Moonhaven

Chapter 1: To the Northwest, and Don't Look Back

It was a bright and sunny day in early August. Outside was thirty-two degrees, but the inside of the New Orleans airport terminal had a pleasant breeze flowing from all directions.

Much of the airport was empty. Alex Prior sat in a corner seat at the end of an empty row with one leg folded under his thigh and the other on the floor, tapping away at full speed. He'd spent much of July in voluntary solitary, practicing archery with his beloved recurved bow — Aetherius.

He had first realized his love for the sport when he was twelve. His uncle, Wylliam Prior, had visited and it was the first time Alex had met him. Being an adept archer after growing up practicing it endlessly, Wylliam had traveled the world for years teaching archery to any willing learners. He'd finally decided to take a two-year vacation and visit his older brother, Grayson. Wylliam had wasted no time in showing Alex the beauty and backbone of the bow, albeit he wasn't a strong enough force to convince Alex's mother to let him take archery classes for when he left to travel again. So, Alex had settled for the few lessons Wylliam could provide in the meantime.

Before Wylliam had left back for his travels, he had given Alex a neatly crafted longbow made of oak wood. Alex knew it would be the trickiest thing in the world, keeping it a secret from his mother, but it was worth it.

Alex's father, Grayson Prior, sat across from him. He tapped his dimmed phone screen at the same speed that Alex was tapping his foot. Grayson had spent much of July finalizing preparations for relocation of his business, Prior's Hardware Priorities, which was set to re-open up shop in a week.

Back in February, Alex's mother, Julia, had encouraged him to try out for a school sport. He didn't really like the idea, but he more so didn't want to disappoint his mother. So when March came, he took a chance with soccer tryouts, and couldn't believe he'd made the team. Around late April, his first game was happening.

Early that morning, his mother had mumbled something at breakfast that sounded to Alex like, 'of course I'll be at the game', but only his father had made it. To Alex's surprise, their team won, but he opted-out of celebrating with them and journeyed to the ice cream shop with his father instead.

When they got home, Grayson had dashed straight for the fridge. Alex had been right behind him, when he heard strange noises coming from upstairs. The door to his parents' bedroom was left ajar, and from it Alex had seen his mother entwined with a man that wasn't his father. He had slowly retreated from the door just as his father was coming upstairs.

Grayson had barged in, and all Alex had heard was faint yelling, mostly his father's. He heard another voice that sounded familiar, but he couldn't make it out. And then a familiar face rushed out — Wylliam — who stumbled to a stop in front of his nephew. Neither of he nor Alex had said a word, but there was remorse in Wylliam's eyes.

Alex had shunned him and gone downstairs, leaving the house. He had sent his father a text that he'd be out for a while. He stopped by their tool shed to get the longbow that Wylliam had given him, then headed into the forest nearby and started a small fire with two pieces of sticks once he far away enough from home. He tossed the bow into the bright, open flame, and watched its wooden body burn away until it was nothing but ash.

When he had gotten home later that night, he discovered that Wylliam had left for the airport to catch his flight back to the Philippines and return to his work. Alex's parents were also getting a divorce, and his mother was moving out. The next morning, Grayson was headed back to the old grind of the hardware shop, but was followed by his son. Alex had gotten an idea, and needed to vent some anger, so Grayson had let him tag along. When they had arrived, Grayson had given him sixty dollars before disappearing into his office.

With the money, Alex had bought a few logs of yew wood, a few pounds of metal, metallic string, dark blue paint, and asked the manager if he could use their hands-on tool room. After about two and a half weeks of spending perhaps hundreds of hours of the days in that room, Aetherius was born. Alex had gotten the name from a book during his history class one day. He had long forgotten what the name was affiliated with, but he adored it too much to care. Not long after, he had quit the soccer team to focus on fine tuning his archery skills.

Then one day, about four weeks after the incident at the Prior home, Grayson had discovered an opened envelope with a lavender letter about three pages long that was folded inside, abandoned on the kitchen floor by a partially closed backdoor. It was addressed to Alex, from someone Grayson didn't know. He knew he shouldn't have read it, but he did, and he almost couldn't believe the things this person had written about his son. At the end of the letter, was an address for a town that he had never heard of, but he did know the city that it was in.

Grayson had gotten an idea.

And now Alex was eighteen years old, and he and his father, along with Prior's Hardware Priorities, were moving to Vancouver.

Alex's foot tapping came to an abrupt stop. "Tell me why we're moving," he demanded of his father.

Grayson slowed his phone tapping. "I told you, Lex. Business is getting slow."

"But I talked to Larry, and he said business was fine."

"Maybe, but..it could be better. And we can do that in a new place."

"Dad."

"Alex."

"Father." Grayson flinched. "Don't lie to me."

"Alright...couple months back, I saw a letter on the kitchen floor. I'm guess you dropped it when you went out. It was written on these lavender sheets of paper." Alex froze. "And I know I shouldn't have, but I read it, and the way that person talked to you — about you — like they've known you for years. You have no idea how happy I was to read that, actually. I noticed an address at the end of it and decided, 'what they hell? Why the heck not?'. I knew then that it'd all be worth it, that you'd likely be happy there instead of here."

Alex considered him for a second. "So...we're not just going to Vancouver, we're going to-"

Grayson nodded, "Moonhaven."

Alex ran a hand through his short, dark brown hair. "Did you happen to read the warning about that place in the letter, about the weird ways it can make people act?"

"I heard some things here and there, and though it does sound very exaggerated, it's still worth it to go. Don't be a loner, kid. Go find your squad goals." Alex frowned at him. "It's what the kids at your school are saying."

Alex leaned forward and flicked his father on his forehead, "don't do that."

Grayson held his hands up in defense. "Well, now that we're getting things out in the open, mind telling me how you met this person from Moonhaven?"

Alex sighed, "this website called BeFriendMe.com, helps you find a penpal — you know, getting to know someone who lives ina different place than you, that kind if stuff. Some weeks after the whole mom and uncle Wylliam thing, I guess I felt lonely. I didn't want to make any friends around here, so I decided to go a bit old school. I didn't think it would last, kinda glad it did though." Grayson smiled at him. "Get it together, Dad. Don't wanna be late for our flight."

"Our flight's not-"

An announcement suddenly filled the airport: 'all passengers boarding the 208 Westliner to Vancouver, please head to the boarding gate now. Thank you.' Alex got up with his things and started for the boarding gate without a second glance at his father.

"That kid..." Grayson whispered to himself as he ruffled his dark brown hair. He quickly caught up with Alex, and the two Prior men boarded the plane.