often seemed to stroll by him more often than was
necessary.
He made the decision to lose the boy on one of the many switchback paths that appeared to spiral
further upward. He slipped easily onto one of the paths for a few feet, doubled back and stepped
gingerly over a thick root that was protruding from the ground like a varicose vein on an old woman's leg.
He balanced his way across the root and then stepped silently onto another pathway. He picked up his
pace and hurried on; eager to find his way to the mysterious sound that beckoned him.
Genny stood up and dusted the rotting leaves and slime from her cords. Her mouth was twisted in a
hateful line of revulsion as black goo came away on her palms.
“Ugh!” she spat, wiping her hands on a nearby tree trunk. She scraped the fecund-smelling goo off her
hands, looked up the incline with a malevolent gleam of pure vengeance, and dug her toes into the slick
leaf compaction once more.
He was almost there. He could hear it clearly now. He cocked his blond head to one side. What could
cause such a sound, he thought? It wasn't a threatening sound, but a pleasant, calming sound and he
could hardly wait to see what could inspire such longing in him.
Reaching the top of the incline, Genny almost lost her balance and tumbled backward as she took her
last step. Cartwheeling her arms, crying out with more fury than frustration, she was able to stumble
forward, away from the precarious position in which she had almost been thrust. Her anger turned to
deep, irrational rage as she swung her head about. She saw where his boots had left light indention in one
of several branching pathways, no doubt caused by the many deer and small animals on the peninsula.
She started toward that path, but her eye caught sight of deeper tracks to her right and she walked to
that section of ground and peered closely. There were no tracks going to the path, but tracks going up
the pathway. She looked back along the ground leading from the first pathway to the one where she was
standing. A tight, sneering smile touched her mouth.
“You walked along the root, didn't you, you bastard?” she said softly. “You wanted me to follow that
pathway, didn't you?” She looked up the pathway he had obviously taken.
“You're not as smart as you think you are!"
There was a sharp bend in the pathway and the sound was loud, very loud there. He struggled up,
gripping a thick vine that draped down from one of the tall trees overhead, and pulled himself up a small
ledge, swung clumsily around the bend, and—
The sight took his breath away. His blue-black eyes opened wide, his mouth dropped open. He would
later swear the heart inside his chest even ceased to beat. So stunned was he by what he was seeing, he
sat down heavily on the loamy soil and stared with rapt attention.
The going was hard up the path the bastard had taken, she thought, as she heaved her light frame along
the black ground. Now and again she had to fumble for protruding roots, a draping vine, and even a
small shrub, to keep from tumbling back down the pathway. Her legs and thighs were cramping; her shirt
was plastered to her panting chest. Sweat drizzled into her eyes and the salt stung her. Insects darted at
her, bumped into her face and neck. Something was crawling inside her boot, but she was too afraid to
stop long enough to dislodge whatever it was for fear she'd fall for sure. With every step she took she
prayed whatever was making its home in her boot wasn't deadly.
“Godawful son-of-a-bitching bastard!” she seethed as she crawled up the last few feet of the pathway
and spied the sharp turning in the course. She reached out for one of the thicker vines.
He'd never seen anything so lovely in his life. From top to bottom, the sight was one of extraordinary
beauty. The sound, one he had only sensed in the village below, was a mighty roar here where he sat. He
sighed, taking in the calming influence, the
necessary.
He made the decision to lose the boy on one of the many switchback paths that appeared to spiral
further upward. He slipped easily onto one of the paths for a few feet, doubled back and stepped
gingerly over a thick root that was protruding from the ground like a varicose vein on an old woman's leg.
He balanced his way across the root and then stepped silently onto another pathway. He picked up his
pace and hurried on; eager to find his way to the mysterious sound that beckoned him.
Genny stood up and dusted the rotting leaves and slime from her cords. Her mouth was twisted in a
hateful line of revulsion as black goo came away on her palms.
“Ugh!” she spat, wiping her hands on a nearby tree trunk. She scraped the fecund-smelling goo off her
hands, looked up the incline with a malevolent gleam of pure vengeance, and dug her toes into the slick
leaf compaction once more.
He was almost there. He could hear it clearly now. He cocked his blond head to one side. What could
cause such a sound, he thought? It wasn't a threatening sound, but a pleasant, calming sound and he
could hardly wait to see what could inspire such longing in him.
Reaching the top of the incline, Genny almost lost her balance and tumbled backward as she took her
last step. Cartwheeling her arms, crying out with more fury than frustration, she was able to stumble
forward, away from the precarious position in which she had almost been thrust. Her anger turned to
deep, irrational rage as she swung her head about. She saw where his boots had left light indention in one
of several branching pathways, no doubt caused by the many deer and small animals on the peninsula.
She started toward that path, but her eye caught sight of deeper tracks to her right and she walked to
that section of ground and peered closely. There were no tracks going to the path, but tracks going up
the pathway. She looked back along the ground leading from the first pathway to the one where she was
standing. A tight, sneering smile touched her mouth.
“You walked along the root, didn't you, you bastard?” she said softly. “You wanted me to follow that
pathway, didn't you?” She looked up the pathway he had obviously taken.
“You're not as smart as you think you are!"
There was a sharp bend in the pathway and the sound was loud, very loud there. He struggled up,
gripping a thick vine that draped down from one of the tall trees overhead, and pulled himself up a small
ledge, swung clumsily around the bend, and—
The sight took his breath away. His blue-black eyes opened wide, his mouth dropped open. He would
later swear the heart inside his chest even ceased to beat. So stunned was he by what he was seeing, he
sat down heavily on the loamy soil and stared with rapt attention.
The going was hard up the path the bastard had taken, she thought, as she heaved her light frame along
the black ground. Now and again she had to fumble for protruding roots, a draping vine, and even a
small shrub, to keep from tumbling back down the pathway. Her legs and thighs were cramping; her shirt
was plastered to her panting chest. Sweat drizzled into her eyes and the salt stung her. Insects darted at
her, bumped into her face and neck. Something was crawling inside her boot, but she was too afraid to
stop long enough to dislodge whatever it was for fear she'd fall for sure. With every step she took she
prayed whatever was making its home in her boot wasn't deadly.
“Godawful son-of-a-bitching bastard!” she seethed as she crawled up the last few feet of the pathway
and spied the sharp turning in the course. She reached out for one of the thicker vines.
He'd never seen anything so lovely in his life. From top to bottom, the sight was one of extraordinary
beauty. The sound, one he had only sensed in the village below, was a mighty roar here where he sat. He
sighed, taking in the calming influence, the
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