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This world you know,
It is so small

You yearn for more,
You long to grow

What lies out there, in the great unknown?

Darkness, child

It is all there is, and all there will ever be

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The sun had not yet risen over the village. All was silent as the people lay fast asleep in their homes. A scrappy old tomcat was creeping between the wooden houses, headed for his usual spot underneath the cobbler's porch where he could sleep in peace, and avoid the village dogs. But before he could retire after a long night of hunting there was someone he needed to visit. The cat made his way towards one of the houses on the outskirts of the village.

He balanced on his haunches before springing onto a fence, maintaining perfect balance on the rickety wood. Keeping what was left of his tail lifted he padded along the fence until he came to the house. With skill that all cats possessed, he climbed up the side of the house and pulled himself onto the roof.

Whiskers twitching in pleasure, or perhaps pride, the cat sauntered his way across the roof to the meeting place. He found his human sitting near the edge of the roof just as he'd trained him to do every morning. As all cats knew, having a human was the best method for survival. If properly trained, a human would provide any cat with food and shelter when needed.

Some cats did not truly care for their humans, but the scrappy old tomcat did. He truly liked his human, he was young and did not tower over him as much as the others did. His human was quiet and gentle, perfect for an old cat like him to train. In almost no time at all his human had learned to meet him here every morning, where he liked to be pet and to bring him food.

The cat mrowed to let his human know he'd arrived. To his delight, he turned around instantly at the call. The boy smiled at seeing him and held out a hand towards him.
"Hello Rewis. Are you here to keep me company again?"
The cat (who was unaware that he'd been given a name and wouldn't care anyway) purred as he bumped his head against his human's head.
The boy chuckled and scratched behind Rewis' left ear, taking care not to use his nails.

Poor Rewis had gotten his ear torn during a nasty run-in with a large rat, of course, the boy did not know this. Just as he didn't know that Rewis ended up killing and eating the rat. In the cat's eyes, a torn ear was worth the hearty meal the rat had provided.
"Hungry Rewis? I got your favorite."
Rewis' ears perked up as the scent of fish filled the air. His entire body quivered in excitement, his snaggletooth sticking out from his bottom lip.

The boy pulled out a piece of trout he'd snuck from dinner last night and laid it in front of Rewis. He'd learned the hard way that his feline companion did not enjoy being hand fed. A low growl of pleasure emanated from the cat as he gobbled up the food. He'd also been sure to train his human not to touch him while he ate, it made him nervous.

Shaking his head in amusement the boy turned his attention back to the sky. He shivered slightly and pulled his cloak tighter around his arms. Meanwhile, Rewis had finished his meal and proceeded to reward his human. First, he rubbed himself all over his human's back and arms. Leaving his scent behind on the human would ensure that no other cats tried to take him.
Second, he would curl up on his human's lap and purr to let him know that he was pleased.

Not only did this reward his human, but he was provided with a comfortable and warm spot to rest before he headed off to his secret place to sleep the day away. The boy gently stroked Rewis' back. Using only three fingers he carefully combed through the tangles in the cat's fur.
"You're a good friend Rewis," he whispered softly. The cat purred, happy to be having his human groom him without being told.

Besides the purring, all was silent around boy and cat, exactly how they liked it.
"Too bad it can't be like this all the time," he looked down at Rewis who now had his eyes closed.
"Why can't I be as content as you?"
He received no reply, but if Rewis could speak he would have probably said Because you humans never know what you need, whereas us cats know exactly what we want.
Sighing the boy adjusted his position on the roof. Rewis dug his claws into his leg but he did not mind. It was just something the cat did to let him know that he was moving too much, and it wasn't painful either.

Gradually, the world became less dark. The shadows began to shorten as the sky began to take on a bluish, greyish color.
Rewis' ears perked up and he raised his head.
"Leaving already?" The boy asked sadly. Again, Rewis did not reply. If he had he would've most likely said, I do not belong to you. I come and go as I please.
He did not attempt to stop grey tom as he crawled off his lap and stretched before padding towards the opposite side of the roof.

