Chapter 3

CHARLIE SPRINGS

Charlie Springs was like a hive of bees.

At least, that's what she thought she was like. Always hopping from one thing to the next, never staying on any particular thing for too long unless it piqued her interest, careening through time at a million miles an hour. And if something annoyed her, people knew.

Not that she particularly cared what people thought of her. She'd tried that. Didn't work.

But she didn't like Pyr Iskie, and she was going to make sure it was crystal clear to Pyr exactly what she thought of him.

And so she barreled down the path in the direction Kristin had pointed her in at a breakneck pace. The engine of her bike purred, and the wind pummeled her face, though her goggles kept her from squinting. She was glad she'd cut her hair after leaving for Moonfall and had kept it shorter; she knew if she hadn't done that she'd have a nightmare of a time untangling the knots. One of those 'rebellious' things I di-. She shook her head to put a firm stop to the rabbit hole she was about to go down. She couldn't lose her focus, not now.

"Here, Pyr-y, Pyr-y, Pyr-y," she sang under her breath, repeating his name again and again as it rhymed. Pyr-y, Pyr-y, Pyr-y, Pyr-y.

Charlie heard them before she saw them: the dogs' snarls, Pyr's cries, Ren's even voice, and someone's shout. And when they came into view, she swerved to the side to come to a stop, sending a spray of dirt and pebbles flying. Pyr brought up an arm to shield his face, and Ren did too. Somnus scampered out of the way. Morpheus took that moment to latch onto Pyr's arm and claw at him until he fell. When Pyr kneed Morpheus hard in the side, he just snarled and bit down harder.

Ren bent down toward Pyxis, placing one of their hands on her fur. Their headphones were still securely lodged in their ears, held in place by the elastic headband they often wore. "Pyxis. Ferris, find."

"Hello, Pyr," Charlie said with a smile as she stepped off of her bike. "Easy way or hard way?"

"You're not catching me. I already escaped. Now, call your stupid dog off of me."

"I think not. You see, you knocked out one of my-." Charlie exhaled slowly, taking a deep breath to calm herself when Pyr snuck his free hand into his pocket and flung a knife at her, which whizzed by mere inches from her face. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she knew she had to keep a level head.

"That was rude. Attempted murder is now gonna be added to your list of offenses."

"I didn't try to murder you. If I did, it wouldn't be attempted murder. You'd be dead. I'm not going to do something halfway." Pyr bared his teeth.

"The knife you just threw at me says otherwise."

"Ren, let's cuff him."

"Charlie, watch out!"

Pyr jabbed an elbow into Morpheus's throat, causing the dog to choke. He wrestled his arm from Morpheus's jaws, then fished out another knife that he tried to stab into the dog's chest but since Morpheus had moved, it got lodged in his vest. Morpheus's teeth snapped shut next to Pyr's ear, and Somnus came and crashed into his back, fangs intended for his arm instead digging into his shoulder.

Charlie rushed forward and shoved Pyr to the ground. She pressed her forearm into his back, pinning him down as he tried to rise. "Gotcha, Pyr."

"Ren, little help?"

"Yes." In another situation, Charlie would've snorted at Ren's answer, maybe made some snarky comment. But right now the two of them had Pyr pinned to the ground. They couldn't let him escape again.

When Pyr's hand started to sneak down, Charlie shifted and slammed a foot down on his fingers. "Nice try."

"Morpheus, sit. Stay. Good." He had tried to come over and help, despite the knife sticking out from his side. But when Ren gave him the series of commands, he immediately sat.

Pyr strained against Charlie's hold, twisting his arms. Charlie curled her fingers.

He lurched up and flipped them over when Charlie's grip gave ever so slightly. "You don't 'gotcha, Pyr' anymore," he spat.

Pyr scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping a few times as he made a break. "Somnus, take down." Ren pointed at Pyr, and he bolted, throwing himself into the air with a snarl and sending Pyr face first to the ground, jaws locking around his arm. Morpheus watched, a paw lifting, as if to give chase like Somnus had done, before settling back on the ground.

