Petite and slim, Mackenzie stands an inch or two shorter than the other girl- Katie, or Kat for short.  Auburn haired, Katie is of a similar build to her friend.  Her green eyes are round and doe-like, while her nose is thin and tapered.  Her demure mouth makes two dimples appear on either cheek when she smiles, and her face is framed by a strong chin.  Mackenzie’s eyes are chestnut brown, and they dance with a mischievous twinkle most of the time.  Her short, rounded nose leads to a pair of full, sultry lips.  She often wears her thick, dark brown hair in a topknot, giving her an elfish look.

Mackenzie, at age twenty-two, is a year older than Katie.  Mackenzie is a music student, while Katie is an education major.  Katie too is a musician, although not classically trained like her friend.  Katie had been raised in Scotland and other parts of Europe, and now has made a home in America.  Mackenzie has taken the young Scotswoman under her wing, helping her adjust to life in the States.  Mackenzie is friendly and outgoing, Katie shy and introverted.  Katie has an aura of quiet serenity, mixed with a hint of sadness.  In contrast, Mackenzie’s appearance is that of a totally spontaneous, highly emotional pixie.  Both girls are different.  Very different from each other, which is why they get along so well.  But also different than the average college student.  The way they speak, the way they act, and the way they live their lives.

The four friends were on one of the many trails that crisscrossed through Keystone State Park.  Early that morning, they had made their way over a small peak, still capped by snow, then followed a narrow stream down into a valley.  At the top of the peak they had been surrounded by mountain laurel and assorted conifers, their evergreen in contrast to the other, deciduous trees.  This early in the year, only the most eager buds were showing on their otherwise stark branches.

It was nearing late afternoon now, and the stream they had been following for several miles was beginning to widen.  It was also beginning to form a slight gorge.  The four trooped along its west bank, passing occasional signs that marked trails leading through the woods to the north.  Mackenzie, her legs starting to ache, said to Mark, "Hey guys, where are we?  Lemme see that map."  She spoke in a carefully disguised southern accent.

The little company halted, unslung their packs and rested while Mark, the taller of the two young men, scrutinized a map.  "I think we’re here," he said, taking the opportunity to stand close to Mackenzie- very close.  A slight smirk crossed her face as she realized what he was up to.  Mark said, "We passed Otter Trail about 15 minutes ago, and we’re coming up on this bridge here."  He tapped his finger as Mackenzie nodded.  "That should take us across the stream, then it’s only a couple of miles up to the rest area."  They had planned to split the long trail over two days, spending the night at a cabin.  From that point on the trail looped back to their starting point.

"Would anyone like some fruit?" Katie asked, pulling a little thermos-like sack out of her backpack.  Her voice carried a mixed Scottish/English accent.  All three of her companions took some, reducing her stock significantly.  After they finished the fruit, the group marched on toward their destination.  As they walked, Katie looked over the side of the bank.  The gorge had deepened considerably now; it looked to be at least a thirty foot drop down to the stream bed.  The stream continued to widen as well; she estimated it was about fifty feet to the other side.  She wondered why the bridge hadn’t been built farther back, where it would be a shorter walk across.

At length they reached the bridge, or what was left of it.  "What the hell is this?" Mackenzie demanded to no one in particular, her fists planted on her hips.  The only remaining pieces of the bridge were two little stumps- one on each bank.

"Not good," Tim commented.  "It doesn’t say anything about this on the map," he added, taking it from his tall friend.

"Well why didn’t they tell us back at the office?" Mackenzie said.  She threw her hands up in frustration.

"Well," Tim began, "I guess we’d better keep moving.  There’s not any other cabins anywhere nearby.  Maybe there’s another way to get across further down.  The cabin is still ahead of us, anyway, even if we crossed now."

"Terrific," Mackenzie muttered.  With a sigh, she joined the others as they marched on.  The terrain was getting pretty rugged, and the gap between the woods and the edge of the bank was steadily shrinking.  After about a half hour they came across a fallen log that spanned the gorge.  The distance between the two banks narrowed at this particular point, making it only about a twenty foot walk across.

