deep breath and dove in. “Steve, I’m worried.”
“About the guy who was attacked?”
“No. Just a feeling about this whole documentary thing.”
Steve laughed, the rat. “Maddie, you are not psychic. The ones you’re worried about will be fine. Don’t worry.”
“Okay.” I clicked off my phone, still as worried as before I’d called him. In fact, my friend’s casual attitude about the situation somehow caused me to worry even more. Somebody had to do something to protect the non-humans. Even if that somebody was me.
Chapter 8
The next morning, I headed out before the sun was up. The back road was dirt packed and seemed to go on forever. I might not be psychic, but I saw a bath in my poor Aveo’s near future.
The road abruptly ended, and I waited for the dust to settle before I got out of the car. A deep breath and off I went on my morning adventure. Even in my Nike sneakers, Calvin Klein jeans, and a cute T-shirt I snagged on sale a couple of weeks ago, the hike through the thick woods was long and hard. And rather unnerving. I knew where I was going—mostly—but I’d never actually been there.
There wasn’t an actual trail. Just weeds, flowers I couldn’t identify, rocks and tree roots to trip over, and bugs. Lots of creepy crawling and flying bugs. Grrr.
I was so busy scanning the ground for snakes, rocks, and big bugs that I almost missed the slim, gorgeous woman standing not five feet from me. “Hello,” I managed. I’d barely seen a faery before, never spoken with one, and certainly not in their own territory.
She dipped her head to one side and studied me. “Welcome,” she said.
I’d spoken to politicians, sports stars, actors, heroes, but I’d never been this nervous. “I’d like to talk with someone in charge.”
“You may speak with me. My name is Shaylee.”
I pulled back my shoulders. “My name is Madison Clark. I’ve come because I’m worried for your kind.”
“We have been expecting a human,” she tipped her head again. “But not you. You have never been in our realm before. Would you like to explain this concern for us?”
Now that I was here, standing in front of what was likely a big-shot faery, my determination to handle this thing alone was waning. Almost as fast as the bugs were multiplying. Well, I was here, so I had to try. I swallowed hard. “There is a human making a film in Ugly Creek; a documentary.”
Shaylee nodded curtly. “Yes, we are aware.”
“A couple of days ago, near the the filming, I saw one of your kind.”
I don’t think she so much as blinked. “You must be mistaken.”
“I wasn’t. Yesterday an outsider saw one of you. Both times it was just before an attack on the filmmakers.”
There was a reaction this time; her upper body leaned back, as if dodging something. “Are you saying our people are responsible for attacks on humans?”
“Of course not.” Hey, I’m not stupid. I wasn’t going to make an accusation. “I just mean it is dangerous to be around the filming, especially when these attacks are happening. I’m worried about any non-humans being seen by outsiders.”
“We appreciate your concern.” Shaylee turned, her wings unfolded, and she vanished on the wind, wrapped in the glow of shining emerald and tangerine wings.
“You’re welcome,” I told the wind, and turned back the way I’d come.
It sounds easy enough, just go back the way you came. The thing is, high grass, no trail, and myriad insects don’t really give you any idea of where you’d been.
No, I’m not an idiot. I’ve lived next to the forest my entire life, and I had my trusty compass with me. I trudged through the meadow-woods area, which was thick with high grass that was full of the ubiquitous bugs, and easy for snakes to hide in.
Finally, I reached a more normal forest with moss, logs and, of course, more bugs.
I finally came out of the woods about three hundred feet from my car, I could see it in the distance, and there was
“About the guy who was attacked?”
“No. Just a feeling about this whole documentary thing.”
Steve laughed, the rat. “Maddie, you are not psychic. The ones you’re worried about will be fine. Don’t worry.”
“Okay.” I clicked off my phone, still as worried as before I’d called him. In fact, my friend’s casual attitude about the situation somehow caused me to worry even more. Somebody had to do something to protect the non-humans. Even if that somebody was me.
Chapter 8
The next morning, I headed out before the sun was up. The back road was dirt packed and seemed to go on forever. I might not be psychic, but I saw a bath in my poor Aveo’s near future.
The road abruptly ended, and I waited for the dust to settle before I got out of the car. A deep breath and off I went on my morning adventure. Even in my Nike sneakers, Calvin Klein jeans, and a cute T-shirt I snagged on sale a couple of weeks ago, the hike through the thick woods was long and hard. And rather unnerving. I knew where I was going—mostly—but I’d never actually been there.
There wasn’t an actual trail. Just weeds, flowers I couldn’t identify, rocks and tree roots to trip over, and bugs. Lots of creepy crawling and flying bugs. Grrr.
I was so busy scanning the ground for snakes, rocks, and big bugs that I almost missed the slim, gorgeous woman standing not five feet from me. “Hello,” I managed. I’d barely seen a faery before, never spoken with one, and certainly not in their own territory.
She dipped her head to one side and studied me. “Welcome,” she said.
I’d spoken to politicians, sports stars, actors, heroes, but I’d never been this nervous. “I’d like to talk with someone in charge.”
“You may speak with me. My name is Shaylee.”
I pulled back my shoulders. “My name is Madison Clark. I’ve come because I’m worried for your kind.”
“We have been expecting a human,” she tipped her head again. “But not you. You have never been in our realm before. Would you like to explain this concern for us?”
Now that I was here, standing in front of what was likely a big-shot faery, my determination to handle this thing alone was waning. Almost as fast as the bugs were multiplying. Well, I was here, so I had to try. I swallowed hard. “There is a human making a film in Ugly Creek; a documentary.”
Shaylee nodded curtly. “Yes, we are aware.”
“A couple of days ago, near the the filming, I saw one of your kind.”
I don’t think she so much as blinked. “You must be mistaken.”
“I wasn’t. Yesterday an outsider saw one of you. Both times it was just before an attack on the filmmakers.”
There was a reaction this time; her upper body leaned back, as if dodging something. “Are you saying our people are responsible for attacks on humans?”
“Of course not.” Hey, I’m not stupid. I wasn’t going to make an accusation. “I just mean it is dangerous to be around the filming, especially when these attacks are happening. I’m worried about any non-humans being seen by outsiders.”
“We appreciate your concern.” Shaylee turned, her wings unfolded, and she vanished on the wind, wrapped in the glow of shining emerald and tangerine wings.
“You’re welcome,” I told the wind, and turned back the way I’d come.
It sounds easy enough, just go back the way you came. The thing is, high grass, no trail, and myriad insects don’t really give you any idea of where you’d been.
No, I’m not an idiot. I’ve lived next to the forest my entire life, and I had my trusty compass with me. I trudged through the meadow-woods area, which was thick with high grass that was full of the ubiquitous bugs, and easy for snakes to hide in.
Finally, I reached a more normal forest with moss, logs and, of course, more bugs.
I finally came out of the woods about three hundred feet from my car, I could see it in the distance, and there was
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