Laura stared at a silent Steven for a long second, then she asked, "You wonder what?"
Steven slowly turned his head toward Laura, his eyes told her he was deep in thought. He blinked his eyes and said, "I wonder if those lights could have anything to do with the people who lived here in the woods."
"You mea, the hippies?" Laura smiled. "That's the right word, hippies, isn't it."
"Yes, it is," Steven said slowly, his mind obviously stuck on some other thought. "I don't know why I feel that it is, but for some reason I just think those lights have some kind of significance. Something to do with either our safety, or in our danger."
"Our danger?" Laura said and backed up a step. "Then maybe we should get away from those lights."
"Are you kidding?" Steven said. "Those things could catch us no matter how fast we ran." He looked past Laura and watched the small lights buzzing around each other like bees. "And we both know there's no way we can hide from them."
"So what do we do?" Laura asked.
"That's what I'm trying to decide." Steven took a step toward the lights, and instead of backing away, the lights all stopped moving and formed a circle as if they were all facing him. "Look at that, Laura," Steven said. "See how they seem to be watching us?"
Laura turned and gazed at the lights for a moment, then without turning her gaze away from them, she said. "Yes, Steven, I see what you mean." She turned to Steven, and said. "If I didn't know better, I would think they are trying to communicate with us."
"That's my impression too," Steven said. "I mean, they formed a circle that looks just like a face staring back at us."
"What should we do?" Laura asked.
"I don't know if we should do anything," Steven replied. "We definitely don't want to scare them off."
"No, that wouldn't be good," Laura said. "Maybe we should just wait and let them make the first move."
"That's a good idea, Laura," Steven said. "Let's just act like we're taking a rest. Maybe just sit for a while, let them see that we're not dangerous."
"Okay, that's a good idea, Steven," Laura said.
Laura and Steven walked beneath a large oak tree whose limbs spread out forming a canopy. Steven smiled once he was standing in the shade.
"What are you smiling at?" Laura asked.
"This," Steven waved both hands indicating the tree limbs above them, "reminds me of the fort me and Brian built in the woods when I was about six years old.
"I remember him," Laura said. "You know, when he was sixteen I had the biggest crush on him."
"On Brian?" Steven asked. Laura nodded her head. "Well, in case you didn't know it, Brian had a crush on you too. He told me so."
A line of red rose up Laura's cheeks, and she smiled shyly. "I know," she said. "He kissed me once." She sighed noisily. "My first kiss ever."
"When did he kiss you?" Steven smiled. "I mean, he was always talking to the guys about how girls were yucky. They smelled bad, their hair was too long, they had to sit down to pee."
"We don't have to sit down," Laura said. "It's just less messy that way."
"Let's talk about something other than pee," Steven said.
"Good idea." Laura sat down on the ground and patted the packed dirt next to her. "Sit, Steven," she said. "Let's just sit here quietly and see how the lights react."
"Sounds like a plan," Steven said. He let out a soft groan as he lowered himself to the ground. He wriggled his back against the tree trunk trying to find a comfortable way to put his back against the bark without causing too much pain. After several attempts, he was still not comfortable.
"Will you please stop doing that!?" Laura said. "You're driving me crazy. Just sit still for a while." She turned and looked at the lights that were now a little closer. "There's no telling what those things think we're doing the way you're bouncing around." She turned back to Steven. "Stop moving." She said each word separately and distinctly. Steven stopped wriggling and pressed his back against the tree.
"Okay, tough guy," Steven said to Laura, "I'll just ignore the pain. Whatever makes you happy."
Laura let out a long, slow exhale. She turned to Steven as her ears warmed with irritation. "Are you trying to start a fight with me," she asked. "Is that it?"
Steven backed away and propped himself up on the palms of his hands that he placed flat against the ground. "Now why would I want to start a fight with you?" he asked. "I mean, you don't seem to be bothered by the rough tree bark pressing into your back, and you seem to be able to stand the pain in your skin. You don't seem as worried about those lights over there," he pointed. "Which by the way seem to be coming closer every time I look at them. So pardon me if I think you're much tougher than I thought you were before this whole ordeal began." Steven lowered his gaze to the ground as if he was afraid of what Laura might say in reply.
