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"Oh, we all see him one way or another, don’t we?" Olivia said

"No," Mariah told her "I never have I wish I could see him I should see him You can trace my family back in this area for two hundred years! You’d think he’d appear to e in people’s et soht was lit by an al Olivia lay still, listening to chirping of insects around them There were coyotes in the hills, but they’d never bothered theer--the Horse Fars occasionally came back with a piece of beef that hadn’t been processed But there was really nothing to fear at their cay before

That night, she lay awake in her sleeping bag

Through the canvas walls of the tent she could see the shapes of distant trees, iant shadows that waved and ht reach into the tent and drag someone out She told herself that was a childish fantasy, but couldn’t quite dispel her nervousness

She was just staring at the trees when she beca toward the tent

She bolted halfway up, glancing over at the other women

Neither Sandra nor Mariah was in the tent She hadn’t heard them rise;toward her seee with menace--as if a tree had uprooted itself and becoers toward her

She jumped to her feet, ready to rush out and scream an alarm But even as she did, she heard sonized Dustin’s voice

"Aaron!"

There were no monsters and trees didn’t uproot themselves to attack

She hurriedly left the tent to see as happening

Aaron was out there

And Dustin was right behind hi--I think," Aaron said He looked at Olivia "I heard so over here I wanted to see if you three were okay We should’ve put the wo out of the woods "Aaron Bentley! You employ extremely capable women I had to make a dash to the powder room, so to speak"

"Where’s Mariah?" Olivia asked

"Well, she must have taken a bathroom break, too," Sandra said

"I don’t like this," Aaron o back to sleep I thought"

"What?" Dustin de around"

"You did! Us Socan a break in the bushes take?" Aaron asked

He probably ed fro as it takes, doesn’t it? Especially for wonored that and walked toward the bushes "Mariah!"

She didn’t answer

"Mariah!" he shouted louder

"Hey!"

They heard her call back to them Her voice didn’t come from the bushes Olivia saw that she’d been down to the stream; she’d apparently filled her canteen Her face was da?" she asked quickly, her s