The Light in the Woods by Jean Marie Pierson

Author:Jean Marie Pierson [Pierson, Jean Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Post Hill Press
Published: 2017-09-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Oscar’s House – Southold, New York, 1944

Morning couldn’t come soon enough. Ray counted every second that ticked off the wall after his mother kissed him good night and left his room. Officer Boland escorted him home but didn’t give him the third degree since Ray’s mother worked during the drill. Ray explained in partial truths to Officer Boland why he and Olive were running around in the dark so soon after the air raid drill. They followed something that looked suspicious. That was all true. Upon closer inspection, they believed it was someone walking their dog. That part was not true. Olive and Ray lay in their respective beds staring up at their respective ceilings trying to sift through the details of what they both saw that night. Both worried about a buck: one with an arrow lodged in his neck, one with a white streak on its face. Both were eager to get up with the sun’s first rays and tell the same person.

Ray was dressed with his coat half on before his mother even turned on the kettle.

“Where do you think you’re going, Mister,” she said as she shuffled through the kitchen, fastening the tie on her robe.

“Oscar’s,” Ray answered as he slid an arm into a coat sleeve while jamming a foot into a boot.

“Oh no, you don’t. It’s not even seven o’clock in the morning. And it’s Saturday. I’m sure Mr. Taglieber would like some extra sleep. Sit down. Let me make you some pancakes.”

“But Mom? It’s almost Christmas! There’s so much to do!” Ray whined. His mother stood in the middle of the kitchen with a frying pan in one hand and her other over her heart.

“I’m happy you like to spend time with him and that you are serious about the work. But Raymond, it’s only six…”

Then a light fast rapping broke his mother’s train of thought. They walked to the front door and saw Olive standing on the stoop, tired and bundled for the cold. Her glasses sat crooked on her face as she bounced impatiently on her toes.

“See, there’s Olive. I have to go.”

“But…but what about pancakes?”

Ray ran towards the door as he called out. “I’ll just be there for a few minutes. I’ll come back for breakfast. Promise.”

Ray let the door slam as he rushed to Olive. She didn’t even wait for Ray to reach her before she turned and started to run towards Oscar’s house. She ran with one hand up to her face. Ray looked over at her puzzled.

“What happened to your glasses?”

“I stepped on them last night when I got home.”

“So your mom didn’t catch you?”

“Nope. Nobody knew I was gone. But now she’s going to kill me.”

“Don’t worry. Oscar should be able to fix them,” Ray said hopefully as they rounded the corner to Oscar’s driveway. Olive stopped and grabbed Ray’s arm.

“You promised he wasn’t going to hurt that deer.”

Ray bit his lip. He didn’t know if that buck even made it through the night. The arrow looked like it was in the neck pretty deep.

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