The Girl and the Grove by Eric Smith

Author:Eric Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy / Contemporary / Family / Adoption / Nature & the Natural World / Environment
Publisher: North Star Editions
Published: 2018-03-15T13:55:36+00:00

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WithouttheY Taking the road not taken. #nofilter #trees #forests

sarikathepaprika Whoa where IS that even?

XII

Leila froze, her heart beating madly.

Those words. The voices. The voice. Why would it say that?

“What is it?” Landon asked. He looked at Leila, and then up and around at the trees. Milford seemed to have calmed down a bit, though he was still looking about, his eyes wild and wide. “Are you . . . are you hearing them right now?”

“Shh!” Leila shushed, closing her eyes.

In the grove. Beyond the house.

Leila opened her eyes to see Landon bending over a little and looking at her intently. Milford sat quietly on his shoulder. Landon’s hands were out and open, as though he was about to grab her.

“What are you doing?” Leila asked, taking a step back.

“Sorry, you just,” Landon stood up and brushed his hands on his pants, as though they hadn’t just been stretched out to shake her. “You zoned out for a minute there. Is everything okay?” He reached for the little walkie-

talkie on his belt. “Did you . . . should I call someone? Or are they saying anything?”

“Yeah, it . . . she,” Leila stammered, shaking her head. The headache pounded where her scarf wrapped around her forehead. The realization there, that . . . that pronoun she suddenly felt like saying, that felt like it fit with the voice. She. There was more to the voice. It belonged to someone, someone who sounded like a woman.

And daughter?

Home?

“She said something about welcoming me here,” Leila said. “The voice. It, it sounds like an older lady.”

“Did it, she, say where she is?” Landon asked. Milford looked at Leila as if he was just as curious.

“No,” Leila said, shaking her head. She closed her eyes, hoping to hear something, anything. “Wait! Yes. A grove beyond the home?”

“Hm,” Landon huffed, nodding, and looked up at the decaying house in the woods. “You sure you’ve never actually been here before?”

“Yes, why?”

“It’s just, sorry, but you just keep talking about things only a few people even know about.” Landon shook his head. “Like, the rangers make it a point to keep people away from here, with the building falling apart and all. This voice of yours say anything else?”

“Not yet.” Leila shrugged. Landon stared at her, his eyes set and focused. It wasn’t the sort of look she’d expected to get after admitting to all this. She’d expected . . . well, she wasn’t sure what, exactly. She’d only spent a little time with him at the Trust, and now this hike, and all along he’d been mostly standoffish, a bit cold. She thought he would be afraid of her. Stare at her like something was wrong.

The way she feared Jon and Lisabeth would look at her.

But here was this boy who she hardly knew, looking at her as though he believed and understood her. Maybe she didn’t need to hide anymore.

“Let’s keep going,” Landon said, nodding ahead.

Stretched out in front of them were the remains

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