"Well, well," Mark murmured thoughtfully as the group considered their plight.  "The old fallen log routine.  What do you think, guys?"

No one answered right away as they examined the log.  It wasn’t very wide, but it looked sturdy enough.  Anyone with acrophobia was going to have a hard time getting across, though.  "I don’t know," Katie said slowly.  "I wouldn’t want to chance it.  That’s about a thirty foot drop down to the stream bed.  And from the looks of it, the stream itself is only a few feet deep."

"Right," Tim agreed, nodding.  "If somebody fell down there, assuming they didn’t break their neck, they’d have a hell of a time climbing back up."

"Are you sure there are no more shelters or cabins or something around here?" Mackenzie asked, snatching the map.

As she scrutinized it, Katie retraced their steps in her mind, trying to remember the point at which the stream became impassable.  "It’s got to be four or five miles back," she murmured.  Turning her gaze to the setting sun, she estimated they had about an hour and a half of daylight left.  Not enough.

Mackenzie seemed to make a decision.  "Let’s try the log," she said with confidence.  "We can make it."  She handed the map back to the Mark, then toed the edge of the log experimentally.

"Wait,"  Katie said.  "Let them go first-" she indicated Mark and Tim, "-to test the weight.  If it’ll hold them, it’ll hold us."

"Good idea," Mark agreed.  Taking his friend’s arm, he said, "Come on."

"Aw man," Tim muttered with a wink at Katie.  "Why do we gotta do all the dangerous stuff?"  As he was speaking, Mark strode quickly, confidently across with no problem.  Hardly anyone had noticed him going.  Tim followed with less assurance.  There was a harrowing moment when, three-quarters of the way across, his foot slipped on a patch of moss.  Mackenzie’s heart jumped in her throat, but she dare not scream lest it distract Tim and cause him to fall.  He dangled precariously for a moment (it seemed like an eternity to those watching), then steadied himself and hopped the rest of the way across.  The log, by all accounts, seemed sturdy.

"Okay guys," Mark called across the gap.  "You shouldn’t have any trouble at all.  Just don’t look down."

"You just had to say that," Mackenzie called back, her voice echoing in the trees behind her.  She was grinning, though.  Turning to her friend, she took a deep breath and said, "Okay Kat, here goes nothing."

But as she was about to step on the log, Katie shouted, "Mackenzie, wait!"  Mackenzie stopped as Katie caught up to her.  With her sharp eyesight, Katie had spotted a potential hazard.  Very carefully, she squatted on the edge of the bank and pointed the end of the log.  "Look there," she went on as Mackenzie leaned over, squinting.  "The wood’s rotted through there.  Put pressure on it and your foot could go right through.  Those lads are right lucky they didn’t step there."

"What’s the matter?" Mark called across, seeing the girls’ hesitation.  Just as Mackenzie was about to reply, the whole scene went straight to hell.

Katie, who had been pushing and prodding the log, lost her balance as the rotted wood gave way.  The ground beneath the two girls seemed to evaporate, crumbling away into nothingness as the log wrenched free of its resting place and went crashing headlong into the gorge.  Katie, perched on the edge of the bank, went straight over as the ground slid away under her scrambling feet.  She twisted around, clawing desperately at the soft earth, which was suddenly as slippery and insubstantial as sand.  With a scream, Mackenzie leaped backward onto firmer ground, then immediately dove forward again to save her friend from falling.  She hit the ground hard, grunted as she grabbed desperately at Katie’s wrist.  With more and more ground sliding out from under her, Katie used her flailing legs for leverage and swung her other arm up, locking it on Mackenzie’s wrist.  Her fall had been stopped, but her only hold on life was in Mackenzie’s small hands.

Across the gap, Mark and Tim were shouting frantically, but the girls took no notice, concentrating every shred of energy on keeping their hands locked together.  "I’ve got you-" Mackenzie grunted, meeting her friend’s eyes.  "I won’t let you fall."  In diving forward, Mackenzie had landed on a flat rock with a sharp end that stuck out of the ground.  It was cutting into her ribs, and she cried out in pain.  She knew she had to block it out- Katie’s life depended on it.

