I’m sure wherever Adrienne was, she wished she was dead.
“Does your mom know anything?” I asked him. “She still works at the newspaper, doesn’t she?”
“She knows as much as we do.” I sighed at his words. “But we can drop by on Saturday if you want.” He replied as we slowly passed underneath the sign of rusted metal that hung above us. The words ‘Moonwater Ranch’ marked the entrance, a crescent moon in place of one of the o’s. The sound of children laughing and hooves cantering up the trail grew louder as we neared the end of the road, and rows of vehicles with dusty tires filled the unpaved parking lot.
“Sounds like a plan.” I unbuckled my seatbelt when he stopped by the curb and stepped out of the car, waving goodbye. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He nodded with a smile and drove away, leaving me standing by the doors.
“Have any of you ever wondered what the stars are like?” I opened up one of the doors and stepped inside, immediately moving to the corner of the room at the sound of my mother’s voice. What looked like a dozen children sat on cushions on the floor, gazing up at her in wonder; and I smiled to myself, remembering when I did the same. “Some people say that they’re just balls of light, but others say that they’re people like you and me.” She began, and I leaned against the wall and listened. “Boys, raise your hands.” As soon as she spoke, seven hands eagerly shot up into the air. “Imagine a couple of boys just like you were playing with sticks and stones every day. Now, their mothers didn’t like it; but every time they told them to stop, those boys would run off to do just that. So when they came home for dinner one day, their mothers decided to give them the stones to eat instead. The boys didn’t like that at all, so they ran away and started dancing.”
“Dancing?” One boy interjected, screwing up his face in confusion.
“That’s right. But this dance wasn’t any ordinary dance.” She lowered her voice as if she were sharing a secret. “This dance made them fly.” I grinned when her audience gasped in awe, suddenly captivated. “When their mothers went out to look for them, they were already too high up for them to reach—all except one. But when that little boy reached the ground, he turned into great big pine tree.” She opened up her arms to show its stature.
“Was it as tall as my daddy?” A child with pigtails asked her, her voice small and wispy. My mother’s eyes sparkled when she looked into the little girl’s face.
“The tallest.” Her response was met with a timid giggle. “But the other boys,” she returned her attention to the rest of the children, “they rose higher and higher until they reached the sky; and there, they became six bright shining stars. So the next time you look up at the night sky, know that somewhere up there, there are boys playing their favorite game.” She glanced up as a shadow darkened the opposite doorway. My father. Despite his heavy coat and mittens, he still managed to look like a cowboy.
“All right, kids. Who wants to ride some horses?” He clapped his hands; and they rose to their feet, racing to swarm around him. I watched them disappear through the doorway and into the corral.
“I don’t remember that story.” I remarked, taking a step forward.
“That’s because you were always interested in those other ones.” She answered me as she stood and folded the blanket that had been in her lap. “What were their names: Zeus and Pyrenees and the one with the snakes on top of her head?”
At least she got one.
“Okay. You’ve made your point.” I relieved her of the blanket and set it down on her chair. “What did you want me to do while I’m here?” She placed her hands on her hips and sighed.
“Well, the stables need mucking out.”
“I’ll get right on it.” I replied and started to move towards the door.
“Not so fast.” She called out to me; and I stopped, whirling around to face her. “You’re closing tonight.”
“Okay.” I swallowed.
They never had me lock up the business by myself.
She passed by me, patting me on the back as she slipped out of the room.
“Make sure you’re home on time.”
The sunlight that seeped through the open windows and into the stables began to fade as the day came to an end. The children that had once roamed the ranch were long gone, and the only sound that accompanied me was the crunch of the shavings underneath my boots. I took a step back to assess what I had done and sighed, exhausted. It took two hours, but I was finished.
“Hey, Melissa.” I looked up at the sound of my name. Mason Whitaker, one of the ranch hands, poked his head through the doorway.
“Can I bring them in, now?” He rubbed his gloved hands together in an attempt to keep them warm.
“Sure.” I leaned the pitchfork up against the nearest beam and dusted off my own, pulling the gloves away from my fingers as the first of twelve horses came trotting in.
“Your parents asked me to drive you home.” He said as he led the horse into the third stall on my right. I nodded my head slowly, a little perplexed.
“Don’t you live in Claremore?” I started. “My house is kind of out of the way.”
Forty miles, actually.
“They wanted to make sure that you got home all right.” He told me.
But still, I couldn’t help but feel terrible for him.
“I could always walk.” I jokingly suggested, sprinting after him to take the reins of a palomino. He laughed and glanced back at me from over his shoulder before leading a golden champagne horse into her stall.
“Not a chance.” He answered and swung the door into place. “Have you locked the front doors yet?” I shook my head. “If you finish bringing the others in, I’ll go ahead and do that.” He offered, and I couldn’t say no.
“Thanks Mason.” I called after him, and he turned to tip his hat with a smile. And then I was standing in the silence once again. I closed the palomino’s stall door and stared at the nameplate with fondness.
Apollo
My father had let me name the horses when I was seven. Even then, the thought of gods and goddesses enchanted me.
