Hush's Keep

When nine year old Henry first moved to his family's new house in Bloomville, Ohio he was instantly skeptical of his new, tiny stomping grounds.

"Dad, it's so small!" he whined as his folks heaved the large cardboard blocks of their material lives into the two story white panel farm house.

"Nonsense. This house is the biggest one you've ever lived in. Just look around! Look at the grass-your backyard! You'll find plenty to do this summer." His father ventured, grunting over a rather large box labeled "BOOKS."

"But dad, I don't know anybody here. School's out...How am I going to make friends?" Henry insisted.

In a huff, Henry's father crunched the giant box down at his feet on the white gravel driveway.
"Well, either you spend your time looking around and meeting new friends, or you can help your mother and I unload these boxes."

As if torched by fire, Henry ran to his red bicycle and hopped on. "I'll be back at dark!" He shouted over his shoulder, taking a final glance up at the rather gloomy structure that was now his home.

His short legs pedaled down Scott Street all the way to Stanton Street. There, he hung a right, listening to the cicadas buzz loudly in the old trees along the route. Huffing, he approached the intersection of College Street.

As he pedaled closer, he noticed a boy about his age off to the side of the road in a ditch, looking at something. Curious, Henry pulled over, tossing his bike to the side. Tentatively, he walked up beside the boy.

"What'd you find?" Henry asked him.

"A box," the boy replied, carefully retrieving a tiny old chest from a small hole in the ground. The boy dusted off his small hands on his jeans, and fed them through his blonde hair. "I wonder what's in it..."the boy mused.

Looking up from his new found treasure, the boy studied Henry. "Hey...I don't know you. Are you new around here?"

"I'm Henry. I just moved here from New Hampshire."

The boy looked Henry up and down. "I'm Arthur. I was born here." The boy murmured.

"Want to be friends?" Henry asked.

Arthur's expression tightened. "What if you're just trying to get what's in this chest I found? The treasure?"

Henry thought for a moment. "I'm more curious to see what's in it than who it belongs to." He reported honestly.

"But how do I know you want to be friends with me? Would you have stopped if you hadn't seen the chest?" Arthur asked.

"I didn't see the box until after I walked up!" Henry insisted. Scratching his head, he thought for a moment. "How about...you open it, and I'll keep my back turned. Whatever's in there's small. You can hide it anywhere, or put it in your pocket and I'll never know what it is. If I ever ask what it was, you don't have to be my friend anymore." Henry testified.

Arthur looked down at the chest. Smiling, he replied "good idea, Henry!"

Henry smiled back at his new friend, noting the large "H" burned into the top of the chest before turning around.

"Okay, done." Arthur reported.

"Okay," Henry turned back, swallowing his burning desire to know what the discovery was.
"Want to go play down by the river?" Arthur asked him.

"Sure!"

The two became fast friends. They spent the next few days catching frogs, walking the railroad tracks on the edge of town, and riding their bikes together everywhere. Within a week, Arthur even spent the night at Henry's house. There, they told each other ghosts stories with Henry's father's flashlight up in his new room.