A week passed before things returned to relative normalcy around the Smith home, Clara still didn't speak much anymore but she was able to offer Ria a strained smile or two as she mended the clothes. Ria smiled back awkwardly, knowing her mother would wish her to trade places with Ansel.

  Ria doesn't tell anyone her plan to return to the forest to consort with the hag once more, she more than anyone else seemed to listen to her. On her way there she met a familiar face with beautiful russet curls and a fair face, the favorite of the village. Bellamy Miller.

  Ria wondered what it would be like for her to go missing too, if the cries of the village would be louder than all others cried for the other missing children, for her brother. The girl laughed with her friends cheerfully and walked through the village as if nothing had happened the past week.

  Ria dismissed the girl from her mind and set her sights on heading down the twisty forest path that would take her to the old woman's hut. Ria looked left and right making sure no one saw her as she went in down the path.

  If anyone saw her, they would grow suspicious and she didn't want to know what accusations they could come up with.

  The old woman is sitting outside her hut when Ria came upon her again. The old hag grinned showing a row of missing yellowed teeth. She cackled, loud and high pitched like the keening of a wild animal. Ria winced.

  "Came to ask some more about your brother did you?" the old woman said.

  "Are you a witch?" Ria asked.

  "Witch to some, wise woman to others." the hag replied. Ria sighed, exhaling deeply from her nostrils.

  "Do you know what happened to my brother?" She asked. The old hag shook her head, resting her hands on her lap she stared at the young girl before her with a crooked grin.

  "I don't know where your brother is but the spirits within these forests see all." the old woman said. Ria glanced up at the trees suddenly aware of a presence she could not see. The same cold feeling she felt the day before raced up her back in warning but she persisted.

  "How do I consort with the spirits?" Ria asked. The old woman grinned again, showing her rows of gnarled crooked teeth.

  "Well dear, what are you willing to bargain with? What will you trade to them?"

  "What will I trade?" Ria asked in confusion. Before she could answer, the loud call of the church bell rang. The girl had forgotten it was Sunday and her mother and father would expect to see her at church.

  "I'll be back." Ria said running off again into the village.

  On her way out a hand grabbed her by her red hood. She struggled against the hand, kicking.

  "What have we here? I know you miss your brother but venturing into the forest is very dangerous Miss Lunaria Smith." the voice of a woman said.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Ria wrenched her grip away from the woman's hand to stare. It was the mayor's wife, the short plump woman had a disapproving expression on her face as she looked down her nose at Ria.

  "Shouldn't you be at church for the morning service girl?" The woman said.

  "That's where I was heading Ma'am, I just thought I saw something in the bushes." she lied. The woman watched her go towards the village center where the chapel was. The preacher stood at the door welcoming everyone into the church for the mass.

  Ria passed by him wordlessly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Thinking it was the mayor's wife again, Ria spun around to find the preacher smiling down at her. The man wore the most saccharine grin and clasped his hands together as if in prayer

  "Young Lunaria, we pray the Lord leads all lost sheep home." he said. Ria nodded.

  "Amen father, I pray he just got lost in those woods." Ria said playing along, she didn't forget how the man never joined any of the previous search parties.

  The preacher nodded in approval, allowing Ria to go in and join her family.

  The dark haired girl walked through the pews of the gossiping congregation to find her father sitting by his lonesome.

  "Still?" Ria said as she took her seat beside him. Since the incident, her mother refused to leave the house. Something had changed with Clara and no amount of prodding or pleading would see her respond.

  The man held his face in his hands, Ria saw the shadow over his face as he sat with his head lowered waiting for the sermon to start.

  Her chest tightened, Lukas Smith was a proud man, a hunter who did not show weakness to those around him. For him to grieve so openly struck Ria deeply. She placed a hand around her father's shoulders as he wept silently on the pews. In front of them and behind them, the townspeople pretended they could not hear his distress.

  It was better that way. Ria surmised. He would not be able to live it down if anyone acknowledged it.

  The preacher ascended the pulpit and began his righteous talk about the safety of the town and how they must persevere in such hard times.

  Ria scoffs under her breath not wanting to catch the attention of any of her seat neighbors.

  "And a special prayer for the Smith family, they have endured a loss no one could dare understand." the preacher said. The congregation said a loud amen, some voices louder than others. Ria noticed Bellamy's cruel smirk in her direction.

  Ria wished upon the girl all manner of ill things. She glared, cursing the daughter of the Miller family in her mind.

  Ria left her seat once the mass was over, leaving her father who still sat at the pews crying to go and check on her mother who hadn't joined them at mass since Ansel's disappearance.

  Her father sought the preacher's wisdom but Ria was more interested in actions than in any prayers he could offer.

  The house was near empty when Ria returned from the mass. The wooden door creaked open as she stepped through and rushed upstairs to look for her mother.

  Her parent's bed was empty.

  Ria looked at the well made bed knowing that her mother had not slept in it since. The bed, she suspected, was made immediately after her father had left for the day that morning.

  Ria walked towards her own room, sure she would find her mother there. She checked her room to see if her mother still lay sleeping in her brother's bed. It was empty too, the bed was made now. Ria recalled she had done it this morning as she always did for Ansel when he was still around.

  It had been a painful decision for her to take, but the bed couldn't remain like that forever. Ansel was gone now. Ria understood that, her father understood that.

  Her mother...

  Ria swallowed painfully and gazed upon the empty space with no sign of the woman. There was only one place she would be now.