I let the rest of the pantheon into the stables, a milky white horse as light as the moon the last of them. She whinnied softly just as I began to close her into her stall, and I pushed it open to lay a hand on her muzzle.
“What’s wrong, Artemis?” I whispered, wishing she could tell me. The slight rustle of the shavings being disturbed underfoot caught my attention; and I whirled toward it, expecting to see Mason returning from the front of the ranch. But there was nothing. “Mason?” I shouted his name, but he didn’t respond. “Mason.” When he didn’t answer the second time, I inched slowly out of the stall and stepped backwards towards the back of the stables. My father kept a rifle on the back wall in case a coyote came around. I reached for it, gripping it close as if merely holding it would keep me safe. It wasn’t a full moon—that night had already passed; but I wasn’t about to take any chances. “I don’t like shooting animals, but I’ve got no problem with people!” I yelled as I pointed the barrel at the door. For seconds, I waited—in the agony of not knowing what might come through the door.
If it were a coyote, at least I’d have a chance. I could fire a few rounds into the ground to scare it off. But people—people were a lot more dangerous.
Crunch after crunch came, with no words to announce whomever they belonged to. I cocked the rifle as my heart began to beat into my throat, and the click that signaled that I wasn’t afraid to shoot echoed into the darkness.
“I mean business!” I yelled; and suddenly, a shadow darted across the floor and slowly bled into the stables. The first thing I saw was a cowboy hat; and immediately, I thought that it was Mason. But as the figure drew closer, I knew that it wasn’t. A boy—probably no older than eighteen—cautiously stole a step forward with his hands over his head. His brown eyes were open wide, as if he was surprised to see the gun in my hands. He glanced down at it, and then back to rest his stare at my face.
“Please, don’t shoot.” He said; and for a moment, I forgot where I was.
There was something about him—something that made me smile. But when he grinned in return, it fell from my face; and I remembered what I was holding.
“We’re closed.” I lowered the rifle away from his head, still clutching it by my side.
“Were you really going to shoot me?” He brought his hands down in relief.
“Maybe.” No, I wasn’t. “Depends on what you were looking for when you came here.” Stealing equipment—or even horses—definitely wasn’t uncommon.
“My brothers wanted to sneak back here to see the horses. That’s all.” He turned to make a gesture to something in the darkness, and two little boys emerged from the shadows. They were young, maybe younger than I was when my father took over the ranch from my grandfather; and unlike their brother, their eyes lit up at the sight of the weapon in my hand. I blinked, not expecting to see a pair of the same face staring back at me. I smiled at their expressions of awe when they saw the horses towering over them; and in them, I saw the same excitement that Heather and Connor shared when they came with me to the ranch for the first time.
“Oh—um…” I stuttered and un-cocked the rifle, placing it back onto the wall as Mason came trudging in with the keys in hand. “How about we do something better? Mason, would you mind saddling up Hermes and Artemis for our guests?” He flashed me a puzzled look, but eventually gave in to my request.
“C’mon, kids.” With the reins of both horses in his grip, he led the way back into the corral; and the twins leapt after him, unable to contain themselves.
“That sure was nice of you.” The boy in the cowboy hat remarked. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” I sighed as I locked up Artemis’ stall.
“That was somethin’ brave—pulling that gun on me.” He continued, and I eyed him suspiciously.
Where was he going with this?
“What if I had one?” I smirked as I walked past him and into the frigid night air.
“You’d be on the ground.” That was the truth.
“My name’s Caleb, by the way.” He removed his hat and held it to his chest as he followed me, unrelenting.
“I’m Melissa.” I turned my head to glance at him midstride; and in the starlight, I saw him more clearly. His black hair stopped at his shoulders, his chestnut complexion matching mine. With his hat, he managed to tower over me by several inches; and he had a face that equaled his charm.
“Melissa—that’s a nice name.” I stopped at his words and stared at him incredulously.
“You do realize you just broke into my parents’ business, right?” There was that smile again.
“Is it really breakin’ in if the door was unlocked?” He shrugged, and I crossed my arms. “I get it. I’m sorry.” He apologized. “They just don’t get to see horses up close too often.” As if to reinforce his explanation, the two boys began to laugh on the other side. I whirled away from him and returned my attention to the two horses strolling towards us. We waved as they passed us by, the sound of cantering hooves quickly fading into silence. “Some night, huh?” He buried his hands in his pockets as he spoke. “You can see all the stars.” I gazed up at the sky with him and wondered if the stars were watching us too.
If I could only know what the stars have seen—know every secret hidden in the shadows of the night—would I know what happened to Adrienne? Or even Heather?
But when I glanced at him staring at the world above us, that lingering heartache ceased to exist.
“See—” I started, pointing up at the sky; but he had already done the same.
“See that?” And I let him continue. “Those three stars in a line—that’s Orion’s Belt.”
“The Hunter…” I whispered, grinning to myself. “He’s my favorite.”
“That makes sense.” He chuckled, and I turned to him in alarm.