"Hang on," Mackenzie breathed, seeing the terrified look on her friend’s face.  All of 5 feet 3 inches and 98 pounds, she couldn’t exactly haul Katie up with brute strength.  Realizing this, Katie instead used her as a ladder.  With agonizing slowness, Katie inched her way up, trying to gain a purchase with her feet.  Her short nails dug into Mackenzie’s bare arms.  Mackenzie gritted her teeth; the sharp rock dug further into her ribs as she was pulled forward.  Katie swung her left leg up- once, twice, three times- and finally got a foothold.  Holding onto Mackenzie’s upper arms now, she finally dared to take one of her hands away to grab a tree root for support.  It held, and with the last of her rapidly diminishing strength, Katie reached safety.  She crawled on her belly away from the edge of the cliff as Mackenzie rolled over onto her back, breathless.

Helplessly, Mark and Tim watched the ordeal end.  "Shit man, we’ve gotta get back over there!" Tim said, casting about desperately for some inspiration.

"How?" Mark said more calmly.  He glanced down to the bottom of the gorge, where the shattered log lay in the stream bed.  "Take it easy, girls," he called across to them.  "You’re gonna be all right- we’ll go get help."

"Wait," Mackenzie called, sitting up.  She had regained some of her composure, but she still winced in pain.  Katie struggled to her knees, flexing her arm experimentally.  Then, seeing her friend’s hand come away from her midsection covered in blood, Katie scrambled over to her.

"Oh God, Mackenzie, you’re hurt," she said.  Brushing the dirt and dust from Mackenzie’s face and hair, she examined the wound.

Upon seeing her blood stained hand, some of Mackenzie’s composure evaporated again.  Panic crept into her consciousness; she had no stomach for gore.  "Easy," Katie soothed, seeing the expression on her friend’s face.  "Easy, sweetheart- it’s not deep.  Look, it’s not a deep cut."  Fortunately for Mackenzie, Katie had a stronger constitution.  "Just give it a minute, and it will stop.  Just calm down, Mackenzie- you’re going to be fine."  Mackenzie took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and when she opened them again the panic had faded.  Meanwhile, Katie retrieved a small washcloth from her pack, wet it with water from her canteen, and very carefully dabbed the dirt and grit from Mackenzie’s midsection.  She didn’t dab the wound itself, as it would encourage more bleeding.  Then she took Mackenzie’s hand and pressed it against the washcloth.  "Hold this, sweetie," she said.  Then Katie unbuttoned her flannel shirt, under which she had a t-shirt.  As Mackenzie held the washcloth, she stripped off the t-shirt and buttoned up her flannel once again.  Producing a pocket knife from her backpack, Katie made few quick slashes, then ripped the t-shirt lengthwise into the shape of a bandage.  Helping Mackenzie slip out of her own ripped t-shirt, she leaned her back a little to get a better angle on the wound.

Examining her ruined shirt, Mackenzie scowled.  "Damn it!" she cursed.  "I paid like, 30 bucks for this thing!"  It was a blue and white "baby tee", emblazoned with a Sun of medieval design.  Now, it looked as if the Sun had cracked in two like an egg.  Then Mackenzie glanced over in Mark and Tim’s direction and added, "Well, what are you lookin’ at?  This ain’t no peep show!"  But she said it with a grin.  Katie laughed a little, and the boys turned their backs as Katie tended to Mackenzie’s wound.  With a few minutes of applied pressure, the bleeding stopped.

Katie turned the washcloth to a clean side, wet it again, and used the ripped t-shirt to secure it around Mackenzie’s midsection.  Finally, Mackenzie loosened her own flannel shirt from where it was tied around her waist and slipped it on.  As she buttoned it up she said, "I really hope that doesn’t scar."

"It shouldn’t," Katie answered, with more confidence than she felt. Then Mark called across, "Are you guys okay?"

"We’re fine," Mackenzie answered, irritated that it was them and not the boys stuck here.  "Where’s the-" Mackenzie began, then realized that Mark had the map.  "Damn it!" she cursed.  "Mark, where the hell are we?  How do we get to a cabin or a rest area on this side?"

