I still don't get what's so exciting about a controlled fire, Insanity huffed for the umpteenth time as I laced up my shoes. If it is caged in a stone prison, why force it to endure the pain of never being truly free? It will die in captivity, never tasting the true great outdoors.

Insanity, relax, Cephas said. It's just a fire; it isn't like the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
How do you know? she shot back. You never did respect fire. You Earth Ventils never respect what can hurt you until it actually does--

Enough, I silenced them. You can talk plenty about this, AFTER the Pyram happens. We're going to be late if we don't hurry!
"Be sure to bring a jacket," Krel warned. "It will be colder out than usual." Summoning the silver hoodie I had abandoned when I was first choosing my human disguise, I tugged it on and dashed out of my room into the lounge.

Ricky and Lucy were dashing around, ensuring we both had flashlights, plenty of water and insisting on "No hanky-panky on Lover's Lane", whatever that meant. We left the house about 10 minutes before we were due to be there, because Krel had a method of transportation he wanted me to try.

"It's called a hoverboard," he explained, as I cautiously swiped underneath the board of electric blue energy that was floating a foot off the ground, suspended by a strange power. "What kind of magic does this object possess?" I asked suspiciously, batting the board around the front sidewalk with my hands.

"No magic," he smiled, jumping onto the hoverboard with a giant leap. "Just science and brilliant engineering. I have been working on its construction for quite some time. Come on, jump aboard; I promise it won't hurt you." I stared warily at his offered hand, before accepting and letting him pull me onto the board next to him.

The moment I stepped foot on the hoverboard, it immediately listed to the side. Panicking, I grabbed Krel around the middle, hissing wildly while trying to maintain my balance. "Lunalis, relax," he yelped, struggling to keep his own balance on the board with my crazy movement. Slowly, I stopped moving, and Krel got the hoverboard back under his control. Then, I tensed and tightened my grip on him as he leaned forward, and the board started to move.

Gliding smoothly over the sidewalk, the hoverboard inched its way out of the neighborhood and into the forest, surely and steadily making its way through the maze of trees. With the setting sun casting its golden glow on the leaves, the entire forest was glowing an amber yellow color.

When we finally got to the campsite, I immediately leapt off the hoverboard and face-planted on the ground, scrambling for something to grab onto to stop the world from tilting. Eventually, my hands locked around the sturdy, slightly hairy tree trunk, and I held on for dear life.

When the earth finally stopped moving, I breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the tree I was clinging to, who looked back down at me with a confused expression on his face. "Oh. Hi, Seamus," I said, clambering to my feet and brushing the stray debris from my clothes. "I haven't ever ridden a hoverboard before, so my reaction was...surprising."

"Yeah, definitely," he agreed, chuckling. "Anyways, we still on for that ice cream date this weekend?"
"Of course." Krel cleared his throat from behind us, grabbed my arm and tugged me over to where the other girls were standing by a bunch of plastic cups. 

While he was dragging me away, I got a good look at the party. It was a large gathering of humans from Arcadia Oaks High, including many familiar faces such as Seamus' cronies, and the girl I frightened the first day of school, who was playing a cithara while sitting by a huge fire that cast a light on everyone's faces.

"Omigosh, Lulu," Mary squealed once Krel had walked off to find Toby. "Are you really here with Kevin? Like, with him with him?"
"Why are you repeating yourself?" I asked, confused. "I heard you the first time. And I've told you, my name is Lunalis."

"Oh. My. GOD," Mary gasped. "You are so totally on a date with Karl!"
"A date? Oh, no, Krel and I just came as friends."
"What?! NO! You can't friend-zone him yet! I'm already dreaming up ship names!"
"Unfortunately, I believe I already have."

"L, don't stress about this," Darci cooed, putting a hand on my shoulder I immediately shrugged off. "The secret to a perfect date is just to be yourself."
Or you could be me, Cephas said. I'm plenty charismatic; I could wrap that boy around your little finger faster than you could blink.
Knowing you, you'd be more likely to cut them off, I shut him down. I could have sworn he mumbled durus when I left to find my other friends.

Eventually, once the girls lost interest in me and finally stopped following me around, I found myself at Douxie's side, Archie curled snugly around my neck while we chatted with the other guests who floated around the area. "So, Lunalis, you came here with Krel, is that right?" Douxie asked after some time had passed.

