“Bethany, are you okay?”
“What happened?” Lily turned around just in time to see Lisa reaching into the creek to pull Bethany out.
Bethany winced, clutching her hip. “Something brushed past my foot—I lost my balance and fell.”
She peered down into the dark water, but there was nothing visible—only the faint ripples glimmering under the torchlight. A tingling numbness crept up her calf.
“Come on, let’s get you out.” Lily helped her to the bank.
Holding the torch close, she examined Bethany’s ankle—no blood, no bite marks, nothing.
“It was probably just a fish. Let’s go back,” Lily said, brushing it off.
The three of them turned toward the cave.
When they returned, Jackson frowned immediately.
“Bethany, what happened? You’re soaked.”
Bethany’s face flushed. She tugged gently on Lil
