Sheep's Clothing by Gary Lewis (free ebook reader for pc txt) 📕

"Out with it, already. Are you going to show me where it is or not?" Sarah held her hands up. "What's it going to be?"

"I just thought that more of us would be here," Terry said. "After what we saw the night that we were all stuck on the mountain..."

"And then there's that," Sarah slapped the side of her jeans before raising her palm. "Does anyone want to explain why I'm the only one who still hasn't seen the damn thing."

Terry still stood beside her car, slowly sweeping his head around at the forest that surrounded them.

"Look, just tell me where it's at." Sarah said. "I didn't come all the way out here for nothing. You can help yourself to my car, but the keys stay with me." Sarah shook her head as Terry unlatched his hand from the side of her car and began briskly walking toward her.

"I think I'll take my chances with you," he said, jogging to find a place alongside her.

"Good. It's settled then," Sarah said as they abandoned the open space behind them to enter the cool shade as lush green plants and looming trees engulfed them.

"Wait," Sarah said as she stopped with an audible skid of her shoe against the dirt of the trail. "What do you mean, take your chances with me?" He turned toward her and shrugged without saying a word. "Alright, then," she said. They continued their trek until a well-worn gap emerged through the brush to their right. Though it went off trail, it was well worn from regular foot traffic.

"I think this is it," Terry said, adjusting his glasses.

"Wait," Sarah said. "Doesn't this head toward the fire tower?"

"Actually, yes." Terry stepped through the footpath, into the woods. "You already know the place?"

"Lucky guess." Sarah smiled as she followed. "But I don't really know this way."

After some time of walking quietly through the woods, Sarah asked, "Are you sure you know where we're going?" Terry didn't answer. They continued walking as the forest got darker and denser. "Terry? It sure got quiet out here."

Terry stopped just short of the power line clearing ahead and turned to sit on an old log. "This is it," he said slapping his hand down on the damp rotted wood. Sarah couldn't quite figure out what he was getting at.

"Let me guess. We're going to play fetch and hope that it chokes on a fork sized splinter?"

Terry smiled. "Well now that you mention it..." He rubbed his chin. "Actually, the scope cam David and Vance mounted is right over there." Terry pointed uphill where the sunlit clearing broke bright light between the trees. "Not only that, but they're pretty sure they got good video evidence of it on that SD card. You see, it probably broke through the clearing to kill that deer just after David mounted the camera."

"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go get our proof," Sarah said, striding toward the brightly lit grass.

"Not so fast, Sarah," Terry said.

"What now?" She swayed back around to face Terry.

"You see, Sarah, there's some crazy trap set up on the tower." he said. "Only Vance knows how it works. But the real trap is catching whoever tries to get that camera down. We made it a point to tell everyone involved about its location. I was against the idea, myself. But I guess all I can do is pray that nobody randomly goes climbing up there."

Sarah took a moment to think about it. "So, what happens when nobody goes up there and gets the damn thing down?"

Terry smiled. "Well, in a few days we're all camping out, right here. That's when they'll disarm the trap and we'll see what we've got.”

She bent forward to smile down at him. "Sounds like a horrible idea," she said while he looked up at her from his seated position. With a raise of her hand, she stood back up. "Count me in."  Sarah shook her head before walking back in the direction they came from and Terry hopped from his rot wood bench to catch up. "You know," Sarah said. "It might be a good idea for me to go ahead and get saved." She took a quick glance behind to him as she continued hiking through the overgrowth of weeds that filled every sunlit inch of the uneven forest floor.

"It's never too late," Terry said. "When you completely give yourself over to-"

"Because in a few days," Sarah interrupted. "We're all going to be, you know..." Her smile stretched as she continued. "Dead and all." She cracked a laugh as the trail became visible ahead, between trunks of vine covered bark.

After stumbling through the last cluster of bushes, they emerged onto the trail and Sarah turned around to get her bearings. "I'm pretty sure it's this way," she said over the rustling of brush that Terry was still squeezing through. The noise was followed by an even louder crash of sticks and leaves that startled her into turning back to face Terry.

"It wasn't me," he whispered.

Sarah opened her eyes wide and looked toward the ground with her mouth open, standing solid in place.

She whispered back at Terry. "Quiet and fast. Let's go."

Sarah sprinted as silently as possible, sweeping through the forest air. She could hear the quiet taps of Terry's shoes close behind. Suddenly, his running seemed louder as a crash sounded through the forest beside them. Her legs burst into full speed as Terry quickly caught up to her and the white hood of her car became visible, parked just ahead. As they got closer, the noise faded to the sound of their own feet. They panted for breath all the way back to the car.

As soon as she reached the familiar, white, four door shelter of safety, Terry rushed into the passenger seat and Sarah swung the driver door open. A pause of hesitation froze her legs before sitting. She stood in the open doorway of her car. The sound of Terry slamming his hand against the