at Sam. “Why don’t you go ahead and start the video, Sam?”
“Sure thing.” Thumbing the video camera on, Sam centered the picture and started filming. “Dean? Stills?”
“Got it,” Dean called, already snapping photos. “Hey, Anne, what exactly did the witnesses see? Where did they say the…critter, thing, whatever, where did it come from? And where did it go?”
“Everybody said it came from behind the rock someplace, ran through the woods to the left of the rock for a little ways, then took off through the trees away from the path and disappeared. We figure it only seemed like it disappeared because of the low light.” Her face took on a thoughtful expression. “You know what, now that I think of it, it’s kind of weird that everybody saw it go the exact same way.”
“Just what I was thinking myself,” Bo said. “Anne, have you seen it?”
Her eyes took on a strangely furtive look. “No. A couple of the other workers have, though.”
A glance at Bo told Sam he’d gotten the same sense Sam had—that Anne was lying. But why? It doesn’t make any sense. Resolving to talk to the other staff members when he got a chance, Sam filed the information away for later use.
Bo laid a hand on Sam’s arm. “Sam, can you feel anything here?”
“Not right now. Here, take the camera and I’ll see what I can pick up.”
Handing the video camera to Bo, Sam shut his eyes and stretched out his senses. Something wispy and vague tugged at the edge of his mind. Whatever it was, it was nothing like the overwhelming menace and sense of purpose he’d felt in Oleander House or South Bay High.
“There’s something,” he murmured, his eyes still closed. “But it’s very faint. And it doesn’t feel threatening at all. Not like before.”
He opened his eyes and met Bo’s relieved gaze. Bo gave him a wide smile. “That’s good. Why don’t the three of us walk out to the rock? We can take some close-up pictures and video, and inspect the area.” He turned to Anne. “That’s okay, isn’t it?”
“Sure,” she said. “Just watch your step. The ground drops off pretty suddenly a few dozen yards past the boulder.”
“We’ll be careful.” Bo glanced at Dean. “All right, let’s all be on the lookout for anything unusual while we’re walking out there. We’ll check all around the rock, then take video and stills. Got it?”
“Got it, boss.” Bumping Anne’s shoulder with his, Dean moved to Bo’s side. “I’m ready.”
The three of them moved together, walking slow and steady. Sam took the video camera back, ready to film. He swept a keen gaze over the ground as he walked, looking for anything out of place. At the same time, he kept his psychic senses open for any further evidence of whatever he’d felt before.
When they reached the boulder, which rose above Sam’s head, Bo grunted and leaned a hand against the stone. “Damn.”
“Bo? What is it?” Moving closer to Bo, Sam laid a hand on his shoulder. “Your leg again?”
“Yeah. The burning’s getting worse. It feels so strange. I can’t even describe it.” Bo rubbed a palm over his thigh. “It feels almost electrified.”
Sam glanced at Dean, who looked just as worried as Sam felt. “We should go back. Let Dean look at it.”
“He’s right,” Dean chimed in. “This doesn’t sound like normal muscle strain.”
The muscles in Bo’s jaw tightened. “I know. But I feel like we need to finish here first. It may be our last chance to investigate this spot in the daytime, without any snow or anything to hinder us. The weather’s clear right now, but that winter storm could still hit.”
Sam sighed. “I’d argue, but I know what kind of chance I’ve got at changing your mind. Besides which, you have a point.”
“At least let me and Sam walk around the back,” Dean suggested. “You can check here in the front, that way you won’t have to put any more strain on your leg.”
Bo didn’t look happy, but he nodded. “Okay. We’ll do
“Sure thing.” Thumbing the video camera on, Sam centered the picture and started filming. “Dean? Stills?”
“Got it,” Dean called, already snapping photos. “Hey, Anne, what exactly did the witnesses see? Where did they say the…critter, thing, whatever, where did it come from? And where did it go?”
“Everybody said it came from behind the rock someplace, ran through the woods to the left of the rock for a little ways, then took off through the trees away from the path and disappeared. We figure it only seemed like it disappeared because of the low light.” Her face took on a thoughtful expression. “You know what, now that I think of it, it’s kind of weird that everybody saw it go the exact same way.”
“Just what I was thinking myself,” Bo said. “Anne, have you seen it?”
Her eyes took on a strangely furtive look. “No. A couple of the other workers have, though.”
A glance at Bo told Sam he’d gotten the same sense Sam had—that Anne was lying. But why? It doesn’t make any sense. Resolving to talk to the other staff members when he got a chance, Sam filed the information away for later use.
Bo laid a hand on Sam’s arm. “Sam, can you feel anything here?”
“Not right now. Here, take the camera and I’ll see what I can pick up.”
Handing the video camera to Bo, Sam shut his eyes and stretched out his senses. Something wispy and vague tugged at the edge of his mind. Whatever it was, it was nothing like the overwhelming menace and sense of purpose he’d felt in Oleander House or South Bay High.
“There’s something,” he murmured, his eyes still closed. “But it’s very faint. And it doesn’t feel threatening at all. Not like before.”
He opened his eyes and met Bo’s relieved gaze. Bo gave him a wide smile. “That’s good. Why don’t the three of us walk out to the rock? We can take some close-up pictures and video, and inspect the area.” He turned to Anne. “That’s okay, isn’t it?”
“Sure,” she said. “Just watch your step. The ground drops off pretty suddenly a few dozen yards past the boulder.”
“We’ll be careful.” Bo glanced at Dean. “All right, let’s all be on the lookout for anything unusual while we’re walking out there. We’ll check all around the rock, then take video and stills. Got it?”
“Got it, boss.” Bumping Anne’s shoulder with his, Dean moved to Bo’s side. “I’m ready.”
The three of them moved together, walking slow and steady. Sam took the video camera back, ready to film. He swept a keen gaze over the ground as he walked, looking for anything out of place. At the same time, he kept his psychic senses open for any further evidence of whatever he’d felt before.
When they reached the boulder, which rose above Sam’s head, Bo grunted and leaned a hand against the stone. “Damn.”
“Bo? What is it?” Moving closer to Bo, Sam laid a hand on his shoulder. “Your leg again?”
“Yeah. The burning’s getting worse. It feels so strange. I can’t even describe it.” Bo rubbed a palm over his thigh. “It feels almost electrified.”
Sam glanced at Dean, who looked just as worried as Sam felt. “We should go back. Let Dean look at it.”
“He’s right,” Dean chimed in. “This doesn’t sound like normal muscle strain.”
The muscles in Bo’s jaw tightened. “I know. But I feel like we need to finish here first. It may be our last chance to investigate this spot in the daytime, without any snow or anything to hinder us. The weather’s clear right now, but that winter storm could still hit.”
Sam sighed. “I’d argue, but I know what kind of chance I’ve got at changing your mind. Besides which, you have a point.”
“At least let me and Sam walk around the back,” Dean suggested. “You can check here in the front, that way you won’t have to put any more strain on your leg.”
Bo didn’t look happy, but he nodded. “Okay. We’ll do
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