Page 64 of In Her Eyes

Come.

This way.

I heed the call whispering for me to follow. Her voice is soft, calm, and loving. I tug at Jake’s hand and veer off the deer path. He resists at first, but I tug again. “She’s this way.”

“How do you . . .” He doesn’t finish the question, shakes his head, and follows me. His hand squeezes mine a little tighter.

We walk for several minutes, pushing low branches and vegetation away, being careful of our steps, and picking through leaves and rocks. The deeper we get into the forest, the quieter it gets. I expected the nature sounds to grow louder. But even the sound of water is gone now, as if the forest holds its breath. It’s also darker, the canopy of trees denser. Little sunlight gets through.

A movement to my right catches my attention. A dark shadow speeds by. My heartbeat pounds in my ears like primordial drums.

I stop.

Tears fill my eyes, and pressure builds in my chest. I gasp with the need to breathe.

There’s no air.

My knees buckle, but Jake catches me before I hit the ground.

He holds me to his side, strong arms around my waist to keep me upright. “What is it? What happened? Are you hurt?” The urgency in Jake’s voice grows with each question.

My mouth has gone dry. I swallow and lick my lips. “I’m—I’m okay.”

He releases a breath. His chest shudders as he inhales again. “What happened?” His voice is gentle, and his hands are gentler when he pushes a lock of hair behind my ear.

I find the strength in my legs to stand on my own feet. “She’s here. She’s close by.”

His gaze leaves my face to search our surroundings.

I blink away the wetness in my eyes and focus again. There are signs all around us. Small things that would go unnoticed if we were not looking closely.

“Look.” I point at a snapped branch and some large rocks that appear to have been moved around. Footprints follow them from their original place to the new one.

He puts a hand up. “Stay here.”

The wind shifts. The stench of death and turned dirt gets stronger. The low buzz of flies can be heard now. I cover my nose and mouth with both hands. Hold my breath. Jake reaches for his shoulder holster and pulls out his gun. My body goes numb with cold despite the mild temperature. He steps carefully, the gun trained on the ground as he scans the entire area.

There.The voice speaks in my head again.Behind that fallen tree.

The fallen tree is enormous. A person could easily crouch and hide behind it. There’s a huge hole where it used to stand. Broken roots reach into the air like the tentacles of a bizarre forest monster.

“Jake?” I call his name in a whisper.

He stops and glances over his shoulder.

I point to the trunk.

Jake makes a wide turn around the roots. When he appears on the other side of the tree, he closes his eyes and his head and shoulders droop. A shape takes form next to him.

Victoria.

She smiles. Bright red lipstick coats her lips.Thank you for finding me. My family can be at peace now.

Tears stream down my face and I’m flooded with a relief that’s not mine. Victoria turns and steps away. Fades into a stream of sunlight breaking through the trees.

“Jake?”

He holsters his gun. “Stay there. You don’t need to see this.” He walks back to me, takes me into his arms, and tucks my head under his chin. Holds me for a moment and then lets me go.

---