Moondust Chapter 1

 

Chapter 1

 

Iris followed the dirt road to the old cabin. Her old sneakers making no sound as she quietly stayed behind the cover of the pine trunks. It was nearing sunset, but it was also the middle of July. The air was warm and smelled like pine. Dry pine needles carpeted to the ground as she crept along with her best friend, Matt. Matt led the way, picking through the uneven ground. His steps were silent as a deer. He was more daring than Iris, but she was more curious than him. That combination had gotten them in trouble more times than either of them could remember. It had also gotten them out of trouble a few times as well. It was a way of life for both of them, especially during the middle of summer vacation. 

It was a common belief among everyone in town that the old hunting cabin set off the forest road had been abandoned for years. Some of Iris’s classmates even told her it was haunted. Xander said that he saw lights on once, but everyone knew he would never go outside at night. Xander talked big, but he was always the first one to run away. 

Then, a week ago, Iris heard from a driver at her father’s shipping company about large deliveries being ordered to the cabin. The driver had said it was most likely someone stocking up for and extended camping or hunting trip. The strange thing about it was that a young boy had signed for the goods. Iris didn’t know anyone from school who lived in a cabin, neither did Matt. They decided to investigate. 

“Do you see anything?” Iris whispered. Matt put a strict finger to his lips and pointed to a movement on the porch. If there was a boy there, then why wasn’t he in school? Did he run away from home? Iris had so many questions. It was a long way to walk all the way into town. They were half an hour from city limits by bicycle. Bicycles were Iris and Matt’s vehicle of choice. 

Iris’s attention returned to the cabin. She froze as she watched the battered old front door creak open just a crack. They both held their breath. Then something black slid through the door.

“Go!” Matt signaled urgently. They ran at top speed for two eleven-year-olds back down the way they came. Matt ventured a glace back and slowed. 

“Stop.” He heaved a heavy sigh and pointed back the way at the cabin. On the cabin porch sat a fluffy black cat, licking its paws. Iris stopped. 

“It’s just a cat, but someone had to let it out.” She huffed, out of breath.

“Yeah, or the door wasn’t closed. In any case, we’d better head back. It’s getting dark.”

“We didn’t even see anything yet.” Iris’s heart was pounding, and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t the least bit scared, but her curiosity outweighed her fear. 

“We should ask around. Then we’ll come back. Besides, it’s almost too dark now.” 

They picked their bikes up from the side of the road where they left them. It was easy to see the lights in the city as they petaled back home.  The sun sunk lower until it was completely gone. Iris rode her bike into the garage at her home and went inside.

“Iris? Is that you?” Iris’s mother was in the living room piecing together bows that she sold each year at various holidays and festivals. While her father’s company provided enough money for the family, her mother liked a little extra spending cash and was handy with a sewing machine. 

“I’m home.” Iris called back, heading straight for the kitchen. She found the dinner her mother had left out for her. There was always fresh rice in the cooker. She piled a heaping hill of rice onto her plate and smothered with the meat and vegetables her mother had made. She was allowed to come home later during the summer, but during the school year her family always had dinner together. 

“Did you look into those schools I told you about?” Although she was only fourteen years old, her mother was already talking about universities. It had to do with Iris’s older sister, Petra. As older sisters went, she was nice enough, but impossible to live up to. She was the top student last year and was already looking for universities, even though she still had another two years of high school. With Petra’s success, her mother had gone on a full-blown education campaign with Iris. Mother wanted her to follow in her sister’s footsteps. Petra spent all of her time studying. Iris chewed her food absent-mindedly, her thoughts on the cabin in the woods and the cat. How could a cat live there alone? Was it wild? If not, someone had to be feeding it. 

“Iris!” Her mother’s voice rose.

“Sorry mom. What?”

“I said, did you look at those schools?” Iris bit her lip. What schools? She had no idea. “The magazines I put on your dresser.” Her mother added, each sentence seeming louder than the previous one. Now Iris was sure, sure she had no idea what her mother was talking about.

“Nope, sorry.”

“I put them there two days ago!” She had that tone in her voice. It meant that she was unconvinced that Iris didn’t know what she was talking about. 

“I’ll look at them.” She replied, still trying to remember if she’d seen anything on her dresser. She didn’t spend a lot of time in her room, especially in the summer. She hardly noticed anything in there unless it had to do with something she was taking with her outside.

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