When Charlie and Ren reached Pyr's side, he smiled, looking over his shoulder, though it was more a baring of teeth. "You can't catch me. I keep escaping."

Charlie sighed, then knelt down. She wrapped her arm around Pyr's neck. Somnus allowed her to bring Pyr to an awkward sitting position. She patted Pyr's shoulder, then rubbed his hair with her free hand as she spoke. "Ah, Pyr. Pyr-y, Pyr-y, Pyr-y."

"Aww, giving me a nickname. How sweet. You know, I thought you had a thing for that guy I just knocked out."

"Don't interrupt me."

"Evading what I said. Interesting."

"Don't interrupt me," Charlie spat, tightening her grip on Pyr's neck. "As I was saying, ah, Pyr. Whatever shall we do with you?"

"Let me go."

"Rhetorical question. You know, you've been pretty bad, haven't you? You knocked out my friend and stabbed one of our dogs. Not to mention the wildlife you've killed, and that you were going to kill the wolves. And...," she paused, sucking on her teeth and drawing in a sharp breath. "I can't let you do that. So, here's what's gonna happen. Ren is going to put on the handcuffs. The dog will release you when we tell him to. And then we're going to bring you back to Moonfall so you can be charged, where you will be tried against a jury for escaping prison, snaring and poaching the protected wildlife of Silverlight Forest, or Pocket Forest, if you prefer that name, including the Silverlight Pack, as well as the assault of us. Attempted murder of me, as well. And, because the law says so and it's rather enjoyable to say, you're under arrest, Pyr Iskie. Feel free to keep your mouth shut, or chat up a storm. We're all listening, though, so if you say anything you'd rather keep to yourself, that's on you." Anger flared in her stomach as she listed everything Pyr would be charged for, but she bottled it up and shoved it to the side.

Ren locked the handcuffs around Pyr's wrists. "Somnus, let go," they said and the dog immediately released Pyr's arm, and Charlie hauled him to his feet after pulling another knife from one of his pockets.

"And, in case you were thinking of doing that oh-so-very-stupid thing of trying to attack me, threaten us into giving you the key, or using this little lock pick to free yourself, don't." Charlie pulled a thin strip of metal from Pyr's sleeve and held it up, clicking her tongue and shaking her head.

"Naughty, naughty."

Pyr grumbled, curling his lip, but didn't respond.

xxxx

The walk back to where Zip had parked the truck was relatively quiet. Charlie couldn't help but say that she was a little disappointed that Pyr hadn't put up much of a fight and that he'd held his tongue. Only once did he make any effort to escape, though he'd barely made it two steps before Charlie grabbed onto his arm and yanked him back to the path.

His jacket was stained red with drying blood. They would bring him to the Moonfall Precinct, and then he'd be transferred to the hospital, where he'd be treated for his wounds before being officially charged. Charlie wished she could see his trial and could tell him to enjoy his nice, long stay in prison, but she knew she couldn't stay away from the SFPU for that long. Other offenders to catch, and all.

Morpheus limped behind Ren, knife still sticking out to the side. Ren had tried to get a look at the wound, but since the blade had pierced through his vest, they couldn't see it very well and had decided to let Kristin choose how best to care for the wound, being that he was the group's doctor, appointed by the fact that he was the most knowledgeable out of anyone and was willing.

Somnus watched Pyr like a hawk, walking by his side and eyes never straying from him. His muscles were tensed, ready to react the instant Pyr tried anything, though he never did.

The truck was rumbling softly when they reached it. Zip stood outside the back door, already having pulled down the steps that were stored beneath the seat closest to the doors and set them on the ground. "Ferris and Kristin are... are in the front. Kristin-. Kristin will drive. Says F-Ferris'll be fine till back. We'll be... back here."

"Sounds good," Ren replied.

Charlie placed a hand on the middle of Pyr's back and shoved him forward. He stumbled, shooting an icy glare over his shoulder, before catching himself when Charlie yanked back on the collar of his jacket. "In you go."

She followed Pyr up the steps and pushed him into his seat. Ren locked in his handcuffs, while she strapped his seatbelt on tight. Somnus walked into his kennel when Ren opened the door and called him, though he sent one last look to Pyr.