A smile slowly crept across Laura's lips. "Do you really think I'm tough...tougher than you thought before all this?"
"You just want to hear me say it again," Steven said. Laura's gaze remained on Steven, to the point where Steven began to feel uncomfortable. He raised his eyes without moving his head. "What?" he said, and picked a blade of grass and put it between his lips. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?" Laura replied.
"You know," Steven said. "You're looking at me like I'm some sort of a baby that can't take care of himself."
"Not at all," Laura said. "It's just that I feel almost like I'm seeing you for the first time." She smiled and her eyes lit up. "It's like you're someone I'm meeting for the first time."
"You're losing it, Laura," Steven said. "You know that? You are losing your mind."
"No, I'm fine, Steven," Laura said. "It's you who is changing."
"I am not," Steven said and pushed out his lower lip.
"Oh, yes it is," Laura replied.
"Is not," Steven said.
"Is too," Laura replied.
"Is not," Steven said again, more forcefully this time.
"Is too," Laura said showing no signs of backing down.
"Not!" Steven said.
"Is!" Laura countered.
"Not!" Steven said again.
The strong voice shocked both Laura and Steven into silence.
"Will you two please stop acting like little children?"
Laura put her hand over her eyes to protect them from the strong sunlight. Whoever it was standing in front of her was only a silhouette because the sun shone behind him. Or was it a her? Steven could see the black form, a shadow silhouette, as the sun's rays radiated out from behind him. He nearly looked as it a halo beamed above his head.
"Who...who..." Laura didn't seem to be able to form a complete sentence. Steven tried.
"Look mister, what ever your name is," Steven was trying to act tough. "I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just pop up here in front of me and Laura and not expect one of us," Steven's gaze turned to Laura," by one of us. Maybe you should just back down and move on. We are having enough trouble finding our way around without putting up with someone like you who just shows up and tries to scare us and doesn't think we're capable of, of, of, well, you just don't know what we're capable of."
The voice of the stranger was calm, serene, and dripped understanding when he spoke. "You don't have anything to worry about from me," he said. Then in a voice just above a whisper, he said, "I've been sent here to help you two," his gaze moved from Steven to Laura, then back to Steven, then back to Laura. Then, one final time, his gaze moved to Steven where it stopped.
"Sent by who!" It was more a demand than a question.
"Actually, Steven, Laura said, "it's not who, it's whom." She stared at Steven and then raised her eyebrows. "Sent by who is not correct." She turned to the stranger and smiled. "It's sent by whom?" She held up a finger of admonishment. "And you could stop this tough guy shtick and just be yourself. No one believes you're tough. I read somewhere that when someone tries to act tough but everyone around him can see right through him, it means the person trying to act tough is actually trying to mask his own fear."
"Is that right?" Steven asked.
"Yes, that's right," Laura replied.
"But it's not," Steven said and stuck his tongue out.
"Yes, it is," Laura said and stuck her tongue out too. If Steven was going to play that game, so would she.
"Is not," Steven said, his voice edgy.
"Is too," Laura replied.
The stranger's face move back and forth from Laura to Steven and back again as each one spoke. To someone passing by who didn't know what was going on, it looked like the stranger was watching a tennis match.
"Is not!" Steven said forcefully.
"Is too!" Laura said just as forcibly.
"Paleeese," the stranger said and place both of his hands against the side of his head. "You two are like small children."
"We are not!" Steven said.
"Yes you are," the stranger said.
"Are not!" Steven said.
"Are too," the stranger said.
"Stop!" Laura shouted. "Both of you, just stop."
"I can't believe he has me doing it now," the stranger said.
"You started it," Steven said.
"I did not," the stranger said.
"Did too," Steven said.
"Please, both of you stop, please!" Laura stood and looked at the stranger. As she took in his warm eyes, the curls that fell across his high forehead, the slope of his nose and the full lips just below the planes of his high cheeks, a sudden feeling of calm came over Laura. She reached out and touched his face and felt a warm flood into her as if warm water was filling her. She looked down at Steven and didn't feel the usual exasperation she always did during times like this. She felt as if she was standing in the presence of greatness, of someone special, a spirit.
"Who are you?" she asked in a whisper.
"I'm a spirit," he replied.
Word count: 1795 
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