the words leave my lips. They send a shiver down my spine and conjure the sound of hissing and snarling we heard from the night before as Lurkers tried to dig their way into our cave.
June’s arms are wrapped around her waist, clutching her midsection. “So what do we do? What’s the plan?” June asks.
“We’ re going to hide out up there,” I say and point to the elm tree.
“What?” she asks and her face crumples just as Will’s did moments ago.
“I know it sounds crazy, but you and dad and I never would have made it that night if we hadn’t gone up into a tree.”
June watches me warily.
“We’ll climb as high as we can and avoid the Lurkers altogether.”
“But Avery, you’re forgetting that Lurkers can climb,” June adds in a voice that trembles.
“No, I know they can climb, but why would they?” I ask and look toward the tree again. “Unless they see us going up, they’ll never know we’re there.”
June’s eyes follow my line of vision. Her lips part slightly and she expels a thin stream of breath.
“Right now, it’s our only hope. Hiding out in the tree is all we have,” I tell her honestly. “We can stay in the tree for the night then hike all day tomorrow and be out of the woods and not have to worry about Lurkers.”
“That’s right. We won’t have to worry about Lurkers anymore. The worry of Urthmen will replace it, only there is no escaping them, not even in the daylight.”
A look I have never seen haunts June’s face almost as much as her words haunt her voice. Her words crystallize my thoughts. She is right. We will not hide from Lurkers at nightfall. We will continually run from Urthmen.
“June, the woods are not safe from Urthmen anymore either. You know that. Will’s parents were just the beginning. How long do you think it would take before they found us too? No, we are not trading up one thre at for another, worse one. We’re losing one of two if you ask me.”
June closes her eyes and shakes her head. “Oh my gosh,” is all she murmurs.
I reach out to her and put my hands on her shoulders. “Hey,” I say. “June, look at me.”
Her eyes open and slowly meet my gaze.
“It’s going to be okay,” I say. “I promise. We will be okay.”
Her lower lip quivers and I see unshed tears shining in her eyes. She blinks them away feverishly. “How can you be so sure?” she asks in a small voice.
“I-I can’t explain it,” I say and would rather not describe that I was thinking about our father when the idea popped into my mind and the tree came into view. Whether or not it was a coincidence does not matter. I am sure this is the only way to live through the night. “I just am,” I tell her. “It’s what dad would do if he was here, and he could survive anything.”
Tears spill over June’s lower eyelashes and stream down her cheeks. “You’re wrong. Dad s urvived a lot of things but he’s not here. So he could not survive everything,” she says and refers to the fact that our father is dead.
“He lived a long time. He had fifty birthdays. That’s a lot considering all the medicines that kept people alive two hundred years ago don’t exist anymore,” I try to explain. But June is only eight. Her understanding of life is limited. I do not fault her for that. “Please June, just trust me, okay? Do you trust me?”
A small sob racks her body and she nods. “Yes I do,” she manages.
“Good,” I say. I draw her against my chest and hug her. I hold her tightly for several moments then gradually release her. “Now let’s go see how Oliver and Riley are taking the news,” I smile weakly and say.
I take June’s hand and lead her toward the log Will sits atop. An expression of confirmation flashes across Will’s face.
“So we’re all set here?” I ask.
“I think it’s cool,” Oliver says. “It’s a really great idea,
June’s arms are wrapped around her waist, clutching her midsection. “So what do we do? What’s the plan?” June asks.
“We’ re going to hide out up there,” I say and point to the elm tree.
“What?” she asks and her face crumples just as Will’s did moments ago.
“I know it sounds crazy, but you and dad and I never would have made it that night if we hadn’t gone up into a tree.”
June watches me warily.
“We’ll climb as high as we can and avoid the Lurkers altogether.”
“But Avery, you’re forgetting that Lurkers can climb,” June adds in a voice that trembles.
“No, I know they can climb, but why would they?” I ask and look toward the tree again. “Unless they see us going up, they’ll never know we’re there.”
June’s eyes follow my line of vision. Her lips part slightly and she expels a thin stream of breath.
“Right now, it’s our only hope. Hiding out in the tree is all we have,” I tell her honestly. “We can stay in the tree for the night then hike all day tomorrow and be out of the woods and not have to worry about Lurkers.”
“That’s right. We won’t have to worry about Lurkers anymore. The worry of Urthmen will replace it, only there is no escaping them, not even in the daylight.”
A look I have never seen haunts June’s face almost as much as her words haunt her voice. Her words crystallize my thoughts. She is right. We will not hide from Lurkers at nightfall. We will continually run from Urthmen.
“June, the woods are not safe from Urthmen anymore either. You know that. Will’s parents were just the beginning. How long do you think it would take before they found us too? No, we are not trading up one thre at for another, worse one. We’re losing one of two if you ask me.”
June closes her eyes and shakes her head. “Oh my gosh,” is all she murmurs.
I reach out to her and put my hands on her shoulders. “Hey,” I say. “June, look at me.”
Her eyes open and slowly meet my gaze.
“It’s going to be okay,” I say. “I promise. We will be okay.”
Her lower lip quivers and I see unshed tears shining in her eyes. She blinks them away feverishly. “How can you be so sure?” she asks in a small voice.
“I-I can’t explain it,” I say and would rather not describe that I was thinking about our father when the idea popped into my mind and the tree came into view. Whether or not it was a coincidence does not matter. I am sure this is the only way to live through the night. “I just am,” I tell her. “It’s what dad would do if he was here, and he could survive anything.”
Tears spill over June’s lower eyelashes and stream down her cheeks. “You’re wrong. Dad s urvived a lot of things but he’s not here. So he could not survive everything,” she says and refers to the fact that our father is dead.
“He lived a long time. He had fifty birthdays. That’s a lot considering all the medicines that kept people alive two hundred years ago don’t exist anymore,” I try to explain. But June is only eight. Her understanding of life is limited. I do not fault her for that. “Please June, just trust me, okay? Do you trust me?”
A small sob racks her body and she nods. “Yes I do,” she manages.
“Good,” I say. I draw her against my chest and hug her. I hold her tightly for several moments then gradually release her. “Now let’s go see how Oliver and Riley are taking the news,” I smile weakly and say.
I take June’s hand and lead her toward the log Will sits atop. An expression of confirmation flashes across Will’s face.
“So we’re all set here?” I ask.
“I think it’s cool,” Oliver says. “It’s a really great idea,
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