Hall of Mosses

by Evans, Nicoline

  Eshe was gone and the sudden notion of sisterhood consumed her. She had grown tight with Marisabel over the past two weeks, but she was in dire straits every time they talked. Hearing Eshe refer to her as a sister put it all in perspective. They were linked. Gaia bonded all seven Champions; as Mother Nature, it made sense her chosen daughters saw themselves as family. This realization renewed her strength. She had every intention of succeeding, but suddenly she understood she was surviving for so much more than she ever realized.

  She blew out the candle, grabbed the radio from the back porch, and went to the front to wait for the others to arrive. The weatherman reported on the seismic activity forming beneath Kilimanjaro and Juniper’s anxiety began to boil over. Her foot was tapping out of control, causing her whole leg to shake, and her fingernails were dug deep into her palms. When Irene pulled into her driveway with a carload of people, her clenched fists released to reveal bloody cuts beneath.

  “You’re here, finally.”

  “It’s only been ten minutes since you called.”

  “It felt like ten years. We are running out of time.”

  Juniper hurried to the car and helped Irene unbuckle her kids. There were four little ones, plus her Aunt Mallory and cousin Zoe. She wasn’t sure how they were going to get the babies through the woods, but they were small and there were enough adults to take turns carrying them.

  Roscoe and Clark showed up next in separate off-roaders. Roscoe’s father sat in the passenger seat next to him. Teek arrived in his enormous Hummer a few minutes later with Brett, Misty, and Carine. The large truck was too big for the trails and Juniper worried how everyone would get to Hoh.

  “Jeb is on his way with his wife.”

  “Great. I guess this is everyone?”

  “No, I have a few friends coming. Three guys I graduated college with and their spouses. Also my co-worker Cindy and her husband Carl,” Roscoe added. “Those Floridians I offered the free return trip to never came.”

  “My sister and mom should be here soon,” Carine chimed in.

  “Yeah, I think all of our immediate families are on their way,” Misty said on behalf of herself, Brett, and Teek.

  “I’m solo,” Clark said.

  “No, no. You’ve got me,” Juniper smiled at him, knowing he was thinking of his late wife in this moment.

  He winked at her in appreciation.

  Her heart filled with hope as the outlook of her success appeared less grim. There were people coming; she wouldn’t fail.

  Jeb and company arrived in two Jeep Wranglers, followed by the families of Misty, Carine, Brett, and Teek. They came in sedans, which would not be able to traverse the woods.

  Roscoe’s buddies were on their way with off-roading vehicles. He called to ask if they could tow a few more on their trailer, but they’d already left.

  “Juni, we aren’t going to have enough vehicles to get everyone to Hoh. It would take too long to walk.”

  Her Jeep still had its trailer attached.

  “If we use my car can we get more?”

  “My friend has a whole garage of toys we can use.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Roscoe ran to the Jeep and got it running. Juniper hadn’t driven it in months, so it took a few tries to get the engine to turn over, but it started and she jumped in.

  “Clark, you’re in charge. Keep us updated over the radio and start leading everyone to Hoh. The sedans can make it to the end of Hurricane Ridge Road, but from there, it might take two trips. The cars will never make it through the trails. If you can lead everyone to that spot, we can scoop up whoever doesn’t make the first trip with the vehicles we get. Roscoe and I cleared a wide trail all the way to Hoh.”

  “He showed it to me already. Get going.”

  Roscoe sped off toward his buddy’s auto body shop, a half hour drive. His friend sent him multiple texts on which dirt bikes and quads were working and fueled, and when they got there they hurried to load the trailer. The shop was next to a crowded general store. There wasn’t much to do in this small town and most of the locals ate lunch and early dinners there. Juniper looked around in despair at all the people blissfully unaware of the terror coming their way.

  “Do you think we can save them?”

  Roscoe shrugged. “Only if they believe the wild claims of strangers.”

  She nodded and let her hopes of saving more fade to the back of her mind. They could only fit two quads and four dirt bikes on the trailer, so they hoped by pairing up they could get everyone to Hoh on time.

