When Anna emerged from the forest, she found herself in a field of grass under a twilight sky. The sun was sinking far to the west, painting the horizon with bands of red and purple. The air was fresh and clean with far less humidity.
Bent over with her hands on her knees, Anna struggled to catch her breath. “Is it still following us?” She stood up and wiped her brow. “Can you see it?”
Jack was right beside her with a hand on his chest, breathing hard. “I don’t think so,” he said, turning around. “I cant…What the-”
Anna spun around to see what had startled him and gasped when she realized that the forest was no longer there. Instead, the plains stretched on to the southern horizon with only a few trees poking up here and there.
Anna shielded her eyes with one hand and squinted as she t