Mark studied the map for several minutes before replying.  "Well," he began uncertainly, "Well…  There’s a trail about a mile and a half back.  It goes north through the woods for a couple more miles, then leads to a ranger station."  He paused.  "But you guys should just stay there.  We’ll run up to the cabin here and- we’ll figure something out.  Somebody’s got to be there, and we’ll find out about the bridge.  There must be another way across."

"What do you think, Kat?" Mackenzie asked.

Katie looked uncertain.  "Maybe we should try the ranger station," she said.  "We should be able to make it there before dark if we hurry."

Mackenzie nodded.  "We’re going to go back," she called across to Mark.  "This trail we’re looking for- is it marked or what?"

"From what I can tell, there’s a sign at the edge of the woods that marks the beginning of the trail.  But I think you guys should wait there."

Mackenzie shook her head.  "Nope, we’re going.  We’ve got a flashlight in case we don’t make it before dark."

"Mark, the trail leads due north to the ranger station?" Katie asked.

"Almost exactly," Mark said, nodding.

Mackenzie stood up.  "Okay then, let’s get going."  Dusting off her hands she added with a grin, "You better be reading that map right Mark, or I’ll kick your ass!"

Mark smiled wickedly and said, "I’ll look forward to that.  Good luck."

"Be careful," Tim added.  Then they turned and made their way towards the cabin.



Katie and Mackenzie trooped wordlessly back the way they came, following the stream.  Each was lost in her own thoughts.  Eventually Katie glanced over and said quietly, "Thanks, Mackenzie.  You saved my life back there."

Mackenzie shrugged it off.  "Nah, that fall wouldn’t have killed you.  Broken a leg, maybe."

"Still," Katie went on.  "I never would have been able to hang on if you hadn’t grabbed me."

They stopped, looked at each other.  Katie favored her friend with a warm smile.  Mackenzie was touched by it; in that moment, she realized that here was someone she could really trust.  Mackenzie’s eyes softened as she returned Katie’s smile.  "I’ll tell you what, Kat," she said.  "Buy me a cold beer and we’ll call it even."  They both laughed, and Mackenzie put her arm around Katie’s shoulders.  Katie mimicked her, and they continued their walk arm in arm.



For the last half hour or so, the two girls had been following the northward trail, guided by blazes on the trees every twenty yards or so.  Katie was beginning to wish the blazes were closer together.  The trail was fairly easy to follow, but would not be so for very much longer.  As she and Mackenzie reached a clearing they looked toward the western horizon, saw the sun dipping below it.  "How far do you think we’ve gone?" Mackenzie asked.

Katie shook her head.  "I’m not sure, but I dinna think we’ve gone far enough.  We have about 45 minutes of light left now."

"Kat, what are we gonna do if we don’t make it to the ranger station?"  Mackenzie was beginning to sound scared.  Katie felt calm herself, perhaps balancing out her friend’s emotion.

With a smile, Katie replied, "Then we’ll just have to spend a night in the woods.  You’ve been camping before, haven’t you?"

Mackenzie chuckled.  "You won’t believe this, but no- I’ve never been.  I’m too wimpy to do without a toilet- among other things- even for a night.  As much as I love hiking I want to be back indoors at the end of the day."

"I’ll do my best to get you there," Katie replied.  She searched around the forest floor for a moment, then picked out two sturdy walking sticks.  Handing one to Mackenzie, she strode off again, whistling a walking tune.  After a few bars Mackenzie picked it up as well.

Despite Katie’s best efforts to guide them to shelter, they knew they weren’t going to make it.  The blazes were becoming harder and harder to see, and the tall forest trees drove the fading daylight away quicker than they had anticipated.  "Katie, where’s the next mark?" Mackenzie asked, looking rapidly from tree to tree.

Katie was peering ahead into the gloom, looking for some sign of the ranger station.  There was none that she could detect.  She turned back to Mackenzie and answered, "We should be right on it.  I’ve been timing the distance, about one blaze every thirty paces."

