Page 23 of Captured on Film
His weak whistling couldn’t compare.
Something bright flashed in his peripheral vision, and Calebpaused to look. Lightning? If so, no thunder followed.
“Caleb.” Josheb beckoned urgently.
On the riverbank below, something had changed. A shadowybulk dominated the area near the spot where the stone column should have been.In the dim light, it was impossible to tell what it was. However, Caleb couldfeel its presence. Big. Dark. Aware.
“That’s alive,” he whispered urgently.
Josheb, who’d already taken a step toward it, skiddedseveral feet down the muddy slope. Turning back, he hissed, “What?”
Caleb’s heart lurched as the misshapen lump shifted andturned, revealing itself to be an enormous bear. Were they supposed to get thisbig? Surely even a grizzly wouldn’t rival an elephant. “B-bear!” Voice snappingunder the strain of sudden terror, he flung an arm toward his brother. “Comeback! Quick!”
With an oath, Josheb scrambled uphill, and they took offtogether along the embankment. Crashing through underbrush, hardly daring tolook back, Caleb begged, “What do we do? Where do we go?”
“Stay close!” ordered Josheb. “Keep up.”
Caleb struggled to orient himself on the map he’d memorized.Had there been any shelter they could reach before they were outrun? The bearbellowed, and Caleb’s knees went weak. Stumbling, he grabbed at a tree to keepfrom slipping, but the tree tilted toward him. Everything was confusing, then,because the ground underfoot was crumbling away in a sloppy blunder.
Balance lost, he tried to step back from the edge. Rocks andtrees were tumbling, and he was caught up in their momentum.
The last thing Caleb saw clearly was Josheb lunging for him,hand outstretched.
But they failed to connect.
Natural Disaster
Caleb groaned into awareness—cold, wet, and confused.
Someone loomed over him, blocking the raindrops. Focusingwas difficult, but a hand patted his cheek, and words rumbled, deep as thunderand just as impossible to interpret. Squinting, he made out a worried face.Warm hands smoothed the hair out of his eyes.
He was a large man with a broad face. His skin was brown,and his eyes were dark. When he spoke again, the words were foreign. But hespoke slowly, and his tone was apologetic.
“Not your fault,” Caleb mumbled. “So much rain.”
With a crooning sound and a sigh, those big hands beganscooping earth and straightening Caleb’s limbs. He kept up a steady stream ofwords, probably an explanation or reassurances, but it was no use. The guy hadno English.
Teeth chattering, Caleb tried to sit up, only to be scolded.It was all in the tone.Don’t move.
But Caleb was alert enough to want to know where Josheb was.“My brother,” he croaked, trying to look around. “Where’s my brother?”
Another voice snarled nearby, and as Caleb’s rescuer turnedto answer, more features came to light. Woven cloth. Tasseled sash. Pointedears. Clawed hands.
Caleb whimpered.
The man gestured with both hands and offered soft words.
He worked steadily to shift the clinging earth and jabbingstones.
The grumpy voice came closer, and Caleb turned to see ashaggy mountain lumbering closer. It had to be bigfoot. Which was alarming onseveral levels. Caleb may have whimpered again.
But then light streaked near, and a face hovered above his—elfin,luminous, and stern. It rested a finger against its lips.
Hush?
Caleb was completely ready to give in to fear when thisglowing person carefully rested a hand against his cheek. A voice filled thespace where songs belonged. Caleb heard it, but not with his ears.
“Peace, friend. You are safe.”