Once Pyr was securely restrained, Charlie opened the divider between the front cabin and the back of the truck and popped her head through. Kristin was fiddling with some of the knobs Zip had installed in the truck, while Ferris was curled up in the passenger seat, head resting on his fist. "How ya doin', Ferris?"

"Tired. I-. I can't believe Pyr knocked me out." He stared blankly at the floor, and Charlie could almost see the energy seeping into the cushions.

"You're weak," Pyr spat. "It wasn't even a challenge."

"Shut it, Pyr, before I do it myself."

"See? You need your girlfriend to defend you."

"You're lucky the Moonfall Precinct needs you in one piece. Otherwise, I'd happily deliver you in a box. Maybe even several, if I was feeling creative."

"I'd be careful, Pyr," Ferris murmured. "When Charlie decides she's going to do something, it'll get done. If she decides to make your life miserable, you'd better brace yourself."

"Is that what she did to you?"

"No. But I know she'd do it if she decided to." Ferris shrugged, leaning his head against the window. He's not wrong.

"That's enough talking, Pyr. Do I need to tape your mouth shut? Perhaps sew it shut? I'm sure I could find a needle and thread somewhere." Pyr narrowed his eyes but didn't respond.

Ren lifted Morpheus into their arms and helped him into the truck. Zip helped steady Morpheus as Ren walked up the steps into the truck. They placed Morpheus in his kennel but left the door open in case he needed anything. He laid down and rested his head on his paws. As per the usual, his expression gave away little.

Ren and Zip took opposite seats at the very back of the truck, closest to the doors, providing a barrier between Pyr and the exit. Zip watched his fingers as he drummed them against his thigh and Ren kept their gaze locked onto Morpheus, but Charlie knew both were aware of everything going on around them.

"Everyone buckled?" Kristin shifted the truck into drive.

"Let's go," Charlie said.

"Camp and then Precinct?"

"Yup."

"You can't arrest me," Pyr said as Kristin started off toward the camp. Charlie had shut the divider, and without any windows in the back of the truck, Pyr wouldn't know where they were going. She knew Kristin would take a bit of a roundabout way in case Pyr tried to remember the turns they had made, though not as roundabout as the SFPU would've liked due to Ferris and Morpheus's injuries.

"We can and we did."

"I'll sue you."

"Have fun with that."

"You'll go to jail." Charlie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Not gonna work, Pyr.

"We won't."

"You'll lose all of your money."

"I don't think so."

"Your little... organization will get shut down." Pyr scowled at her, lip curling into something somewhere between smirk, sneer, and snarl.

"I think not."

"You'll lose everything."

"Do you guys hear that? There's, like, this voice talking, I think. I feel like I heard something, but I don't know what it is. Do you hear it?" Charlie rubbed her ears, frowning in mock confusion and looking around Pyr but never directly at him.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Ren stared at Charlie for a few moments before it clicked in their mind. "I'm not sure," was all they said in reply. Zip didn't look up, but offered a soft hum.

"I could've sworn I'd heard something."

Charlie kept Pyr in her vision, just in case he tried to pull an escape act. But she denied him the satisfaction of the attention she knew he wanted.

Kristin piloted the truck over a familiar bump, and soon turned the car sharply to the left. Ren and Charlie leaned into it, but Pyr was thrown to the side. "Bad driver you've got there," he growled.

He's a better driver than most. Ashley taught him.

Charlie resisted the urge to give a snarky reply and held her tongue. She'd get more satisfaction without a reply than with, and she basked in it.

Eventually, the truck went over a familiar series of rocks and Charlie knew they were at the camp. After a brief pause to open the gate, the only way in or out of the camp, the truck drove into the camp and turned around so it was facing the exit.

Kristin pushed open the divider in the truck. "Alright. Zip, Ren, take Pyr to the Precinct. Charlie, help me get Ferris and Morpheus inside. We'll take a look at them. Bring Somnus and Pyxis to their pens and get them settled. I'll be inside with Ferris and Morpheus."

