The Madrona Heroes Register: Underneath It All

Chapter 13 - The Hole in the Wall

“It’s getting dark.” Gabe said.

“No it’s not. It’s just the trees blocking out the light.” Zoe answered. And then to Zach, “It’s in here? What you want to show me?”

“Yeah. Just a couple more minutes.”

Zach was about to take a step, and then turned to Zoe and Gabe, his eyes serious, “Before I show you, I need you to promise me to keep it a secret.”

Gabe nodded solemnly.

“How can I promise to keep something secret that I haven’t even seen?” Zoe complained.

“Just promise please.” Zach implored. 

Zoe nodded, but inside remained non-comittal.

The woods felt extra quiet at this hour. Everyone had gone home for dinner. Zach had a pit in his stomach about what he was about to do. But it was the right thing, wasn’t it? Though Binny wouldn’t think so.

Zoe was convinced that the white-haired boy was doing something to the animals. When they’d seen the hurt cat Zach had his doubts about any connection to the white-haired boy. But when he saw the bird sitting next to the boy, and more importantly when he’d seen how the bird had flown away on that awkward and painful looking flight path, Zach knew that something was off, and that boy had something to do with it. 

Zoe’s instincts had been right all along. And Zach’s instincts told him that Zoe was going to confront this boy one way or another. And she shouldn’t do that on her own. 

Zach knew that Binny would be angry. Probably very angry. But Caleb had said that they needed to be a team. And Zach agreed. That was why he was about to do this. No matter what Binny thought Zach’s reasons were, Zach was just following Caleb’s advice. That was all.

§

“Are you coming honey?”

Binny remained on Huitre’s porch with her arms folded.

“Binny?” Julie implored her daughter.

A deep saturated pink. That was the color Binny had seen.

“Binny, it’s time to go home.” Julie repeated.

“Home? Which home is that?”

“Binny please. Let’s go to our home.”

Binny knew what pink meant. “Our home? I don’t know where that is. I know where your home is. And I know where my home is. But I don’t know where our home is. And you know why that is?”

“Binny please.” Julie sounded tired.

Binny had seen the pink in Zach’s thoughts after he’d first met that Zoe girl. Zach had been positively pink for days. “There is no our home anymore. And that’s because you left.”

Penny shifted on her feet not sure where to look.

“Honey, I didn’t leave.”

“Well I’m still there. Cassie and Zach are still there. Dad is still there. But you’re not. So I’m pretty sure you were the one that left.”

“That’s not what happened.” Julie’s voice only slightly more than a strained whisper.

If Binny could ban one color from the spectrum it would be pink. She never wanted to see that shade again. “And now you’re drinking wine and dancing with Dr. Huitre dreaming of flying off to Paris with him while Daddy sits at home alone. This is all your fault.” Binny said the last three words as if they were underlined.