《Hide Your Teeth》 01 Brother Mine (1) The pail fell from her hands the moment she heard the gossip from the other girl. Ria clutched a hand to her chest, reeling from the strange looks she received as she asked the question. Bellamy must have been mistaken, there could be no way... "Bellamy, what did you just say?" Bellamy smirked to her friend, a ruddy freckled girl with wild dark hair that fell over her shoulders in gorgeous waves. "I said your brother''s nowhere to be found, the miller he''s apprenticed to hasn''t seen him since he left off this morning on an errand." Ria shook her head, narrowing her eyes as she tried to process the words, Bellamy smirked tossing rich auburn curls over her shoulders in a show of superiority over the other girl. "This one''s the slower of the Smith family I''m sure." the girl said walking away. Ria grabbed her wooden pail, quickly drawing her water from the well so she could hurry home in time to question their mother. What did Bellamy mean Ansel had not been seen? It couldn''t be like the other children could it? Ria gathered her skirts and ran with the water sloshing as she did, back to her father''s house. She burst through the door calling for her mother like a wounded hound. the force of her push nearly took the door off its rusty hinges, her mother rushed down the stairs to see only a young girl and half a pail full of water. Mrs. Smith took a single look at her daughter, face flushed with sweat from the exertion of running through the town in fright. the hems of her skirts were stained brown with mud from a sty where she had cut through to reach the home faster. "Lunaria! You''ve gone and dirtied your skirts-" "People in the town are saying they cannot find Ansel!" Ria said first. The woman rolled her eyes and clasped her hands down on her daughter''s shoulders to calm her. "Ansel is of the men, forget that he''s your brother now Ria, boys will be boys after all. He probably just went off to play in the woods with the other children." "But Mam those woods are cursed! Think of the missing children." Ria said in panic. the older woman pulled the cap off her child''s head with a heavy sigh. "What happened to those children was horrible but there is nothing in those woods, your father goes there day in and day out and he returns still to us. If your brother went in there then surely he would do the same" Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "But Mam!" "Enough Lunaria! When he''s back you will see. Now go wash up, before you track mud all over my good floors." the girl nodded, she walked off with her head bowed in submission to her mother who seemed pleased with the stern way she handled the matter, it wouldn''t do for a child to get all sorts of ideas now, especially when she could get so hysterical. Ria sat by the shallow fish pond behind her house washing her skirts against a rock, she scrubbed and scrubbed paying no mind to the redness of her hands. The girl grunted with effort, scrubbing, and scrubbing until a nasty rip was torn through the hem. "No!" she yelled, holding up the now damaged garment, if she took this to her mother now there would be hell to pay. Coin had been scarce and the town was not doing well, where would they get money for thread to fix the rip in the linen? Ria shook her head again, and with a growl of frustration threw the cloth into the dewy grass just beside the pond. She buried her face into her knees, willing herself not to sob at the frustration of it all. Why couldn''t her own mother take her seriously? it was almost as if the woman had it out for her. "Don''t let your mother catch you doing that." A familiar voice said from behind her. Ria raised her head to find her who father stood near the pond hefting the large game of fresh deer over his shoulders. His tall broad figure stood with the deer hanging off his shoulder like it weighed less than a feather. His long barreled rifle stayed in his hand, the instrument that ensured his victory against nature. Her father smiled deeply at her, always happy to see her and she in turn smiled in relief at his presence. Ria didn''t want to face her mother alone and she much preferred and was attuned to the presence and company of her father. She stood from the mouth of the pond, getting up to run into his arms. He stopped her with a shake of his head, the deer on his shoulder swayed with the movements of his body. "Oh my darling you mustn''t come close, you''ll be soaked in blood and then your mother will have both our heads." the man chuckled. "Can I help you skin it?" Ria asked already taking the rifle from his hands so he would have a better time lifting the deer on his shoulder. The buck''s head lolled to the side, tongue hanging out of a bloodied mouth. Ria caught her reflection in the eyes of the poor animal, she looked away. "Not typically women''s work but I can indulge, don''t let your mother see you." he said, he strode into the house through the back door moving to his lower room where the preserves and the meats were dried. A cool wind blew across their faces as they descended the steps down to the lower levels of the house. The afternoon sun shined through the small cell like window at the top of the small room in the family cellar. All around Ria was surrounded by the smell of dried meats and jams in preserves, she ran to the fore, clearing the stone table her father would need to skin the meat. Ria ran her hand over the carved table, the worn, stained gray stone was cool to the touch, no doubt it had seen many animals her father hunted. She