What Lies in the Woods

by Kate Alice Marshall

we joined hands and pledged ourselves to one another forever—a kind of forever that burns only in the hearts of those young enough not to know better.

They told the story again and again, until they thought they owned it. We tried to forget. We didn’t tell the story. Not the real one. Not ever.

I was using honesty as armor.

“Yes, I am. I’m a horrible boyfriend.” He leaned his head against my shoulder. I sagged. I didn’t have the energy to make him feel better right now, but if I didn’t he would keep this up all night, berating himself for his supposed failures.

I hadn’t been brave, just obedient—and terrified. Not of Stahl, but of failing. The police and the prosecutors and everyone else told me over and over again that I had to do it, that it was all on me.

in the Pacific Northwest. The Olympic National Forest

Mom was a floozy who’d walked out and Dad was a lazy drunk who could barely hold down a part-time job at the bar, and no one expected me to turn out any better.

“Naomi! You’re early,”

“You look good,” I told her, and meant it. She grimaced. “You mean I don’t look crazy.” “No, I mean you look like you’re taking care of yourself. And you don’t always, so you don’t get to be annoyed when I notice.”

If they’d known the truth about Persephone, they would have thought we were strange, wicked little beasts—and we were. What little girl isn’t? Of course we’d kept quiet.

right—I didn’t want people asking too many questions about that day in the woods. Persephone was a secret we all shared, but I had my own secrets, too.

She was stuck in this place where she needed me, but she wouldn’t let me be there for her.

Maybe Dad had never had a chance, but he hadn’t even tried. The only emotion that got any reaction from him was anger, and so I’d clung to it. At least if we were fighting, it meant he was paying attention.

But the truth was, I hadn’t seen him that day. I hadn’t seen anything at all.

I didn’t really believe it. But I wanted to, and I tried to, and it was almost the same thing.

Ambiguous breakups were the worst of all. I preferred the explosive ones, which was why whenever a breakup seemed imminent I had a habit of getting into bed with someone. Lucky thing Cody was taken, or I might’ve made him the grenade chucked over my shoulder on the way out the door.

I would be Artemis, Liv obviously Athena, and Cassidy would be Hecate,

I knew she didn’t mean it. She was just trying to get me to break. To hit her, so she could hit me back. There wasn’t anyone else to hurt, and we had to hurt something.

I’m sorry. I know that I should be strong, but I can’t anymore. I’m tired of feeling like this. I’m tired of lying. I can’t keep doing it. I’m going to be with Persephone now. We never finished. That means this makes seven. It can finally be over. I’m sorry. Liv

But I’d spent a lot of time talking to police, twenty years ago. They’d had the answer they wanted and everything they had done was to make sure reality agreed with it.

This is how I ended up with guys like Mitch, I thought. Even the terrible ones were better company than my own mind.

All the logic and sense in the world said I should call Bishop right now and tell her everything, even if that made me a suspect. But letting go of these secrets felt like letting Liv go. Letting go of the last thing I had of her that was ours alone. Hers and mine and Cass’s. One last bond.