Free SODIUM:1 Harbinger by Stephen Arseneault Page B

worn out and asked for a break. We were all getting hungry as it was now almost noon and we had yet to eat anything after the mornings events. We took a 20 minute rest before Bull insisted on continuing. The tracks crossed back down the ridge to along the creek at the exact point where I thought I had seen rocks falling the day before.
    We looked closely and there was evidence of a second set of tracks moving up the ridge at the same point. It was decided that whatever it was, it had been following us since at least that point in time. It did not take long before we had pieced together that the red devil glowing eyes near Lake Eleanor had probably been from whatever this was. Again, the chills ran up my spine.
    I knew finding Kyle was our most important task, but with the current set of events and the way my brain worked I was once again on the verge of a panic attack. I swore I would never leave the city again.
    Maybe back in Atlanta I would get robbed and murdered in an alleyway, but at least I would know why it was happening and by whom. I was not scared of humans as they could at least sometimes be reasoned with. I was good at convincing others to accept what I wanted. That salesmanship however, would not work on wild animals… or on the women in my life for that matter. And who knew what this red eyed beast was. For all I knew it was female too.
    We made our way back down Rancheria Creek to where we had camped the previous night. Bull and Allie decided it was a place that we could defend. We once again made camp while there was still a small amount of daylight.
    I was exhausted and I knew Susi was hurting too. She however, would not show her pain and had not talked since early that morning. I tried to ask her if she was OK, but all I got back was an empty stare. She was off in her own world, no doubt torturing herself about her last conversation with Kyle.
    I knew there was nothing I could do or say to make it better. I decided I might as well leave any attempts at comforting her up to Allie. Allie understood her and was far better at relationships than I.
    Bull went looking for small game for our dinner and I was given the task of catching a fish or two. I almost jumped out of my boots when I heard several shots about ten minutes later. Bull returned right after with two rabbits. I on the other hand had no fish.
    We cooked up the rabbits and then discussed how we might defend our campsite for the night. We would have to take shifts again. This time there would only be three of us since Susi was not in the mental condition to be left on guard duty on her own.
    I wanted the first shift up until midnight as it seemed to be just after that when the visitor was on the prowl. It was again a selfish cowardly act, an act that seemed to be in my nature. I hoped the others might be a bit restless and stay up through a good part of my shift. My hopes were soon fulfilled as Bull was not able to sleep, even though he needed it as much as anyone.
    I had gathered a large pile of wood, enough to keep a roaring fire going all night. It would stay well lit at least through my time on guard, I was determined of that. As the last light of day disappeared the girls got into their sleeping bags while Bull and I sat by the fire discussing the day’s events. I could hear Susi lightly sobbing as her and Allie talked quietly for a short time before they dozed off. It had been a difficult day for the group, a day that could not end soon enough.

Chapter 7
     
     
    As we sat by the fire Bull had a worried look on his face and it was something that I had never seen him have before. Since being a kid he had been bigger and stronger than anyone else, always confident, always in control. He had not been threatened by anything other than the one bear encounter where Allie had saved him. And that had happened quickly where he didn’t have time to dwell on what might happen and how defenseless he was at the time.
    With Allie by his side he had always