A town with a population of 500 residents, its name is not seen on any map. Not of the country. Not of the state. In the middle of Idaho surrounded by mountains is a small town, barely big enough to even call small. Don’t let the pretty sight and pleasantness of the town misdirect you, the people are cold and shallow. They have no pets and the children will use their knowledge solely for their profit. The gossip in this fair town called Luis, only stirred one time every year.
As the sunset and the few shops they had begun to close, the headlights from a car nearby made a boy who looked squint to see the vehicle. The inhabitants of Luis ignored the car, minding their own business and retreating into their houses for the night. But that one boy stayed outside, his curiosity sparked anew with the arrival of the visitor. As he stood in the dark of the paved road, the car turned on the path to Luis. When it reached a stop, they parked on the street and the vibrating car became quiet. The boy’s eyes adjusted to the darkness as he saw a tall thin woman exit the car, greeting him.
“Good evening,” she said, her voice just as cheerful as her smile across her face.
“Evening,” the boy spoke, staring at the lady with his dark green eyes.
The lady shifted her gaze, examining the little town. “Do you know a place where I can stay the night?” She asked him, growing uncomfortable with his importunate gaze.
The boy nodded. He looked to his left and pointed to a tall plain white house made of wood. “Down yonder you can stay. Tis’ a bed and breakfast. They open all night long,” he said in an old northwestern accent.
Nodding to the young disturbing boy, the lady started to walk towards the dimly lit bed and breakfast. But the boy followed close behind her. She turned quickly to scold him.
“I can walk well enough on my own young man,” she admonished him, and then quickly darted away to the bed and breakfast.
“But ma’am, it’s dangerous out here alone.”
She stopped short in her tracks, “What do you mean?”
“My momma says that no lady should walk the streets at night alone,” the boy said cheerfully with a wide crafty grin.
But the tall lady couldn’t detect the devious intent from the boy. “Oh,” she sighed and trudged along to the inn. The boy skipped alongside her, his hands entwined behind him, his grin grew wide and he carried a gay disposition.
After seeing through that the lady arrived safely at the bed and breakfast, he waved goodbye to her, rocking back and forth on his feet, and then left for bed. In the morning the charming song sang by finches and the screech of a hawk was drowned out by a shrill cry from down the street. As the fog enveloped the town, it disappeared along with all of its ghostly inhabitants. A bottomless pit to all of those who pass by.
But to the police of Boise Idaho, a new image was added to the wall of missing individuals. This time, Ashlin Wallace 5’7 and weighs 130lb was added to the list of missing personnel.
copyright © 2021 by Myst In the Forest
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