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The Second Moonrise Part 3: Ron's awakening

We followed Soil through the trees. She was kind, but I remember being a bit scared of her after she dealt with the redcap. She explained later that she was able to manipulate plants at will, as long as she had seen one before. Unfortunately, this didn't make me or Karen's misgivings go away. Too recently we had remembered how the smoldering vines had covered the our home.   I knelt down next to Karen. "We have to keep everyone together. Soil's going to keep us safe." Karen stared at me, distrust written plain across her face. "She said she's a friend of the Ants right? And I'm also their friend. So she's our friend too. She has to keep us safe." Even now I remember what a flawed line of logic that was.   Soil stopped and looked back from where she was. She shifted Ron so he was easier to carry and called, "Hey! Stay with me kiddos. Just because you're small doesn't mean the Forest won't try and get you."   Karen glanced around fearfully, before looking back at me. The shadows of the Forest pressed in on all sides, and we could faintly hear things in the distance. That was always the problem with the Forest. It was never silent. Anything that made any sound echoed for miles through the columns of the great redwoods, so you could hear beasts moving in all directions. The occasional howl of a wolf, growl of a bear, or the chitter of a tree crawler. And right now Karen heard all of it. She hissed at me, "What if she's the one behind what happened to mom and dad?"   I looked over at Soil. She flashed that toothy smile again. I flinched a little inside. There's no where safe in the Dark Forest. That's what mom had said. Even if it looks safe, it's trying to trick you. Memories of the Hansel and Gretel came back to me. For a second, I could almost hear the cackle of a witch in the distance. I looked at Soil's face again. She could eat us with teeth like those.   "Soil? I need to ask you a question. Promise you won't be mad."   The grin faded off of Soil's face. "Sure Howie. What's up?"   Howie. We hadn't told Soil our names. How did she know them? Cold dread began to seep into my bones. "What will happen to me and my sister once we reach the Campgrounds?"   "That's all you wanted to know? From what I understand, you get sent home." She carefully arranged Ron's lethargic body against a tree trunk and knelt down to our levels. "What's going on? Is something wrong?" As she moved closer, Karen flinched. "Oh. That." She sighed and sat back on her butt, black-furred legs drawn up to her chin. "Karen's one of those types isn't she. Racists."   I looked at Karen again. When Soil said the word she looked horrified. "I'm not a racist! Mom told me never to trust you... you... critters. She said you were all going to lead us to a gingerbread house and eat us up, or drown us, or lock us away in a tree, or tie us to--"   Soil held up her hand, a look of worry on her face. "Smart mom you have. Where is she? What about your dad?" When we didn't answer immediately, Soil sprang up and stamped over to Ron. She slapped him gently on the face, careful to avoid stepping too close. "Sleeping like a log. Well fuck my life."   "You shouldn't swear!" It burst out of me before I knew it.   Soil barked out a laugh. "I swear when I want. Just trying to keep this kid friendly." She turned back to us. "Where are your parents?"   Karen and I exchanged looks. "They're... dead."   Karen slapped me. "They're not!" Karen stared at me in horror. "They could have gotten out!"   I punched her and said, "Of course they're dead! you saw the vines!"   Soil made no attempt to stop the sudden flurry of blows. "Vines? Were they smoking? Elastic? Had a five pointed leaf? Seemed to shimmer purple?"   Me and my sister were in a complete brawl at this point, so Soil stepped up and grabbed both of us by the necks our shirts. They tore. Neither shirt was built to hold that much weight. "Fuck. I would be the one stuck with the kids." She tapped a hoof and several nearby roots wrapped around us and pulled us apart.   "Wha- what are you doing to them!" Ron chose this moment to wake up.   "Of course you do. Just my fucking day! Let's give the human rescue to SOIL." She rolled her eyes and glared at the Ron, who was now struggling to stand. "Care to help me sort these two out cheese-face?" She strode over to Ron, scooped him up under the arms and shoved him towards us, still held by the roots.   This was when I started to get to know the REAL Soil. Abrasive. Brash. Grumpy. Self-centered. Overconfident. And one of the most powerful creatures I'll ever meet.   Ron staggered towards us, and barely avoided face-planting straight into another patch of Moonflowers. He steadied himself and glowered at Soil. "Can you at least put them down?" Soil smirked and tapped her hoof again. We slipped out of the roots. Not that she'd been holding us that tight.   Ron sat with us and whispered, "What's going on? All I remember was trying to stab her to let you kids get away."   Karen was in tears. "Mom's not dead!" she sobbed.   Understanding lit on Ron's face. He pulled us both into a tight hug. "Of course she's not Karen. We'll find a way to save them."   I spoke up. "Really? We can still save them?"   "We didn't see them die. There's still a chance." Hope bloomed then. I've kept it alive to this day.   "Ron right? Can you help us get going? From what these two say we need to get you to the Campgrounds as soon as possible." Soil pulled Ron aside, behind a tree. She whispered something to him. He opened his mouth, frowned, then closed it again. Finally, he shook his head. Soil and Ron came back and Soil put on that familiar toothy grin. "Now who's ready to go home?"

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