Page 101 of The Sixth Spring

They watched Becky come back out with her purse, toss it in the driver's seat and then grab her keys out of the door.

It was time.

Will waited until Becky went back into her apartment and the door closed before moving.

He felt the stretch at the first step beyond the water. It was just a tickle of a thing, not enough to stop him.

He pushed on, trudging up the bank toward the parking lot.

With every step he felt the pressure grow, the pull on his limbs increase. It was like the water itself had a tether on him, urging him back.

But he had to do this.

Will got to the pavement and the car, his heart pounding. His eyes were on the front door; afraid it would reopen too soon.

It wasn’t as if Will thought Becky would scorn him for what he’d become, Will just… didn’t want anyone else's opinion on his change. He was happy with who he was, what he was now.

And he was fiercely protective of that freedom.

So he grunted through the last few steps, the pain of the stretch sharpening to the point that he had to grit his teeth.

But he got to the car door and its open window.

Gently, Will reached inside and, with dripping fingers, placed the bracelet down on top of Becky’s purse.

It was all puka shells, ones Will had meticulously collected over the last few months. Itori’s mother had taught him the simple weave for the bracelet, and he’d started working tirelessly on it when he’d first noticed Becky carrying moving boxes into her apartment.

She was leaving, heading to California, and this would be his last chance to let her know he was okay. That he was more than okay.

It would be something to tell her that he’d taken the risk. That he was somewhere bigger, better than this small town.

Will hurried down the bank and back into the water. There they waited behind a tree for Becky to come out.

She was smiling as she got to the car. Her face froze when she opened the door.

Becky drew the bracelet out, shock on her face. Her thumb rubbed over the shells gently, like she was afraid to break it.

She looked around one way, then the other, looking for the gifter, but the parking lot was silent. No one was coming or going.

Curiously, she then turned to look in the direction of the lake. For one heart-stopping second Will thought she saw him, hidden as he was.

A smile came back onto her lips, and she laughed, shook her head and looked away. She slid the bracelet on her wrist, then climbed into her car and shut the door.

Go and don’t come back, Will thought at her.

Her car started, and Becky pulled out of the spot, turning her jeep toward the exit.

Ready to go? Itori asked in his head.

He was. He was ready to leave this place too.

Itori took his hand, and they dipped down into the water, headed for the spring.

Five Springs Gains a New Spring and Loses its Mayor

The city of Five Springs got a sixth spring and a new mayor this year after former Mayor Alan Smithson was impeached. Smithson’s impeachment came after it was uncovered that he was entangled in a conspiracy, corruption and bribery scandal.

Citizens of Five Springs led the charge to investigate both the mayor’s office, and Xero Onus Management Inc., a commercial development company out of Boston, after concerns about the site development were ignored.