Free Forest Shadows by David Laing

that for sure. She’d seen them. She just didn’t know what they were.

Chapter Twenty-Two
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    S hadow suddenly bolted. Without warning he raced into the bush leaving Jars and the others open-mouthed, staring after him.
    â€˜Shadow!’ Jars yelled, finding her voice. ‘Come back!’ The dog ignored her.
    â€˜Shadow, come back!’ she called again. She turned to the others. ‘I don’t know what’s come over him. He never does that. He never disobeys me.’
    â€˜He probably saw a wallaby and chased after it,’ Snook suggested.
    â€˜No, it was something else.’ She started to move off. ‘I’ll go get him.’
    Reg stepped in and grabbed her by the arm. ‘That’s not a good idea.’ By this time Shadow was out of sight. ‘It’d split us up. And we can’t go with you. Not through that tangle.’ He looked at Quenton. He was definitely close to breaking point. ‘Quenton’s in no shape to go on, let alone slog through that.’ He waved an arm towards the thick scrub as if emphasising the point he’d made earlier. ‘We’d all better stay here and wait till Shadow comes back on his own. Then we’ll get Quenton back to the shack. He should be fit enough by then.’
    â€˜No! This isn’t a silly game the dog’s playing,’ Jars said raising her voice. ‘He hasn’t taken after some animal either. He’d never do that.’ She looked at Reg. ‘You know what Shadow’s like, Reg. He was yours once. There must be another reason for him acting like that.’ She shook her arm free from Reg’s grip. She’d had enough talking. It was time for action. With more firmness than she meant, she said, ‘I’m going to get him back!’ She turned and sprinted into the bush.
    Reg knew that nothing short of brute force would stop her. She’d just faced up to him with a determination he’d never seen before. ‘See you back at the shack,’ he called out to her disappearing figure.
    He hoped she’d be safe. He wasn’t worried about her coping with the bush. It was what she’d said earlier that worried him. Something about seeing strange figures: upright, shadowy, sort-of-ghostly, she’d said . He rubbed his chin. It was the bush playing tricks. It had to be. At least he hoped it was.

Chapter Twenty-Three
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    I t didn’t take Reg and the boys long to retrace their steps back to the shack. Once inside, Reg and Snook set about restarting the fire. It had grown quite chilly. Quenton headed for his bunk.
    When the fire caught, Snook and Reg followed Quenton’s example and settled on their bunks, waiting for Jars. ‘She shouldn’t be much longer,’ Reg commented, looking at his watch. ‘She would have caught up with Shadow by now.’
    â€˜Stupid dog,’ Quenton said. ‘Taking off like that. A bit of discipline is what it needs.’
    Snook propped himself up on one elbow and glared. Sometimes Quenton’s sarcasm could be too much. ‘You’re the one that’s stupid. Shadow’s the best dog there is. There had to be a good a reason for him runnin’ away like that. You just wait and see. Jars’ll explain when she gets back.’
    â€˜If she gets back.’
    Snook sighed. ‘How about bein’ a bit more positive, Quigley? I mean you’re always thinkin’ the worst. Of course she’ll be back – anytime now.’
    But Snook was wrong. Jars was about to experience something very much out of the ordinary and she’d be some time yet.

Chapter Twenty-Four
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    E verything was wet from last night’s rain, and moisture like tears dripped from the trees, saturating everything below, including Jars. Trying to ignore her wet body and the cold that it brought, she soldiered on, forcing her mind to concentrate. Her legs felt like lead. With each step the wet, spongy forest floor