Twenty-Nine
A symbol of ChangeThe bear did not stay in the area for long. Once we were sure it had moved on, we searched for our missing companions for what seemed hours, our senses on high alert for dangerous intruders, man or beast.
After finding no sign of either Marcus or Caia, Caleb led us toward a nearby lake. We trudged along the trail, and while I lagged behind, I left no breadcrumbs.
The body of water shimmered in the afternoon sun and despite the lukewarm temperature it refreshed as we washed the dirt from our skin and the stink from our bodies.
“Any idea what happened to them?” Beth picked up a small, flat rock and threw it. The shale skipped along the surface three times before sinking.
I shook my head, bouncing a flattened stone in my palm, eyes fixed to the spot where B
