Narrator

Tessa leaned close to the water, squinting.

"'Left,' she said.

"'We go left.'

Luke shook his head, breath ragged.

"'No,' he said, pointing."

"'That looks like a path.'

He pointed to the right, where the ground rose slightly, and there was a faint line through the undergrowth that could have been a deer trail, or could have been human.

Tessa snapped, "'Luke, no.'

Luke's pride flared again, and I understand it.

Fear turns into stubbornness, because stubbornness feels like control.

"'We can't just follow water forever,' he said.

"'We need a trail.'

Tessa's face went hard."

that ain't a trail she said that's a she didn't finish because at that moment from the right hand brush right where luke pointed a voice called out soft and familiar luke it was my voice not close but close enough the exact sound of my tone my cadence every hair on my body lifted luke's face went blank with shock noah he whispered even though i was standing two feet from him

The voice called again, closer.

Luke, come on.

Tessa's eyes went wide.

She grabbed Luke's arm.

Don't, she hissed.

That ain't- But Luke took one step toward the sound before his brain caught up.