moved aside salt bags and jars, making space for the deer''s carcass to rest. "Thank you my darling." He said, with a grunt her father hefted the deer onto the large circular, stone table, its eyes ever watching. "Father, have you seen Ansel?" Ria asked looking away from the deer. She hoped her father had passed him playing in the woods if he did decide not to go to his apprenticeship today. "I did not, he was supposed to be at the miller today, lord knows that boy could not be any more useless." her father said, his tone growing angry. It was true that Ansel didn''t have the head for work, but if he was to earn his keep he would need to and Ria would also have to... The girl brought out a large carving knife, in the minimal light of the small room its steel shined with the polish of careful keeping. Her father grabbed a whetstone, sharpening and sharpening the gutting instrument. The deer''s skin came off first with the incision on the belly, Ria helped her father strip the skin clean off exposing the raw sinew and the veiny meat of the dead animal. She doesn''t flinch at the realities, the circle of life must continue, we give and we take. Once she was done with her existence, nature would claim her as food for the deer. That''s what her father had always told her. 02 Brother Mine (02) "Ria!" her mam called from upstairs, the girl, covered in the stains of blood and viscera could only hold a hand to her mouth as her father put a finger to his lips telling her to be quiet lest the woman find her here covered in strange things. The door above them opened and a flurry of footsteps descended into the drying room. Ria hid behind a sack of potatoes they bargained for and old wine aged just enough to be delicious but not enough to be valuable, "It is evening now, I''ve called for Ansel but he has not come." the woman''s voice said in a panicked tone. Ria''s eyes widened from where she hid listening to her mother and father. She knew it, had known that the boy was nowhere in the town, and now from her mother''s own mouth she knew him to be missing. Her heart beat loudly in her ears, her mind raced thinking of when this could have happened Why oh why did they not listen to her? He was missing. The forest had possibly taken him and now, he was beyond their reach. Ria heard her father speaking and stopped her panic to listen to him. "He is probably off with his friends, Freddy Baker, Solomon Carpenter, and the like. It''s usual for a boy to play long games until the early twilight, to miss their dinners. Rest my dear I will go out and find him." Mr. Smith said. "Lukas, if you are out there please search for Ria too. I worry about that girl, there''s a strangeness about her." she said. "Clara, there is no strangeness about our daughter, she is a healthy happy child. The towns folk speak nonsense about her, let her home be refuge from that. The last thing she needs to hear is their words from her own mother." Lukas said. The woman recoiled at the reproach, not expecting it to come from her own husband. "I should have listened to her when she said we needed to find Ansel. I brushed her off and went on about her skirts, heaven forgive me." "If God punished small mistakes hell would be overflowing. Now come, we mustn''t dally. I will bring Ansel home." Lukas said. Clara nodded, and Ria listened for her footsteps going up the steps before she allowed herself to come out of her hiding spot. "Father, do you really think Ansel could be playing in the woods?" Ria asked. "Your brother has always had that wanderlust my darling, mayhaps he just wandered too far from home today. I shall find him and bring him back." Lukas said resting a hand on his daughter''s shoulder. Ria nodded, counting on her father to bring back his son and punish him if need be for giving them such a fright. "I will go and wash up before mam comes to see me like this." Ria said. "You best do that, I could use a swim in the lake meself." Lukas laughed. It was not long before Lukas returned empty handed, he could not find his son. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Her heart sank so deeply that Ria felt it in her stomach, now what was she going to do? The children who disappeared into the woods never came back, there were never even any bodies after what happened. Ansel would become like those children unless she could do something about it. Ria''s hands held her chest tightly as she thought about all the places her brother could be. If someone hurt him, she was prepared to do whatever it would take to hunt them down. But she knew it was the forest. And you cannot fight the woods. The town of Lovella Falls bordered a thick old forest whose trees dwarfed the settlement and all the buildings within it. The forest was old, older than anything the town elders had ever seen and even the first settlers could not tame the woods with a mind of its own. Some said they could hear whispers coming from amongst the trees. This was no ordinary wood, and at certain times of the day, the forest would come alive to speak about the lives of the townspeople. All stories, the adult thought, at first that is. It was three years ago when the first child went missing, a girl no older than Ansel was now. Long blonde hair and a toothy smile. They found neither hide nor hair of the poor thing. She had disappeared at the edge of the woods. The town drunk had seen her. "Hands the size of a giant! I seen it with me own eyes." he said with a crazed look in his bloodshot eyes. No one paid him any mind and the situation was dismissed as just an