Mason
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
He wasn't chasing us blindly.
He was controlling the space with sound, letting us know he was still there, letting us know the forest belonged to him.
That night, we didn't set up tents.
We couldn't.
We were too afraid to be trapped inside fabric again.
We found a thick cedar with low branches and wedged ourselves under it, backs against the trunk, packs in front like shields.
We sat there shivering, trying to stay awake in shifts, but neither of us slept more than a few minutes at a time.
Sometime after midnight, I heard something that made my blood turn to ice.
A voice.
My voice.
It came from the dark, a little ways away, and it said very softly, Mason.
Mason.
I froze so hard my muscles cramped.
Mason's head jerked up.
His eyes were wide.
The voice said again, Mason.
It wasn't a perfect imitation.
It was close enough to make my stomach lurch.
It had the same cadence I used when I was trying to get someone's attention without shouting.
The same tone of familiarity.