"Yup."

Ren tied a bandana around Pyr's head before opening the doors to the truck. In ideal circumstances, they would've gone directly to the Moonfall Precinct, but since Ferris had been knocked out and Morpheus stabbed, it was more pressing to get them back so Kristin could better care for them.

Few had been to their camp, and those that had were in the Waverwell government who were assisting in the protection of Silverlight Forest. They wanted to keep it that way. Ren stood at Pyr's side, ready in case he made a move to escape. He leaned against his bindings but made no further attempts, and Charlie guessed it was more a testing of them as opposed to an actual effort to break free.

After releasing Somnus and Pyxis and telling them to hop out, Charlie scooped Morpheus into her arms, careful not to jostle him too much or bump the knife in his side, and stepped out of the truck.

She looked back at Pyr one last time, sending him her most withering glare when she couldn't resist the urge.

Anger burned in the depths of her gut, churning at the thought of if they'd arrived just a little later, if Pyr had made it just a little further into the forest, that he might've reached the wolves. The Silverlight Pack, the creatures who kept Silverlight Forest in balance. If removed, it was like taking out that crucial little cog that kept the machine going. The one that without it, the machine would cease to work as intended and would fall into disarray. Charlie didn't want to know what that would look like, though she had some pretty good ideas.

It was tempting to rough Pyr up, to lash out at him. He'd hurt both Ferris and Morpheus, had killed and attempted to kill numerous species in Silverlight Forest, had been intending to slaughter the Silverlight Pack. She knew that if asked, she would be believed over Pyr. She could say that he'd hit first, that it was in self-defense, and she would be believed, even if Pyr said she was lying.

But her gut was telling her it wasn't right. Even for someone as terrible as Pyr Iskie. They'd caught him, he was restrained, and he couldn't hurt anyone right now. Pyr would be brought to a hospital to get treated for his wounds and make sure he wouldn't die, and then he would be officially charged. Charlie knew the list would be long, but she didn't feel an ounce of sympathy. Rather, she felt glad that the list would be so long. And with the severity of the charges he would likely get, she knew there was a good chance he would be locked away until he died.

xxxx

Charlie set Morpheus down on the couch. "Stay," she told him, though she doubted he would move.

She walked back outside, to where Kristin was helping Ferris out of the truck, and brought Somnus and Pyxis to their pens. She made sure they had water and access to their runs if they desired before returning to the courtyard. Ferris leaned heavily on Kristin's shoulder. He was unsteady on his feet, though he managed to stay upright. The wound on the side of his head had mostly stopped bleeding. "Can you hold the door?" Kristin jerked his head toward it, and Charlie nodded.

"Yup." She pushed her back into the door, allowing Kristin to support Ferris and lead him over to the couch, where he sat down next to Morpheus.

Ferris stared at the dog for several long moments as Kristin disappeared into his room to grab supplies.

"What... what happened to Morpheus?" The dog lay on his side, knife that was still embedded in his vest facing up.

"He got stabbed." Charlie figured it was probably better to be short and honest; easier for Ferris to follow.

"Stabbed?" Ferris echoed.

"Stabbed," she affirmed.

"Stabbed?" Ferris repeated.

"Stabbed." She nodded.

"Morpheus got stabbed, and you're worried about me... getting a bump on the head?"

"You got knocked out."

"Morpheus got stabbed."

"You got knocked out, and Kristin will make sure Morpheus is fine."

"Him... him first! I'll be fine! I don't want him to die."

"He won't die." Kristin walked out from the hallway where their bedrooms all were, bag of supplies in hand.

"Priorities," Ferris muttered. "I'm fine. Treat him first."

"You're not fine; you got knocked out. I'm fairly certain you've got a concussion."

"I'm fine. Treat Morpheus first. I won't die, he might."

"You're not the one who was designated doctor in the group, so I'll be the one to determine that."

"Ooh, Kristin," Charlie said. "Pulling the Designated Doctor card. I like it." She grinned, ignoring how her stomach twisted.

