Page 6 of Captured on Film
But after the next switchback, he slowed to a stop and cutthe engine. Swinging from the four-wheeler’s seat, he stretched as he smiledtoward the sun. “This is great. Pure awesome.”
“A little help?” grumbled Caleb.
One good thing about Josheb. He was quick to act. LiftingNessie down, he clipped her leash to the trailer hitch before hopping up ontothe side of the cart. They locked wrists, and Josheb hauled back. With theextra leverage, he managed to unwedge Caleb.
“Any hope for a bathroom?”
“Shovel’s clipped to my backpack,” Josheb replied with awink.
Caleb knew the drill. Didn’t mean he had to like it. “I’mgoing to stretch my legs.”
His brother waved him off. “No rush. We’re making greattime.”
Stepping off the road felt like slipping into a differentworld. Far from home, yet familiar. How often had Dad taken them camping? Seemedlike every weekend, though it was probably more like once a month. When theyweren’t on a trip like this, they were planning the next one.
Last year’s leaves rustled under his boots while this year’sbatch quaked overhead. Caleb aimed for a pine whose drooping boughs would shieldhim from view. Nature’s call dealt with, he turned back toward the road, but ashimmer in the shadows caught his attention.
Strange.
Caleb probably should have turned right around and walkedaway, but … he couldn’t. Even though he was reluctant to go any nearer, hecouldn’t help himself. He did try to be careful about it. Edging along withslow, soft steps, he waited breathlessly for something to happen.
The stone column was roughly four feet high and etched withlines that glittered. A trick of the light? No. Couldn’t be. The delicatepatterns appeared to be lit from within. Once he was closer, he could see thata crystal had been mounted onto the column—big as his fist and pale green. Wasthat what was calling to him?
Wait.
No.
He wasn’t like Josheb, prone to whimsical notions. Rocksdidn’t call out. Right?
“Rocks will cry out, and trees will clap their hands,” hewhispered, slowly reaching out until his fingertips rested against cool crystal.“Hello?”
Did the light pulse? Maybe. Just a flicker, really.
Was that a hum? He could almost feel something. Not a buzzlike appliances gave off, not a machine hum. This was more like music. A sustainednote.
This couldn’t be natural.
But it felt … right.
His camera was back with the rest of his gear, but Caleb fumbledfor his phone and snapped one picture. Partly to prove to himself that hewasn’t imagining things. Column and crystal were right there on his screen,looking like they’d been lifted from the set of a fantasy film. But the glowinglines hadn’t picked up. They were fine as threads. He could still see them.
Zooming in he tried again.
No luck. Which probably put them in the figment category. Inother words, stuff he couldn’t explain or prove. Figments had only ever causedhim trouble. So Caleb whispered a firm, “Goodbye.” And walked away.
Twelve Miles
“Ride up with me for the last leg,” Josheb offered.
“But Nessie …!”
“… wasfine. She’s having the time of her life.”
Which Caleb couldn’t deny. “All right.”
Josheb pulled a canteen out of his bag and passed it along.“Getting hungry?”
“Too rattled to think about food.”