He watched as Rewis leapt off and landed perfectly on the fence below before jumping onto the ground.
"How a cat as old as him manages that I'll never know," he muttered shaking his head. The boy turned his gaze back to the sky. His shoulders sagged slightly, usually when Rewis left it meant only one thing....

"Ever! What are you doing on the roof again? I told you to stay down from there!"
"Oh leave the boy alone Lesim! He isn't hurting anyone."
"He's going to hurt himself when he falls off. For goodness' sake Eline we can't keep letting him up there!"

Why can't they just leave me alone? I've been climbing up here since I was eight and haven't fallen once.
The voices belonged to his anxious father and doting mother, both of whom were early risers.
"No matter how many times I tell him he keeps doing it!" Lesim continued from the ground. He wasn't angry, his father had never been angry with him, he just worried too much.
"Ever, son, what are you doing on the roof?" Eline was always calm. It seemed impossible for anything to worry his mother.

Knowing that they wouldn't leave him without an answer he replied, "Watching the sunrise."
"How can you watch the sunrise when there are clouds covering the sky?" Lesim asked gesturing to the dark grey clouds. Ever only shrugged in response and pulled his cloak tighter around himself, as if that could block the voices of his parent's out.

"Leave him be Lesim," Eline put a hand on her husband's arm and smiled, "he hasn't fallen in five years, he won't fall now. And if he wants to sit here until it's light out then why shouldn't he? It's his choice after all. We all have a choice."
Lesim looked into the sky blue eyes of his wife and allowed himself to smile.
"You always know what to say, Eline."
She smiled and lowered her arm.
"Now go on, it's your day to bring the sheep out to the meadow, Thenry should be helping today."

"I shouldn't keep him waiting." He kissed her on the cheek before looking up at his son. "Have a good day Ever."
His son only nodded, leaving his father to wonder if he'd even heard him.
"I'll be back before sundown." With those words, Lesim walked into the house to leave by the front door. Eline watched him go and lifted her head. Ever continued to stare forward, not paying her any mind. Shrugging she entered the house. As long as her son wasn't doing anything to disturb the peace, he could stay up on the roof for as long as he liked.

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Ever remained on the roof until the sky turned from dark grey to milky white. Just as his father said the sun could not be seen behind the clouds, but Ever didn't need to see the sun to know that it had risen. In fact, he'd been watching for something else. As the village began to stir Ever waited for the one he sought, she'd be here at any moment.

Three... two... one...
The corners of his lips turned upward as she flew above the meadow, her wings flapping soundlessly in the morning sky. She was a tawny owl, brown and covered in white spots. She soared gracefully over the village and Ever watched her, admiring her wild and untamed beauty. The owl flew beyond the village and headed for her home, which lied within the Forbidden Forest.

Ever sighed as she vanished into the trees, he wished that he could follow her, but that would mean leaving the village.
No one left the village.
His time on the roof over Ever started the careful climb down. He entered his house to find his mother busy preparing breakfast. Her dark hair was pulled back away from her face and the sleeves of her plain, brown dress were rolled up.

"Would you mind going to fetch more water Ever? I'll count it for your contribution for today." His mother did not look at him as she worked. Eline had always possessed some kind of sixth sense which allowed her to know when someone entered a room, she always knew. Ever nodded in response and went to grab the water pail. He didn't need to tell her that he was doing it, she knew he would.

The wooden bucket was in its usual spot on the front porch. Ever grabbed it and walked down the steps without missing a beat. He did this every morning, it'd become a part of his daily routine. He knew how many steps it would take for him to get to the well and that he'd see the baker's wife walking past with their two daughters. They would be carrying some kind of pastry with them, which they'd be delivering to every home in the village.

On cue they stepped out from behind a house, each one with her arms loaded with baskets of rolls. All three smiled at Ever as he walked past but as usual, his only reply was a nod. While there was nothing wrong with the baker, his wife, or their daughters, he just couldn't bring himself to socialize with them like everyone else did. One of the village dogs was eating some scraps that the butcher had thrown out. Ever knew that the other eleven would show up soon to have their share.

