A/N: Ah, I'm back! Fingers are a bit rusty though. Might take me a while to warm up so just go with the flow. Sorry to all of you dying for an update. It's been a couple of months so hopefully nobody's lost interest yet. I know I haven't. I don't know what caused me to leave such a gap between updates. Shouldn't happen again…at least I hope not. Feel free to harass me to no end if it does. Until then…Enjoy!

Chapter 6

Casting Away

Autumn was flaunting her colors. Summer's vibrant greens faded to artistic oranges, yellows, and reds. Squirrels busily darted from branch to branch, greedily searching for the last of the acorns. Halloween ghosts, ghouls, and goblins were replaced with Thanksgiving turkeys, Indians, and Pilgrims. Jackets and hoodies were dug out of cramped closets. Mornings grew nippy and nights grew longer. Frost crusted yellowing grass and didn't unthaw until morning's warm light crested goldenly above the Massachusetts tree line.

Beneath the tree's gently swaying, auburn crown, two boys were picking their way along a narrow twisting trail, fishing rods slung over their shoulder. Their blond hair gleamed harvest gold under the dappling sunlight as it streamed through the thinning branches. Drying leaves crackled under their sneakers and clung to the fringes of their jeans as they tenderly made their way.

The tallest boy excitedly puffed in the chill air, his steaming breath curling behind him as he ducked beneath the lethal branch of a nettle tree. A battered tackle box swung from his clammy hand and rattled as he swept aside a thorny branch.

The thinnest boy yelped indignantly as one of the spinney branches snagged upon the hood of his gray sweatshirt as he misjudged the ducking distant beneath the tree's vicious branches.

"Cody, where are we?" he panted, as he shook loose of the offending branch.

"It's not much further, Zack," his twin assured.

"You said that thirty minutes ago," Zack grumbled under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Nuthin'. Ugh! Are we even following a trail any more?" Zack grunted as he stooped to untangle his fishing line that had caught in a bush.

"Yes. Can't you tell? Don't you see the little cloven hoof marks in the dirt? It's a deer trail. Didn't you notice?"

"Not really. Bit more concerned about the horde of thorns attacking from left and right, actually,"

Cody smirked happily. Day by passing day, Zack was beginning to sound more and more like his usual sarcastic self. His daily sessions with his therapist, Patricia Goodwin was working more than wonders on Zack. She was working miracles. Plain and simple. Slowly they were beginning to see faint glimmers of the old Zack that had been buried six feet under long before it had had happened. Of course Zack wasn't the same person he was two and a half years ago. It was as if a part of him had been ripped out to expose a more appreciative and shyer version of Zack that had become a permanent surface rather than the superficial one he used to hold up. Cody wasn't complaining but he was more adjusted to the independent-nothing-can-hurt-me-I-don't-need-anybody Zack. This sensitive version was alien to him. But again he wasn't complaining.

Despite the counseling, the nightmares still pursued but they were ever slowly beginning to diminish. Cody never again asked what they were about and Zack never offered. Though the fact remained that nightmares were still an obviously painfully frightening experience, Cody stopped interfering. It was easier that way.

Cody glanced behind him and saw that Zack was lagging a couple of yards behind him, clutching at his ribs. Automatically he paused to wait, knowing Zack's still mending ribs was what was slowing him down. He claimed they no longer hurt but Cody knew better. Zack would always take short, choppy breaths when ever the pain became overwhelming and right now Zack was huffing and puffing like a moose.

"You alright?" Cody called out when Zack was close enough.

Zack nodded briefly and gingerly massaged his side. Cody didn't offer help for he knew Zack would never tolerate it. His pride was still intact, that was for sure.

The daylight grew thicker as the trees became sparser and sparser until finally the deer trail opened out onto a large, placid lake.

Zack stopped short, his eyes wide, drinking in the magnificent sight in one awe filled gulp.

The sun reflected off the glassy surface of the lake giving it the polished look of black marble. Trees grew on all sides of the spacious lake, reflecting upon the water. A wooden dock spanned out from the shore they were standing upon, with a paddle boat secured to the end.

"Whoa," Zack breathed finally.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

Zack nodded.

"I found this place just a few days after Mom and I moved in. I suspect Harvey doesn't even know this is part of his property. That boat was half submerged in the water before I pulled it out. It's in perfectly good condition too," Cody sighed. "This is the perfect place to come to if you want to get away. It's isolated, Mom and Harvey don't know of it, plus it's quiet. Very peaceful too."

"It's also a perfect place to get attacked. No one could here us scream and were far from help," Zack said darkly, kicking at the sandy shore.

Cody frowned but did not contradict him. He was positive that they would be perfectly safe here but then, he didn't really know that.

Trying to ignore the sudden tension building up between them, Cody began to dig threw the tackle box, searching for the Styrofoam cup full of live worms that he had brought as bait. It wasn't until after he had strung his bait that he realized Zack was watching him with a look a kin to horror. Alarmed, Cody dropped his fishing pole and ran to him.

"Zack what's wrong? What is it?" he shouted, grabbing his twin's shoulder.

Zack gave a great shudder, pulled his eyes up to Cody's and flinched away. Shaking his head he paced away, harboring the look of someone who had just been pulled from a deep coma like sleep.

Confused, Cody just stood there aghast as to what to do next.

Suddenly Zack wheeled back around and Cody was relieved to see that the look was gone and in its place an embarrassed scowl.

"Sorry…but I think I'll use a lure instead," he said, reaching inside the tackle box to draw out a fake rubber, worm.

"That's fine," Cody muttered, still completely lost as to what just happened.

Acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary, Zack cast his line out into the water and sat down with his feet dangling over the edge of the dock. Cody followed reluctantly, almost cautiously and cast his line out into the lake, wishing fervently that he could cast out what just happened along with the dying earth worm away from memory. Just cast it out into the deepest depths of the lake, never to resurface again.

To be continued…

Thanks for the patience! Hope that'll feed your hungry minds for a while! Now…review!!!