Stacy--Part Fourteen

Splog # 50

Fourteen

   Lane walked away from Johnny to the white statue and placed her hand on the hand resting by the statue's side.

   "There's something about them that puts me in a peaceful mood. I wonder if any of the stories could be true. Look at her. The moonlight almost brings her to life. Is this one Ruth or May?"

   She looked back to Johnny as she asked. He had moved over to the red statue just as she had and his hand, too, rested on the statue's. He reached out his other hand to the girl and, when the girl did the same, Stacy grew excited, thinking that something extraordinary must surely be about to happen.

   The boy and the girl stood, one hand on a statue and one hand reaching towards each other. Nothing happened for a short time and then the butterflies lifted off their shoulders, the red from Johnny and the white from Lane, and started flying towards Stacy. The boy and girl each saw a butterfly rise from the other's shoulder and watched it as it headed towards the huge tree. Their flights were not hard to follow as the bright moonlight seemed to render them incandescent. The boy and girl started walking slowly to the tree and Stacy found herself in an uncomfortable situation. If they came around the tree, they would see her standing near the top and it would be obvious that she had been eavesdropping. But she couldn't get inside without going up over the edge and she couldn't do that without making herself visible in the moonlight. She looked down at Splog in panic and saw that he had stopped fiddling and was looking up at her. He wrinkled his nose and nodded his head, a gesture which seemed to say "Go ahead." But go ahead and what? Stacy glanced back up and saw that the boy and girl had reached the tree and were starting to walk around it, Lane to her right and Johnny to her left. The best thing she could think to do was to climb down and meet them. So she turned and carefully walked down the branch steps.

   When she reached the bottom, she took a deep breath in search of a good way to begin a conversation. She heard a rustling approach and, almost simultaneously, Lane and Johnny came around the tree walking towards her. She waited a moment, looking first at one and then at the other. Just as she opened her mouth to say, "Hello, my name is Stacy," Johnny said, "They don't usually do that with strangers."

   Stacy looked at him a moment, feeling slightly taken aback. She turned to Lane who said, "He means the butterflies." And she pointed to Stacy's shoulder. Stacy brought her eyes down and turned her head side to side. There they were again, two butterflies, one on each shoulder. She looked back to Lane and, without thinking, said, "Sunshine eyes and butterflies."

   Lane smiled gently and just looked at her. When Stacy glanced at Johnny, he too was looking at her, though with a more solemn mien than his sister.

   "My name is Stacy," she said, and then rushed on. "I know that you're Lane and you're Johnny because I was standing at the top of the tree when you came along that path and I didn't really mean to eavesdrop but I don't really know anyone here or even where here is actually so I thought that I might find something out and I know it's awfully rude but I got caught up in what you were saying and I wished I could help though of course I can't because I don't really know what you were talking about but it sounds like you might be in some sort of trouble and I know that I'm a lot younger than you but if there's anything that I could do I would be happy to help if I could and...it seems like there have been butterflies around me all day well really it was just one I think and it was white but then the red one came and at first I thought it was the mouth of the statue..."

   "Stacy!" a voice interrupted her.

   Stacy looked from Lane to Johnny but both were looking towards the top of the tree. When she joined them, she saw Splog's face beaming down on the trio.

   "Catch!" he cried, tossing a basket from the height. Lane reached over Stacy's head and caught it. Placing it on the ground, she lifted the lid and, in the moonlight, Stacy could see bread and cheese and also some fruits or vegetables.

   "I've got a pitcher of cider here, but something tells me it would be an improvident action to toss it to you."

   Johnny ran up the side of the tree to receive the pitcher from Splog. He returned bearing also three earthenware cups, nestled inside of each other.

   "I think this calls for a moonlight picnic. Start without me and I'll catch you up soon."

   "Thanks, Splog," Johnny and Lane said, practically in unison. Stacy was rather surprised to find that they were all acquainted with each other. The boy and girl were heading back around the tree, when Lane realized that Stacy hadn't moved a step. She turned back.