Finally, he reached the well which laid in the center of the village. As usual Faegan; a tall skinny lad with sandy colored hair and a plethora of freckles on his face, was standing there waiting to offer help to anyone coming to collect water. He smiled as Ever approached, not caring when he didn't receive one back.

"Mornin' Ever!" He chirped. "Need some water?"
Ever nodded and held out the pail. Faegan took it and began to tie a thick rope around the handle. Faegan was one of the few people whom Ever could tolerate. Faegan didn't try to push him into a conversation, and he didn't care that Ever hardly ever spoke or smiled. Faegan was just fine with filling everyone's pails with water.

Ever adjusted his cloak and looked down at the grass. There was a small patch of dirt where he could see a trail of ants marching. A few were carrying bits of food with them and Ever marveled at how strong the tiny insects were.
"Here ya' are Ever!" Faegan held out the pail to him, confused as to why the younger boy's face had suddenly paled. Without saying a word Ever snatched the pail (now heavy with water) and began the walk back to his house.

"That was odd," Faegan scratched his head and turned back to stand by the well. Oblivious to the ants he'd just killed.

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Breakfast was, as it was every day, a quiet affair between mothers and their children. The men out working would eat at his respective assignment. After breakfast Ever went outside to help his mother with the laundry. He wasn't required to help her but he did anyway, much to his mother's confusion.
"Are you sure you want to do this Ever?" She'd asked the first time he'd offered his assistance. Ever had only nodded in response and went to work. Despite his mother's silent protests, he continued to help her with the daily chores.

He knew that she wasn't angry with his help, only confused. Everyone in the village had their jobs. Like most of the women in the village, Eline took care of the house while her husband was working outside. Children around Ever's age were only asked to do one task a day, then they were free to do as they liked. Instead of spending time with the other children Ever searched for more tasks to do, tasks that Eline was supposed to take care of herself.

She didn't understand him but Ever didn't mind. Most people didn't understand him anyway. After his mother finished scrubbing one his father's shirts she handed it to him so he could hang it on the clothesline to dry.
"Once winter fully sets in we'll have to dry everything inside," Eline commented as she set to work on another shirt. Ever nodded and finished fastening the shirt to the line, giving it a small tug to make sure it wouldn't fall off.

"Argaret's house has a larger fireplace than ours," Eline continued, "I'll have to ask her if she wouldn't mind drying our clothes there. I could make her some meals in return."
Ever didn't say anything. He rubbed his damp hands on his pants to dry them off. Eline gave up on trying to make conversation with her son and focused on her washing. Around noon Ever had replaced the water for washing while his mother brought the clean clothes inside. The rest of the laundry wasn't theirs, but it was Eline's turn to help with laundry washing for the day. Those who didn't have as much time to do laundry asked others to do it for them, and Eline was one of the best to ask.

She was diligent and would always get everything done within a day, even without Ever's help. He personally didn't find the task of cleaning other people's dirty clothes desirable, but it was a nice distraction. Sometimes it even worked as an excuse to get out of interacting with others. Eline was handing him a dress to hang when he heard an all too familiar voice call, "Good afternoon Ever! Miss Eline, how are you today?"

The voice belonged to Ever's friend Cily, although he'd never called her a friend before in his life everyone else simply decided they were.
"We're both doing wonderfully today," Eline replied standing to her feet. Her arms were covered in soap and dripped onto the ground, not that anyone paid it any mind. "And how are you Cily?"
"I'm very good," Cily smiled showing her perfect, white teeth.
"What brings you here?" Eline asked smiling back.
"I wanted to ask if Ever would join some friends and me for lunch. We're going to eat at the western side of the village near the fence."

"Why Ever would love to! It would save him from having to do any more laundry."
Ever, meanwhile, was staring at his mother with a look that clearly showed he felt the opposite. Eline noticed and sent a pleading stare his way. Ever knew that stare all too well. It was his mother's way of saying, Please son, can't you be normal for one day?
Sighing Ever went inside to dry his hands off and fetch a warmer cloak. While inside he grabbed himself a leftover roll from breakfast and put it in his pocket.