unfortunate accident with a young girl that got too close. A few weeks later, another child went missing. And so it went that every so often, children would go out and never return. That the forest had taken them, spirited them away to the land of the strange where only the ghosts of the settlement''s past could follow. Her parents didn''t believe and now Ria sat in shock listening to the faded sounds of her mother''s sobs. The woman sat in the small chamber of their equally small home holding on to Ansel''s shirt. "My baby, my baby!" she sobbed hysterically, her hoarse voice called out for him, strained from the yelling and screaming she had done hours prior. Ria''s father had not returned from the search. Outside the sky darkened with evening clouds circling over head. Through the window the sinking sun seemed to light a path into the forest telling her to go in. Ria faced her hands, looking down at the small fingers fixing her torn skirt. A dew drop of blood budded where she had pricked her finger with the sharp needle point. In the background her mother''s sobs lessened to dull sniffles, the woman hugged her son''s shirt rocking back and forth in deep sadness. Ria said nothing, wiping her finger tips with gentleness. Why would the forest take Ansel? He was a good child, a sweet boy who would never hurt anyone. The heavy feeling in her chest turned to a dull ache and very soon a sharp pain in her throat forced itself out as a cry. Ria felt her own tears fall, try as she might to contain them so she could be strong for her mother. Her poor Ansel, where was Ansel? The rusty door creaked open, revealing her father once more, a lit torch in his hands and a shake of his head let them know he had no luck finding her brotherl. Ria''s head fell into her hands, she pleaded with all that was good in the world that her brother would return to her, but the one above would not answer her prayers. She needed something earthly, something tangible. *** Her mother''s cries rocked the house as they tried to sleep. She could only imagine what her father was going through sleeping beside his distraught wife. The girl laid on her own bed, gazing out the window at the moon and stars to avoid looking at her brother''s empty bed, eventually her eyes fell upon the bare space with a heavy heart. Ria stared at her brother''s empty bed, the covers askew from the last time he refused to make his bed. She was going to do it for him, but she had to go to the market that morning. Now Ria was glad she hadn''t scrubbed away the last remnants of him from their room. Ria turned to face the other side once again taking her eyes off the bed. 03 Searching The next morning Ria calls for her brother to get up only to realize he had not slept in his room the previous night. She pulled on her shoes and hurried into a fresh frock and pinafore, Her chores would be waiting for her and it was her duty to now carry out her brother''s in his stead until he returned. ''That''s right, he will return. I must not give up on Ansel.'' she thought as she tied the strings of the pinafore around her waist. Ria went down the steps to see her mother polishing a piece of silverware, staring absentmindedly into the wall in front of her. "Mam, I''ll be going to the town now." Ria said. The woman said nothing, not even a grunt of acknowledgment to her daughter. She had always liked Ansel best after all. Ria sighed, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. The walk to the town would be long and silent, as she stayed within her thoughts. All through the day Ria could feel the pitying stares she received as she walked down the path with her basket to buy the salt and flour her mother would need to make bread. The shopkeeper greeted her with a solemnity in his voice Ria didn''t want to hear. "Lost children always find their way home." he said with a hint of a smile but Ria could see through his paper thin visage of an apology. He didn''t care but, he was obligated to show some concern for her well being. "Yes, Mr. Benedict, I''m sure he''ll turn up sometime soon." Ria said not looking up from the things she had placed on the counter. She already knew the precise expression on his face, one of dismissal, of pity. After all none of the lost children had ever returned so what hope did her brother have? But Ria would prove him wrong, Ria would find Ansel and they would show the town that the forest had no power over them. The second day passed, and Ria sat at the dining table tapping her feet and chewing her nails to stubs. He was supposed to be back by now, why wasn''t he back? Her thumbnail ripped from the middle, she hissed in pain and began pulling on it. It worked as a distraction at least. Where was Ansel? She was supposed to keep him safe, that''s what her mother said all those years ago. Ansel was just a baby so keep him safe. ''I failed.'' Ria thought the nail continued to rip until a drop of blood dripped down the side of her finger. She cried. The third day passed and less and less people were joining the search for her brother. Too many were scared to go so close to the border of the woods, too many scared they would be next. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Ria watched the so called brave men retreat like dogs with their tails tucked between their legs. Offering sheepish apologies as they ran scared of a figment of their own imagination. ''Cowards.'' she spat in her mind, no glare came to her pleasant face as the men looked her dead in the eyes while leaving. She pulled her cloak around herself, a deep red cloth with a hood she could pull over her head. The stark scarlet let her be spotted against the backdrop of the forest. Her mother said it highlighted her strangeness, but her father, who had gotten it for her said it suited her. Red, the color of life. Her eyes fell on her father, one of the only men left. The constable, Doctor Alfred, her Father, and Mayor Manfred stood with their backs to her. Manfred was a tall balding old man, whose hair left his head and went straight to his mustache and beard. His watery blue eyes stared deep into her father''s as he gave his condolences, this wasn''t the first search he had joined since the children started going missing and it certainly wouldn''t be the last. "We''ll search west of the border now, why don''t you run along to your mother little lady." Manfred said to her patronizingly. Ria gives a single nod, looking to her father for further instruction. "Take care of your mother Ria, this is very hard on her." ''It''s hard on me too, he was my responsibility.'' she thought but didn''t say, she only clasped her hands to her chest and let the freezing fall winds blow through her hair. "I can only imagine what Clara must be going through and you too Lunaria." Manfred said. Ria blinked at the use of her full name, only her mother and father ever called her that. What right did Manfred have to use such informality with her? She nodded again, selectively mute in his presence. The walk back to the town was quiet once more, houses shut for the evening and families were lighting up their homes with warm dinners. In the twilight of the setting sun, she spots a figure hobbling from the town square into the forest. An old woman walked, hunched over as though she carried the weight of a thousand books pressing down her spine all at once. In one of her hands was a basket, the other grasped a walking stick helping hold her figure up. Both hands were stained black as night, like hands dipped in ink. The woman''s walking stick clacked across the cobblestone town floors as she made her way down the path to the woods. ''But no one ever goes to the woods and comes back.'' Ria said to herself. She followed. The old woman read her intentions before she could move her feet. Ria faced a pale shriveled hag with a prune for a face. A single eye with a milky iris fixed itself on her, the old woman''s swollen blood filled nose seemed to wink at her from its perch high on her face. "You''re a curious one aren''t you?" the hag''s surprisingly gentle voice said. Ria nodded slowly, frozen where she stood just away from the woman. The old hag laughed, continuing down her path, before leaving she said. "The forest is not yours to fear, it would not harm someone like us." ''What do you mean?'' Ria wanted to ask but like a morning mist, the old woman quickly disappeared from her sight. Ria blinked, she spun around trying to see where the old woman could have gone into the woods from, but nothing caught her eye. "A witch." Ria gasped, running back home, her mother warned her of witches. Women who would cast spells and steal your soul right from under your nose, witches who consorted with unholy things. A shiver ran up her back at the thought of the woman''s words. ''Someone like us.'' did that mean she was a witch too? or was the old woman just trying to scare her? The door opened and Ria took off her cloak to hang on one of the old door hooks her father carved for their worn house. Her mother was nowhere to be found. 04 Speculation "Mam." Ria called walking up the steps, the house was eerily quiet, not even the sound of a cricket''s chirp could be heard as she went up the steps. The sound of her shoes going up nearly frightens her but she pushes on. She heard something coming from her room and pressed her ear to the door to hear the sound of gentle breaths, opening the door as quietly as she could Ria found her mother in her brother''s bed snoring softly, one of his fur toys pressed to her face. Ria approached the bed and at the sight of her mother''s tear streaked face, wondered if the woman would shed even a single tear if the roles were reversed. Would that Ansel were still here and Ria gone? She tugged the blanket over her and crept out of the room, casting a glance at the woman she made up her mind. ''I have to find him.'' Ria thought. ''I must go to the forest.'' The afternoon was rife with the air of panic as Ria set her foot unto the path she had seen the old woman go down. Her feet carried her into a thicket not as dense as some of the woods on the other paths. Ria knew she would either come back or she would not but for some reason she trusted the words of the old woman. "The forest is not yours to fear, it would not harm someone like us." The words rang in her ear like a church bell the comparison reminded her how funny it was that the Pastor did not even join them in their search. Ria scoffed, her feet crunched twigs and bugs under her as she walked, it was almost a quarter of an hour before she caught the sight of smoke that let her know she was not alone in the forest. Her footsteps slowed, she inched closer hoping it was the old woman''s home. Ria wanted to find her brother most of all but the sight of the old hut called to her, beckoning her towards it with every small step she took. Ria could see the old woman again, a smile on her sagging face Ria didn''t know if she would read it as pleased or not. The blackened hands catch her attention first, what could have caused it? Did the fires of hell scald this witch so badly that it left a permanent impression on her mortal flesh? Ria stepped closer, the old woman nodded, setting out a stool for the both of them. "I know why you''re here." The old woman said. "Have you seen my brother?" Ria asked, not in the mood for games or cryptic messages. "He was not taken in these woods." The hag said, stirring a bubbling pot of something. Ria narrowed her eyes. "Everyone knows children disappear once they venture into the woods." Ria hissed in anger, did this woman think she was stupid? The old woman only chuckled. "Your temper, guard it girl." she said. "I speak nothing but the truth, your brother was not taken in these woods. There have been some but not others and not your brother." Ria gasped, the old woman confirmed what she had known but also what she had not.