"Kristin... please. Morpheus first." Exhaustion hung over Ferris in a nearly visible blanket, but the pleading was clear across his face. Kristin hesitated, pausing for a few moments, before nodding.

"Ok," he said. He knelt by Morpheus's side and pulled on a pair of gloves.

"I hope Ren isn't too attached to the vest," Kristin said as he cut through the straps on Morpheus's vest and took off most of it, leaving only the side with the knife stabbed through it.

"I'm sure the knife in his side is far higher on their list of concerns right about now," Charlie said.

"Yeah, I'd think so too. Eesh, sharp knife Pyr used."

"Can we use it as a kitchen knife? Ours always seem to be kinda dull."

"No way we're using the knife of a criminal who stabbed our dog to cut veggies with. Uh, uh. Besides, it'll probably be used in the case against Pyr." Kristin frowned as he examined where the knife had pierced through the vest.

"How does it look?" Ferris had shifted so he was mostly laying down on the couch, feet up on the coffee table, an arm draped over his eyes.

"Actually not too bad. The vest stopped the knife from going in too far. It seems to be a pretty shallow wound. Lucky you, Morpheus. I'm going to sedate him some though and give him some pain medication so it won't feel too bad. Charlie, can you get my bag? I'm going to bring him to my room. Don't need the couch getting all bloody. Ferris, don't move. If you feel any different, call for me immediately. Seriously."

"Ok, ok, ok. Will do. Can you turn off the lights? It's so bright."

"The family room doesn't have lights; it's all windows."

Ferris frowned. "That sucks. Go help Morpheus."

"Morpheus, just hold still. You're doing awesome." The dog seemed to just melt into the couch as the sedative took effect, and his eyes closed partway, turning distant.

Kristin's room was the closest, the first in the hallway where the group's rooms were. Charlie held open his door as he carried the limp Morpheus through and set him on the desk he'd converted into a table for when anyone —or the dogs— got injured. A series of little bins lined a wall, filled with gauze, wraps, braces, needles, and an array of equipment he'd stocked up on through various trips to Moonfall and things he'd asked to be brought with the few massive shipments of supplies when the camp was being built.

"Thanks, Charlie. You gonna be fine in here?" He put on a new pair of gloves.

"I think so." She hung near the back of the room. Blood had never really bothered her, but there was something different about seeing it now, coating the knife's blade and Morpheus's vest and fur. It wasn't the same.

Kristin's room was somehow shrinking. Rapidly. The edges of Charlie's vision were turning fuzzy, and the blood that was turning Morpheus's fur and Kristin's gloves scarlet was quickly becoming all she could see.

"Charlie, out. I don't want you passing out on me. There's one of me, and two who are injured. Don't make it a third." It took a minute for Kristin's words to register. She didn't like them, but she found herself nodding.

"Ok."

"Out." He didn't look at her and focused on cleaning out the wound on Morpheus's side. The knife had been discarded off to the side.

"Ok."

"Make sure Ferris is doing fine. I've got this under control. Shouldn't be too much longer."

"Yeah, yeah, ok."

Charlie took a moment to brace herself against the wall outside Kristin's room until she wasn't quite so dizzy. Why did that bother me so much? I'm not queasy over blood. Weird.

"Hey, Dipper," she sang as she strolled into the living space of the house.

"Morpheus... is he doing ok?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Kristin pulled the knife out of his side. I don't think it was really all that deep."

Neither of them spoke for several long moments, and Charlie flopped down on the couch. The silence that settled over them was comfortable.

Ferris sighed. "He got me."

"Hm?" Charlie blinked and turned to look at him.

"Pyr got me. He got me. I... he got me."

"He did, but we got him and he'll be locked away hopefully for forever. How ya doin'?"

"Tired. Got that report for Cynthia nearly complete. It's due tomorrow morning so I'll have to finish it tonight and send it off. God, my head is spinning." Ferris sat up but hunched over and placed his head in his hands.

"Want me to finish it? It's just editing and stuff, right?"

"Yeah."

"I can do that. You're better with the fancy government talk, but I can edit."

"I...," Ferris's voice trailed off and he sighed again. "I might take you up on that."

