Just Beginning

“Fae, you’ve got to see this.” Said Ricky, his voice raw with excitement. He turned and gestured to the girl behind him, bending down as if to offer her a hand up onto the precarious cliff where he stood.

“I can manage by myself, Ricky.” Said Fae hotly, “See…” she added as she pilled herself onto the rocky foot hold, “Easy as cake.”

“Fine then. Next time we’re running from haunters I’ll not help you climb out o’ the cave, seeing as you’re such a good climber an’ all.”

“You only had to help me up ‘cause Ms. Smeyres forced me to where the dress with the big poofy skirt. You’d have trouble climbing in it too, I bet you.”

“I bet I wouldn’t, you girls just wear those big dresses so you don’t have ta’ do anythin’ for yourselves.”

“Alrigh’…you said it, you said that you’d bet. That means you have to wear the dress and we’ll just go on down to the cave and see if you can get away from the haunters all by yourself while wearing it. And…” she added, “I won’t help you out if you can’t…fact, I’ll just let them haunters get you.”

Ricky’s cheeks were pink…he certainly hadn’t meant that he would wear the dress. It had ribbons on it for goodness sake. He’d have to hope none of the other boys would see him.

“Unless you’re too scared of them haunters…in that case I guess you’ll just have to forfeit.” She said, her voice daring him to back out.

Ricky shook his head, “Fine, but if I win and get away from them haunters than I want you’re book.” He meant her father’s book, the on that she’d had since he’d left her mother and put the book in her care.

“You can have it, I never want ta’ read it anyways. If you don’t get away from ‘em haunters, though, I get your ring.”

He look alarmed and shook his head, “Na-uh, you can’t have it. It’s my grandpa’s ring, he gave it to me special ‘cause I’m his only grandson.”

“But if the haunters get you then you won’t need it anyway. I don’t see why you’d need it in a coffin.”

“A coffin? But the haunters don’t kill you.”

“Ya-huh…they kill you I saw the skeletons.”

“Those were animal bones, Fae. The haunters just make you go crazy.”

“Well, then, if you’re crazy you won’t need the ring then either.”

Ricky hesitated, “Fine, but I do hope you won’t be asking for your book back after I’ve won.”

And they set off down the cliff, the distant flashes of light on the horizon—what Ricky had wanted to show Fae—momentarily forgotten.