"Well I don’t see it."  Mackenzie kicked at the ground with her boot.  "Shit.  I’m going to kill those guys if we ever catch up with them."

"Well, it’s not really their fault that we’re stuck here.  But we might as well camp for the night, Mackenzie.  We dinna want to wander too far off the trail."

"I wish we could camp.  No tent, no sleeping bags, no fire, no nothing."  Mackenzie wrapped her arms around her body, shivering slightly.  The warmth of the sun was rapidly fading along with its light.

"I told you to dress warmly, didn’t I?" Katie scolded gently.

"Shut up!" Mackenzie said with a grin.  "Smarty pants!"  Mackenzie chuckled at herself; normally she would have said "smart ass", or something more profane.  She was beginning to pick up her friend’s way of speaking.

Katie had unslung her heavy pack, glad to be relieved of its weight.  She was glad now that she had put so much in it.  She dug around for a moment, then produced a heavy wool sweater.  "Here," she said, handing it to Mackenzie.  "Scotland’s finest."

"Oh no-no-no," Mackenzie replied.  "I’m not going to steal your sweater, hon.  Don’t worry, I’ll be fine."

"Now dinna be stubborn."  With a grin, Katie slipped it over Mackenzie’s hair.  "I’ve lived through many a Scottish winter, and the weather here today is like summer back home.  Besides, I’ve got a blanket in here too.  Oh, and how is that bandage holding up?"

"It’s okay.  It hurts, but I’ll live.  Thanks Kat."  Mackenzie pulled the sweater on, glad of the warmth it provided.  Before the light faded completely, she and Katie made their makeshift camp in a small clearing.  Mackenzie began to feel oppressed by the tall trees that loomed in the near darkness.  A cacophony of strange sounds was beginning as well, sounds that hadn’t been there during the day.  The two girls sat together on the forest floor, cross-legged, facing each other.  After having some fruit and water, they talked quietly, subdued by the night.  Mackenzie glanced about constantly, wondering at the source of every noise.  When twilight ended, she could barely make out Katie’s form, a foot in front of her.  As she sat rocking gently back and forth, her teeth chattered.  The chill night air was penetrating right through Katie’s thick sweater.  She rubbed her arms vigorously, trying to generate some heat.

Seeing her friend’s discomfort, Katie said, "Oh honey, you’re freezing.  Come over here."  Without speaking, Mackenzie crawled over.  She nestled in between Katie’s legs, and they sat together like bobsledders.  Katie had her back to a large tree trunk, and she leaned into it as she wrapped the blanket around the two of them.

"Katie, aren’t there r-r-rattlesnakes around here?" Mackenzie chattered.

"There might be, but you needn’t worry about them," Katie answered, rubbing Mackenzie’s shoulders.  "Unless we stepped on one or disturbed its nest.  Otherwise they wouldn’t bother us."

"W-w-what about bears?"

"I didn’t see anything on the brochure about bears.  And I doubt they would range this close to where people live.  We’re not that far away from the ranger station, don’t forget."

Mackenzie nodded.  "The brochure didn’t say anything about busted bridges either," she said with disgust.

Katie laughed a little.  "Aye, you’re right."

After a short pause, Mackenzie said, "Hey Kat, do you know Björk?"

"Not personally, no," Katie replied with a grin.  "But I do know of her, and I like her music."

"Really?  Awesome!" Mackenzie said in a loud whisper.  "I think she’s the best.  She just put out an album of remixes and unreleased tracks."

"Did she?  Hey, do you like Talitha MacKenzie?"

Mackenzie laughed.  "Did you hear what you just said, Kat?"

"What?  Oh!"  Katie laughed too as she got her own unintentional joke.

Then Mackenzie answered, "But yeah, I do like her.  Anybody who uses a didgeridoo in her songs is pretty cool, if you ask me.  Do you like Vaughan Williams?"

"Oh aye," Katie replied emphatically.  "Me mum raised us on Vaughan Williams… and Elgar, and any other English composer she knew of."

