Fontaine. I'm just
hiking around. Not on private property, am I?”
“No,” Les said. “It's just kind of
cold and wet to be hiking. Most people wait for summer.”
“You're out here,” the man said,
as if proving a point. “What is it that three boys like you might
be doing hiding under a tarp in the middle of a wet
forest?”
They shuffled, halfway glancing at
each other as they mumbled, “Nothing.” The light danced along the
ground in guilty circles.
Damien Fontaine folded his arms,
eyeing them with adult doubt. He sniffed, as if testing the air,
and took a step toward the tarp. “You hiding something under
there?”
“No, sir, just…” Les stopped,
raising the light again, but not in the man's eyes. “It's
nothin'.”
Dark danger seemed to flow from
the man. “How old are you boys? Fourteen or so? You're not hiding
any weed under there, are you?”
The boys glanced at each other,
startled. “No!” Les said. “It's just a magazine, mister. It belongs
to my dad. I gotta bring it back.” His voice was
desperate.
“That so? Let's have a
look.”
The man’s voice held no hint of
threat, but Les felt it wise to not push things. He nodded to Pete,
who turned to the tarp, flipping it up until the magazine appeared,
still open to Miss March. Pete walked a few steps closer to the man
and stopped, holding the magazine out.
The man took it, tilting it into
the light. His face revealed nothing as he flipped a few pages, but
after a minute, he nodded, holding the magazine out to them.
“Pretty girl,” he said. “You fellas have good taste.”
Pete took the magazine, his grin
answering the camaraderie in the man's voice. Les and Jason grinned
too, co-conspirators with all men in the world.
Their new friend changed the
subject. “Does running into you mean I'm near a town? I got a
little turned around with all the cloud cover and a cheap compass.
I'll need to restock my provisions soon.”
Pete nodded. “Green Roads is a
couple miles that way,” he said, pointing behind them. “There's a
trail just around the hill. You just stay on it and you'll be in
town.”
“Good to know. I'm all right for
now, but I'll stop by before hiking out. Lovely country you got
here. Is Green Roads a very big town?”
Les and Jason snickered. Pete
rolled his eyes. “Nah. It's a turd on the ass-end of nowhere. But
you'll find plenty of supplies.”
Damien laughed. “That bad, huh?
How many people? Ten, twenty thousand? Five? One gas station or
two?”
“Two,” Pete admitted. “About five
thousand people, if you count all the outliers.”
“Couple of good restaurants,” Les
said. “And the pub has rooms if you decide to sleep in a
bed.”
“ Good to know. Just the one pub?
Got a downtown? What's the layout of the place?”
The boys exchanged glances. Les
shrugged. “Not really a downtown. There's a few pubs, but only
Eddie's has rooms. Just one main street with a couple stores,
churches, the gas stations, and restaurants. Rest of the town is
people's houses mostly. And the schools.”
“Library, too,” Pete offered.
“Next to the sheriff's and the city council offices.”
“And Doc Cassidy, down below Main
Street,” Jason said, jabbing Les with his elbow. They all
snickered.
Damien lifted a brow. “What about
Doc Cassidy?”
The answering shrugs came with
more snickers and a trace of embarrassment from the boys. “She's
hot,” Pete said.
Les pumped a hand. “Can't wait for
school checkups.” His swagger slipped as a nervous giggle escaped
him.
Damien laughed. “Maybe I should
sprain my ankle when I get to town.” The boys laughed with him,
agreeing it would be worth his time.
Les glanced at his watch.
“Speaking of time, dinner'll be ready soon.”
“Yeah, gotta get home,” Pete
said.
“ Thanks boys. Don't stay out too
late. Your parents will worry.”
They acknowledged this, at ease
with the stranger now, and turned to gather up their
tarp.
Chapter 7
Tina sipped
hiking around. Not on private property, am I?”
“No,” Les said. “It's just kind of
cold and wet to be hiking. Most people wait for summer.”
“You're out here,” the man said,
as if proving a point. “What is it that three boys like you might
be doing hiding under a tarp in the middle of a wet
forest?”
They shuffled, halfway glancing at
each other as they mumbled, “Nothing.” The light danced along the
ground in guilty circles.
Damien Fontaine folded his arms,
eyeing them with adult doubt. He sniffed, as if testing the air,
and took a step toward the tarp. “You hiding something under
there?”
“No, sir, just…” Les stopped,
raising the light again, but not in the man's eyes. “It's
nothin'.”
Dark danger seemed to flow from
the man. “How old are you boys? Fourteen or so? You're not hiding
any weed under there, are you?”
The boys glanced at each other,
startled. “No!” Les said. “It's just a magazine, mister. It belongs
to my dad. I gotta bring it back.” His voice was
desperate.
“That so? Let's have a
look.”
The man’s voice held no hint of
threat, but Les felt it wise to not push things. He nodded to Pete,
who turned to the tarp, flipping it up until the magazine appeared,
still open to Miss March. Pete walked a few steps closer to the man
and stopped, holding the magazine out.
The man took it, tilting it into
the light. His face revealed nothing as he flipped a few pages, but
after a minute, he nodded, holding the magazine out to them.
“Pretty girl,” he said. “You fellas have good taste.”
Pete took the magazine, his grin
answering the camaraderie in the man's voice. Les and Jason grinned
too, co-conspirators with all men in the world.
Their new friend changed the
subject. “Does running into you mean I'm near a town? I got a
little turned around with all the cloud cover and a cheap compass.
I'll need to restock my provisions soon.”
Pete nodded. “Green Roads is a
couple miles that way,” he said, pointing behind them. “There's a
trail just around the hill. You just stay on it and you'll be in
town.”
“Good to know. I'm all right for
now, but I'll stop by before hiking out. Lovely country you got
here. Is Green Roads a very big town?”
Les and Jason snickered. Pete
rolled his eyes. “Nah. It's a turd on the ass-end of nowhere. But
you'll find plenty of supplies.”
Damien laughed. “That bad, huh?
How many people? Ten, twenty thousand? Five? One gas station or
two?”
“Two,” Pete admitted. “About five
thousand people, if you count all the outliers.”
“Couple of good restaurants,” Les
said. “And the pub has rooms if you decide to sleep in a
bed.”
“ Good to know. Just the one pub?
Got a downtown? What's the layout of the place?”
The boys exchanged glances. Les
shrugged. “Not really a downtown. There's a few pubs, but only
Eddie's has rooms. Just one main street with a couple stores,
churches, the gas stations, and restaurants. Rest of the town is
people's houses mostly. And the schools.”
“Library, too,” Pete offered.
“Next to the sheriff's and the city council offices.”
“And Doc Cassidy, down below Main
Street,” Jason said, jabbing Les with his elbow. They all
snickered.
Damien lifted a brow. “What about
Doc Cassidy?”
The answering shrugs came with
more snickers and a trace of embarrassment from the boys. “She's
hot,” Pete said.
Les pumped a hand. “Can't wait for
school checkups.” His swagger slipped as a nervous giggle escaped
him.
Damien laughed. “Maybe I should
sprain my ankle when I get to town.” The boys laughed with him,
agreeing it would be worth his time.
Les glanced at his watch.
“Speaking of time, dinner'll be ready soon.”
“Yeah, gotta get home,” Pete
said.
“ Thanks boys. Don't stay out too
late. Your parents will worry.”
They acknowledged this, at ease
with the stranger now, and turned to gather up their
tarp.
Chapter 7
Tina sipped
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