Two hours later, things started to get weird.

West's car ran out of gas, and they hobbled out of the too-hot vehicle. Io pulled at her leggings that she had on under her denim skirt. West grunted in frustration.

"No service!" he yelled, looking onto the oily screen of his phone. Io glared at him, but said nothing as they walked a mile in silence.

"Hey! Look over there! Let's ask them for directions!" Io pointed to three old ladies knitting by a fruit stand. What they were knitting was huge, and spun in plain brown yarn, with a section interwoven with golden thread. Io walked up to them, and they vanished.

"Ummm…..did you just see…" she asked West. He flashed a grin.

"What, babe?" Io shrugged it off.

"Nothing." She peered over the nearby fence. People! Kids, actually. Kids and…..um…..tree people?

"West! Hey, I see people over the hill!" she shouted, exited to finally get out of the heat. West pulled himself up onto his tip toes, but saw nothing in the abandoned valley. That's it, he thought, backing away, the new girl is crazy.

"Uh….babe, I don't see any-" The last part of his sentence was cut short as he ran away, bewildered by several girls approaching. They wore silvery tank tops and grey skinny jeans. Bows lay slung across their shoulders.

"And who are you?" asked one, a tall girl with a silver crown on her head.

"I-Io Dawn Farley." Io answered, still creeped out. A younger girl stepped forward, a smile on her face.

"Ah, Io. We've heard much about you from your mother." She said.

"My mother?" Io asked. Her mother as she knew it was a classy woman involved in soccer for Io's older brother, Kaylan….not some lady who talks to girl's groups.

"Yes, your mother. Come, we must show you something." Io followed the girls, and didn't even think to look back for West. Had she, she would have been horrified. He lay spiraled into the sky, then broken on the road. If she would have listened, carefully, of course; she would have heard a faint but chill laughter.

Well, I've decided to give this story some attention! Suggestions? How is it so far?