"Mmm," Mackenzie replied, her voice getting sleepy.  Then Katie began braiding her dark brown hair, and she sang a soft Scottish lullaby to her.  As she listened, Mackenzie’s eyes began to close of their own accord.

In a sleepy voice she said, "Mmm, that’s a beautiful song, Katie.  You have a great voice.  And great taste in music, too.  We should get together and play, form a band, maybe…"  With that, Mackenzie’s head lolled back on Katie’s shoulder, and she was fast asleep.

Glancing down at Mackenzie, making sure she was sound asleep, Katie took the edge of her shirt and carefully polished the outside of the locket.  The shirttail was a poor substitute for polish and a proper cloth, but she had to work with what was available.  Katie then opened the locket, peering intently at the two tiny pictures inside.  She ran her fingers lovingly over the glass on the left side.  Then she clicked the locket shut again, kissed it gently, and whispered, "I love you, Alain."  Her voice was almost inaudible, quieter even than the sudden rustle of leaves in front of her.  Katie froze, every sense alert.  Hurriedly, she tucked the locket back into her shirt, listening.  Strangely, she wasn’t afraid.

"Mackenzie," she whispered, gently prodding her.  "Mackenzie, wake up."

Mackenzie stirred but didn’t open her eyes.  She rolled over and mumbled, "No mommy, I don’t want any more ice cream...  My goldfish is floating…"

The rustle sounded again, nearer now.  Katie sat perfectly still, straining her eyes in a vain effort to penetrate the murky shadows all around her.  Then she pinpointed the source of the rustle: off to her left, a deer was moving quietly through the undergrowth.  A little deer- not quite an adult but not a fawn either.  It couldn’t have been more than six feet from her.  Katie dared not breathe lest she scare it away.  Surely it smelled them, but it seemed to take no notice as it poked around with its nose on the forest floor.  Then suddenly its head came up, and the two girls were invisible no more.  Its eyes fixed on Katie, and neither of them moved a centimeter.  The scene was like a still frame from a film- no sound, no motion whatsoever.
Then abruptly, at some unseen, unheard signal from its mother, the young deer turned and crashed away through the forest.  Katie blinked sharply, as if coming out of a trance.  She heard the two deer moving together now, receding into the distance.  Suddenly Mackenzie jerked awake, startled by the noise.  She sat upright and looked around frantically, disoriented.

"Mackenzie, it’s all right- it’s just me," Katie said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

Mackenzie nearly jumped out of her skin.  "Holy shit Kat!  You scared the piss out of me!"

Abruptly Katie broke out laughing.  She clapped a hand over her mouth and said, "Sorry… Sorry Mackenzie!  You should have seen yourself- you jumped about two feet in the air!"  Katie was giggling uncontrollably now.

"Damn it Katie!"  Katie’s giggling was contagious.  "I’m- I’m gonna kick your ass!"  Mackenzie tackled her, and they rolled around through the dead leaves- two laughing, squirming friends.

Only when Katie bumped her head against a tree trunk did they stop.  Mackenzie sat up, still giggling, and brushed the leaves out of her hair.  "Serves you right for scaring me like that," she said teasingly.

Katie started to reply, but she glanced up.  Her hand slowed in its motion of rubbing her head as she stared up through the thick canopy of trees.  "Hey…" she said slowly, getting to her feet.  She retrieved her walking stick.

"What?" Mackenzie followed suit, looking up, bewildered.

"Hey," Katie repeated in the same tone.  Her eyes not leaving the sky, she began walking backwards, looking for a clearing in the foliage.

"What??" Mackenzie said louder, moving to stand next to her.  She followed Katie’s gaze upward.

Katie pointed, and in a subdued voice said, "What’s that?"

Mackenzie craned her neck, squinting at the little patch of sky that was visible from Katie’s vantage point.  It was hard to tell where the trees ended and the sky began- it was so black.  Black, but studded with stars- thousands, millions.  Actually it was easy to tell where the trees were, Mackenzie realized- wherever the stars were not.  Then she saw it.

"Hey," Mackenzie echoed in the same voice.  "Is that a, a… meteor?"

