Zach felt caged by the sheer darkness of the path and the woods. The students surrounding him were giddy with laughter and excitement, but he felt none of that. Mrs. Lomeier’s flashlight was carving through the blackness at the front of the group, while Mr. Loeb’s light shined from the rear. Though Zach couldn’t see his face, Logan was safely by his side.
Every footstep in leaves, every chirping bird, every time another student jumped out from behind a tree, Zach’s heart skipped. It was unfamiliar territory for him. He wasn’t afraid of anything, at least not until now. Something was going to happen on this hike. He was sure of it.
Every once in a while Logan would nudge Zach’s arm and ask, “You all right?”
Zach would lie and say, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
They walked for a while over small, rolling hills, climbing over the occasional log blocking the path.
Zach was relieved when they reached the end of the hike.
None of the teachers had disclosed the “secret destination” of the hike. It was a surprise. At the end of the path there was a dim light. For the first time, Zach and the other students could see the ground they were walking on. The path led directly to a pile of boulders. To reach the “secret destination” the students would have to climb the giant rocks. Zach was thrilled to be out of the blackness, so he ran to the front of the line and climbed the stone wall first.
Logan followed closely behind.
When they reached the summit, the source of the dim light became clear. It was like nothing Zach had ever seen. Although it was nearly 9:00 at night, the vast sky provided a respite from the constant darkness. Bright, sparkling stars smothered the atmosphere.
“I’ve never seen so many stars in my life,” Logan said, gazing at the sky, his mouth wide open.
Zach was silent, taking in the spectacle.
They were standing on a giant rock formation. It had a fairly smooth surface, and was set at a slight incline-perfect for lying down and staring up at the night sky.
“Everyone look out to the horizon,” called Mrs. Lomeier. “Do you see that big, dark area of nothingness?”
A few students nodded, while the others scanned the area Mrs. Lomeier had indicated.
“It’s actually not ‘nothing.’ That’s Lake Superior. It’s about five miles from here and it looks just like a black hole in the dark, doesn’t it?”
After a few minutes of “oohing” and “ahhing” the students followed the teachers’ leads as they lay down to soak in the stars’ glow.
Mrs. Lomeier whispered to any student who’d listen. She pointed out every constellation she could find. Otherwise, the group was quiet.
Zach lay next to Logan. Jenny and Tanya had caught up to them and were lying on Logan’s right side. Zach stared at the stars intently, thinking about his brother. Was he up there among the stars? Would Zach be joining him someday? It was this thought that brought him back to his immediate reality. Maybe the hauntings he had experienced were a clue to answering this question. Maybe he would be joining Chris sooner than he expected and sooner than he wanted.
Zach suddenly jumped to his feet. He had let his guard down. Whatever was out there haunting him had had a chance to do whatever it wanted. He wouldn’t let that happen again.
Logan stood up with him. “What’s wrong? Did you see something again?” he asked.
“No. But something could happen at any time.”
“What’s going on?” Jenny asked. She and Tanya had followed Logan’s lead and stood together.
“Nothing,” Zach replied quickly, not allowing Logan to elaborate in any way. “I just got tired of lying there.” The momentary peace Zach experienced under the serenity of the stars was gone. He walked down the slope of the rock. The glow of the stars was not as bright here. Dark shadows surrounded him.
The other students had begun to rise and chatter behind him.
At the bottom of the giant stone surface was blackness. Zach inched closer to what he presumed was a steep drop off. The farther he moved down the slope, the darker it got. The line between the rock he was standing on and the forest below was no longer clearly defined. He dug his feet into the hardness of the stone to keep his balance. Then he carefully peered over the edge. The land fell away from the rock into a black abyss. Zach snapped his head back to maintain his hold on the rock. Once he stabilized himself, he looked to the stars.
Zach overheard Mrs. Lomeier telling some students about the constellation Perseus. He’d read the story of the ancient Greek hero in English class. He scanned the sky. The outline of the legendary figure became clear, defined. Holding the head of Medusa, Perseus showed his strength and confidence. His power seemed to radiate throughout the dark atmosphere.
Zach gazed at the powerful figure, sensing his courage. He leaned back and sat on the rock, still staring at the image of Perseus. He braced himself by planting his hands on the stone behind him.
The longer he stared, the brighter Perseus became. The brilliance of the constellation seemed to energize Zach.
He stood again and clamped his hands together. His grip was strong and firm. Perseus was there for him. Telling him something.
Zach closed his eyes. He imagined Perseus speaking to him. “You are strong,” he would say. “You are a warrior.”
Zach opened his eyes and looked up at the hero. Then he spun around to find his classmates mingling with each other. He took in a deep breath and turned to face Perseus one last time. The bright outline was even easier to see now.
Zach thought about the pickup truck. He pondered the odor and strange images he had seen in the woods. He thought about Miranda’s story. And he thought about Victor Leppla.
Before joining his friends, he took in one more deep breath. Then, slowly and confidently, he looked up at Perseus … and nodded.
As Zach made his way back through the woods with Logan by his side, his senses somehow seemed keener, more defined.
