Chapter 1

“You won’t believe it, Maggie! I found an old fort!” Red Harding Junior’s voice was buzzing with excitement. His best friend, Maggie Olson, was following him through a groomed path that led to the woods behind the Hardings’ farm.

The forest was beautiful, lush, and green with birds chirping and singing. Walking through the forest was calming. The kids were smiling, they felt very much at home. They didn’t have any fear or worry, as they moved through the trees.

“I was exploring here,” Red said, “when I found a stone bridge across the creek, I crossed it, and found the fort. They only built the floor and two walls. We can finish it. I’ll ask Grandpa for supplies.”

“Why do we have to call it a fort?” Maggie asked, as they walked deeper into the shady forest. “Let’s call it a clubhouse.”

“That’s such a girly thing to call it,” Red argued. “I suppose you’ll want to hang curtains and have a tea set.”

“Maybe,” Maggie retorted, her voice rising a notch. She crossed her arms, the defiance evident in her set jaw and a sparkle of challenge in her eyes.

A mourning dove cooed in the trees, somewhere in the distance, and the sound was followed by the familiar sound of rushing water in the creek.

“We’re close,” Red said. “It’s been abandoned for some time. Whoever started building it, never finished it.”

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the forest floor in patches of light and shadow. Maggie’s eyes gleamed. “We can decorate it for Halloween, invite our friends, and tell scary stories! Imagine them coming here in the dark. It’ll be awesome!”

“Have you picked your costume yet?” Red asked.

“Same as usual,” Maggie replied. “Werewolf.”

Red rolled his eyes. “Still obsessed with Angel, the werewolf vigilante?”

“He’s amazing,” Maggie insisted. “He fights for those, who the system wrongs. You should read the first book. That’s all it takes to get hooked.”

“Nah, I prefer to read web comics,” Red retorted.

“So, how about we meet here tomorrow to tell stories after trick-or-treating?” Maggie suggested.

Red hesitated. “I’m not sure. Maybe it’s better if this place stays a secret.”

When they reached the creek, Red was first to make his way across the stone bridge, leaping from one moss-covered rock to another, to avoid getting splashed by the rushing water.

“Can we tell Lily, at least?” Maggie pleaded. “She’s a good friend, too.”

Red twisted his mouth. The more people who knew about the fort, the less likely it was to stay a secret.

Maggie looked at him with puppy eyes.

He finally conceded. “Fine, but only her.”

They walked a short path until they got to a clearing.

“Ta-da!” Red exclaimed, looking at Maggie and spreading his arms wide. “Here it is! Come on!”

Mesmerized by his joy, Maggie followed.

“There’s someone else here,” she warned Red in a whisper, pointing at a man who loomed on the fort’s floor. He seemed to be in his thirties and was wearing jeans, a blue T-shirt, and sneakers.

Red turned around in one quick movement.

“Who are you? What are you doing in our fort?” Red demanded.

He grabbed a branch from the ground and took a step forward. Maggie couldn’t help but admire her friend’s courage.

The stranger raised his hands. “Whoa there, easy, son. I come in peace.”

Red’s grip tightened on the branch.

“This place was my fort when I was your age. My best friend and I built it years ago, earning the supplies by doing odd jobs around town,” the man explained. “It actually holds some special memories for me.”

The stranger didn’t look threatening. Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t threatening. A lot of dangerous strangers looked perfectly normal, thought Maggie.

She cautiously approached, her eyes flitting between the stranger and Red. “So, you and your friend are the ones who started this clubhouse...” she began, keeping her distance. “Why didn’t you ever finish it?” she asked, directly.

The stranger chuckled. “Do you have a moment? If you do, I can tell you the whole story.” He gestured to the empty space beside him on the fort floor.

“We have time until dinner,” Maggie said. She hesitated, but seeing no immediate threat, took a tentative step closer.

Red, however, remained wary. “Stranger danger, Maggie,” he whispered, grabbing her arm.

“He doesn’t look dangerous,” she replied.

The man smiled. “Of course not, kids. I grew up right here in Middletown. My best friend and I walked through this forest countless times exploring these hidden paths.”

Both children nodded in agreement. They knew exactly what the man was talking about.

“You’re Red Harding’s son, aren’t you?” the man continued, pointing at the boy’s mop of red hair.

“Yeah. My dad owns the restaurant down by Main square. Maggie and I are staying at my grandpa’s farm for a few days.”

“Your grandpa is John Harding, he knows me,” the man said. “I come back here every Halloween. I left my car parked at your grandfather’s farm. You can call him if you have a phone, just to let him know you’re with Neil Blackburn. Go ahead, I won’t move.”

Red retrieved his phone and punched his grandfather’s number. Briefly explaining the situation, he received confirmation that Neil was, indeed, known to the family.

“All right, Mr. Blackburn,” Maggie chimed in, her earlier apprehension replaced by curiosity. “Tell us about this clubhouse...”

Red interjected. “It’s not a clubhouse, Maggie, it’s a fort!”

“You can call me Neil, if you want...”

“Whatever,” she said, under her breath.

“Come and sit with me, kids,” Neil invited them. “It’s a long story.”

Both kids slowly climbed the branches and sat down on the wooden floor. Maggie pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Neil chuckled. “To tell you the story of the fort, I need to start with my older brother, Oscar. He was one of those exceptional individuals, who seemed to possess an effortless brilliance. Between the two of us, he’d always been the more naturally gifted, the star athlete, while I was content to be a quiet observer. He got straight A’s without breaking a sweat, while I was a consistent B student and had to work hard for my grades.”

“Yeah, there is a kid at my school who is exactly like him,” Red complained, leaving his distrust behind and sitting close to the man.

“He was the reason why my parents were always on my back. Oscar was the popular one, while I was more of a silent, who spent hours reading science fiction and fantasy novels.”

“Have you read the Werewolf Vigilante Saga?” Maggie interjected, eager to connect with Neil over their shared love of fantasy.

“Of course,” the man replied, a smile. “I’m still hooked on fantasy books. Angel’s character is particularly well-written.”

Maggie’s smile widened. “Absolutely!” she agreed, her earlier apprehension replaced by a sense of camaraderie.

“I won’t deny that part of my competitive spirit with Oscar stemmed from jealousy,” Neil admitted. “But it wasn’t solely because he was better looking or more popular. He stole the first girl I had my heart set on.”

Red scrunched up his nose. “Oh, no! Please tell me this isn’t turning into a love story,” he groaned.

Maggie softly nudged Red. “What’s wrong with love stories?”

Red twisted his mouth. “Ugh, they’re full of mushy stuff like kissing.”

Neil chuckled knowingly. “I understand where you’re coming from, Red. Trust me, that changes in a few years. Back then, I was hopelessly in love with Gabrielle Haskell. From the moment she’d moved into the big house down the street, I thought she was the most beautiful girl on the planet. I watched her from afar every time I could, she had long dark hair and the most beautiful eyes.”

Neil seemed to get lost in his thoughts.

“Every time Gabrielle laughed my heart absolutely swelled with love for her. She had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen,” he continued.

Maggie leaned in, captivated by the budding love story unfolding before her.

“I looked at her only for a few seconds, but Gabrielle caught me looking at her. Our eyes met and I felt butterflies dancing in my stomach. My heart hammered in my chest. Then, she winked at me, and I felt my face flush. I bet she liked doing that.”

“Did you ever hang out with her?” Maggie asked, completely drawn into the story.

Neil chuckled. “No. For one, Gabrielle was in eighth grade, while I was a year behind in seventh.”

“Oh, so she was older than you,” Red chimed in.