smash on the log, but they stay quiet. Their hands are practically burning with how tightly they’re holding onto one another.”

“Bang, bang, bang. The pounding is still there. The log is breaking. The boy looks to his friend and just says, ‘Stay quiet.’His hand leaves hers, and he runs out into the open. She almost yells, but keeps his words at heart. At first there is nothing but the distant footsteps of her friend, then loud stomps chasing right after them.”

Missy let the silence take hold of the scene yet again, with only the crackle of fire to accompany her. Leo waited for whatever came next, almost on a trigger pull of needing to tone down her story.

“After some time, the girl peeks out of the hole and crawls out. No one is in sight. Not her friend. Not the monster. Not any animals. She is alone in the quiet forest.” Missy leans one way and puts her hand up to the side of her head. Nice touch. “Then in the distance she hears her name. Could it be her friend?”

“She runs and runs and runs. Her muscles are aching but she just wants to see her friend again. Once more her name is called. She runs over roots, past logs, past bushes. The trees are opening up again. She’s almost home.”

Leo leaned forward, expecting something gruesome next.

“Then… She’s back out into the open fields. The air is open and free again. She takes a moment to catch her breath and looks back. There’s her friend, but something’s wrong. She looks at him.” Missy breathed in.

Leo stood up and walked over to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“A black hand settles on his shoulder,” Leo started, “and holds him at the forest line. Everything is quiet. He looks unharmed, but pale.” And not a bloody mess.

Missy nodded. “She walks over to him and calls out his name, but he doesn’t respond. All he says is ‘Owl’s friends are fine. You can go home.’ The hand tightens on his shoulder.” Leo decided to play along with it, applying some pressure on her. “She tugs on his arm but doesn’t budge. ‘Please, go home.’ The arm drags him back, into the forest, and out of sight.”

“So he’s gone forever?!” one of the kids asked.

“Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. Do you think she would go back to the forest?” Leo asked.

“Well… Yeah! Get back her friend!” another child replied.

“Yeah, she should get back her friend,” Missy said.

“How would she even find him? The animals were no help, were they?” Leo said.

“Maybe they should chop down the forest. That doesn’t sound like a nice place,” the princess said. “I would want to tear it down.”

Leo couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. “I don’t think that’d be fair to the nice animals of the forest.”

“I don’t care. I’d want my friend back,” the princess shot back.

“I think I’m with her on this one,” Missy replied. “Though, who knows how the monster would feel about that.” She looked out at the crowd. Some of the kids pulled back from that gaze.

“Yeah, if you did that, the monster would get you for sure,” the power ranger said. “Drag you in too.”

“Maybe set it on fire?” one said.

“What about the friend?” another replied.

The little group descended into arguing over how best to save a friend. Good enough proof that Missy’s struck a chord with them. Leo gave her a firm pat.

“Nothing too bloody, remember that,” he whispered to her.

“Oh, c’mon, you’re acting like I was gonna go all Freddy Kreuger,” Missy replied with a roll of the eyes.

Leo raised his eyebrows and scoffed with a smile. She was totally going to do that. He returned to his seat comfortably. For a short time. Missy wasn’t far after him, plopping right back down onto his lap. Her attention wasn’t on him, though. She watched the group of kids closely, hanging on every word they said.

“Was that a true story, Mr. Davis? With all the animals and monsters?” one of them suddenly asked.

“And the tree!” another added.

Leo broke from his staring out in peace to look at the small gaggle of children.

Missy leaned forward. “Yeah, it sure was!” she said. “In fact it took place in the forest right over there!” She pointed back at the forest behind them, across the road, nearly smacking Leo right in the face. That was the least of his annoyances.

The kids began chattering again, shifting back and forth. Some elated with the idea, others horrified, and yet others seeming almost confused. Understandable considering how ridiculous it was that talking animals were so close to home.

“It’s only a story. That’s definitely not the forest where anything like that happened.” Leo pushed Missy’s arm down, allowing him to get a better look at the young audience. “Missy spent a lot of time thinking about it, right?” He looked to her for some kind of approval, but it wasn’t there.

“What do you mean?” She twisted on the spot to face him better. “That forest goes all the way to the spot where we were kids.” She just had to add those little taglines to everything.

“If you go through that forest straight on for a few miles you’re just gonna come out the other end on a highway. Go any other way and you’re just gonna get lost for miles and miles. So, believe me, you don’t want to do that.” Leo nudged Missy out of the way a little more to make sure he was extra clear on the matter. “If you’re looking for fantastical creatures they’re sure not around here. Don’t get me wrong, nature and the brooks, and the bogs, and the trails – all of that stuff is pretty, but it’s still dangerous.”

“Looks like Smokey Bear is at it again,” Missy said, prompting a laugh from a few of the kids.

“My point is, don’t go in there without an adult. Now enjoy the night and the camp fire before we have to wrap up, OK?” Leo said with a smile.

The kids nodded and gave a loud agreement. They, of course, went right back to their chattering about the story.

“Ease up on the Alice in Wonderland. We don’t need any kids making friends with bears and disappearing,” Leo said quietly.

“How come you didn’t get mad at the other guy?”

“The other guy had a disclaimer, and he sure as hell didn’t say his flavor of monster was in the woods next door.”

Missy rolled her eyes and shrugged.