Halfway up the trail, Mitch and Adam jumped out from behind a tree and yelled, “Hey!” Logan almost jumped out of his skin in fright, but Zach barely flinched. He gave only a slight smile, appreciating the prank. The noises, the smells, and the visions no longer frightened him as they had on the first leg of the hike. Now he was intensely aware, ready for whatever was to happen.
He followed the glow of Mrs. Lomeier’s flashlight, carefully stepping over logs and stones when necessary. He imagined himself as Perseus, carrying the head of Medusa, bravely flaunting his trophy.
The trees at the trail end opened in welcoming fashion. Lights in the buildings of Pine Ridge guided Zach and the others back to the campfire pit. He sat on one of the benches, watching Logan and Jenny flirt. Nothing happened, he thought. Victor never showed up. What’s he waiting for?
Adam and Mitch were running around tackling each other.
The last of the group wandered up to the campfire pit, Mr. Loeb’s light bringing up the rear.
“Okay, kids. Let’s take a quick attendance to make sure we didn’t lose anyone out there, and then we can head off to bed,” said Mrs. Lomeier. She began listing off students’ names according to cabin assignments. “Zach Sutton?” she called.
“Here,” Zach said calmly.
“Logan Goldsmith?”
“Here.”
“Michael Tynes?” No answer. Mrs. Lomeier scanned the crowd. “Michael Tynes!” she repeated more loudly. Still no answer. She gave a look to the other teachers that seemed to say, “Look for him.”
As Mr. Foster, Mr. Loeb and the others browsed through the crowd looking for Michael, Mrs. Lomeier continued. “Tristan Phillips?” No answer. “Tristan Phillips!” Again, no answer. A murmur resonated through the crowd.
“Mr. Foster,” Zach called.
“Yes, Zach?” Mr. Foster was searching, his eyes showing concern.
“Where are Michael and Tristan?”
“Don’t worry, Zach. I’m sure they’re around here somewhere.”
Logan left Jenny and found Zach. “Where are they?” Logan asked.
“I don’t know,” Zach said.
“Maybe they’re just looking for rocks or animals again.”
“It’s pitch dark out here.”
Logan didn’t reply.
Zach began scouring the crowd.
The other students weren’t overly concerned. “I bet they’re hiding somewhere,” Tanya said.
Mrs. Pliska was circling the nearby woods, carrying Mrs. Lomeier’s flashlight. “Any sign of them, Mrs. Pliska?” Zach asked.
“Afraid not. But they’re around here somewhere. Why don’t you just head back with your friends, okay?”
Zach found his way back to Logan, who was talking with Jenny. “I think they’re gone,” he said matter of factly.
“I bet they’ll turn up,” Jenny said.
Logan didn’t respond.
“Okay, everyone. Listen up!” Mrs. Lomeier yelled. “All of you are going to head back to your cabins now. I know some of you are concerned about Michael and Tristan, but we’ll handle it. They’ve got to be around here somewhere. When we find them we’ll let you know.”
Zach and Logan were back in their room, two bunk beds emptier. “Something happened,” said Zach. “There is no way this is a coincidence.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. All these things I’ve been seeing. Michael and Tristan disappearing. They’re related.”
“You don’t know that for sure. Michael and Tristan were missing this morning too and they made it back fine.”
Zach reached into his pocket and pulled out the stone.
“What’s that?” asked Logan.
Before Zach had a chance to answer, Mr. Foster poked his head into the room. “Hey guys. How are you doing?”
“Did you find ‘em?” Zach asked.
“I haven’t heard anything yet, but they’re still looking. Hang in there, okay guys? We’ll let you know when we figure this out.”
“Okay, thanks,” Logan said as Mr. Foster closed the door behind him.
“They aren’t going to find ‘em,” said Zach.
“You don’t know that. Come on. Let’s go to sleep and I bet when we wake up, Michael and Tristan will be sleeping in their beds.”
Zach clutched the stone in his hand, climbed up to his bed, and laid his head on his pillow. He did not close his eyes. Instead, he grabbed the edge of his sleeping bag and covered his nose with it.
The stench had returned. Gasoline and burnt rubber. This was all too familiar.
He released the sleeping bag and took Chris’s stone in both of his hands. He gripped it as hard as he could, feeling the imprint of the gritty surface on his palms.
Logan was quiet below. He could always fall asleep quickly.
As the odor penetrated, Zach sat up in his bed. He felt strength in his hands, in his heart. The strength of Perseus. The strength of Chris.
He jammed the stone back into his pocket and quietly climbed down to the floor. He put on his shoes. He put on his jacket and warm hat, while Logan snored softly. The empty bunk beds across the room silently asked for help. The teachers didn’t know what they were dealing with. They would never find Michael and Tristan.
Zach opened the door to peek into the hall. Silent. No one around. He opened the door fully and tiptoed out of the room. He crept through the lobby, opened the door, and snuck out into the crisp night air.
The campus was dark and eerily silent. Lights shone through the windows of the administrative building. It was across the gravel path, but Zach could see Mrs. Lomeier and Mr. Loeb standing in the window. Mrs. Lomeier was on the phone, pacing.
Pine Ridge was vast. He wasn’t sure where he was going or where he should look, but Michael and Tristan were somewhere out there. And Zach was the only one who could find them.