  A breeze blew Juniper’s hair across her face and the trees surrounding the area swayed in unison.

  It’s time, the trees said in warning. The ground began to rumble.

  “We have to go,” Juniper said in a panic. “It’s happening.”

  Before they could get back into the Jeep, a huge grand fir burst from the ground and split the general store in half. It grew to 150 feet in a matter of seconds. The devastation was quick and thorough; people were stuck in its limbs and dropped from great heights to their demise. Its vines continued to move with aggression, ending all life caught in its growth. A mountain hemlock pushed through the ground with supernatural speed, tearing the highway in half as it grew to enormous height. The unnatural nature of this attack was perturbing; it was nothing mankind had ever seen before. The trees were taking back their home.

  Screams filled the air and people ran from the debris. There were victims, dead and injured, scattered throughout the limbs of the tree. Some shouted for help as they hung to life from the branches and others whimpered in pain, unable to say much more. The vines that wormed along the branches put these lives to rest with swift strangles.

  Juniper raced next door to beg those who survived to listen, but before she could catch anyone’s attention, three cedars sprouted beneath the gas station on the other side of the auto body shop, causing the building to go up in flames. Trees were budding and growing at insane speeds everywhere she looked. Their roots snaked through the ground and pulled victims down by their ankles, trapping them and wrapping around their bodies until all life was choked out. The highway began to crumble as the concrete broke apart to let the foliage through. People ran for their lives, unable to escape the sudden takeover.

  “I hope you packed what you needed because a huge Douglas fir just appeared in the middle of your house,” Clark called in over the radio.

  “I’ve got my bag with me. Is everyone there?”

  “Everyone but you and Roscoe.”

  “Take them down Hurricane Ridge and into Hoh. Don’t stop until you reach the Hall of Mosses, and find a way to make it in one trip. Triple up on the quads, squeeze extra people into the off-roaders. Whatever it takes. We will meet you there.”

  “Copy.”

  The earth creaked as the enormous trees tore the ground apart. Those who didn’t die by chokehold were sucked into the ground as it disappeared beneath them. A spruce ripped through the auto body shop, its creeping vines seized and crushed everything they touched. When they reached Juniper’s feet they lingered, as if sensing her, before moving past. They did the same to Roscoe.

  “We can’t waste another second. Let’s go.”

  As they drove away, there was a crowd of people huddled in the middle of the highway. They were surrounded and the vines and branches from the trees were slithering toward them. Juniper looked closer and noticed the Wolfe family was among the group.

  Roscoe stopped the Jeep and Juniper stuck her head out the window.

  “Juniper!” Noah shouted as his mother held him tight.

  “We can get you to safety,” she called to them. “There’s a spot in the woods where the trees are benign. If you follow us you will survive.”

  “The trees are attacking,” an elderly man shouted over the eerie noises of the earth cracking. “Entering the forest seems like a bad idea right now.”

  “You’ll just need to trust me.”

  “We do,” Dedrik said without hesitation
and led his family toward the Jeep. Though the four Wolfe brothers and their parents obliged, the others weren’t so sure.

  “Are you coming?” she asked.

  There was a pause.

  “It’s better than dying here,” a young man finally conceded with a shrug. He grabbed his sister’s hand and led her toward Juniper. They stood on the rear bumper and latched on to the roll bars. The remainder of the group followed.

  “Three can fit in the back seat, and two more can ride the rear. Wolfe brothers: If you’re up for the ride, we can quickly unload the dirt bikes and quads.”

  “Let’s do this,” Wes said on behalf of his entire family. The four brothers raced to the trailer to help unload the bikes while their parents commandeered the quads. Each dirt bike and quad could fit two, and the others did their best to squeeze into the Jeep. Roscoe released the empty trailer and drove toward the forest.

  The caravan of motorbikes and quads trailed the Jeep toward uncertain safety, dodging the behemoth trees that sprouted randomly without warning. The Wolfe family followed and created a symphony of revved engines. They were experienced riders and were able to keep up with the high speeds.

