The Briarwood Diner and Bingo Hall
The crew arrived in Briarwood without incident.
They pulled into the Sunrise Inn and Tara rolled her eyes hard. She looked to Edith. "I want two adjoining rooms. I need my space."
Edith frowned. "Mrs. Woodfield, I am crew chef, not your personal assistant." She looked off as if the conversation was over and the assistants all offered to set up the rooms for the entire crew.
Selene breathed deeply, trying to calm her nerves, and she noticed it immediately—the smell of willow trees after a hard rain—and frowned as she looked around. She was hoping there was at least one willow about, but she found none. Her eye did pick up on sparkling blue flowing along the edge of a distant house and a shiver flowed down her spine.
Tomas frowned and moved to her quietly. He looked to ensure the others weren't watching and quietly asked, "What's wrong**?"
She turned to him with a frown, her eyes also ensuring no one watched, and she shrugged. "Nothing, I just smell mint and dampness."
She walked off, not wanting to explain further. She didn't want to say that was definitely the scent of willow trees just after rain, or near water. She didn't want to think it meant anything; she wanted to deny what every fiber of her being was screaming was truth.
Dr. Chen walked up to her with a smile. "How about you and I get a lay of the land, see what type of soil we have in the area? I know Willow Shore is still ten miles away, but we could get lucky and the soil is the same for the entire county."
Selene smiled and rolled her eyes. "Are we ever that lucky, Ray?" He laughed as they headed down the street, their assistants naturally falling in tow.
Tomas sighed and looked to Edith. "We are just here one night so I guess we can eat at the local spot. Do you need help grocery shopping?"
"You could loan me your assistant. That would be a great help, and the hotel has already given me permission to cook for everyone. I will have lunch ready shortly."
Tomas nodded and looked up to the early morning sky. "I will run some drones. Have your way with Doris; I won't need her until tonight to look through video feeds." He winked and walked off to the local restaurant, the two women looking to each other and shaking their heads.
Marcus caught up to Tomas and they entered the Briarwood Diner and Bingo Hall. It was a gas station, convenience store, retail shop, and had a restaurant to the back. Tomas looked at his equipment as Marcus looked to the community board.
"Look at this." Tomas merely grunted to acknowledge he was listening.
"There are a lot of missing children:** Robert Hass 2015, Isaac Simons 1995, Jason Lanson 1976, Shawn Calhoun 1952."
Tomas looked up with a frown, his eyes focusing on young Jason, a strawberry blond with rather vivid hazel-green eyes. His camera rose without thought and snapped a picture of the boy, as his eyes roamed over the posters.
"Only boys? Is that not a little odd?" Before Marcus could answer, an elderly voice chimed in from behind.
"That place only wants boys."
"That's not true, Orwin. Girls are just too smart to go out there."
"You two leave them city folk alone. They don't want to hear about our business."
"Well they are definitely looking at our business, Rita." Old Orwin turned back to them. "Willow Shore only takes boys. It doesn't want any girls."
Tomas almost dropped his camera. Old Orwin watched it fumble in his fingers for a moment and then his eyes drifted to the poster of Jason Lanson.
"He was 12 when he rode out there on a dare. Never seen him since. I helped look for him but we didn't try to go into Willow Shore, even though we all knew that's where he was."
The entire place went eerily quiet. Tomas could hear his heart thudding in his chest. He had been a bit hungry, but now all he wanted was to be anywhere but here. As he moved to leave, Marcus asked a question.
"So what exactly is Willow Shore like now?"
"Don't ask about that place!" It was definitely a scream, a command, and it rattled Tomas's teeth.
"Calm down, Rita." The second man spoke gently. "Her Henry is up there. She is a little sensitive."
Rita turned her head away, grief plain and raw on her face. Tomas looked to Jason once more and actually dropped his camera. The vivid hazel-green eyes had turned a tranquil blue; they seemed damp with tears and sparkled like starlight.
Orwin picked up his camera and handed it to him. "Looking at them too long has that effect. If you are not careful, Willow Shore will have you too."
Tomas watched as the man walked away, his thoughts jumbled and his body wanting to flee. Marcus clasped his shoulder and he jumped.
"I am going to grab some food. Want anything**?**" Tomas shook his head soundlessly, his mouth slightly open. He then cleared his throat.
"Umm, no. I'm good. I'm going to run the drone out a bit."
Marcus nodded as if he were oblivious to everything. Tomas shook his head as he left the Briarwood Diner and Bingo Hall.
Selene and Dr. Raymond Chen walked a long field three streets away from their hotel. They had taken samples and were now testing soil density physically. The wind blew across the field and Selene rose from a squat with a frown.
Dr. Chen had already walked about five feet ahead of her and he was mumbling to himself about soil richness and clay levels.
She smiled and froze as the wind seemed to play over her cheek like a hand stroking her face. The whisper was faint, but it was enough for every hair on her body to stand on end.
She rubbed her arms as she looked around the field, and then she saw her. The woman, from her dream, Margaret Morrison-Willen. She stood at the far end of the field, her heavy velvet dress trailing behind her. She stared at Selene and Selene could not turn away.
Her lips moved, but Selene could not hear anything and for a long moment they were frozen in a staring contest.
Then suddenly, terrifyingly, she was inches from Selene's face, speaking, her breath smelling like damp loamy earth and mint.
"Do you not understand? I only want him to be happy. Is that wrong?"
And she was gone. It was like a glitch in a program, or a movie scene. One second she was there, the next she was gone.
Someone grabbed her arm and Selene screamed in sheer terror. She looked to see Dr. Chen looking at her with a frown, his hands up in a motion of surrender.
Selene fell to the ground, pulled her knees to her chest, and cried.
"Give… me… a…. moment… Ray." She sobbed loudly. "Just … a… moment."
He didn't say a word, and he didn't touch her. He looked about as if he tried to understand what triggered this, then he stood sentinel and allowed her to cry.
Neither one of them saw the sparkling blue fog glide away as if its job was now complete.