Katie shook her head.  "No, it’s not moving."

"Well, what is it then?"  Both girls spoke quietly, reverently, as if they were in a church.  For up there, through that little hole in the trees, was a spectacle the likes of which neither of them had ever seen.  Mackenzie’s guess of a meteor was quite appropriate, if not accurate.  It looked for all the world as if a shooting star had been snatched out of the sky in mid-fall and placed there, unmoving, for all to see.  It reminded Mackenzie of some bizarre, cosmic jellyfish: a blue-green, helmet shaped head from which streamed a long, narrow tail.

"It must be a comet," Katie breathed next to her.

"Wow," Mackenzie murmured.  "Where did it come from?"

"I don’t know…"  Katie shook her head slowly.  "But it’s so beautiful…"

"Mm-hmm," Mackenzie agreed.  "It actually has color- doesn’t it?  Or am I still dreaming?"

Quick as a flash, Katie pinched her.  Mackenzie slapped her arm, and Katie giggled, "You asked for that one."  Both girls continued staring upward at the surreal scene.  Katie went on, "The tail- it just goes on forever.  Look-"  She moved around to see past the trees, taking Mackenzie’s hand.  "Almost all the way down to the horizon.  And if you avert your eyes slightly- dinna look right at it- it’s actually brighter."

Mackenzie tried it.  "Hey, cool trick," she said.  "Where’d you learn that?"

"My grandfather," Katie answered.  "We used to watch the sky together, when I was little."  Katie paused, and a note of sadness crept into her voice.  "That was such a long time ago.  I really miss him."

Mackenzie glanced over at her, seeing her upturned face outlined in the dim starlight.  Slowly Mackenzie slid her arm around her and gently rubbed her back as the two of them gazed wordlessly at the silent, magnificent comet.  Doubtless many others around the globe witnessed it as well, but the two friends could easily imagine it was shining just for them.  It was a moment neither of them would ever forget.

Katie reluctantly tore her gaze away from the comet.  "Mark said the trail leads due north to the ranger station, right?"
Mackenzie nodded, and Katie scanned the sky until she found what she was looking for.  "See the Big Dipper over there?  The first two stars in the bowl- they’re called the pointers- they point to the North Star."  Mackenzie nodded, following Katie’s outstretched arm as she pointed.  Katie went on, "Since the North Star always faces due north, it tells us which way to go.  Here, we’ll mark the way in case we forget."  Katie took a few moments to find two trees that lined up exactly with the North Star.  Then she took her pocket knife and carved an unobtrusive circle at eye level on each one.

"Cool," Mackenzie said, admiring her work.  "Hey, you’re better than Smokey the Bear.  All you need is that little hat he wears-"

Katie suddenly put a hand on her friend’s arm.  Listening intently, she whispered, "Mackenzie, do you hear that?"  Mackenzie shook her head, and Katie instinctively crouched and took her hand.  As quietly as they could manage, they ducked behind the trunk of a large pin oak.  Mackenzie could hear the noise now- a quiet but steady rustling of dry, dead leaves.  "Another deer?" she whispered.

"I dinna think so."  Katie’s voice was barely audible.  Mackenzie swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.  She recognized the rhythmic shuffling now- a sound produced not by a deer, but by human feet.  The girls crouched even lower, wishing they could melt into the rough tree bark.  As the footsteps grew nearer, they slowed.  Suddenly a harsh spotlight stabbed through the blackness, blinding the girls, sending a bolt of fear through them.  Even though they were not in its direct path, it seemed brighter than the Sun itself.  Katie and Mackenzie crouched even lower; fortunately the tree was directly between them and the source of the light.  Then the spotlight began a slow sweep of the woods.