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "If not in the forest then where is he?" she asked. The old woman shook her head, still stirring the darkness in her pot. "For that, you would have to ask the spirits." "The spirits?" A cold fear struck Ria, without saying a word, she withdrew taking a few steps back then ran back the way she came. A chilling wind blew through the area, it ruffled her hair and the dark cloak of the old hag. Ria reasoned her words. Consorting with spirits, an unholy thing. She would be hung especially in such sensitive times. All it would take would be a single accusation and the people of the Lovella would be against her. She ran home just in time for her to see her father hang his rifle up on its hook. He saw her come through the door and crossed the room to place his hands on her shoulder in gentle cautioning. "Ria my darling, I don''t want you going out so much anymore." he said to her. Obviously worried, the forest might have taken one child but he would be a poor protector if he let it take two. "I know father, but I was just in the town. Was there a search party today too?" The man shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in deep thought. What could he say that would comfort her? The men had stopped searching, Ansel to them had become just another missing child. Already the people had moved on to other things. "The men have lost hope, they will be imposing a curfew soon." "It''s just like before. It won''t do much." Ria said. Her father touched her face gently and patted it fondly. He hugs her closely, trapping her in his broad arms. Ria could smell the salt of his sweat and the dried meats and oils he spent all day working with. "I just wish you to be careful." he said. He walked away from her then took off his hunting jacket, and proceeded to hang it on the hook with the other articles of clothing. "Father, how sure are we that Ansel disappeared in the forest?" Ria asked. The man faced her abruptly, a slack jawed look of shock on his face. "Lunaria Smith, you would accuse your neighbors of something so heinous as lying?" he said harshly. The girl bowed her head, not wanting to anger her father further. "It was just speculation." "Never let me catch you speculating something like that again." the man said. "Yes father." she said, a seething rage overcame her in that moment. How could they not be exploring other options? She after all had returned from the forest, if the place was so hunted then why was there someone living there? Why was Ria herself able to return to the house? Ansel should have been able to do the same. That night Ria listened to the pitiful sobs of her mother''s cries with an emptiness in her chest. The woman opted to return to her room and stay with Ria''s father but through the wooden walls, the house shook with the grief of a mother who had lost her favored child. Ria sat up on her bed, pulling her knees to her chest and staring out the window. The moon hung heavy in the sky, unobscured by the clouds it allowed Ria to see the outline of thick trees from where she sat on her bed. As she watched, she noticed the trees began moving, not in the way the leaves do in the Autumn when the breeze was a little bit too strong. The winds did not sway but rather they moved as though waving to one another in greeting. Ria gasped, quickly falling into her bed and pulling the covers over her face in fright. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her, it was quite late and she was tired. The day was long and she had been in the forest with a silly old woman who had given her ideas. The girl faced away from the widow and her bother''s bed, she squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to fall asleep. 05 Church Pews A week passed before things returned to relative normalcy around the Smith home, Clara still didn''t speak much anymore but she was able to offer Ria a strained smile or two as she mended the clothes. Ria smiled back awkwardly, knowing her mother would wish her to trade places with Ansel. Ria doesn''t tell anyone her plan to return to the forest to consort with the hag once more, she more than anyone else seemed to listen to her. On her way there she met a familiar face with beautiful russet curls and a fair face, the favorite of the village. Bellamy Miller. Ria wondered what it would be like for her to go missing too, if the cries of the village would be louder than all others cried for the other missing children, for her brother. The girl laughed with her friends cheerfully and walked through the village as if nothing had happened the past week. Ria dismissed the girl from her mind and set her sights on heading down the twisty forest path that would take her to the old woman''s hut. Ria looked left and right making sure no one saw her as she went