He stepped out into the backyard where Eline and Cily were waiting for him. Ever didn't spare his mother a glance as he headed for the gate.
"Have a wonderful time with your friends Ever!" Eline called cheerfully. Ever grunted and followed Cily who was practically skipping as they walked, causing her blond curls to bounce. Cily had the reputation of being the kindest girl in the village; always smiling, always cheerful, accepting of everyone, it wasn't hard to see why they'd think so.

Ever found it nauseating.

He didn't dislike Cily per se, she'd never done anything to purposefully upset him, there was just something about her cheeriness that rubbed him the wrong way. What the cause was Ever didn't know, and that also annoyed him. Wouldn't it be nice to always know the truth? No mysteries to solve, no grasping in the dark for answers, everyone would know everything they needed to. Ever's inner ramblings were interrupted by Cily grabbing his arm.

"Look Ever! Thaxter and Faegan are here!"
Ever shrugged and continued forward to meet the two other boys.
Thaxter was Thenry's son and the oldest out of the four. Like his father, Thaxter was short for his age, but he made up for it with his strength. Thaxter was one of the strongest people Ever knew, before getting to know him the older boy had frightened him. He also inherited his father's dark hair and dark eyes, which only contributed to his unsettling appearance.

"Hello Thaxter! Hello Faegan! I brought Ever to join us for lunch!" Cily skipped towards them, dragging a reluctant Ever behind.
"Hello Ever, glad you could join us," Thaxter smiled warmly at him. Despite what Ever initially thought of him, Thaxter was just like everyone else in the village.
"Heya Ever! Was hopin' you'd join us!"
Ever narrowed his eyes slightly at the lanky boy. He still hadn't forgiven him for killing those ants.

"Is Mallie coming?" Cily asked hopefully.
"Yep! An' I hear she's bringin' some of her mum's cookies!" Faegan licked his lips and rubbed his stomach, causing a bubbly laugh to explode from Cily.
"Oh Faegan you are too precious!" She gushed while batting her green eyes at him. It was no secret that Cily fancied Faegan. Despite both only being sixteen (Faegan was older by seven months) the two had already made plans to get married when they became adults. It wasn't uncommon in the village, people normally met their future husbands and wives when they were young.

That didn't mean Ever wasn't going to feel sick to his stomach every time Cily and Faegan were together.
"Come on guys, let's get to our spot so we can be ready when Mallie comes."
Now Thaxter, he was the one person Ever could honestly claim to like. He was the only one who didn't try to figure him out. Not caring about his lack of speech or how he never smiled, Thaxter left him to his own and for that Ever would always be grateful.

The four made their way towards the western fence. This was the only remote area in the village, used mainly for weddings and other celebrations. Right now it was deserted, perfect for an afternoon of eating and talking among friends. Thaxter and Faegan spread a large blanket on the ground while Ever helped Cily gather four large stones to keep the blanket from being blown away.

The four then proceeded to spread the food out. It was Cily who usually brought the food for their lunches, but today Faegan had volunteered. He was obviously in a good mood about the cookies Mallie would be bringing. Almost immediately after they'd set up Mallie appeared, carrying a basket of cookies on the crook of her arm.

"Mallie!" Cily sprang up and ran to greet the baker's youngest daughter. Mallie laughed and managed to hug the excited girl with her free arm.
"It's good to see you Cily, I hope I'm not too late?" Mallie asked adjusting the basket on her arm.
"Nope! We just got everything set up, come on!" Cily dragged her over to the blanket.
"Hello Mallie," Thaxter greeted her with a nod.
"Did you bring the cookies?" Faegan asked eyeing the basket.
"Faegan! Where are your manners?" Cily scolded, she was still smiling though which seemed pointless to Ever.

Why scold someone if you're just going to smile through it all?
Not that Ever had seen many scoldings, no one ever seemed to get in trouble in the village.
"Ever! Are you listening?" Cily gave him a little shake, trying and failing to sound angry with him.
"What?"
"Mallie said "Hello" to you! You have to greet her back!"
Looking past Cily, he could see Mallie staring at him. When their eyes met she quickly looked down, her face flushed.
"Hello Mallie," Ever said hoping that it was enough to satisfy Cily.
"Hello Ever," Mallie managed to look up and smile shyly at him. Her brown hair was hanging in a pony-tail over her right shoulder.

