Catherine

What the hell happened? I couldn't answer. I didn't even know where to begin. He brought me back to the outpost. I walked, but I don't remember moving. My feet were shredded from the rocks, blood smeared across my heels and calves.

when we reached the station clint got even more tense two perfect holes in the front door hunting rifle rounds fired from inside did you shoot at someone he asked i shook my head slowly or maybe i nodded i don't know i was barely hanging on inside the place was in chaos

when we reached the station clint got even more tense two perfect holes in the front door hunting rifle rounds fired from inside did you shoot at someone he asked i shook my head slowly or maybe i nodded i don't know i was barely hanging on inside the place was in chaos

the attic panel was nailed shut from the inside the furniture had been pushed against the walls the flare gun was on the floor by the window unused and the shortwave still on still humming later at the station in kanab the sheriff asked me questions I told them someone came to the door, that I let him in, that he left, that I felt threatened, that I fired two shots through the door.

the attic panel was nailed shut from the inside the furniture had been pushed against the walls the flare gun was on the floor by the window unused and the shortwave still on still humming later at the station in kanab the sheriff asked me questions I told them someone came to the door, that I let him in, that he left, that I felt threatened, that I fired two shots through the door.

It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the truth either. They found no sign of another person, no tire tracks. No boot prints. No second mug. No name in the logbook. Nothing. Just me. They kept me for two nights in the clinic. Gave me fluids. Told me I'd had a stress-induced dissociative event. That being alone out there for too long sometimes does that to people.

It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the truth either. They found no sign of another person, no tire tracks. No boot prints. No second mug. No name in the logbook. Nothing. Just me. They kept me for two nights in the clinic. Gave me fluids. Told me I'd had a stress-induced dissociative event. That being alone out there for too long sometimes does that to people.

When I finally spoke to Clint, I asked him one thing. You ever see anything up there? He looked at me for a long time before answering. There's a reason we stopped using that post, he said. It wasn't the lightning strike. That's all he gave me. A month later I left Utah, moved north, changed my number, no contact with the agency, no more solo gigs. I tried to forget.

When I finally spoke to Clint, I asked him one thing. You ever see anything up there? He looked at me for a long time before answering. There's a reason we stopped using that post, he said. It wasn't the lightning strike. That's all he gave me. A month later I left Utah, moved north, changed my number, no contact with the agency, no more solo gigs. I tried to forget.

But sometimes, when I'm driving through empty country and the light hits just right, I'll look out toward the horizon, and I'll see someone standing out there, back turned, head tilted slightly, waiting. And in those moments, the desert smell hits me again. That strange mix of dust, copper, and something older. Something that doesn't belong in this world.

But sometimes, when I'm driving through empty country and the light hits just right, I'll look out toward the horizon, and I'll see someone standing out there, back turned, head tilted slightly, waiting. And in those moments, the desert smell hits me again. That strange mix of dust, copper, and something older. Something that doesn't belong in this world.

I don't know what I saw up on Horsehead Ridge. I don't know if it was ever human. But I know this much. Whatever it was, it walked too far, and it brought something back with it. The camping trip was Mikey's idea. We deserved a little vacation, he had said. An opportunity to escape our cramped, cluttered college house and commune with the great outdoors.

I don't know what I saw up on Horsehead Ridge. I don't know if it was ever human. But I know this much. Whatever it was, it walked too far, and it brought something back with it. The camping trip was Mikey's idea. We deserved a little vacation, he had said. An opportunity to escape our cramped, cluttered college house and commune with the great outdoors.

He had leaned into the center of our clump one night, the same devious glint in his eyes that he always got whenever he was about to drag us into trouble and said, How about a trip up the mountain? I don't know, Cynthia had replied, a bottle of grenadine in one hand and a bottle of Tito's in the other. I'm not very outdoorsy. None of us are. My boyfriend, Josh, agreed.

He had leaned into the center of our clump one night, the same devious glint in his eyes that he always got whenever he was about to drag us into trouble and said, How about a trip up the mountain? I don't know, Cynthia had replied, a bottle of grenadine in one hand and a bottle of Tito's in the other. I'm not very outdoorsy. None of us are. My boyfriend, Josh, agreed.

Oh, come on, Mikey urged, slinging an arm around my shoulder. Catherine thinks it's a great idea, right, Kath? I looked around the room at my friends, at our messy, half-hearted attempt at a pregame. Autumn cuddled up against her girlfriend, Sylvia, Josh, and Mikey, bookending me on the lumpy couch.

Oh, come on, Mikey urged, slinging an arm around my shoulder. Catherine thinks it's a great idea, right, Kath? I looked around the room at my friends, at our messy, half-hearted attempt at a pregame. Autumn cuddled up against her girlfriend, Sylvia, Josh, and Mikey, bookending me on the lumpy couch.

I loved every part of that small, crappy house I shared with my friends, the wall full of Polaroid pictures, the TV we never got around to mounting, the cat we adopted off the street curled up by my feet. I was going to miss it all. We would all be graduating from college in just a couple weeks, and then our little gang would be disbanding for the summer.

I loved every part of that small, crappy house I shared with my friends, the wall full of Polaroid pictures, the TV we never got around to mounting, the cat we adopted off the street curled up by my feet. I was going to miss it all. We would all be graduating from college in just a couple weeks, and then our little gang would be disbanding for the summer.

It would be nice to spend some quality time with friends before we all had to grow up and enter the real world." sure i agreed why not let's go mikey fist pumped a little too forcefully and sloshed his drink onto my jeans autumn giggled and raised her cup what the hell i'm in too so even though we all preferred the sanctuary of our dilapidated college house to the great outdoors