James Rodriguez
๐ค SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Emily's voice came back immediately.
Confirmed.
Find anything?
Negative.
My voice remained steady.
Professional.
Returning to base.
Clara's face fell.
The expression I'd seen whenever I'd had to leave for deployment.
Don't go.
Daddy.
Please don't leave me again.
I blinked when my eyes opened.
She was gone.
The space between the trees stood empty, my flashlight beam illuminating nothing but vegetation.
I swept the area methodically, searching for any sign of what I'd seen.
No footprints, no disturbed vegetation, no evidence anything had been there at all.
The walk back to camp took 47 seconds.
I counted each step, focusing on the numbers rather than what I just experienced.
Emily waited at the perimeter.