“Why?” He smirked, setting his gaze once again on the stars.
“He loved the moon.” He simply said.
Was it my name that he was referring to? Or did he know that Artemis was mine?
“And she loved him.” It felt strange, knowing someone who appreciated it as much as I did; but reality tore the smile from my face, and I frowned. Suddenly, I saw her holding him in her arms, knowing that she had been the one that had taken his life.
“Until he died.” I took a deep breath to try to stop the tears that inevitably came, and I scrambled to wipe them away. It wasn’t Orion that I wept for—but for someone else entirely.
“Hey.” I retreated away from him when he saw how upset I’d become. “Are you all right?” I ran my fingers through my hair with a sigh.
“I’ll survive.” I turned and made my way back to the stables.
“Wait.” I stopped to look back at him, expecting another clever remark. But there was none. “Whatever you’re goin’ through,” he began, his voice shaking in the cold, “I’ve got a feeling I understand.” I nodded my head, if only to be polite, and smiled sadly.
No, he didn’t.
Chapter Four
Where Memories are Buried
“After sixty hours, sixteen-year-old Adrienne Shelley has yet to be found. She was last seen in her home Wednesday night during what is described as a celebration of the local high school’s victory in a basketball game. Students who attended the party have given accounts of seeing Shelley in her backyard only moments before her disappearance. This has been the eleventh in a series of disappearances taking place in a span of nearly a year. In addition to Ms. Shelley, the authorities are investigating the disappearances of Stephanie Steinbeck, Kerri Redmouth, Eva Flores, Gabrielle Sakoeka, Jennifer Garcia, Jasmine Berryhill, Valerie Swahl, Iliana Lopez, Rebecca Lawrence, and Willow Grey Eyes.”
The anchorwoman’s words echoed in my ears as I hurried down the stairs, skipping every other step until my feet reached the hardwood floor. My father turned down the volume and stood when I entered the living room, and I slowed when I saw the look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him, knowing full well what it was. I glanced at the television screen and at Adrienne’s smiling face forever immortalized in the pictures her parents had given the police, and I understood. “You know it happened at the party…” I sighed as I slipped my jacket over my shoulders.
“Come here.” He gestured for me to come closer, and he pulled me into a hug when I finally did. “I’m just glad you’re safe.” Tears began to fill my eyes when I realized that Adrienne’s parents would never know that feeling again. The doorbell rang, coming to my rescue; and I let go to answer the door.
“That’s Connor.” I said before pulling it open. Sure enough, he was standing on the other side.
“Hey. Are you ready for our trip to Pryor?” He stepped inside, rubbing his hands together as he breathed on them for warmth.
“What about breakfast?” My mother interjected from the kitchen; and within seconds, she had joined us in the living room, still drying off a plate in her hands with a towel.
“Mom,” I paused, surprised that she had forgotten, “it’s Saturday.” For a moment, it was silent; and then she nodded.
“That’s right.” She reached out to wrap her arms around me and squeezed me tightly. “Stay safe.” I nodded at her words and followed Connor out into the open.
“The usual place?” He exhaled as he stepped onto the sidewalk, glancing back at me for an answer.
“The usual place.”
It wasn’t far—it only took a few minutes; but the drive to Cedar Crest Lake seemed to last forever. I don’t know why we did it—to torture ourselves? No. I think it was more complicated than that. That place—it used to mean something different; but now, as I walked toward the edge of the water, each step was more interminable than the next.
“It’s weird, isn’t it?”
I turned at the sound of a voice I knew too well; and behind me, I saw myself, sitting cross-legged underneath an old birch tree.
“That we’re having a picnic in the snow?” Connor quipped as he opened up the wooden basket.
“No.” I shook my head at his remark. “We’ve been coming here for years—this is literally the place that we met,” I paused, thinking about it myself, “and we’ve never been over there.” I stared out at the piece of land that seemed to float on the surface of the water, the ground unseen by most shrouded in a curtain of trees. Connor cocked his head to side at the thought of it.
“Huh…I guess you’re right.” He reached into the picnic basket for another item and retrieved a plastic container, holding it up to his face to see what was inside. “Really?” He looked to Heather, knowing she had been the culprit. “More cake?” Heather inched closer to me and threw her arm over my shoulders.
“C’mon, Melissa just turned fifteen. She deserves to celebrate all week.” She insisted; and Connor sighed, muttering under his breath.
“This is what I get for having girls for best friends.” But Heather heard him.
“Oh please, you love us.” She exclaimed, smiling. And then she turned to me, her fiery red hair whipping around her face as she did. “Let’s do it.” She whispered, as if she were telling me a secret. I could only stare at her, unsure of what she meant. “Let’s go there.” She laughed at my silence. “All of us,” she said louder, so even Connor could hear, “we should go and see what’s there.”
“It’ll be our own little adventure.” I grinned and imagined the three of us claiming the island as our own—having something to run away to when the rest of the world became too much.
“Someday...” He glanced at the two of us with a smile, and I responded with one of my own before gazing at the island once again.
“Maybe.”
Moonshadow Page 4
