an attempt by the city to draw people into nature, hoping they would not demand its eradication. This was the last patch of wilderness for miles, and with the sound of traffic still able to penetrate even its most remote parts, it was hard to call it a real wilderness at all. Still, it was Rynn’s sanctuary. She plodded up the path, vision going hazy as she let her feet carry her over familiar upheavals and around shrubs trying to expand their territory like persistent little soldiers. The air was cool and heavy, and it did not clear her mind so much as subdue it. There was no need to think about anything, and although she never left the woods feeling refreshed, it was at least a break from the constant exhaustion of her thoughts. Rynn Larke came from a long line of underachievers. This may have seemed a harsh statement to anyone she could have told it to (which was why she never did, only accepted it as silent fact). However, the internal assertion had made her determined to be different. The outlier in a sea of gruesomely median data. Why, she was not exactly sure. There was no familial pressure to do this. At least, there hadn’t been, until she — for some absurd and regrettable reason — had stated her plans to them. Now they were all watching, and though she reprimanded herself for thinking such things, it felt very much like they were watching specifically for failure. It had gotten to the point where she could swear that everyone was: teachers, classmates, strangers on the street. Waiting. “She has to trip at some point,” they seemed to say. “Just observe, the fall is coming.” A sudden breeze drew her back to reality, and she found that she’d somehow managed to drift off the path. It was, in fact, completely lost somewhere in the brush behind her. This was not a matter of concern, however, as she could always follow the downward slope of the hill to find her way back. Bearing this in mind, she saw no reason not to continue onward. Rounding a corner, she came to a secluded clearing, at the end of which sat a cave. Rynn tilted her head to one side, puzzled. She supposed there was a possibility that she could somehow have missed this in her countless days of exploration when she was younger, but it was unlikely. She’d done a thorough job of combing these woods in the stifling boredom of youth, and this was a less-than-subtle landmark to have completely avoided. Curious, she stepped closer. The stone beneath her hand held a deep, endless chill, as though it had been storing it up for centuries. The air inside was deathly still, and though its smell was distinct, she could come up with absolutely no word to describe it. There seemed to be a void within its dark expanse; a Page 59
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