To her surprise, people showed up. Just six of them, but it was enough. After brief introductions, they all stood around a phone, scrolling through the Facebook comments together. The clearest lead came from a boy who mentioned seeing a large bird flying toward the forest past the fields. It wasn’t much, but it was more than they had. They exchanged glances and quietly agreed—that’s where they’d begin.
The field grass brushed their legs as they walked, flashlights flickering ahead. Samantha moved with them, breath shallow, eyes scanning every shape. Each sound made her heart twitch—a twig snapping, a bird flapping. Pablo could be near. Or not. The guessing wore her down with every step.