"Yeah, 'course. Want you doing better. You should take it easy; you just got knocked out."

"Thanks, Charlie." The corner of Ferris's mouth tugged at a smile and he glanced at her through his fingers that still supported his forehead. Charlie patted his shoulder.

"You're welcome, Dipper."

"Springs." Their acknowledgement of each other.

"Kristin! How's Morpheus doing?" Charlie turned around when she heard Kristin walk out from his room.

"He'll be alright. He's waking up, though is still pretty groggy. No work for him for the next week or so, and nothing too strenuous for several weeks."

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea."

"That's why I said it." Kristin snickered at Charlie's half-hearted glare. "Ferris, you're up."

"Alright," Ferris said. "What do I do?"

Charlie watched from the couch as Kristin ran Ferris through a series of tests, first checking his balance and then memory and coordination. It was a bit odd for her to see Ferris stumble slightly since he often had the best balance out of the group, though she knew it wasn't without reason. His memory and coordination were better, but he still struggled a bit.

"I'd say you've got a bit of a concussion."

"That's unfortunate. Can I sit down now?"

"Yes, of course." Charlie moved over and Ferris sat down next to her.

"How long does it take to go away?"

"Hmm. About a week, maybe a week and a half or so. You'll have to take it easy and gradually get back to things. No Ultimate Ballgame, so you'll have to sit the next match out. I heard Charlie volunteer to finish the report for Cynthia, so that's good. But take it easy, Ferris."

"No Ultimate Ballgame?"

"No Ultimate Ballgame."

"It's ok, Dipper. I would've beat you anyways."

Ultimate Ballgame was the game they played every week or two. There was a huge field about a five minute walk from their fence, and they'd put up a net to divide it into two. The rules were simple: hit the ball over the net in three hits or less, and the ball couldn't touch the ground for more than five seconds. Everything else was free. Hit the ball with your arms, legs, head, anywhere was fair game. The field was massive, so most of the game was spent sprinting after the ball and hitting it as far as you possibly could to get it over the net. Charlie and Ferris were always on opposite teams and had a friendly rivalry going. They were about even in wins.

"No, I don't think so. I've won the last two."

"I let you."

"Sure you did." Ferris gave Charlie a flat look.

"Uh, huh. I'm getting food. That pizza wasn't enough."

"Grab me something? Something light."

"There's a, uh, sandwich or something from yesterday. I'm taking the salad. Some sort of wrap. A lot of random stuff. Hopefully Ashley got some good stuff cuz we're running a bit low."

"Are there any... I don't know. Like, crackers or something. I'm a bit hungry but nauseous at the same time." Charlie flipped open a few cupboards after skewering a bite of the salad.

"There's... whatever these are." She held up a box of crackers. She wasn't sure how long they'd been opened but with how quickly they went through food knew they were edible.

"Those'll be fine."

"Want anything, Kristin?"

"I'm fine. That was my salad, you know."

"You didn't label it. If it's not labeled, it's up for grabs." She walked the crackers over to Ferris and sat down on the arm of the couch.

"I know." Kristin frowned at his phone.

"Ashley still not reply?"

"No. I've called him like a dozen times or something. Texted him a bunch. Everything." He shut his phone off and shook it, as if hoping it would somehow yield a reply from his brother.

"Did he say exactly where he was going? I could tell Ren and Zip to search after they've dropped Pyr off. Or I could go myself."

"The usual food and supply run. It doesn't take this long, even if he's moving at a snail's pace."

"Perhaps he got really sidetracked?" Charlie tilted her head to the side.

"I know you're trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate it, but not right now."

"Alright."

"Maybe call him again," Ferris offered.

"Yeah, worth a shot."

"I guess I'll give it another go." Kristin's shoulders drooped.

"Wonderful," Charlie said. She sidled up beside Kristin as he set his phone on the counter and tapped around, hitting Ashley's name and then the call button.