Neither of the girls dared breathe.  Katie glanced over, saw Mackenzie’s features silhouetted against the light.  Mackenzie met her gaze, a lock of dark hair covering one eye.  The expression on Katie’s face was close to terror.  Unpleasant thoughts were flitting about in her mind: two girls, lost and alone in the woods…

Mackenzie, while still afraid, was thinking in more practical terms.  She wondered if this mysterious figure might be the Park Ranger; maybe Mark and Tim had gotten word to him.  She considered making herself visible, but decided it was not a chance worth taking.  She looked down and saw Katie still clutching her pocket knife.  Silently she slid it from Katie’s trembling fingers.  As she worked the blade loose with her fingers, the spotlight seemed to move closer.  Mackenzie tensed, poised to strike.

Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the spotlight vanished.  Everyone was completely blind for the moment.  With agonizing slowness, their night vision returned.  The girls strained their ears, listening for the slightest rustle of leaves.  Nothing.  Not a sound- the forest seemed to have grown deathly still.  Mackenzie turned back to Katie, felt around for her still trembling hand.  Mackenzie squeezed it reassuringly, reminding Katie of the knife in her other hand.  With two fingers Mackenzie pointed to her eyes, then pointed behind them.  Katie nodded her understanding of the gesture, and she slowly, silently pivoted around to watch their backs.  Mackenzie turned back, trying to peer around the tree trunk.  From the direction where the spotlight had been, there was nothing.  Where had he gone?  Was he moving silently, invisibly through the undergrowth?  Had he seen their gear laying next to the tree?

The next few minutes were the most terrifying yet.  The spotlight had provided them with some frame of reference; they had known where the person was, if not who.  Now it was as if they were dealing with a ghost.  The girls didn’t know if the figure had even moved from the spot where the light had vanished.  He could have been stalking them from the other side of the tree, out of their line of sight.  Katie’s heart pounded in her ears; she seemed to see movement everywhere and nowhere in the murky shadows of the forest.  She kept glancing to her right, opposite Mackenzie- their blind spot.  Her skin crawled; she was on the verge of panic.  She expected something to come leaping out at them any second now.

Mackenzie was tracking a movement- a faint, elusive gleam of light on something- metal, perhaps?  Whether it was reflected starlight or some faraway, unseen artificial light source, Mackenzie didn’t know.  Every few seconds she would see it bobbing up and down.  She judged it to be at least twenty feet away.  Then, Mackenzie heard the sound.

It was a muttering.  A low, unintelligible muttering, faint and elusive.  It emanated from the figure, making the situation all the more creepy.  Mackenzie’s mind worked furiously- shutting out her fear, trying to come up with a plan.  She didn’t know if Katie heard the muttering, but she dared not even whisper to her.  She felt a confrontation was imminent.  If she and Katie could become the predators instead of the prey, they might stand a chance.

As Mackenzie turned toward her friend, another noise sounded- farther away, from the direction that Katie had seen the deer.  Both girls’ heads swiveled around, frantically scanning the trees.  It had been a very faint noise, but in their near-panicked state it was as if they had heard a thunderclap.  The muttering- still unintelligible- stopped.  Then Mackenzie made her target.  There, where she had seen the metal glint, was someone.  He straightened from a crouch- a clear, moving silhouette now.  For one heart-seizing, blood-chilling second he paused- and turned toward them.  Mackenzie knew instinctively that he had spotted them.  Somehow they had given themselves away- perhaps one of them had made an involuntary gasp in response to the noise.  Regardless, Mackenzie knew she had to act- right now.

Touching Katie’s shoulder, she then pointed down to the ground, making it clear she was to stay put.  Then, as quietly as she could manage, Mackenzie crept quickly away from their hiding place, towards the next big tree beside them.  She never made it.

The spotlight stabbed through the darkness once more, this time illuminating Mackenzie fully in its harsh glow.  She froze, in a crouch, her expression that of a deer caught in headlights.  Almost instantly, without thinking, she unfroze, becoming a blur of motion.  The pocketknife raised high in her right hand, she charged the unknown figure, letting loose a roar.  Wild-eyed, teeth bared in a predatory snarl, she ran blindly toward the light.  She got no more than three or four yards when her foot snagged a tree root and she went sprawling, the pocketknife clattering away into the leaves on the forest floor.  Flat on her stomach, gritting in pain from her injury, Mackenzie looked up-

To find herself staring down the barrel of a shotgun.