in down the path. If anyone saw her, they would grow suspicious and she didn''t want to know what accusations they could come up with. The old woman is sitting outside her hut when Ria came upon her again. The old hag grinned showing a row of missing yellowed teeth. She cackled, loud and high pitched like the keening of a wild animal. Ria winced. "Came to ask some more about your brother did you?" the old woman said. "Are you a witch?" Ria asked. "Witch to some, wise woman to others." the hag replied. Ria sighed, exhaling deeply from her nostrils. "Do you know what happened to my brother?" She asked. The old hag shook her head, resting her hands on her lap she stared at the young girl before her with a crooked grin. "I don''t know where your brother is but the spirits within these forests see all." the old woman said. Ria glanced up at the trees suddenly aware of a presence she could not see. The same cold feeling she felt the day before raced up her back in warning but she persisted. "How do I consort with the spirits?" Ria asked. The old woman grinned again, showing her rows of gnarled crooked teeth. "Well dear, what are you willing to bargain with? What will you trade to them?" "What will I trade?" Ria asked in confusion. Before she could answer, the loud call of the church bell rang. The girl had forgotten it was Sunday and her mother and father would expect to see her at church. "I''ll be back." Ria said running off again into the village. On her way out a hand grabbed her by her red hood. She struggled against the hand, kicking. "What have we here? I know you miss your brother but venturing into the forest is very dangerous Miss Lunaria Smith." the voice of a woman said. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Ria wrenched her grip away from the woman''s hand to stare. It was the mayor''s wife, the short plump woman had a disapproving expression on her face as she looked down her nose at Ria. "Shouldn''t you be at church for the morning service girl?" The woman said. "That''s where I was heading Ma''am, I just thought I saw something in the bushes." she lied. The woman watched her go towards the village center where the chapel was. The preacher stood at the door welcoming everyone into the church for the mass. Ria passed by him wordlessly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Thinking it was the mayor''s wife again, Ria spun around to find the preacher smiling down at her. The man wore the most saccharine grin and clasped his hands together as if in prayer "Young Lunaria, we pray the Lord leads all lost sheep home." he said. Ria nodded. "Amen father, I pray he just got lost in those woods." Ria said playing along, she didn''t forget how the man never joined any of the previous search parties. The preacher nodded in approval, allowing Ria to go in and join her family. The dark haired girl walked through the pews of the gossiping congregation to find her father sitting by his lonesome. "Still?" Ria said as she took her seat beside him. Since the incident, her mother refused to leave the house. Something had changed with Clara and no amount of prodding or pleading would see her respond. The man held his face in his hands, Ria saw the shadow over his face as he sat with his head lowered waiting for the sermon to start. Her chest tightened, Lukas Smith was a proud man, a hunter who did not show weakness to those around him. For him to grieve so openly struck Ria deeply. She placed a hand around her father''s shoulders as he wept silently on the pews. In front of them and behind them, the townspeople pretended they could not hear his distress. It was better that way. Ria surmised. He would not be able to live it down if anyone acknowledged it. The preacher ascended the pulpit and began his righteous talk about the safety of the town and how they must persevere in such hard times. Ria scoffs under her breath not wanting to catch the attention of any of her seat neighbors. "And a special prayer for the Smith family, they have endured a loss no one could dare understand." the preacher said. The congregation said a loud amen, some voices louder than others. Ria noticed Bellamy''s cruel smirk in her direction. Ria wished upon the girl all manner of ill things. She glared, cursing the daughter of the Miller family in her mind. Ria left her seat once the mass was over, leaving her father who still sat at the pews crying to go and check on her mother who hadn''t joined them at mass since Ansel''s disappearance. Her father sought the preacher''s wisdom but Ria was more interested in actions than in any prayers he could offer. The house was near empty when Ria returned from the mass. The wooden door creaked open as she stepped through and rushed upstairs to look for her mother. Her parent''s bed was empty. Ria looked at the well made bed knowing that her mother had not slept in it since. The bed, she suspected, was made immediately after her father had left for the day that morning. Ria walked towards her own room, sure she would find her mother there. She checked her room to see if her mother still lay sleeping in her brother''s bed. It was empty too, the bed was made now. Ria recalled she had done it this morning as she always did for Ansel when he was still around. It had been a painful decision for her to take, but the bed couldn''t remain like that forever. Ansel was gone now. Ria understood that, her father understood that. Her mother... Ria swallowed painfully and gazed upon the empty space with no sign of the woman. There was only one place she would be now.