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Just here.
Just around the corner.
Discovered by continuing to move forward.
I sigh and take that bit of advice, walking toward the tree line, my camera at the ready, snapping shots almost at random and definitely just as the moment strikes me, not trying to frame anything too fancy, not trying for the perfect photograph.
Justfeeling.
But I’m so into feeling what I’mfeelingthat I don’t notice the prickling at my nape at first.
The sensation that someone’s watching me.
That I’m not alone.
I freeze and listen, half-convinced that I’m about to have my own bear moment like Leo inThe Revenant,but there’s nothing except for the shushing of the snow, the hiss of the wind, and when I turn around, the snow is falling so thickly that I can’t make out anything aside from the shadows of the tree trunks, the basic outline of the house in the distance.
Which is a pretty shot, so I pick up my camera, snap off a couple photos then turn back around and keep moving.
Only…
I don’t realize the past is coming up behind me.
Twenty-Six
Lake
It’sthe snoring that wakes me.
Louder than a damn locomotive, roaring through the room, and rattling me out of sleep.
I groan as I open my eyes, seeing the tiny demon passed out on his back, all four paws up in the air, lips hanging away from his teeth.
He looks and sounds full demon.
And he’s drooling on my mattress.
I scowl, and my scowl deepens when I lift my head, see that Nova’s gone.
My phone is still in my pocket, jabbing at my hip, and I dig it out, see that barely an hour’s passed between me sliding into bed and the tiny demon waking me up.
And in that time, Nova is gone.
“Woof! Woof!” Quiet, high-pitched barks, his little feet bouncing, mouth tightening and relaxing. “Woof! Woof! Woof!”
Dreaming.
It’s…dare I say cute.
And that word running through my mind is enough for me to get up, to get out of bed. I toss the blankets back, inadvertently waking the beast as I get up.
He woofs again, does an insane amount of movement to get all of his limbs beneath him and then shakes violently, lips flopping, drool flying.
“Ew, man,” I mutter, wiping my arm. “Jesus. Get it together.”
Steve looks up at me with those wide, buggy eyes for a moment then his head cocks to the side, whine escaping.
“She’s not here,” I answer before I realize I’m talking to a dog. “Jesus.”