  “Hold on,” Roscoe shouted to the people clinging onto the back of the Jeep before taking a hard right turn off the highway and onto a rough dirt path. It wasn’t meant for a vehicle as big as a Jeep, but he did his best to maneuver without crashing. One mile in and he had to stop. He put his hazards on to warn the fast-riding dirt bikers to slow down.

  “Why are we stopping?” Baxley shouted as his dirt bike screeched to a stop. “The trees are still freaking out. Look around! It’s just as crazy in here as it was in town.”

  He was right. Trees were still growing at exponential speeds, tearing apart trails and leaving little room for them to travel.

  “I’m too slow,” Roscoe responded. “This vehicle is too big and it’s holding us up. Juni, you need to get on a bike and lead the Wolfe family to safety.”

  “And what about you and the rest of them?”

  “I’ll keep moving forward in the Jeep as long as I can. When there’s no path left, we will run.”

  “Fine,” Juniper conceded, then addressed the others. “Let’s fit as many people on the backs of these dirt bikes and quads as possible. Preferably anyone who will slow Roscoe down when the time comes to run.” She needed a bike. “Noah, let me take your dirt bike and you’ll travel with Roscoe.”

  “No,” his father, Birk, said as he got off the quad. “Noah can ride the quad. I’ll stay behind.”

  Everyone obeyed and Roscoe was left with nine physically capable people.

  “We will stay along the Elwha till we reach Long Creek,” Roscoe told Juniper. “We should be able to follow the creek through the valley south of Mt. Carrie and reach Hoh River from that direction.”

  “Okay. As soon as I reach the others at the Hall of Mosses I will come back with more transportation. Stick to that route so I know how to find you.”

  Roscoe pulled Juniper in close and kissed her. She tried not to let her emotions get the best of her, but she did not like splitting up from the one person who meant the most. She couldn’t lose him now.

  She swallowed her tears and got on the lead bike. Her passenger was a small elderly woman named Martha who had already been instructed to hold on tight. She fastened her helmet, pulled in the clutch, shifted to first gear, and sped off. The other riders followed suit. Juniper couldn’t look back; she couldn’t bear to see Roscoe disappear in the dust as she rode away.

  Chapter 26

  Martha clung to her waist as she rode with expert agility. Trees sprang unexpectedly like bombs and she had to be on constant alert. The trails had transformed into minefields and there was no telling when the ground below would betray her and explode. She worried more for her fellow riders; the trees weren’t giving her much trouble outside some tricky darting around those already sprouted. The Wolfe brothers’ riding skills were being tested more thoroughly. Noah was almost taken out when a tree began to bud at the wrong second right beneath his front tire. It sent him into a wheelie, which he somehow managed to redirect and avoid getting thrown into the sky. The German woman on the back of his bike became pale as a ghost, but the boy kept moving forward like a professional enduro racer.

  They zigged and zagged down the trails paralleling the Elwha and followed Long Creek around Mt. Carrie. It was the same path Roscoe planned to take and Juniper was happy to see that it remained mostly intact. If he made it there soon he’d be fine.

  They made it to the campsite at the Hall of Mosses and were greeted by everyone who had remained with Clark. They all looked unharmed.

  “It’s a good thing you cleared those paths so thoroughly,” Clark said as he gave her a hug. “We’d have never gotten the Jeeps through if you hadn’t, and those were the only vehicles big enough to carry the overflow of people here. We’d have needed a second trip if they hadn’t fit.”

  “Too bad we didn’t clear a second path south from the top of Elwha. Roscoe is stuck up there now with a jeep and a few others we picked up in Maple Grove. We need to go back and get them. Are you guys okay to ride again?” she asked the brothers, who were covered in sweat and dirt.

  “Absolutely,” Dedrik replied.

  “You good, mom?” Baxley asked.

  “You bet,” she answered with a wink.

  “Great,” Juniper said. “Teek, you ride, right?”

  “I do. I rode your girly mint green bike here,” he teased.

