WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN, wind howled through the valley, over the ridge, and across the wooded hills. Along the edge of the construction site leaves fluttered on the trees. Crickets thrummed outside the McCormack house. Matt was sitting on the couch in the living room with his sore foot propped up on the ottoman, and the TV set turned low. "Matt, I could use your help in the kitchen," Jill called.
Matt's book was open on his lap, and when he tossed it onto the sofa and got up, he felt a twinge of pain in his left heel. Not a good sign. The windows in the kitchen looked blank and forbidding once darkness came over the valley, and he found himself wishing his mother had found the time to hang curtains. As Matt laid out the plates for supper, Charlie clomped down the stairs with Emily in his arms.
Soon the family settled down to eat. Becky sunk her fork into the spaghetti, then bent to scrutinize her plate. "Hey, are there mushrooms in this sauce?"
"Yes," said Jill. "Just eat them, for once. They won't hurt you."
Becky looked up pleadingly. "But mushrooms can be poisonous! They have spores!"
Jill sighed. "Then pick them out. Maybe your dad will eat them."
"I sure will," Charlie said, reaching across the table. "Hey, you'll be glad to hear I finally got the stream up on the ridge diverted. Now the crew can start clearing way for the foundations of the next houses."
"I thought you were all done with houses," said Matt. "I kind of like living across from a forest, Dad. Are you going to cut down all of the trees?
"Me? No. But if I find a buyer for the rest of the acreage, that'll be up to them."
"What about the animals?" asked Becky. "They won't have anywhere to live!"
"Yeah," said Matt. "I keep seeing deer out by the construction site, and sometimes near the house, too. Where are they going to go if you cut everything down?"
Charlie smiled and waved his fork. "Don't worry about the trees. We cut 'em down here, and somebody will plant new ones somewhere else. And the animals, they'll find a place to go. They always do. If there are too many deer for the habitat, nature will take care of it. That and the hunters. Survival of the fittest!"
Matt squirmed uncomfortably. He was thinking of his secret: the little people in the woods. "Some things might not survive," he said. "They need homes, just like we do. A lot of … animals live in those trees."
"Listen, Matt," his dad replied, "this is Pennsylvania. There are probably a thousand trees here for every person. And if you're worried about the animals, cars are way more dangerous for critters than habitat loss. Just check out the roadkill on the highway some morning!"
"Charlie!" Jill exclaimed.
"Sorry," Charlie frowned. "Anyway, I've been thinking about the deer. Hunting season's coming up before too long, and it would be a shame if we kept all of Grandpa's rifles and shotguns locked away forever. I didn't have that gun case built into the hallway wall just for decoration. Your grandma kept them in storage for nearly thirty years — I'm sure she would have been happy to know we were going to use them."
"Use them?" Matt echoed. "For hunting?"
"It's a great way for a father to spend time with his son," Charlie said. "The times I spent hunting with my dad are pretty much the only memories I have of him."
After dinner everyone retired to the living room. The television droned from the corner, and Emily banged the keys on her little electronic piano. Becky busied herself arranging a row of her favorite dolls in front of the picture window. Suddenly she leapt up. "Mom, where's Amber? She's not here!"
"I don't know, sweetie. Didn't you have the dolls out for a picnic in the yard this afternoon?"
"Yes, but I'm sure I brought them all inside. Hey, wait a minute. Ashley's gone, too!"
Becky spun around, making a silent count. "Where's Erin? And Jessica? Mom, four of my dolls are gone," she whined. "Help me find them!"
"You've got a hundred dolls," said Matt. "How would you know if a few of them were missing?"
Charlie looked up from his newspaper. "Matt," he said, "why don't you take Becky out back, and see if you can find her dolls?"
The security light above the French doors flooded the yard, illuminating the entire deck, the sandbox, the picnic table, and a few scrawny bushes. Beyond that everything was a sea of darkness. Matt stood at the back door. Becky waited close behind him, afraid to step into the open. "Becky, your dolls aren't out here. I'm sure they're in the house somewhere. Nobody would take your dolls. Emily is too little to steal them, and nobody else cares."
"But they're gone!" Becky cried.
"All right," said Matt, feeling fed up. "Maybe they all went camping in the woods together. Maybe they're playing hide-and-seek under your bed or in the laundry room. But they're not out here, are they? Let's just go back inside. I'm sure Mom will help you look for them tomorrow." Matt stared into the darkness and shivered. "Don't worry, they have to turn up somewhere."
Becky wrapped her arms around her chest. "I guess," she said weakly. "I guess."
