Stacy--Part Fifteen

Splog # 52

Fifteen

   Stacy was simply standing and looking to the top of the tree from which Splog's head had just disappeared.

   Lauren moved back to Stacy and took her by the hand. Stacy looked at Lane and then they started walking around the tree toward the two statues, neither speaking. Johnny was waiting for them at the start of the arch and when they had caught up with him the three of them began to move back to the marble chair. Everything seemed to shine in the light of the moon. Stacy looked up but could see only a few stars because of the bright moonlight. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask Lane and Johnny but she felt such confusion about where she was and how she had gotten there that she was at a loss for what best to do in her current situation.

   Then Johnny said, "Lane!" and, when they both turned to look at him, he had his head bent backward and was looking up in the sky. Lane and Stacy followed his gaze to see a faint smudge of white streaked across the darkness. It reminded Stacy of a line of chalk on a blackboard. All three of them stopped walking and watched as the vision slowly glided past them to their right. As a group they moved towards the curb on that side of the arch, keeping their eyes on the slowly flying white streak. Stacy had seen planes pass in the night sky, but all the ones she remembered had had lights blinking on and off. This streak was moving steadily across the sky and it definitely had length to it; it wasn't merely a dot, but a line, as when a jet leaves a vapor trail across the sky. This line was a lot shorter than that, more like a shooting star, but it didn't disappear after a second as a shooting star would. Stacy could see it clearly as it arced through the air and then disappeared, as it lowered, into the forest far off in the distance behind Splog's tree.

   After it had been gone for some moments, and Lane and Johnny still stood looking towards where it had vanished towards the earth, Stacy said quietly, "What was that?"

   Lane and Johnny slowly looked to where Stacy was standing between them and, again almost in unison, said, "They're gone again."

   Stacy looked from one to the other and felt more confused than ever. She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. As she was sighing, Lane and Johnny started to chuckle and then they both turned and started running toward the Fe-San. "C'mon, Stacy," Lane called over her shoulder.

   Stacy paused for a moment. Part of her was frustrated by the mysteriousness of everything and everybody around her. But the night was so lovely, the air and the light and the way the marble shone in the moon. And then she thought of the picnic and how nice it was to be hungry when one is just about to eat. And that thought caused her to run after Lane and Johnny.

   When she got to the Fe-San, Lane had the basket open on one arm of the chair and Johnny had the three cups lined up on the other arm of the chair and was pouring cider into each cup. Lane had spread a cloth out on the seat of the chair and was placing edibles upon it. Stacy stood watching until all the preparations were complete. When everything was ready, Johnny handed Stacy a cup and Lane made a small bow and said, "Please help yourself."

   There were some smaller cloths laid on the arm of the chair next to the basket, so Stacy took one up and, after setting her cup down for a moment, she unfolded it and put into it some bread, some cheese and an apple. She then retrieved her cup and, sitting on the steps in front of the chair, she set her cup down beside her, unfolded the cloth on her lap, picked up a piece of cheese and a piece of bread, wrapped the bread around the cheese as best she could, and    took a healthy bite of the combination. She didn't know what kind of bread or what kind of cheese she was eating, but they tasted just right mixed together and she took her time chewing and swallowing in order to get the maximum enjoyment out of the taste sensations that she was experiencing.

   While she was eating, Lane sat down next to her and then Johnny sat down next to Lane and for a little while there was a satisfied silence as the three of them relished their picnic in the moonlight.

   After taking a sip of cider, Lane asked, "You said you haven't been here long. So how do you know Splog?"