  “Funny. You’re coming with us. Grab one of the extra bikes and a helmet.”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  Juniper did the math in her head. “I’ll need you on the extra quad, Brett. Including Roscoe, there are ten bodies. This should be enough. The trails are perilous and I don’t want to bring more people than necessary.”

  With six dirt bikes and two quads, they raced back along the trail they just took. Though it had only been a few hours, the paths were already overgrown and the trails were much harder to navigate. It concerned Juniper that she barely recognized the route. Night was coming and they’d be riding in the dark within the hour. She constantly looked over her shoulder to make sure everyone was still there and okay. It was an extremely difficult trail ride with all the new foliage bursting into life and the ducking and dodging never ceased. By the time they circled around Mt. Carrie, they were exhausted. Running on pure adrenaline, they carried on. This was the end of times and they had people to save; there was no giving up now. Everyone grasped the dire nature of the situation and rode into the ruins with selfless courage.

  All across the globe, trees were growing at unnatural rates, destroying everything in their path. In the suburbs, homes were destroyed and the landscape was returned to dense forestry. All that remained of previous human existence was the debris of the demolished structures. The wreckage was far worse in the cities. Skyscrapers collapsed and highways crumbled as the trees shook and toppled their foundations. Millions of people were crushed as the manmade creations fell. The devastation they were experiencing in Washington was happening in multitudes anywhere trees reigned prior to the industrial revolution.

  Halfway down Long Creek, they flipped their headlights on. Only Juniper and Teek’s motorbikes had lights, so he joined her at the front of the pack. Another mile down the creek and the sounds of frantic yelling became audible through the roar of their engines. Juniper raised her arm and slowed to a stop, and the other riders stopped close behind. She slowly turned the handlebars of the Jaden Jaunt to cast light over the area. On the opposite side of the creek her light caught the whites of a dozen eyes. She kept her headlight pointed in that direction as the shadowy silhouettes ran toward them.

  Roscoe cried out over the steady hum of the idling engines and the continued growl of combusting earth.

  Her heart rate intensified. She dismounted her bike and ran to him.

  “You’re alive,” she said with relief as she buried her face into his shoulde
r. “I was so worried. The trails are possessed.”

  “It’s been awful, but we’re okay. We haven’t stopped running since we left the Elwha River.”

  “Is everyone okay?” she asked, looking at the crew of tired people following Roscoe.

  “Yes. Somehow we all made it this far.”

  “You must be exhausted. Let’s get everyone on a bike and head back.”

  The night was dark. The only light to guide them was their headlights and the full moon. The trails were littered with shadows from the colossal trees, so they stayed near the creek where the forestry was less dense and the moonlight shone on the water’s surface.

  Roscoe rode with Teek since they were similar in size, and Juniper had a teenage girl holding tight to her back. She was so tiny it almost felt like she was riding alone.

  They were rounding the base of Mt. Carrie when a monstrous cedar rocketed into the sky, separating the group. Juniper felt the earth shake as the tree grew and looked behind to see its enormous trunk blocking sight of the others. She hit the brakes and parked her bike. Only three of the Wolfe brothers were still behind her; Noah and Teek were caught behind the tree.

  She ran to the other side to see if they were okay and was greeted by the sight of Noah and his passenger falling from the sky.

  Their bike was ten-feet high and hanging from the lowest branch, and the boys writhed on the ground in pain. She ran to their side; Teek and Roscoe joined her from the other direction.

  “The tree snagged their front tire. It grew so fast it took them up with it. Noah clung to the handlebars as long as he could, but his passenger was latched onto his waist and the weight took them down,” Teek explained as Roscoe checked their pulse and pupils. They both made noise and could move their toes, which meant they weren’t unconscious or paralyzed, but their condition was poor. They would not be able to make it the rest of the way on their own.

  “We are down a bike,” Juniper said, frantic. As the words left her lips, another tree shot into the sky, taking Teek’s bike with it. The dirt bike was launched into the sky and landed a few feet from where they were huddled. It broke into pieces upon impact.