walk around without bumping into things.”
“True,” she laid one slender hand on the tree trunk next to her. “But when they see this, what do they see?”
“A tree.”
“Yes. And when you see it, what do you see?”
Logan looked at the tree. He wanted desperately to say something profound, but he didn’t know how. “A tree, but…”
But what
? he thought. There weren’t words for what he felt as he touched the tough, knobbly skin, as he felt the life pulsing through that strong trunk, as he looked up at the graceful branches stretching out to embrace the sky in an ecstasy of green.
Terra smiled. “Exactly. A tree, but… That is sight.”
The others had stopped and were waiting, so Logan turned and continued walking silently.
As the kids said goodbye to Terra and promised to come back soon to visit, Logan found his reluctance to leave settling into depression. Then he felt Terra press something into his hand. He looked down. It was the wreath of berries that she had been wearing in her hair.
“A gift for the quiet one with the talking eyes,” she said.
“Oh, uh, thank you,” he stuttered. “You didn’t have to…”
“It increases my joy to see your pleasure in them,” she smiled. “Now they bring joy to more than myself.”
Strangely, as he followed the others back to the road, Logan did feel a sense of joy. This wasn’t just one of his daydreams. This was real, and it would keep being real. Even if most of the world was boring and ugly, there were still truly beautiful places. Now he had seen one with his own eyes, and he had only to look down at the berries in his hand to remember it.
7
Muttering Over and Over
T he following day found the kids tripping across the abandoned lot behind the trailer park where Logan lived. Eve looked around and laughed to herself. If her friends could see where she was and who she was with, they would have a few things to say about it. For some reason, that didn’t bother her. In fact, it sort of added to her sense of excitement about this new adventure. You could bet that none of them were doing anything half so interesting right now. She tried to imagine her essay on “What I did this summer” and chuckled out loud.
These last couple of days had been like nothing she could have imagined. She had never read the kinds of books that would have made her picture herself meeting miniature people living in the woods or discovering secret hieroglyphics in the clouds or sharing mysterious headaches with a group of weird kids she’d never met before.
Not that these kids were at all bad or anything. They’d actually been really nice. They were smart and fun, a combination she didn’t previously know existed. Eve was relieved to be with other people who understood what was happening to her, even though she still couldn’t shake the desire to laugh sometimes at how seriously they were taking everything.
This morning had been one of those times.
They had all met at the circle of trees again, and Adam had started in right away. He wanted to name the circle of trees. If it was going to be their main meeting spot, it should have a name, he said. Everyone agreed that it was a good idea, but coming up with a name was harder than it sounded.
Alex suggested the Circle of Seeing or the Ring of Renown. But those both seemed a bit long and heavy. Eve thought maybe something simple like The Aspens would be better, but Adam said that sounded like the name of a golf club.
“The Gylf would probably just call it Home,” said Logan.
“Yeah, but we don’t actually live here,” Eve pointed out, “so that might get a little confusing.”
They all fell silent.
“The Redoubt,” said Adam under his breath.
“What?” asked Eve.
Adam shrugged. “The Redoubt. I read this book once where this army was defending its home city against an enemy with way more soldiers, and they had a place, like a tower but hidden in the forest, where they could go to rest and they
“True,” she laid one slender hand on the tree trunk next to her. “But when they see this, what do they see?”
“A tree.”
“Yes. And when you see it, what do you see?”
Logan looked at the tree. He wanted desperately to say something profound, but he didn’t know how. “A tree, but…”
But what
? he thought. There weren’t words for what he felt as he touched the tough, knobbly skin, as he felt the life pulsing through that strong trunk, as he looked up at the graceful branches stretching out to embrace the sky in an ecstasy of green.
Terra smiled. “Exactly. A tree, but… That is sight.”
The others had stopped and were waiting, so Logan turned and continued walking silently.
As the kids said goodbye to Terra and promised to come back soon to visit, Logan found his reluctance to leave settling into depression. Then he felt Terra press something into his hand. He looked down. It was the wreath of berries that she had been wearing in her hair.
“A gift for the quiet one with the talking eyes,” she said.
“Oh, uh, thank you,” he stuttered. “You didn’t have to…”
“It increases my joy to see your pleasure in them,” she smiled. “Now they bring joy to more than myself.”
Strangely, as he followed the others back to the road, Logan did feel a sense of joy. This wasn’t just one of his daydreams. This was real, and it would keep being real. Even if most of the world was boring and ugly, there were still truly beautiful places. Now he had seen one with his own eyes, and he had only to look down at the berries in his hand to remember it.
7
Muttering Over and Over
T he following day found the kids tripping across the abandoned lot behind the trailer park where Logan lived. Eve looked around and laughed to herself. If her friends could see where she was and who she was with, they would have a few things to say about it. For some reason, that didn’t bother her. In fact, it sort of added to her sense of excitement about this new adventure. You could bet that none of them were doing anything half so interesting right now. She tried to imagine her essay on “What I did this summer” and chuckled out loud.
These last couple of days had been like nothing she could have imagined. She had never read the kinds of books that would have made her picture herself meeting miniature people living in the woods or discovering secret hieroglyphics in the clouds or sharing mysterious headaches with a group of weird kids she’d never met before.
Not that these kids were at all bad or anything. They’d actually been really nice. They were smart and fun, a combination she didn’t previously know existed. Eve was relieved to be with other people who understood what was happening to her, even though she still couldn’t shake the desire to laugh sometimes at how seriously they were taking everything.
This morning had been one of those times.
They had all met at the circle of trees again, and Adam had started in right away. He wanted to name the circle of trees. If it was going to be their main meeting spot, it should have a name, he said. Everyone agreed that it was a good idea, but coming up with a name was harder than it sounded.
Alex suggested the Circle of Seeing or the Ring of Renown. But those both seemed a bit long and heavy. Eve thought maybe something simple like The Aspens would be better, but Adam said that sounded like the name of a golf club.
“The Gylf would probably just call it Home,” said Logan.
“Yeah, but we don’t actually live here,” Eve pointed out, “so that might get a little confusing.”
They all fell silent.
“The Redoubt,” said Adam under his breath.
“What?” asked Eve.
Adam shrugged. “The Redoubt. I read this book once where this army was defending its home city against an enemy with way more soldiers, and they had a place, like a tower but hidden in the forest, where they could go to rest and they
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