"Now how 'bout those cookies?"
"Faegan if you don't stop talking about the cookies you won't be getting one!" Cily whirled around to fix her "anger" on Faegan who was smiling in pretend guilt.
"At least eat some actual food first," Thaxter said handing the boy a sandwich. Faegan said no more as he dug into the food. The others began eating as well, except for Ever who just stared at the sandwich.

"What's wrong Ever?" Thaxter asked.
"Nawt hungee?"
"Faegan! Do not talk with your mouth full!" Cily "scolded" before collapsing in a fit of giggles.
Ever just shrugged and set the sandwich down.
Truth be told he had no idea why his appetite had suddenly fled him, he'd been hungry while doing laundry with his mother. Still, he didn't want the others worrying about him so he pulled out the roll from his pocket.

"I'm not that hungry, so I just brought this."
That seemed to satisfy everyone and they went back to their own food. No one noticing that Ever only took two small bites of the roll before putting it back in his pocket. Once they were all finished Mallie began to pass out cookies. Faegan gobbled his down before she was able to give Thaxter his.

"Can I have another?"
"Not until we've all had one! Honestly Faegan what am I going to do with you?"
"Oh come on Cily, ya' know ya' love it."
Cily laughed and threw herself into Faegan's arms causing him to fall backwards. Soon he was laughing too while Thaxter shook his head and ate his cookie. Ever could not understand Cily and Faegan. What did they see in each other? Cily was obnoxious and Faegan was too childish, how were those things to love in another person?

"Ever?" Mallie's voice brought him out of his thoughts. She was holding a cookie out to him, that same shy smile on her face.
"I know you said you weren't hungry, but I wanted to make sure you got a one before Faegan ate them all."
Normally, Ever would refuse to turn down a cookie, especially one made by Mallie's mother. But Cily and Faegan's unnatural behavior had killed his appetite for good that day. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to say no to Mallie.

With a nod of thanks, he accepted the cookie from her. He waited until she wasn't looking and placed the cookie in his pocket. Maybe he'd want it later or could give it to his mother. After being told that everyone had received a cookie Faegan tore into the basket, grabbing as much as he could despite Cily's amused protests.

Ever remained silent through it all. Watching the ones whom everyone called his friends interact with one another. He met Thaxter's gaze and the older boy offered him a smile. This made Ever wonder, did they even want him here? Did they only include him because it was the kind thing to do? Did their parents put them up to it so he could feel welcomed? He knew that his parents worried about him, but what was wrong with wanting to be alone?

"Ya' guys know what's comin' right?"
"Wipe those crumbs off of your face Faegan."
Hastily Faegan did as he was told, beaming when Cily gave him her nod of approval.
"What's coming, winter?" Thaxter guessed reclining on his arms.
"Nope! It's almost the day when Sable May lost her mind!"
Cily nearly shrieked and slapped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets. Thaxter shot up and glared at the boy.
"You're the one who's lost his mind!" He shouted causing Faegan to flinch.

"What is he talking about?" Mallie asked looking from Faegan, to Thaxter, then to Cily.
"Nothing! We're not supposed to talk about it!" Cily was looking around as if she expected something to jump out at her.
"Who's Sable May?"
Everyone's eyes fixed on Ever, who stared at them quizzically.
"What? I just asked a question."
"Sorry Ever, it's just you don' talk much," Faegan replied while fiddling with his fingers.

"I don't think that's it," Ever fixed his cold stare on Thaxter who met it with one of his own.
"Who is Sable May? And why can't you talk about her?"
Cily moaned and buried her face in her hands.
"Don't tell them Thaxter! It's too awful!"
"Come on guys," Mallie begged, "it's not fair if you bring something up and don't explain it. Ever and I want to know."

