"WE'RE HERE." After a small jump, a foot down, she stood aside. "Now for the exciting part."

He followed suit, then stopped beside her. "Go on. I'll be right behind."

She nodded, gripped her straps, and marched on.

There were trees as far as the eye could see, each tall and thick with moss. All the while, insects buzzed, birds chirped, and tiny mammals scurried. As for the aroma, it smelt of damp moss, flowers, and life.

It would seem perfect.

"Don't worry, Eliott." She peered back. "I never came across any real threat."

He remained quiet.

"We're almost there."

Moments passed.

Head down, she stopped, considered, then continued. "It should be just up here."

Up ahead, a tree had fallen, a few feet wide, with no obvious way around.

"This might be tricky," she said.

"But it's our only choice."

When it was reached, Lottie looked over her shoulder. Then, with a sigh, she grabbed at the bark, propped herself up, and jumped over. "Your turn!"

"No pressure, right?" he mumbled.

"Right."

After doing likewise, he hopped over but missed his landing. On his side, he groaned and held a leg.

"You alright there, buddy?" She stood over him, looking down. "Did you twist your leg or somethin'?"

Moments later, he sat upright, massaging his ankle. "I just... I'm not sure what happened."

"You almost remind me of myself," she said, offering a hand. "Though, I've never known you to be clumsy."

After accepting it, he was pulled to his feet. Then, doubled-over, he took deep breaths.

"Just, uh, sit down or something. Maybe... you're not ready yet."

He peered at her, jaw set.

"What, am I wrong?" she asked.

He looked down and nodded, stiff. "I'm done holding us up. We're close, so go on."

"You sure?" She searched him, head tilted. "There's a stump right t-"

"My ankle's fine." His tone was heavy, eyes sunken. "I'll follow."

Lottie mumbled incoherent words. After gesturing, then sighing, she proceeded deeper.

A minute passed.

There, before them, was a green fabric, now torn and faded, tied over a tree.

"That was my shirt, Eliott." She gave a murmur, looking it over. "This was where I spent my month."

"That it was," he said. "That it was..."

She turned to him. "Are you talking about the shirt?"

He met her face.

"You remember me wearing that, don't you?"

He gave a subtle nod.

"Yeah, I remember, too." She stared off, past the shirt. "I remember a lot of things, Eliott."

He began to shift, then nodded ahead. "Let's keep going. I'll follow you."

She gave a double-take. "Uh, what did you say?"

"My ankle's fine now." A pause. "You're wondering how I know there's more?"

"Yeah," she said, cocking her head, "I never said there was more."

After a small chuckle, his demeanor stiffened. Then, for the first time, life flickered in his eyes.

"Eliott?"

"There's always more than meets the eye, sister. Always."

"Huh?" Her eyes searched; her mouth hung. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You were here for a month. There must be more." Again, he nodded ahead. "Go on. I'll follow."

She looked him over. Moments later, she continued on, gripping her straps.

Another minute passed.

"This is where I stayed," she mumbled. Below her, now a couple feet wide, another foot deep, was a trench-like structure. The tree directly beside it, tall and mossed-over, had another shirt wrapped around its branch. This was one red and just as worn.

A heavy silence settled.

"That's a sad hole." Eliott sighed, drawn-out. "You had grown since, I suppose."

"It used to be bigger... I had dug it myself." She shifted, rubbing her neck. "I'd put sticks on top sometimes if I got cold. Luckily, though, it was summer so it wasn't often."

"Well-" he began.

"And it's not a hole."

He gave a slow nod and let his gaze fall.

"I may have been nine, but even... this is better. Aunt Rena" - she shut her eyes - "was horrible."

With a huff, he peered around, then trudged over to a stone.

"What are you doing?"

"Might as well get comfy, right?" He plopped down, crossing his legs.

She bit her lip. Moments later, with a nod, she sat down on the one beside him.

"I guess this is how we bond, huh?" he said, staring off. "We're some siblings."

"Cousins... technically."

He glanced at her, giving a dry chuckle. "Yeah, I know."

Lottie held her face.

"But we agreed to call each other brother and sister."

A smirk slipped over her. "Yeah, I remember... but that's who you are to me."

He smiled back, then stared ahead. Soon, though, it disappeared and he sighed.

"Is there anything you wanna talk about?" Lottie looked him over and held her breath. "I, just, I remember when you were full of life. You just... you seem depressed now."

"Yeah, well..." Then he trailed off, digging into his jacket pocket. "It doesn't matter, Lottie, and it never will."

She shivered. His voice - it just sounded off.

So frail and dead inside.

It was a tone he'd never used before.

"You okay?" she asked.

After a huff, he pulled something out as he mumbled.

"What's that?"

He peered her way, shrugged, then took a swing of a flask. "Nothing important."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Is that... is that alcohol?" She searched him for a sign - anything. "That is, isn't it?!"

"Lotti-"

"That's why your eyes are so red. You're high!"

"High? No, I'm drunk."

Lottie paused, forcing breaths. In, out. In, out. Then she looked his way, slow but steady.

"What's that for?" he said with a scoff. "I don't need that face."

"I bet that's why you've been clumsy, too."

"Whatev-"

"And so stupid."

For the second time, life flickered in his eyes. "Stupid? How so?"

