Page 18 of Captured on Film
She had been snuffling and sneezing among the stones at thebase of the pillar, as if intrigued by the scents she’d found there. With a tugof her leash, Caleb tried to guide her past the column, but she balked, sittingflat on her rump and refusing to budge.
“You’ll have to go in.” Josheb fished in his pockets, comingout with a ball of string.
“What are you, a boy scout?” It was a weak attempt atdiversion. It didn’t work.
“This has come in handy for more things than you canimagine.” Pulling a length free, he tied the end around Caleb’s ankle.
“You know, they used to do this with priests before they enteredthe Holy of Holies.”
Josheb shot him an amused look.
“A rope and bells,” he clarified, setting aside his camera. “Becauseif the bells stopped, they’d know it was time to pull out the body.”
“The moral of the story: don’t mess with God on holy ground.You going in barefoot?”
Caleb muttered, “I’d rather not go in at all.”
“Easy does it, bro. The bush isn’t burning. It isn’t even abush.” Patting the column, Josheb added, “Take a quick look, then peace on outof there.”
“Trade you?”
Josheb’s expression turned wry. “Any day of the week. But we’reworking with what we’ve got.”
“Come with me?”
“We can try.” Josheb knotted Nessie’s leash around the column,stood, and they locked wrists. “You first. Pull me through if you can.”
Caleb brushed his fingers against the barrier, then pushedthrough. It was a little like water, but without any temperature difference. Heturned sideways and eased his whole arm through, thinking he could poke hisnose through for a quick peek. But the barrier didn’t cooperate with that plan.As if to prevent dawdling, it pushed out and engulfed him, although it stoppedshort at Josheb’s hand.
Pulling didn’t change the barrier’s mind.
With a small squeeze Josheb loosened his hold.
Caleb didn’t let him slip free, though the barrier fizzedunhappily around the breech. His gaze darted around skittishly, half expectingto find himself face to face with a monster. But the forward view wasn’t muchdifferent from the forest that lay at his back. Same trees. Same river. Samehush. The only thing that stood out was another stone. It was different fromthe crystal-topped columns: larger, rounded, with holes pocking its mossysurface. But glowing lines traced patterns all over the thing. So it had to bespecial. Somehow.
Josheb’s hand shifted. He was checking Caleb’s pulse.
Nothing in this new clearing seemed dangerous, so Calebscraped together the gumption to give a goodbye squeeze and slip free. Withevery step, he felt string tugging at his ankle. It was embarrassing to find itso reassuring.
He used his phone to snap a couple of pictures of the newrock.
The glowing lines didn’t pick up. If only he’d brought hisfield journal. He thought he could replicate the patterns on paper, givenenough time.
A faint whirr of wings caught his attention, and an insectcircled his head a few times. He ducked and tried to wave it away, and it droppedonto the stone. Against the rich green of the moss, the bug mostly looked likea shaggy white bee. Pollen clung to its paws, and its faceted eyes sparkledlike gems that were the same starry blue as the stripes along its back.
Figment. Definitely a figment. It looked at him, feelerstwitching, before scurrying into one of the nearest holes. A heartbeat later, ahum started somewhere inside the stone. Was it hollow?
All at once, they began streaming from every orifice. Beethingies spiraled up, and a high-pitched chirping emanated from the swarm.
Caleb backed away, stepped on the string, and landed on hisrump.
The din rose in pitch and urgency, and the figments dove.The first one struck his chest. Another hit his shoulder. Something landed inhis hair. Scrambling onto his knees, Caleb found his feet and bolted. He burstthrough the barrier, narrowly avoiding Josheb, but they followed, funnelingthrough the barrier as if his passage had left an opening. Itwasdecreasing in size, but not quickly enough to stop the sparkling swarm fromfollowing.
“What happened?” called Josheb.
“Bugs!” Caleb ran for it, but he reached the end of histether. The string at his ankle sent him sprawling.
“I can’t see anything!” complained Josheb, when he caught up.“How am I supposed to help if I can’t …dang.”