"No you don't," Faegan shook his head.
"Yes, we do," Ever growled, "and maybe, if you knew you weren't supposed to talk about it, you shouldn't have brought it up in the first place!"
Everyone, even Thaxter, flinched at his harsh words. None of them had ever been spoken to like that, they didn't know what to do.
"Please, you guys can tell us," Mallie urged softly, "we won't tell anyone I promise."

Thaxter gave her a look that said, Are you sure we can trust him?
Ever bristled but wisely kept his mouth shut.
Finally, Thaxter conceded.
"Alright, I'll tell you. But if either of you speaks a word about this to anyone we'll all be in trouble."
Mallie nodded and Ever did the same. He just wanted him to start already.
"Sable May lived in the village a long time ago-"
"Ya' know it was a long time ago 'cause she had two names. Who thought that havin' more than one name was necessary? Plain stupid if ya' ask me."
"Faegan! Let Thaxter talk!" This time when Cily scolded him, it almost sounded real.

Faegan shrank back and pressed his lips together in a thin line. Thaxter glared at him for a bit longer before continuing.
"As I was saying, Sable May lived with her family in the village. She had two sisters and a brother, she was the youngest out of all of them. And the strangest..."
Ever glanced at Mallie but her eyes remained fixed on Thaxter. He decided to do the same.
"Sable wasn't like everyone else in the village, she was always trying to change things. She argued with the Elders, refused to obey her parents, no one knew what to do with her. For awhile no one paid Sable any mind and chose to avoid her altogether, that was when she did it."

"Did what?" Mallie asked shifting closer to Ever. He was confused by the action but decided to blame it on the cold.
Thaxter rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip. Cily and Faegan were staring at the grass, refusing to look up.
"What did she do?" Ever snapped. He was starting to get impatient, why couldn't they just tell them what happened?

Thaxter shuddered and said, "She went into the forest."
Mallie's forehead wrinkled. "That's it?"
"I wish," Thaxter shook his head, "after Sable went into the forest she was gone for three days. No one could find her or knew if she was alive. On the fourth day, she returned to the village, but something wasn't right. If something had been wrong with her before, it was nothing compared to how she was when she came back."

"She was even more angry, more difficult. No one wanted to go near her even though she begged them to. The Elders tried to find out what was wrong with her but she'd run away every time they came to her. It was soon discovered that Sable kept going into the forest. At first, it was every other week, then it became every ten days, then it was every night."

"The village believed that there was something in the forest causing Sable May to act this way, and they vowed to prevent it from harming her any longer. When she returned from the forest, they grabbed her and managed to lock her in a safe room while the Elders worked on finding a cure for her. Sable couldn't understand that they were trying to help and kept trying to break free, one night she did."

Cily wailed suddenly and grabbed Faegan, burying her face into his chest.
"No more! Please don't say more!" She begged.
"Yeah Thaxter, I don' wanna hear it again either..." Faegan mumbled while trying to console Cily.
"You can't stop now! Finish!" Ever was nearing the end of his rope with this, why couldn't Thaxter just say it? The older boy still hesitated, but he'd already come this far...

"After Sable broke out she..." he lowered his head, "she killed her mother."
"What? That's impossible!" Mallie exclaimed. Ever's own eyes widened in shock but he said nothing.
"It's true," Faegan added in a whisper, "she broke into her home and tore her mum's throat out. With her teeth."
"Faegan stop!" Cily screeched and shoved him back.
"What? I'm jus' sayin' what I heard!"

"Then what happened?" Mallie asked. Though she was disturbed by what they said, she knew she'd never be content if she didn't know the whole thing.
"After Sable killed her mother, she killed the rest of her sisters. Then she escaped from the village and ran into the forest. Some men tried to go and find her but they couldn't at night. The next day they went out again they searched all day until finally, they found Sable. They tried to bring her back to the village but by then it was too late, she'd completely lost her mind."

"She started attacking them, and she nearly killed them all, but somehow they managed to chase her off. The men went back to the village to treat their injuries. The next day a larger group set out to find Sable May. After hours of searching, they found her dead at the bottom of a pit. They went back to the village to get more people to help pull her body out, but when they returned she was gone."

