Epilogue
Paula had been worried that she would freeze on the long walk, but she found herself sweating as she made her way down the dirt road toward the group of lights.
From the highway, she hadn’t been able to tell what the lights were, but as she got nearer, she realized there was a cabin and it was surrounded by cars and trucks with their lights on.
A funny feeling began to creep over her, and she slowed down a little, suddenly wondering if she was walking into danger.
She’d been so desperate to find help, she hadn’t considered who she might ask for help from and decided that caution might be in order.
Stepping off the road into the trees, she stuck to the shadows, running from tree to tree until she was close enough to hide behind a big tree and watch the activity in front of the cabin.
At first, it seemed as if there was nothing going on, just a bunch of guys milling around, then she saw the writhing figure on the ground.
“Oh,” she gasped, then slammed her hand over her mouth, relieved when no one turned around.
She was just about to peek back around the tree when she heard someone coming and quickly looked around just in time to see a man walking toward her. Starting to panic, she looked for the best path to escape, but he was blocking her way, and she had no choice but to stay right where she was.
“Are you lost?” the man asked, his brown eyes taking her in, sending shivers down her spine. “You’re a long way from civilization. How did you get here?”
“I got lost and my car ran out of gas,” she said, surprised to feel a wave of comfort wash over her when the man looked her in the eye. “I saw the lights…I thought…and then I saw…well…I’m not sure what…I had this funny feeling…”
“Our friend had a little accident,” the man said, nodding in the direction of the lights. “We’re getting him some help. It sounds like you need some help, too.”
She nodded, but couldn’t speak for a second. A strange warmth was spreading through her, and she couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Deciding the best plan was to get out of there and fast, she shook her head, then started backing away, hoping to find a way to get away from him.
“I’m okay, thanks,” she said. “I’ll just be going now.”
She ran past the man and didn’t stop until she was out of breath and her side was throbbing, but looking back, she’d put some distance between them and started walking.
If she were lucky, someone would come by and help her.
There was no way she was letting that man help her.
There was something strange about him, something that made her feel very strange and off balance.
I hope you enjoyed the book!