"Yes," I said, glancing over to where he was chatting with Toby, who had Aaarrrggghhh!!! standing next to him in the shadow of an oak tree. "How'd you like the hoverboard he's been working on?"
"Not at all," I shuddered, remembering how unstable I felt. "I much prefer walking or flying than ever riding that monstrosity again."

"A monstrosity, huh?" Steve asked, coming over to us. "Well, I've got a real monster for you, and it's really scary!"
"Steve, please, we're not in the mood for your Billycraggle story," Archie sighed, getting up and flying into a nearby tree.

"Who's Billy Craggle?" I asked, confused.
"It's not a who, it's a what," Douxie explained. "Some local legend about a monster that lives in the woods."
"Th-these woods?" I asked, eying the trees nervously.
"Don't get frightened," Douxie assured me. "It's just a story; nothing more than a tall tale to scare children and immature teenagers. Here, sit by Krel; we'll listen together."

We all gathered around the bonfire, hunkering down on wooden logs that all jumped slightly when Aaarrrggghhh!!! sat down by Toby. Watching the two interact, I was struck with a sudden bout of curiosity. "Why haven't I seen the troll more often?" I asked Douxie.
"Hm?" he asked, turning away from another human. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, why do I never see Aaarrrggghhh!!! during the day, or at school? We could have used his force when the pixies attacked, or when....when Insanity took over."

"Lunalis, trolls are very strange creatures," Douxie explained as Steve started gathering people around the fire. "They can't survive in sunlight; if they do go outside during the day, they turn to stone."
"I thought they were made of stone?" I was very confused.

"No, no, not like that," he laughed. "I mean, they die. They lose their life and become nothing more than statues. The reason we didn't bring Aaarrrggghhh!!! into the fight with Insanity was because there was no time to go back. Had we not gone when we did, you might have been lost forever." He smiled, looking at something behind me. "And besides, Krel refused to leave you behind."

Krel? I looked over to the Latino, who was sitting by Toby and Jim, who were laughing at a joke someone had made. I felt a flush of warmth flow through me, pooling in my cheeks and turning my face red. He didn't want to leave me behind. Smiling, I turned back to converse with Douxie.

"Lunalis, over here," Toby called me over. Rising, I jogged over and sat between him and Krel. "The story's about to begin!"
"It was a dark night," Steve began, sitting and leaning forward as he spoke. "Not unlike tonight." He started to rise, standing and circling us sitting around the fire. "Two campers were lost in the deep woods. When suddenly....

...they heard a rustling!"

Everyone shrieked and leapt back when Steve lunged forward. Mary was clinging to Darci, Shannon was gripping her guitar close to her bodice, and even Seamus seemed on edge. I allowed myself a quick smirk, and giggled when Krel locked his arms around my shoulders, eyes blown open wide.

"They rushed into the thicket, only to face....the Billycraggle!!!" Steve hissed and bared his non-existent claws, and everyone screamed and jumped back. I was the only one who remained seated; even Douxie had jumped up in surprise when the blonde lunged our way.

"What's a Billycraggle?!" Mary shrieked from her position.
"Half billy goat, half....craggle," Steve grinned, circling us once again, acting out each of the monster's features. "With the horns of a ram, and the breath of a lunch lady!" One of Seamus' cronies pinched his nose when Steve breathed on him.

"But it wasn't always that way," Steve continued. "The Billycraggle started off as a lost camper..."

As the story continued on, I found myself growing less scared, and more bored with the human's tale. This is no scary story, Scales scoffed. It's simply a human making up a tall tale. If he really wants to scare someone, he could at least give his legend some authenticity.

I nodded in agreement, my eyes drooping lower and lower until my vision blurred. When Steve reached the climax of his story--when the young camper was about to touch the forbidden gemstone--I couldn't help myself. I yawned. Loudly.

"Hey," Mary groaned. "It was just getting to the good part!"
"What's wrong, L?" Seamus asked, coming over to us. "Not scary enough for you?"
"It's Lunalis," I said coldly. "And considering where I grew up, that story would have put my little sister to sleep. When she was six."

Steve scowled and continued telling his story. Slowly, I leaned into Krel's side and whispered into his ear, "I don't really like this story." I could feel his head nodding from its place buried into my arm. "Do you want to go for a walk instead?" Another nod.

Standing, I pulled him to his feet and we headed off, turning away from the lights and laughter of my human compatriots and trekking into the dark woods, hand in hand the entire time.