Chapter 18

bri

I set the pot aside and turned to him. “Is there a bathroom I can use?” I asked. Something in his eyes shifted. “To your right out the back, it’s nothing fancy but it serves its purpose well enough.”

Following his directions I found myself faced with an outhouse in the dark, in the middle of a swamp, full of all kinds of creatures. I sighed moving forward as the last light of dusk disappeared from the world, the waning moon not yet risen to light my way. Reaching deep down I felt that glow within, my palm up, deeply ingrained instinct connecting like an ember touching gasoline. A churning sphere of moonglow slowly formed in my palm. Hmm interesting, I thought as my bare feet hit the earth. I made my way to the outhouse, guided by my little personal nightlight. I peered around in search of snakes and spiders, finding only a few eight-legged arachnids up in the far corners minding their own business so I did mine, the orb obediently floating before me. I returned to the house, wi