CHAPTER FOUR
An owl screeched from somewhere in the forest, and a new spring appeared in Gabriel’s step. His second bottle of vodka slid out of his shaking hand, splashing his pants in the process, but he caught it craftily.
“Hmm, I’m not as drunk as I thought,” Gabriel chuckled weakly.
At that point, he gazed around. He noticed the shadows around for the first time and had the feeling that the trees closed in on him. Anxiety clawed at his chest, and a shiver touched his back.
The pathway he had chosen earlier that night skirted around bunches of trees, mostly clustered in the dark. He looked up and stared at the sliver of the moon, partly hidden in the clouds, and shuddered unconsciously.
Gabriel had gazed at the stars for a while, lying down in the glade he had picked as his stoppin
