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Authors: James Redfield
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here. I think it must be the people involved
with the experiment.”
He looked horrified.
“If you want,” I said, “you can take a more direct route back to town. Just head southwest toward that ridge in the distance.
You’ll run into the stream after about three-quarters of a mile and you can follow it west into town from there. I think you
can arrive before it gets too dark.”
“You’re not coming?”
“Not now. I’m going directly south to the stream and wait awhile for my friend.”
He tensed his forehead. “These people couldn’t be conductingan experiment without someone in the Forest Service knowing about it.”
“I know.”
“You don’t think you can do anything about this, do you? This is something big.”
I didn’t respond; a pang of anxiety rushed through me.
He listened for a moment and then moved past me into the valley, walking quickly. He looked back once and shook his head.
I watched him until he crossed the meadow and disappeared into the forest on the other side, then I hurriedly walked toward
the south, thinking again of Charlene. What had she been doing out here? Where was she going?’ I had no answers.
Pushing hard, I reached the stream in about thirty minutes. The sun was now completely hidden by the band of clouds at the
western horizon, and the twilight cast the woods in ominous gray tones. I was tired and dirty, and I knew that listening to
Joel and seeing the Jeeps had affected my mood severely. Perhaps I had enough evidence now to go to the authorities; perhaps
that was the way I could help Charlene most. Several options danced through my head, all rationalizing my return to town.
Because the woods on both sides of the stream were thin, I decided to wade across and make my way into the thicker forest
on the other side, although I knew that area was private property.
Once across, I stopped abruptly, hearing another Jeep, then broke into a run. Fifty feet ahead the land rose quickly into
a knob of boulders and outcroppings, twenty feet high. Climbing quickly, I reached the top and accelerated my pace, then leaped
upon a pile of large rocks, intending to jump them quickly to the other side. When my foot hit the topmost rock, the huge
stone rolled forward, throwing my feet out from under me and starting the whole pile moving. I bounced once on my hip and
landed ina small gully, the pile still tumbling my way. Several of the rocks, each two or three feet in diameter, were careening down,
coming squarely for my chest. I had time to roll onto my left side and raise my arms, but I knew I couldn’t get out of the
way.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a wispy white form moving in front of my body. Simultaneously an unusual knowing
came over me that the huge rocks would somehow miss. I closed my eyes and heard them crash on both sides. Slowly I opened
my eyes and peered out through the dust, wiping the dirt and rock chips from my face. The rocks were lying neatly beside me.
How had that happened? What was that white form?
For a moment I looked around the scene, and then behind one of the rocks I saw a slight movement. A small bobcat cub eased
around and looked directly into my eyes. I knew it was big enough to have run away, but it was lingering, looking at me.
The rising sound of the approaching vehicle finally sent the bobcat scampering into the woods. I jumped to my feet and ran
several more steps before landing awkwardly on another rock. A bolt of throbbing pain raced through my whole leg as my left
foot gave way. I fell to the ground and crawled the last two yards into the trees. I rolled around behind a huge oak as the
vehicle pulled up to the stream, slowed for a few minutes, then raced away, again toward the southeast.
My heart pounding, I sat up and pulled off my boot to inspect the ankle. It was already beginning to swell. Why this? I thought.
As I slid around to stretch out my leg, I observed a woman staring at me
with the experiment.”
He looked horrified.
“If you want,” I said, “you can take a more direct route back to town. Just head southwest toward that ridge in the distance.
You’ll run into the stream after about three-quarters of a mile and you can follow it west into town from there. I think you
can arrive before it gets too dark.”
“You’re not coming?”
“Not now. I’m going directly south to the stream and wait awhile for my friend.”
He tensed his forehead. “These people couldn’t be conductingan experiment without someone in the Forest Service knowing about it.”
“I know.”
“You don’t think you can do anything about this, do you? This is something big.”
I didn’t respond; a pang of anxiety rushed through me.
He listened for a moment and then moved past me into the valley, walking quickly. He looked back once and shook his head.
I watched him until he crossed the meadow and disappeared into the forest on the other side, then I hurriedly walked toward
the south, thinking again of Charlene. What had she been doing out here? Where was she going?’ I had no answers.
Pushing hard, I reached the stream in about thirty minutes. The sun was now completely hidden by the band of clouds at the
western horizon, and the twilight cast the woods in ominous gray tones. I was tired and dirty, and I knew that listening to
Joel and seeing the Jeeps had affected my mood severely. Perhaps I had enough evidence now to go to the authorities; perhaps
that was the way I could help Charlene most. Several options danced through my head, all rationalizing my return to town.
Because the woods on both sides of the stream were thin, I decided to wade across and make my way into the thicker forest
on the other side, although I knew that area was private property.
Once across, I stopped abruptly, hearing another Jeep, then broke into a run. Fifty feet ahead the land rose quickly into
a knob of boulders and outcroppings, twenty feet high. Climbing quickly, I reached the top and accelerated my pace, then leaped
upon a pile of large rocks, intending to jump them quickly to the other side. When my foot hit the topmost rock, the huge
stone rolled forward, throwing my feet out from under me and starting the whole pile moving. I bounced once on my hip and
landed ina small gully, the pile still tumbling my way. Several of the rocks, each two or three feet in diameter, were careening down,
coming squarely for my chest. I had time to roll onto my left side and raise my arms, but I knew I couldn’t get out of the
way.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a wispy white form moving in front of my body. Simultaneously an unusual knowing
came over me that the huge rocks would somehow miss. I closed my eyes and heard them crash on both sides. Slowly I opened
my eyes and peered out through the dust, wiping the dirt and rock chips from my face. The rocks were lying neatly beside me.
How had that happened? What was that white form?
For a moment I looked around the scene, and then behind one of the rocks I saw a slight movement. A small bobcat cub eased
around and looked directly into my eyes. I knew it was big enough to have run away, but it was lingering, looking at me.
The rising sound of the approaching vehicle finally sent the bobcat scampering into the woods. I jumped to my feet and ran
several more steps before landing awkwardly on another rock. A bolt of throbbing pain raced through my whole leg as my left
foot gave way. I fell to the ground and crawled the last two yards into the trees. I rolled around behind a huge oak as the
vehicle pulled up to the stream, slowed for a few minutes, then raced away, again toward the southeast.
My heart pounding, I sat up and pulled off my boot to inspect the ankle. It was already beginning to swell. Why this? I thought.
As I slid around to stretch out my leg, I observed a woman staring at me
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