In the Forest of Gone

The set for In the Forest of Gone is an attic with trunks, an old mirror, a bird cage, and magazines.  June Reedy, 13, says that her sister, Lorry, 12, has been coming to the attic to read ever since their mother left.  Lorry says she likes the book she is reading by N. J. Drago about the lost continent of Lemuria where actors go out all over the world.  Lorry says their mother is insane and shouldn’t have run off leaving Ben who is only a child.  She says their father hanged himself in the barn because of their mother.  June says it was not their mother’s fault and that she is coming back.  Lorry says she doesn’t want to be like their mother, but, she says, she sees panthers.  June says she was dreaming, is not crazy, and everything will be fine.  Lorry says that in the book she’s reading there’s a forest called the Forest of Gone where everybody who ever went away from you is there, but they look right through you as if you were not there.  June puts her arms around her sister from behind, tells her to look in the mirror, and says that she is going to love people and people will love her and all she can do is love them as much as she can while they’re here.  When Lorry asks what if she really is crazy June tells her they will be crazy together.