"On that cliff, remember? You kept holding on. You almost died, too..."

A pause.

"I don't want to have this discussion with you. Not now" - another swing - "not ever."

As she looked him in the eye, keeping firm contact, her insides shattered.

"Don't look at me like that... Like I've just murdered some puppy..."

Lottie forced a blink, dropping her face. "I, just, I've never known you to drink."

"Yeah, well, you've never known me anyway. Not really."

"Tell me, then. Answer the question." She began to fidget with the bracelet. "Why are you so depressed?"

Mid-sip, whiskey dripped from his chin. After wiping it away, then glancing at her, he paused and sighed. "Remember that fire? All those years ago?"

"How could I forget?"

"Remember when Rena was driving us away? You told me something. Do you remember what it was?"

Lottie looked to her feet, composed, then met his face. "'I promise you this: I'll never leave you.'"

"Yes, those were your exact words." His lip trembled but then he smiled, dry. "And I was gullible enough to believe it."

"Eliott-"

Another swing.

"Stop!" Then, with a hand, she knocked it from his grasp.

Clink!

Eliott looked at her, frozen, his nails digging into the stone.

"Eliott?"

For the first time, his eyes showed emotion. They were steady, piecing... and dead.

"You okay?" She forced herself to stay, looking back. "You... you don't look so good."

Eliott reached down, slow and calculated. All the while, his gaze never left her.

"Eliott...?"

"I was depressed because Rena died," he mumbled. "But I mainly just miss you."

"I know you do, but..." She trailed, her words barely coherent. "I just-"

"You just what?" he cut in.

Lottie lost her voice. Moments later, she straightened, keeping firm eye contact. "I just wanted to get away from Aunt Rena. Not you."

"Come on." He tightened his hold of the flask. "I'm gonna need more than that. You ran away from me, too, Lottie... and it all changed after this."

"After what?"

"After you ran away." Now, his palm white, he narrowed his gaze. "So, I'm gonna need an explanation or so help me."

Her frame shook. Her hands fidgetted. "An-an explanation?"

He leaned in. "Yes."

Then she looked around, studying everything; from the trees, tall and thick, to the tiny pebbles.

A moment passed.

"Have you even... have you even seen these woodlands, brother?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I was nine, Eliott. Not once did either of you search for me. Not once!"

"Lot-"

"And I was gone for a whole month."

Everything went quiet.

Eliott smirked, his gaze drifting. "You really think that, huh?" He chuckled. "You're completely in the dark, I guess."

A chill ran down her spine.

He gave a laugh. Then, in that same moment, his face stilled. "You weren't supposed to ever know."

Another chill.

"She told me not to tell you..." - he bowed his head - "and I promised."

"Eliott, what are you talking about?" Her heart pounded in her ears. "What's that supposed to mean?"

His eyes snapped to her. In them, there was a flicker; a panic.

"Please, I need to know..." She leaned in, hands pressed tight. "Please!"

"We were here, Lottie." Then, all-too-slowly, he gazed around. A moment more and he turned back, smiling. "We were often here behind-the-scenes, just... watching."

Her breaths strained. In, out. In, out.

"But Rena didn't want you to know," he mumbled. "She didn't want you to know how much she cared."

"So, she actually knew where I was?" Lottie blinked away the black spots. "You're... you're saying that she was worried?"

He nodded, slow but steady. "She heard you that night, but never woke me up."

"What?"

"And she drove in her car, following you on your bike."

The black spots came back. "What-t?"

"The next day, she woke me up at six and got me ready." Then he sighed, kicking a stray pebble. "We visited every day until you returned."

A pause.

"And she was depressed, Lottie, crying all day..." After a nod, he raised the flask and took a swing. "She was inconsolable, sister, she just- I could never tell you, either, because I promised."

"Eliott-"

"Not even when she was sick."

"Eliott."

His mouth snapped shut. For a moment, he just stared, blinking back tears.

"Did you also know about Fluffy?"

"Who's that?" His voice faltered. "I... I don't understand."

"That was my pet." Then she hugged herself and stood. "Over there" - she nodded - "is his shallow grave."

He matched her, standing up. "Lottie, what are you talking about?"

Then she mustered a faint smile. "She'd come occasionally, always happy but thin."

"What?"

Moments later, she turned to him. "It was early in the morning, the sun peeking through the trees, and-and-"

"And what?"

"Well, she came running, just as she always did. This time, though, I saw a wound on his side. It was bleeding, so I took out my needle and thread."

"It never worked, did it?"

"No."

After peering back, he inched forward and paused.

"You see it, don't you?"

"There's a wooden cross..." he said.

"That's the one." Lottie closed her eyes, forcing breaths. "I came back the day he died."

Eliott stiffened. "I never knew and I'm sorry."

"Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll be at the funeral." She bit her lip, stifling a sigh. "Also..."

He looked her over.

"I'll be coming home. There are things I need to remember."

Hey there! I hope this chapter made sense. Honestly, it was a lot tougher than the previous part. I kept editing this one, trying to perfect it. This probably took about four hours, so I hope it met your standards.

Also, I had done something with these last two chapters. Normally, I tell you Lottie's thoughts, but I decided to keep you more in the dark. Do you prefer this?

Anywayyy, I guess that's about it. I hope you're well and God bless. <3