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I crawl across the forest bed just a few feet until I realize that I don’t need to crawl at all My legs feel strong and powerful I rise totree and look all around n of Isaac, while at the sa to hide my nakdness with my hands and my moist, dark hair Maybe he hasn’t awoken yet He could be around here anywhere, asleep in the high grass in the clearing, or under any one of a thousand trees

And I still have no idea where I am I sense that I knohich direction to follow that will take me home and that I could never really be lost, but I still don’t knohere here is

I’ve never seen that round this close before

Wow…I have to be far away from Hallowell Somewhere north

My panic levels are rising higher I’m completely nakd, covered in blood and dirt and led rat’s nest I don’t need a irl, even like soht out of a Rob Zombie film My animal instinct tells me I can find my way home, sure, but that doesn’t mean no one will see me on the way there and call the police to pick me up Hoould I explain that one to Uncle Carl and Aunt Bev?

“Isaac?” I say just above a whisper If anyone out here hears me, I only want it to be hi all around me in every direction

I step softly over the debris in the forest bed and practically tiptoe around tree after tree, using each one as a shield and avoiding going anywhere near that s to shield my nakdness

But then it hits me: with these new animal senses, it should be nearly effortless to hear his footsteps, no h the woods I should be able to detect his heartbeat, hear the blood puhts, smell his toothpaste and the natural scent of his skin

I stop behind another tree and shutto take it all in, to block out the obvious and letfarther away I inhale deeply of the cool,air and open my ears to the sounds that had lain buried underneath everything else so close to me

Isaac taught hts and how to block out the uninvited intrusion of others, but I still have a lot to learn The ti me was all devoted to this; because of a traitor, a Praverian gone Dark that lives a us There wasn’t tis around me, to tame the voices that I hear or to turn the volume down on all of the noise I don’t yet kno to do these things to full capacity Unlike him, I can’t just do it I have to concentrate I have to focus And it’s not easy

I hear so far off in the distance behindout the sound With my eyes still closed, I take a step backward and then turn around I listen closely and hear it again Soround, the distinct sound of leaves shuffling underneath movement is heavy and localized to the same spot I hear a heartbeat but I can’t tell if it’s huet no response

Hunched over slightly, still trying to cover h the forest in the direction of the noise My hu, to step over sharp twigs and small branches and rocks that may shred my feet, but my anis Aswithout even thinking about it And when I start to run, I begin to leap over objects that somehow my animal mind knows are out in front of me before my human mind is aware of it

As the noise gets closer I slon But I’ out the noises all aroundwater sonified that I feel like an insect next to a waterfall The birds flying overhead sound as though they have enor is amplified tiainstbackwards

I fall over so positionfirhs, and , squishy, rubbery entrails

My breath catches and my arms come up quickly and I practically slip on the entrails as I try to pull my body out of the cavity of the carcass

I finally get away and stuainst the cleaner ground a couple feet away The dead rayish tongue lolled out of its openedup from its massive head, but its stoh underneath the ravaged fur; most of the ribs have been broken and so out froround

Bile rises up in my throat

I pick ainst a small tree and cup the other over my gots are already starting to gather, but this is a fresh kill It was aze across at the endless depths of its glazed-over black eyes, I gliht I try to block it out, but when I shut ives way to a more vivid visual

A branch snapping behind rowl is what pullsvisual

I turn around briskly at the waist A large black bear is h the trees, probably attracted here by the scent of my kill

I suck in a sharp breath and start to panic, until I see another figure co in behind it

It’s Isaac Isaac!

I want to be happy and relieved, but why is he walking so slowly? He clearly sees the bear and I sense that he knows I’le ht be obscured by the forest Surely he knows But why hasn’t he started running to help me?

The bear draws closer and my body locks up out of fear I don’t want to run They always tell you never to run when you co atto and fro him to pounce on it from behind any second now, but instead, Isaac falls back and keeps a still position near a tree, letting its massive trunk partially conceal his nakd fore I’htly with my knees bent and hands out in front of me, arms bent at the elbows Instinct now tells ht a bear? This is insane