Narrator

tessa lunged grabbing his wrist and for a split second she held him luke half in the brush half out his eyes were huge fixed on something i couldn't see his mouth opened like he wanted to speak but couldn't

Then the grip on him tightened, and Tessa's boot slipped in the mud.

Her fingers tore free of his wrist.

Luke vanished into wet leaves and darkness.

I ran forward without thinking, grabbed branches, shoved through, shouting his name.

The brush swallowed sound.

The rain hissed.

I saw nothing but shaking leaves.

Tessa grabbed my pack strap and yanked me back with sudden strength.

No, she snapped.

Noah, no.

He's, I choked.

Tessa's eyes were wild.

He's gone, she said, and the way she said it, flat, immediate, was the most terrifying thing I'd heard all day.

I stared at the brush where Luke disappeared, my brain refusing to accept it.

We have to, a whistle sounded, close from upslope.

Not the mimic voice, a human whistle.

Sharp, controlled.

Then another answered from downslope.

Tessa's face went gray.