22WHEN KATHERINE AND Nora arrived at the burrow, they heard what could have been the sound of gunshot, but because it reverberated into different directions, they couldn’t figure out its origin. The two fell into nervous silence as they stood still under one of the rare balete trees that could still be found in the mountain. Folks believed this to be a magical tree, where fairies and creatures from another dimension resided. Baletes lighted up at night because of the fireflies that took refuge in them, and Nora and King sometimes waited for the dark before going home so they could see the arrival of the lighted bugs. Some of the local men hired by the logging company avoided cutting the tree; they were also afraid that its inhabitants would cast them a spell. But those from outside the vil
