safe.”
“There are no dangerous
animals in Cedar Falls,” Kate retorted. “It’s just a myth to keep kids out of
the woods.”
“Are you sure about
that?” Anastasia snapped, gesturing toward a large live-catch trap that was
positioned off to the side, less than twenty feet away. It was the smell of the
bait – a chunk of raw meat – that had allowed her to make the disconcerting
discovery. She could only guess that Mr. Stone had been the one to set the
trap.
“We’re almost there,”
Kate remained steadfast, although Anastasia was certain that she heard a quiver
in her voice.
Within minutes, the
comforting glow of lights appeared nearby, illuminating a medium-sized house.
Under Kate’s command, they crept closer until they were outside a window at the
back of the house. A light flickered in the room, and the curtains were parted
ever so slightly, probably making it difficult but not impossible to see
inside.
Kate gestured for the
three girls to stay back, before leaning closer to the window and peering in.
She was silent for several moments, even though something had definitely caught
her attention. “Frost is in there,” she finally spoke in a hushed tone.
Unable to control her
curiosity, Anastasia stepped forward and looked over Kate’s shoulder. Her pulse
raced as she saw Frost sitting in front of a fireplace, topless and tuning his
guitar. The flickering glow from the fire danced over Frost’s body,
highlighting his muscular build. When he put his guitar down and stood up, both
Anastasia and Kate ducked. However, they continued to watch as Frost stretched
his upper body before reaching for a notebook that lay upon the mantle. He then
sat back down, interchanging between writing in his notebook and strumming on
his guitar.
“Damn,” Kate muttered,
most definitely unintentionally.
“Let me see,” Marissa
demanded impatiently.
“Shhh...” Chloe warned
sternly, despite pushing forward in an attempt to peek in the window.
Knowing how wrong this
was, Anastasia backed away. Frost had gone from being talked about because
people thought he was a freak, to being spied upon because of his hot,
unbelievably toned body. Either way, he was constantly being dehumanized.
Anastasia was disgusted by her friends’ treatment of him, but she was also
ashamed that she’d stooped to their level.
“Wow,” Marissa
muttered, almost pressing her face against the glass.
“This isn’t right,”
Anastasia began to say. However, she was interrupted by the sound of heavy
footsteps fast approaching.
“Hey!” a loud voice
suddenly echoed throughout the woods.
Spinning around,
Anastasia saw a man hurrying toward them. As he came closer, she felt her heart
leap into her throat – it was Mr. Stone. She blushed deeply, mortified that
he’d caught them spying on Frost.
“It’s okay,” Mr. Stone
assured Anastasia as he slowed his pace. He was now only a few feet away from
her.
“Move,” Chloe said
desperately, while pulling Anastasia away from Mr. Stone.
Anastasia turned around
to see that Kate and Marissa had left the window and were already running
deeper into the woods. Not thinking twice, Anastasia and Chloe followed their
lead and began to run.
“Come back!” Mr. Stone
called after them. “It’s dangerous out there!”
Ignoring Mr. Stone’s
warning, the four girls continued running and didn’t stop until their lungs
ached and they had stitches in their sides. Several times, Anastasia had called
out to Kate, begging her to stop, but she’d just kept on going. Now shivering
in the cold, unforgiving night, they were far from their car and likely lost in
the middle of nowhere. The prospects did nothing to instill confidence in
Anastasia.
“We need help,” Chloe
said breathlessly, confirming Anastasia’s fear.
Quickly, Anastasia
retrieved her cell phone and was disappointed, although not surprised, to find
that she had no reception. One by one, Kate, Chloe and Marissa discovered that
their
“There are no dangerous
animals in Cedar Falls,” Kate retorted. “It’s just a myth to keep kids out of
the woods.”
“Are you sure about
that?” Anastasia snapped, gesturing toward a large live-catch trap that was
positioned off to the side, less than twenty feet away. It was the smell of the
bait – a chunk of raw meat – that had allowed her to make the disconcerting
discovery. She could only guess that Mr. Stone had been the one to set the
trap.
“We’re almost there,”
Kate remained steadfast, although Anastasia was certain that she heard a quiver
in her voice.
Within minutes, the
comforting glow of lights appeared nearby, illuminating a medium-sized house.
Under Kate’s command, they crept closer until they were outside a window at the
back of the house. A light flickered in the room, and the curtains were parted
ever so slightly, probably making it difficult but not impossible to see
inside.
Kate gestured for the
three girls to stay back, before leaning closer to the window and peering in.
She was silent for several moments, even though something had definitely caught
her attention. “Frost is in there,” she finally spoke in a hushed tone.
Unable to control her
curiosity, Anastasia stepped forward and looked over Kate’s shoulder. Her pulse
raced as she saw Frost sitting in front of a fireplace, topless and tuning his
guitar. The flickering glow from the fire danced over Frost’s body,
highlighting his muscular build. When he put his guitar down and stood up, both
Anastasia and Kate ducked. However, they continued to watch as Frost stretched
his upper body before reaching for a notebook that lay upon the mantle. He then
sat back down, interchanging between writing in his notebook and strumming on
his guitar.
“Damn,” Kate muttered,
most definitely unintentionally.
“Let me see,” Marissa
demanded impatiently.
“Shhh...” Chloe warned
sternly, despite pushing forward in an attempt to peek in the window.
Knowing how wrong this
was, Anastasia backed away. Frost had gone from being talked about because
people thought he was a freak, to being spied upon because of his hot,
unbelievably toned body. Either way, he was constantly being dehumanized.
Anastasia was disgusted by her friends’ treatment of him, but she was also
ashamed that she’d stooped to their level.
“Wow,” Marissa
muttered, almost pressing her face against the glass.
“This isn’t right,”
Anastasia began to say. However, she was interrupted by the sound of heavy
footsteps fast approaching.
“Hey!” a loud voice
suddenly echoed throughout the woods.
Spinning around,
Anastasia saw a man hurrying toward them. As he came closer, she felt her heart
leap into her throat – it was Mr. Stone. She blushed deeply, mortified that
he’d caught them spying on Frost.
“It’s okay,” Mr. Stone
assured Anastasia as he slowed his pace. He was now only a few feet away from
her.
“Move,” Chloe said
desperately, while pulling Anastasia away from Mr. Stone.
Anastasia turned around
to see that Kate and Marissa had left the window and were already running
deeper into the woods. Not thinking twice, Anastasia and Chloe followed their
lead and began to run.
“Come back!” Mr. Stone
called after them. “It’s dangerous out there!”
Ignoring Mr. Stone’s
warning, the four girls continued running and didn’t stop until their lungs
ached and they had stitches in their sides. Several times, Anastasia had called
out to Kate, begging her to stop, but she’d just kept on going. Now shivering
in the cold, unforgiving night, they were far from their car and likely lost in
the middle of nowhere. The prospects did nothing to instill confidence in
Anastasia.
“We need help,” Chloe
said breathlessly, confirming Anastasia’s fear.
Quickly, Anastasia
retrieved her cell phone and was disappointed, although not surprised, to find
that she had no reception. One by one, Kate, Chloe and Marissa discovered that
their
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