The Pattern
Will stood on the tips of his toes. His long blond hair fell over his face, and he had to brush it back. He had been enjoying all the sounds of nature, focusing in on each one until he could dismiss it and be one with it. It was how he liked to meditate. Then he had heard a faint rustle of leaves. No one came here, it was too far from the commune, and usually they all respected Will's space. He hopped to his feet, and stood silently examining the space around him. He had used this sanctuary to hide things his parents would approve of, a Game Boy he had found and repaired the year before, a cell phone he had rigged to work as a walkie talkie so he and Suzie could communicate without going too far. He scanned the area, and tossed some leaves over his treasures.
Carefully and quietly Will climbed an old tree with curved branches. From the midsection he could see the entire area and even some of the commune in the far distance. There was a man walking toward him, he wore a suit and his shoes that had been shiny showed signs of mud. Will looked at his bare feet- he knew better than to wear shoes out here. It was a stupid thing to do, way too much mud. There was a woman far behind the man, but she had stopped walking. Will smiled, his mother wouldn't have ventured out here either.
Willow gazed at the woman studying her features, she was pretty, and she was wearing make up. He looked at the man, using all the cues and appearance he decided neither were guests of the commune. His father would have hated these people with their too fancy clothes.
"Little kids in China don't get to play outside Willow, they get slammed in factories and made to build those electronics you like, and the clothes people wear in Town." His father could make a saint feel guilty.
Will touched a hand to the pentacle on his necklace, he didn't wear it in public around strangers it made them uncomfortable, and besides he knew the value of silence. He wouldn't remove it here though in his own sanctuary. The man stopped beneath his tree and looked up right at him. Will waved wishing the man hadn't spotted him. Who was this guy? Will's siblings never found him.
"Hello." Will said weakly.
"Hello. Willow Jones?" the man asked in a hesitant tone.
"Yes." Will responded thinking the interchange of words was strange. How did this man know his name unless it was one of the social workers that had tried to take Dawn away. "I don't want to go with you."
"Come down, we'll talk." The man said extending a hand.
"Who are you?" Will asked hesitant to move down and put the man at the advantage.
"I'm here to take you to The Pattern." The man said smiling. "Don't you want to save the world?"
Will looked at the sky through the remaining branches splashes of blue were visible through the top. He remembered the letter he had received, it had been on the table with the mail for everyone else. He had taken it and read it and checked yes. He hadn't thought it was real though. Saving the world wasn't that for those superheroes other kids idolized?
"I didn't think it was real, I thought Moonbeam did it." Will confessed thinking of the middle-aged man that had a typewriter stowed under his bed.
"Do you want to come with us?" the man asked.
Will thought about it, he'd never really considered what it would be like to leave the commune. He'd always been there and it was to be assumed that he always would be there. However, he might be allowed to actually watch tv, or play a video game or something if he agreed to go with this man. He wanted to ask, but he could smell a storm approaching fast.
"We have to get out of the woods." Will announced bounding down from the tree and throwing his treasures in a plastic bag. He handed the bag to the man so he could lead the way. Plastic was also forbidden in the commune at least in bag form- it hurt the earth. He needed it however for when his treasures were exposed to the elements.
"This way," the man took the lead, and Will followed obediently. They emerged beside an SUV, and the woman was already in the passenger seat. "Let's go Willow."
Will looked over his shoulder hesitating a moment. He didn't get to say goodbye? He touched his necklace, could he do this? Yes, he could do this. He hopped in the gas-guzzler and they were off. He wondered who would tell his parents where he had gone. Perhaps they already knew. It didn't matter now he was already on his way to a new life.
Carefully and quietly Will climbed an old tree with curved branches. From the midsection he could see the entire area and even some of the commune in the far distance. There was a man walking toward him, he wore a suit and his shoes that had been shiny showed signs of mud. Will looked at his bare feet- he knew better than to wear shoes out here. It was a stupid thing to do, way too much mud. There was a woman far behind the man, but she had stopped walking. Will smiled, his mother wouldn't have ventured out here either.
Willow gazed at the woman studying her features, she was pretty, and she was wearing make up. He looked at the man, using all the cues and appearance he decided neither were guests of the commune. His father would have hated these people with their too fancy clothes.
"Little kids in China don't get to play outside Willow, they get slammed in factories and made to build those electronics you like, and the clothes people wear in Town." His father could make a saint feel guilty.
Will touched a hand to the pentacle on his necklace, he didn't wear it in public around strangers it made them uncomfortable, and besides he knew the value of silence. He wouldn't remove it here though in his own sanctuary. The man stopped beneath his tree and looked up right at him. Will waved wishing the man hadn't spotted him. Who was this guy? Will's siblings never found him.
"Hello." Will said weakly.
"Hello. Willow Jones?" the man asked in a hesitant tone.
"Yes." Will responded thinking the interchange of words was strange. How did this man know his name unless it was one of the social workers that had tried to take Dawn away. "I don't want to go with you."
"Come down, we'll talk." The man said extending a hand.
"Who are you?" Will asked hesitant to move down and put the man at the advantage.
"I'm here to take you to The Pattern." The man said smiling. "Don't you want to save the world?"
Will looked at the sky through the remaining branches splashes of blue were visible through the top. He remembered the letter he had received, it had been on the table with the mail for everyone else. He had taken it and read it and checked yes. He hadn't thought it was real though. Saving the world wasn't that for those superheroes other kids idolized?
"I didn't think it was real, I thought Moonbeam did it." Will confessed thinking of the middle-aged man that had a typewriter stowed under his bed.
"Do you want to come with us?" the man asked.
Will thought about it, he'd never really considered what it would be like to leave the commune. He'd always been there and it was to be assumed that he always would be there. However, he might be allowed to actually watch tv, or play a video game or something if he agreed to go with this man. He wanted to ask, but he could smell a storm approaching fast.
"We have to get out of the woods." Will announced bounding down from the tree and throwing his treasures in a plastic bag. He handed the bag to the man so he could lead the way. Plastic was also forbidden in the commune at least in bag form- it hurt the earth. He needed it however for when his treasures were exposed to the elements.
"This way," the man took the lead, and Will followed obediently. They emerged beside an SUV, and the woman was already in the passenger seat. "Let's go Willow."
Will looked over his shoulder hesitating a moment. He didn't get to say goodbye? He touched his necklace, could he do this? Yes, he could do this. He hopped in the gas-guzzler and they were off. He wondered who would tell his parents where he had gone. Perhaps they already knew. It didn't matter now he was already on his way to a new life.