Bud—we texted back and forth a little and then I was wide awake. I came down to the kitchen to get a drink of water and started hearing the wolves…or coyotes…or whatever. It was kind of spooky, so I turned off the light and looked out the window. That’s when I saw something.”
“Wolves?” Michael asked.
“No. At least I don’t think so. Something sort of without shape. Something swishy and whitish. I saw it or them moving around and then disappearing. I could see real faint lights—sort of fuzzy lights. Oh, I don’t actually know what I was looking at…sort of a glow and it was kind of ethereal.” She set her spoon in her bowl and looked from Michael to Savannah. “It was, you know, eerie.”
Savannah glanced sharply at Michael. He raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement and said, “Well, you’re the second person to have mentioned this…sighting, Brianna.”
“I am?”
“Yes, your sister keeps telling me about something moving around out there at night. You saw this out beyond the orchard, right?”
“Yes!” Brianna said, excitement in her voice.
“Well, I’ve never seen it. But now that there are two sightings, I’m going to have to investigate, I guess.”
“You didn’t believe me?” Savannah said.
“Aw honey, I didn’t mean to make it sound like that.”
“Well, that’s what it sounded like to me.”
Brianna, sensing tension in the air tried to lighten the mood. “Hey Sis, let’s take a walk out there this afternoon when we get back from church, want to?” Brianna said. “We’ll go exploring like we did when we were kids.”
“Great idea, don’t you think, hon?” Michael said, reaching over and squeezing Savannah’s hand.
She thinned her lips, blinked her green eyes, and smiled. “Yes, sounds like fun. Only…”
“Only what?” Brianna said, frowning over at her sister.
“Only, I don’t know if I can keep up with you anymore.”
Brianna threw her arms up in the air. “Yay!” she said exuberantly. “I can finally out-walk stilt woman.”
“Don’t count on it, Brianna,” Michael said. “She can still chase me around this house and usually catch me, too.”
“Only because you want to be caught,” Savannah said, slapping Michael on the arm.
Everyone laughed.
“Hey hon,” Michael said, addressing Savannah in a more serious tone, “did you get a chance to look at the paper last night?”
“No, why?” she asked, apprehensively.
“There’s a story about Colbi’s disappearance.”
“Oh no,” Savannah said, her forehead creasing into a frown. “What’s going on?”
“No one knows. They found both of her cars at her house. It looks like there was a scuffle outside her home and she is gone—vanished.”
“Now, how old is this missing person?” Gladys asked. “How do you know her?”
“She’s around my age,” Savannah said, “…maybe a little younger—thirty, maybe… She’s a sweet thing—a reporter for the newspaper. She writes about cats—well, and other animals, and she does some feature articles, too.”
“Iris’s son has also become a writer and the two of them work together at the paper,” Michael explained. “From what Iris tells me, Damon is sweet on her.”
“Oh, I wondered about that,” Savannah said with a smile. “So they are an item?” She frowned and lowered her eyes. “Damon must be out of his mind with worry.”
“Yes, according to the article, he was the last one to see her before she disappeared.”
“Good gosh.” Savannah gasped. “They don’t think he had anything…”
“I hope not,” Michael said. “There was no indication of that in last night’s story.”
The room went quiet for a few moments and then Michael said, “Well, ladies, I have a few chores to take care of before we head out.” He slapped his napkin onto the table and stood to leave.
Everyone turned their heads toward the sound of Lexie’s jangling collar. “Yes, you can go out with me, girl,” Michael said,
“Wolves?” Michael asked.
“No. At least I don’t think so. Something sort of without shape. Something swishy and whitish. I saw it or them moving around and then disappearing. I could see real faint lights—sort of fuzzy lights. Oh, I don’t actually know what I was looking at…sort of a glow and it was kind of ethereal.” She set her spoon in her bowl and looked from Michael to Savannah. “It was, you know, eerie.”
Savannah glanced sharply at Michael. He raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement and said, “Well, you’re the second person to have mentioned this…sighting, Brianna.”
“I am?”
“Yes, your sister keeps telling me about something moving around out there at night. You saw this out beyond the orchard, right?”
“Yes!” Brianna said, excitement in her voice.
“Well, I’ve never seen it. But now that there are two sightings, I’m going to have to investigate, I guess.”
“You didn’t believe me?” Savannah said.
“Aw honey, I didn’t mean to make it sound like that.”
“Well, that’s what it sounded like to me.”
Brianna, sensing tension in the air tried to lighten the mood. “Hey Sis, let’s take a walk out there this afternoon when we get back from church, want to?” Brianna said. “We’ll go exploring like we did when we were kids.”
“Great idea, don’t you think, hon?” Michael said, reaching over and squeezing Savannah’s hand.
She thinned her lips, blinked her green eyes, and smiled. “Yes, sounds like fun. Only…”
“Only what?” Brianna said, frowning over at her sister.
“Only, I don’t know if I can keep up with you anymore.”
Brianna threw her arms up in the air. “Yay!” she said exuberantly. “I can finally out-walk stilt woman.”
“Don’t count on it, Brianna,” Michael said. “She can still chase me around this house and usually catch me, too.”
“Only because you want to be caught,” Savannah said, slapping Michael on the arm.
Everyone laughed.
“Hey hon,” Michael said, addressing Savannah in a more serious tone, “did you get a chance to look at the paper last night?”
“No, why?” she asked, apprehensively.
“There’s a story about Colbi’s disappearance.”
“Oh no,” Savannah said, her forehead creasing into a frown. “What’s going on?”
“No one knows. They found both of her cars at her house. It looks like there was a scuffle outside her home and she is gone—vanished.”
“Now, how old is this missing person?” Gladys asked. “How do you know her?”
“She’s around my age,” Savannah said, “…maybe a little younger—thirty, maybe… She’s a sweet thing—a reporter for the newspaper. She writes about cats—well, and other animals, and she does some feature articles, too.”
“Iris’s son has also become a writer and the two of them work together at the paper,” Michael explained. “From what Iris tells me, Damon is sweet on her.”
“Oh, I wondered about that,” Savannah said with a smile. “So they are an item?” She frowned and lowered her eyes. “Damon must be out of his mind with worry.”
“Yes, according to the article, he was the last one to see her before she disappeared.”
“Good gosh.” Savannah gasped. “They don’t think he had anything…”
“I hope not,” Michael said. “There was no indication of that in last night’s story.”
The room went quiet for a few moments and then Michael said, “Well, ladies, I have a few chores to take care of before we head out.” He slapped his napkin onto the table and stood to leave.
Everyone turned their heads toward the sound of Lexie’s jangling collar. “Yes, you can go out with me, girl,” Michael said,
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