“Thanks.” I don’t know what to say, so I reach for more trail mix. The nuts and dried fruit taste like sawdust in my dry mouth.
Ace finishes the last of his, tosses the empty bag aside, then gets to his feet, rolling his neck. He pulls his jacket off and drapes it over his pack, revealing the thick muscles of his shoulders and arms beneath his shirt. “Getting late. I should probably turn in.”
“I’ll stay up a bit longer. Keep watch.”
“Don’t stay up all night.” He grins. “You need rest too. Tomorrow could be the big day.”
“I know.” A thrill runs through me at the thought.
“All right.” Ace nods at me. “Night, then, Simon.”
“Goodnight.”
He starts toward the tent, unzipping the flap, and just before he steps inside, I blurt out, “Eight inches.”
Ace pauses, half inside the tent. “What?”
“A yeti’s cock,” I clarify. “Based on the footprints and estimated height, I’d say around eight inches. You’d expect bigger, maybe, but in primates, penis size doesn’t always scale with body size. Gorillas are way larger than us, but they’re much less endowed. So if you want me to hazard a guess, I’d say eight inches.”
Ace stares at me for a long moment, then bursts out laughing. “You really did think about it.”
“You asked!”
“I did.” He shakes his head. “Never thought I’d find out I’m better hung than a fucking yeti. Good to know.”
“You what?—”
But he’s already ducked into the tent before I can even process what he said, leaving me staring after him with my mouth hanging open.
3
My eyelids grow heavy. I add another log to the fire, banking it so it’ll burn slow through the night, then lean back and watch the flames catch. The warmth drags at me, my body heavy from the hike and the adrenaline crash.
I should go to bed. Get some actual sleep before tomorrow.
But just as I’m about to turn in, a sound from the darkness makes me freeze.
The hairs on my neck rise. I’m instantly wide awake. Was that…?
I hold my breath, listening.
There it is again. A low sound, a rumble, coming from somewhere close.
Holy shit.Has it come back?
I fumble for my flashlight, almost knocking over the tins of supplies beside me. My hands shake as I sweep the beam across the trees.
Part of me wants to wake Ace, but another part, the part that’s been obsessed with yetis my entire life, wants to find it alone. To see it first.
I creep to the mouth of the cave, the flashlight beam dancing across the rocks and snow. The forest is dark and silent, and my own breathing sounds unnaturally loud in the stillness.
Nothing moves. The shadows are undisturbed.
The sound comes again, that low rumbling, and my blood runs cold as I realize it’s not coming from the forest at all. It’s behind me. Closer. Much closer.
I turn slowly, flashlight trembling in my grip, and the beam lands on the tent.
The sound is coming from inside.
