Slices of Midnight

Chapter 5

"Besides the haunting you discovered in Waurista’s Woods, how many others have you witnessed since last we spoke?"

Muriel ran an ivory-handled brush through my curls as she spoke.

We sat at a small table in the back of her grand covered wagon.

"Did the divining orb help you in your research?"

"I discovered four others, Auntie. The research was difficult, just as you said it would be—but I dare say I couldn’t have done it without the orb."

Muriel offered me another treat—a honey-sweet confection she’d picked up somewhere in lands far east of Indamar.

"Do you enjoy such research, despite the difficulty?"

"I do," I answered, though with some difficulty—my mouth was full of candy.

"I’d say I enjoy the research as much as the actual discovery, if not more. Call me crazy, but I could stare at star charts and soil samples all day."

Muriel laughed, placing a loving hand on my cheek before letting out a wistful sigh.

"Child, you remind me of someone I once knew in so many ways."

"Oh, really?"

"Indeed."

She sniffed and swallowed hard. For a moment, I thought she might break into tears.

"But let’s not talk about that now."

With a dismissive wave, she brushed the sentiment aside.

"Let’s talk about your trek into Waurista’s Woods. It must have taken great courage to venture into such a foreboding forest."

I nibbled at a second sugary treat.

"I guess," I said, though not with much conviction.

I had never seen Muriel become emotional before, and somehow, it changed the mood of our reunion—made it somber, even sad, though I couldn’t say why.

I chewed in the odd silence that settled between us, eventually swallowing the bite of candy.

Muriel’s sudden loss of cheer left me uneasy, but it did allow my mind to drift back to Waurista’s Woods.

And with that, I realized—I had an important question to ask.

"Ombra'lay zak'tachinay. Do you know what that phrase means, Auntie?"