If there was one thing about Ashley, it was that he was always on time, whether it was meeting someone somewhere, being ready to go at a certain time, replying to a text message, or picking up a call. Out of the six of them, it was the most unusual for him not to reply, especially with how many times Kristin had reached out. Charlie had sent Ashley a quick message a few hours ago. She knew Ferris had called him and that Zip had sent a few messages, and she guessed Ren had as well.

A round trip to and from Moonfall, with the time in the middle to pick up supplies, could be done in one day, although it was often easier to just stay overnight and return in the morning, as navigating the uneven, winding roads in Silverlight Forest at night was difficult.

The phone rang. And rang. And rang. And rang. Ashley picked up quickly, always before the third ring and often just after the first. And then it went to voicemail, and Ashley's voice rang out through the speakers: Hello, this is Ashley Baok's voicemail. If you're calling and it is urgent, please call my brother, Kristin. You should know his phone number. Otherwise, please leave a voicemail and I will get back to you as soon as possible! And if this is Charlie, please return my book to its location. You know where it is. Thank you, and have a nice rest of your day!

"Hey, Ashley. It's Kristin... again. We're worried about you. Please call back. Or message. I don't... please, just let us know you're ok. If something's going on, we're all here to help. I don't care what it is. We'll figure it out. Please... We just want to make sure you're ok. Call us back, message us," Kristin's voice trembled, and he huffed a choked laugh, running a hand over his mouth. "Maybe those smoke signals you were reading about? I just want to make sure you're ok."

Tears rolled down Kristin's cheeks, and he slowly crumpled to the floor. Charlie scooped up the phone before it could fall.

"Hi, Ashley. It's Charlie. Still Kristin's phone. You gotta come home, alright? I'll temporarily steal more of your books. Maybe I'll rearrange them all? You're leaving me far too much time to plan a prank. You gotta come home, alright? Just... come back. Anyways, bye. Come home though. See ya." Charlie hung up, and her usual carefree, joking tone had melted into something more desperate. Come on, Ashley. Please. Where are you?

"I'm sorry, Kristin," Charlie murmured. She knelt beside Kristin and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you sorry about?" There was an edge to Kristin's voice she hadn't heard before.

"I... I don't know," she eventually admitted. "I don't really know what to say, and it felt like it might be the right thing."

"You don't need to apologize if you haven't done anything wrong."

"I know... it's just a habit." She huffed a humorless laugh.

"Where is he, though? He should be back by now. He's always back by lunch, and he never misses a message. Hell, it's usually me who he has to ask if I got his message or phone call. Why hasn't he replied?"

"I'm not sure. Let me message Ren and Zip to drive around and see if they see the car in Moonfall. They should be finished with dropping off Pyr and going through all of that at the Precinct."

Ferris flopped down heavily next to the two of them. "I just messaged them."

"Did the screen bother you? You shouldn't be doing anything to mentally taxing." Kristin narrowed his eyes.

"It was fine."

"I'm going to turn on the news," Kristin said, standing up. "I need something to distract me. I didn't check it earlier, so let's see what's going on in Waverwell.

Charlie grabbed her salad from the counter and walked back over to the couch, leaning against it from behind. The lettuce was a bit soggy from soaking in dressing for more than a day, but it still held some of the crunch Charlie always found so satisfying.

The evening news played, jumping from the Waverwell News studio in the little town of Raconteur -a town pretty much dedicated to reporting, either on tv or in print, with a handful of houses and other businesses- to reporters in locations of interest. It started with updates on Leviathan Inc.'s Arkreon announcement, then to a crash in Cloverleaf, a robbery in Corville, and then a daring rescue in the Underdown.

The stories were interesting, but none were able to hold Charlie's attention and she was beginning to tune out. But then the Breaking News anthem rang through the speakers, cutting off where someone was describing what had happened in the Underdown, and the screen turned red with white writing.

"Breaking news tonight out of Moonfall. I'm your host Shaheena Driscoll from Waverwell News." The screen cut to her, where she sat at a lengthy desk with the other host, Jaymes Haverfield, next to her. The weatherperson, Sarah Seaville, stood at the end.

Shaheena continued: "Authorities have just reported that a body was found in the Pocket Forest."

Charlie's blood ran cold, and she nearly dropped her salad.