decided they would camp right there.
At least the bedding remained dry under the tall pines and though the temperature was cold, it wasn’t freezing. Graham used his hand to lower Bang’s bow gently, urging the boy to put it away. As he did, Graham pulled the boy’s hood over his head and settled him into the crook of his arm. He pushed loose pine needles up the boy’s exposed side for extra warmth. All the while, the dog kept a close watch on his every move. The dog was not really afraid of him or he would have already attacked, Graham reasoned; he seemed, at least, to be tolerating their presence, and that was a good sign.
“Go to sleep, Bang,” he whispered. “We’ll try to make friends with the guard dog in the morning. For now he seems not to mind our presence. I’ll stay awake and keep watch for a while. We’ll figure things out in the morning, okay?”
Bang nodded and lowered his eyelids, cuddling into Graham’s side, welcoming his warmth. Graham looked over at the dog staring at him and noticed the similarity in the way they were both protecting the ones they were with. Graham silently nodded to the dog, who blinked once and then resumed scanning the depths of the forest, as if somehow knowing they were now in this together.
18 Troubling Introductions
Marcy woke at dawn’s light. At first, her subconscious thought the prior days had all been a terrible dream. Then the smell of her mother’s coffee wafted through to her, and she knew deep down that couldn’t be right. Her mother had run out of coffee and her mother had . . .
Marcy struggled to regain full consciousness. Her head pounded, and then she remembered the events of the night before. Her fear came back in a rush, and she gasped as she fully woke to her new reality. She sat straight up, too fast, which caused the pounding in her head to increase.
“How are you feeling this morning? Hungry?” Campos asked.
She just stared at him, ready to scream again, shaking with fear.
“We have lots to do today,” he said.
The man terrified her. Marcy began to inch away, pushing herself farther from him. She looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings and noticed that her backpack and shoes were neatly placed beside the sofa. She looked up at the man. “I have to go,” she said, not certain what to expect. She threw off the blanket, grabbed her shoes and backpack, and ran for the door.
It took little effort for Campos to close the distance as he set his coffee down on the kitchen counter. “Hey now, you bumped your head pretty hard last night when you fell,” he said. She stopped short just three feet from him and stared at the door.
She knew that even if she struggled, he could easily overpower her. She backed away a few steps and remembered how his outburst the previous night had terrified her. Yet today, he seemed different, somehow—nicer. The events of the night before were coming back to her now, and she remembered leaving her sister out there.
She had to get away from him, and to do that she knew she’d have to play it cool. She felt like running, but chances were she’d never make it. Making up her mind, she looked up at the man and said, “Yeah, it kind of hurts. Do you anything for a headache?”
Campos sensed her urge to flee. He gently guided her by the arm to the kitchen. “Yes, I think I do. Here, you sit down and I’ll get you something. In fact, you should have some breakfast. I’m all out of eggs and bacon, but I still have cereal and instant milk. It’s not as good as the real stuff, but it works in cereal. How’s that sound?” he asked as he turned around with the found bottle of painkillers.
She held her head, trying to stop the pounding, and reached up to feel her split lip; more memories came back to her. Obviously, he had hurt her, but something told her to act as if she didn’t remember. He watched as she touched her scabbed lip. “Can you tell me what happened last night?” he asked.
“I don’t
At least the bedding remained dry under the tall pines and though the temperature was cold, it wasn’t freezing. Graham used his hand to lower Bang’s bow gently, urging the boy to put it away. As he did, Graham pulled the boy’s hood over his head and settled him into the crook of his arm. He pushed loose pine needles up the boy’s exposed side for extra warmth. All the while, the dog kept a close watch on his every move. The dog was not really afraid of him or he would have already attacked, Graham reasoned; he seemed, at least, to be tolerating their presence, and that was a good sign.
“Go to sleep, Bang,” he whispered. “We’ll try to make friends with the guard dog in the morning. For now he seems not to mind our presence. I’ll stay awake and keep watch for a while. We’ll figure things out in the morning, okay?”
Bang nodded and lowered his eyelids, cuddling into Graham’s side, welcoming his warmth. Graham looked over at the dog staring at him and noticed the similarity in the way they were both protecting the ones they were with. Graham silently nodded to the dog, who blinked once and then resumed scanning the depths of the forest, as if somehow knowing they were now in this together.
18 Troubling Introductions
Marcy woke at dawn’s light. At first, her subconscious thought the prior days had all been a terrible dream. Then the smell of her mother’s coffee wafted through to her, and she knew deep down that couldn’t be right. Her mother had run out of coffee and her mother had . . .
Marcy struggled to regain full consciousness. Her head pounded, and then she remembered the events of the night before. Her fear came back in a rush, and she gasped as she fully woke to her new reality. She sat straight up, too fast, which caused the pounding in her head to increase.
“How are you feeling this morning? Hungry?” Campos asked.
She just stared at him, ready to scream again, shaking with fear.
“We have lots to do today,” he said.
The man terrified her. Marcy began to inch away, pushing herself farther from him. She looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings and noticed that her backpack and shoes were neatly placed beside the sofa. She looked up at the man. “I have to go,” she said, not certain what to expect. She threw off the blanket, grabbed her shoes and backpack, and ran for the door.
It took little effort for Campos to close the distance as he set his coffee down on the kitchen counter. “Hey now, you bumped your head pretty hard last night when you fell,” he said. She stopped short just three feet from him and stared at the door.
She knew that even if she struggled, he could easily overpower her. She backed away a few steps and remembered how his outburst the previous night had terrified her. Yet today, he seemed different, somehow—nicer. The events of the night before were coming back to her now, and she remembered leaving her sister out there.
She had to get away from him, and to do that she knew she’d have to play it cool. She felt like running, but chances were she’d never make it. Making up her mind, she looked up at the man and said, “Yeah, it kind of hurts. Do you anything for a headache?”
Campos sensed her urge to flee. He gently guided her by the arm to the kitchen. “Yes, I think I do. Here, you sit down and I’ll get you something. In fact, you should have some breakfast. I’m all out of eggs and bacon, but I still have cereal and instant milk. It’s not as good as the real stuff, but it works in cereal. How’s that sound?” he asked as he turned around with the found bottle of painkillers.
She held her head, trying to stop the pounding, and reached up to feel her split lip; more memories came back to her. Obviously, he had hurt her, but something told her to act as if she didn’t remember. He watched as she touched her scabbed lip. “Can you tell me what happened last night?” he asked.
“I don’t
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