The Sisters of Nowhere

t w e n t y - f i v e : r i t u a l

That night, the girls rummaged through the oak hope chest in Birdie's room. It was where they kept their ceremonial attire that they wore for the eclipse.

Three robes --red, white, and black--were nestled into the trunk that smelled an awful lot like mothballs and ginger.

They hadn't donned their robes in two years. They hadn't planned to until August.

Was it bad luck to perform another ritual a mere month before the eclipse?

"Hurry," Birdie whispered. "It's close to midnight."

According to the almanac, July's full moon would hit its zenith at the twelfth hour. Full moons were not nearly as powerful as eclipses, so they'd have to perform the ritual at that precise time if they wanted any chance of summoning the forest.

Birdie, Marigold, and Ophelia stuffed their clothes beneath their arms and scurried down the oak tree. They felt a unanimous prick of guilt as they silently passed beneath their parents' window.

Secrets were not something any of them liked to keep from each other.

Birdie knew they would understand. Or try to. But midnight was inching closer and they didn't have a moment to spare.

Birdie remembered how hurt she'd been when Marigold kept this exact secret and here she was doing the same thing to her parents.

Marigold, on the other hand, had eyes shining almost as bright as the moon above. The taste of rebellion was fresh and sweet on her tongue. For once, she felt like the bonds that held her in Nowhere were coming a little looser.

Birdie silently envied her.

They dashed down the road where Marigold's truck was waiting outside the peach orchard.

Marigold turned on the ignition slowly, as if that would somehow make the sound of it starting any quieter.

With the headlight turned off, they bumped along the dirt road to the clearing, where Wyatt was waiting.

He had a pad and pencil stuffed in his sweater vest pocket, a clouded expression on his face.

Marigold swung out of the truck to meet him.

Ophelia pulled on Birdie's sleeve before they got out.

"Birdie," she said in a small voice. "I'm a little afraid."

Birdie smiled softly and squeezed her sister's hand. "Me too. But I don't think we have much of a choice."

They clambered out of the truck to find Marigold and Wyatt already in a serious discussion.

"What's going on?" Ophelia asked pensively.

Wyatt rubbed his jaw as Marigold turned around to address them.

"There aren't any ghosts at all," she said.

"I've been watching the clearing ever since last night," Wyatt explained. "There hasn't been a ghost in sight. It might be too late to save them. Have you seen any in town?"

"I haven't been in town to know," Ophelia said. "Birdie?"

Birdie's frown was deep. "Now that I think about it, I didn't see any on my way to Allen's."

"I didn't either," Marigold said.

"So what happens when we summon the forest?" Birdie asked. "Do they get to come back or are they...?" She swallowed hard. She didn't want to say the word gone.