Beach Day

7: Dead Trees (And Violinists)

Tiff drums her hands on the wheel and gives the bag on the passenger's seat a sideways glance.

The pressure of keeping a secret has never been this bad. In Lake Wonder, people seem to get it. They might not believe her about teleporting Bigfoot— but that's the point. She can dial herself up to fifteen and let the words rip, and people will just accept that she's that weird teenager who works at the Book Nook, hangs out at the gas station and in the woods, and goes missing sometimes. Tiff Sheridan, the former salutatorian, who believes rats are dogs and Bill Gates is constantly tampering with the water supply.

She can't fall back on that here. Fort Reverence is a different ball game altogether. Saying you think Bigfoot has a peg leg anywhere else will get you a sideways glance. Saying Skunk Apes saved your life here is a recipe for disaster that gets you semi-disowned.

This is socially dangerous. She shouldn't be doing this. It's her job, though. More than that, it's her passion. Her parents aren't here and she got permission from Aunt Esther— even though she doesn't need it because she's a legal adult and can make her own decisions about whether or not she's going to put herself in a hole in the woods.

There's a joke she could make there. Something about dying. She doesn't think of it quick enough to laugh about it.

She considers the worst-case scenario. It's not dying. Rather, it's the social implications of a girl who isn't supposed to be in town hanging out in the woods. The solution is simple: if someone catches her out here (some old neighbor, some old peer), then she'll play the part of the prodigal daughter.

It's time to bite the bullet. She grabs the bag from the passenger's seat, shoves the keys to Aunt Esther's car into her pocket, and swings herself out of the car. She snaps her fingers to get Kepler's attention.

He pulls his nose out of a small pile of wrappers Aunt Esther didn't bring into the motel— on purpose. Tiff left as soon as the remaining bags and tubs were unpacked and inside, and, as promised, as decided to do this safely. She doesn't have a weapon, so she'll have to see how well she keeps that promise. Maybe she won't need one.

Kepler bounds out after her, scrambling over the middle console to the open door.

She smiles down at him. "You ready?"

He nods, eyes narrowed and knowing.

"Great, because I'm going to climb down into a hole and I'm going to need your help. The issue is going to be getting back to the right place. I only found it the first time because— Well, you know. I was following someone. So the plan is that we'll start at the bridge and try to find our way from there. God— I keep forgetting that you can't track like Denny or Drake. Dammit. I was going to have you smell the journal and see if that helped, but it won't."

He gives her a look she knows well.

"I'm not saying you're worse than them. Don't put words in my mouth."

Another look.

"Kepler, come on! You know I love you more than anything! And I'm glad your skillset is different from theirs! I would never trust either of them to do more than hand me tools in Dr. Deseret's lab! And— yeah, okay, I know the journal would probably mostly smell like me and lake water right now, given that I didn't change after the lake, I know. It's fine. I'm not the one who smells like wet fur."

Kepler shakes his head and grabs at the bottom of her bag.

"Dude, we just ate! I'll give you a treat later, after we climb into the hole and find what it was I saw!"