"Everyone believed that whatever lived in the forest had taken her body, and was the thing responsible for making her insane. The Elders made a law saying that no one was allowed to go into the forest. Ever since then there's been no more cases like Sable May, and most people chose to forget about her. But one thing everyone remembers is that the forest is dangerous, and to this day no one has dared to step foot outside of the village."

Cily had covered her ears for the last part of Thaxter's story. Faegan had torn up a fistful of grass from the earth and was ripping the blades into smaller pieces. Mallie's mouth hung open in shock and horror, her face almost white with fear. Ever was the only one who didn't seem bothered by the tale of Sable May. While that was far from the truth, there was another reason why he wasn't as disturbed as the others.

"If everyone chose to forget about Sable," he said drawly, "then how come the three of you know about her?"
Cily and Faegan exchanged bewildered glances before turning back to Ever.
"Huh, we never thought o' that before," Faegan scratched his head as he pondered this new information.
"Let me get this straight; someone in this village told you about Sable May, a girl who supposedly went insane, killed her mother and sisters, died in the forest, her body disappeared without a trace, everyone chose to forget about her, but someone managed to tell you three?"

"Are you saying that someone would lie?" Thaxter looked as if the thought of someone lying had never occurred to him, which it probably never had.
"You honestly believe all of that? You believe that this Sable tore out her mother's throat with her teeth?"
"Stop it Ever! Just stop!" Cily wailed.
"I don't believe this," Ever muttered, "none of you are even questioning it!"
"We don't have to!" Thaxter insisted but even he didn't seem sure of himself.
"Please don't fight!" Mallie's voice managed to rise above the others, bringing silence back to the once peaceful meadow.

The forest loomed in the distance, listening, waiting.
Ever took in each of their faces. He knew that all of their minds were busy at work, that is, if they even used their minds.
Faegan was the one who broke the silence.
"Ya' know Ever, now that I've been thinkin' 'bout it, you're an awful lot like Sable May befor' she fell off the edge. If ya' take my meanin' Ever."
"What exactly are you implying Faegan?" Ever growled rising to his feet. Despite being the youngest and shortest, everyone backed away from him.
"Calm down Ever, you know he didn't mean it. Right Faegan?" Thaxter had his hands raised in front of him as he backed away. Ever couldn't believe that he'd actually been afraid of this coward once.

"He's right Thaxter," Cily piped up, "Ever acts just like Sable May! He's always alone, never smiles, and does things differently from the rest of us. I bet he's already been in the forest!"
"No he hasn't! Ever is nothing like her!" Mallie stated coming to Ever's defense. "What's wrong with wanting to be alone? Not everyone likes being with people all the time!"
"Exactly! Ever doesn' ever wanna be with anybody!" Faegan declared.
"How do we know he's been in the forest? There has to be some way of knowing," Cily scrunched her nose. Searching for some kind of evidence to prove them right.

"Thaxter you don't believe this right?" Mallie asked clasping her hands together. "You know that the story about Sable May isn't real. It's nonsense!"
Thaxter bit his lip again, not answering her.
"Ya' think we should tell the Elder's?" Faegan suggested.

That was the last straw.

"You're insane! All of you!" Ever's hands curled into fists, an action none of the others had ever seen before.
"Ever we didn't-"
"Didn't what Thaxter?! Not accuse me of being out of my mind?! Of breaking one of our only laws?! You are the most thickheaded idiots I've ever met!" He turned his back on them and stormed away, pulling his cloak tighter around him he shouted, "Don't ever come near me again! And don't invite me to another one of these stupid lunches! I never want to see any of your faces again!"

With that Ever ran the rest of the way to his house, not sparing a single glance behind him. His eyes began to mist and he fought to keep his tears at bay. Behind him, far past the rickety fence that marked the border of the village, the forest stood in silence.

Watching, and waiting.

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So that was the first chapter. What do you guys' think of Ever?

What about Cily?
Or Faegan?
Or Thaxter and Mallie?

Any thoughts or theories about Sable? I'd love to hear them if you do.

Updates should start being more frequent so keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter!

Alright, I'm out