and clusters of trees on the other side of the meadow. Distracted by the view, Lucy stumbled and caught herself by clinging to Maggie’s sweater.
“Sorry, I tripped on a root or something.”
“That’s all right. It is dark out here. I wish we had a flashlight. I keep one in my knitting bag. I know that sounds odd,but it comes in handy. Too bad I left it in my car,” Maggie murmured.
Lucy glanced at her. “At least the moon is out. That helps.”
“An autumn moon, too,” Dana added. “Though it’s not quite full.”
The moon was bright, though veiled by wispy clouds and not all that much help once they walked beyond the light of the outdoor lamps around the farmhouse. They continued on, a bit slower, careful of their footing on the rough dirt road. All Lucy could hear were their footsteps and the rustle of the tall treetops in the breeze.
Suddenly, a long, full-throated howl broke the silence.
Maggie stopped and turned her head toward the sound. “Good heavens, what was that? Sounds like a wolf . . . or at least a coyote.”
“It’s a hunting dog,” Lucy replied calmly.
“Even I knew that. And I’m a cat person,” Dana agreed.
They heard the sound again, this time a duet and even louder. “Whatever it is, it’s coming closer . . . and there are two of them.” Despite Lucy’s explanation, Maggie still sounded alarmed.
“Maybe it’s a two-headed dog, like the one in the Greek myth, that guards the gates of hell?” Dana was trying to make a joke, Lucy guessed, but the image, along with the howling, was unnerving.
And she was not entirely correct. “That dog has three heads, Dana. Not that I want to get picky or anything,” Lucy replied.
“Let’s hope it’s not a dog at all, then. Maybe it’s just thatneighbor from hell, out for his nocturnal stroll,” Maggie suggested softly.
“Sounds about right, from what we’ve heard so far,” Lucy countered.
Maggie turned her head. She was carrying a bag of yarn and clutched it to her chest. “Very funny, ladies. I hope we’re still laughing a few minutes from now. I think it’s almost here . . .”
The howling did sound very close now and suddenly broke into a frenzy of barking and even a few snarls. Then they heard the sound of something crashing through a nearby stand of trees and brush.
Maggie and Dana, who were in the lead, suddenly stopped in their tracks and Lucy bumped right into them.
They were far enough from the farmhouse so that their voices—even a loud shout—would not be heard. But not close enough to Maggie’s car to break out into a run.
In fact, they couldn’t even see the car, Lucy realized. They were now walking past a patch of woods. Lucy didn’t remember passing trees, but she had been distracted when they arrived and everything looked so different now.
Maggie’s car is back there somewhere, Lucy reminded herself. It has to be.
“Come on, ladies. What are we scared of?” Dana turned, looking at Maggie and Lucy. “We’re all acting so silly. They’re just dogs. Out for some air and exercise. Doesn’t everyone let their dogs out at night?”
Before Lucy could answer, she heard a sound and turned to see a figure emerge from the nearby stand of trees. All Lucycould make out was a khaki-green barn coat and baseball cap. She stopped again and so did her friends.
“Who’s that?” Maggie asked.
But before anyone could hazard a guess, a beam from a flashlight signaled a greeting. The figure walked toward them, and Lucy shielded her eyes with her hand. She couldn’t see past the glaring light.
“Hey, ladies . . . where are you going?”
It was Dot. Lucy quickly recognized her voice and soon distinguished her outline. Lucy heard everyone release one huge, synchronized sigh of relief.
“We’re trying to find my car,” Maggie replied. “It’s somewhere behind these trees, right? In the field where everyone parked today?”
“Oh my, you’re way off. You got all turned around in the
“Sorry, I tripped on a root or something.”
“That’s all right. It is dark out here. I wish we had a flashlight. I keep one in my knitting bag. I know that sounds odd,but it comes in handy. Too bad I left it in my car,” Maggie murmured.
Lucy glanced at her. “At least the moon is out. That helps.”
“An autumn moon, too,” Dana added. “Though it’s not quite full.”
The moon was bright, though veiled by wispy clouds and not all that much help once they walked beyond the light of the outdoor lamps around the farmhouse. They continued on, a bit slower, careful of their footing on the rough dirt road. All Lucy could hear were their footsteps and the rustle of the tall treetops in the breeze.
Suddenly, a long, full-throated howl broke the silence.
Maggie stopped and turned her head toward the sound. “Good heavens, what was that? Sounds like a wolf . . . or at least a coyote.”
“It’s a hunting dog,” Lucy replied calmly.
“Even I knew that. And I’m a cat person,” Dana agreed.
They heard the sound again, this time a duet and even louder. “Whatever it is, it’s coming closer . . . and there are two of them.” Despite Lucy’s explanation, Maggie still sounded alarmed.
“Maybe it’s a two-headed dog, like the one in the Greek myth, that guards the gates of hell?” Dana was trying to make a joke, Lucy guessed, but the image, along with the howling, was unnerving.
And she was not entirely correct. “That dog has three heads, Dana. Not that I want to get picky or anything,” Lucy replied.
“Let’s hope it’s not a dog at all, then. Maybe it’s just thatneighbor from hell, out for his nocturnal stroll,” Maggie suggested softly.
“Sounds about right, from what we’ve heard so far,” Lucy countered.
Maggie turned her head. She was carrying a bag of yarn and clutched it to her chest. “Very funny, ladies. I hope we’re still laughing a few minutes from now. I think it’s almost here . . .”
The howling did sound very close now and suddenly broke into a frenzy of barking and even a few snarls. Then they heard the sound of something crashing through a nearby stand of trees and brush.
Maggie and Dana, who were in the lead, suddenly stopped in their tracks and Lucy bumped right into them.
They were far enough from the farmhouse so that their voices—even a loud shout—would not be heard. But not close enough to Maggie’s car to break out into a run.
In fact, they couldn’t even see the car, Lucy realized. They were now walking past a patch of woods. Lucy didn’t remember passing trees, but she had been distracted when they arrived and everything looked so different now.
Maggie’s car is back there somewhere, Lucy reminded herself. It has to be.
“Come on, ladies. What are we scared of?” Dana turned, looking at Maggie and Lucy. “We’re all acting so silly. They’re just dogs. Out for some air and exercise. Doesn’t everyone let their dogs out at night?”
Before Lucy could answer, she heard a sound and turned to see a figure emerge from the nearby stand of trees. All Lucycould make out was a khaki-green barn coat and baseball cap. She stopped again and so did her friends.
“Who’s that?” Maggie asked.
But before anyone could hazard a guess, a beam from a flashlight signaled a greeting. The figure walked toward them, and Lucy shielded her eyes with her hand. She couldn’t see past the glaring light.
“Hey, ladies . . . where are you going?”
It was Dot. Lucy quickly recognized her voice and soon distinguished her outline. Lucy heard everyone release one huge, synchronized sigh of relief.
“We’re trying to find my car,” Maggie replied. “It’s somewhere behind these trees, right? In the field where everyone parked today?”
“Oh my, you’re way off. You got all turned around in the
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