(2/4) Last Camp Before Treeline

PART II — “EVAN WOULD NOT DO THIS” I found Evan just after sunrise. He was standing

by the creek, fully dressed, staring at the water like he was counting something beneath

the surface. I asked him where he’d gone during the night. He didn’t answer

right away. When he finally turned to me, his face looked… tired.

Not scared. Not confused. Just worn down. “I didn’t go anywhere,” he said.

“You woke me up.” I told him what I’d heard. He frowned and said something I’ll never

forget. “I heard you too. You were walking around camp for hours.”

We checked the ground. There were footprints—mine and his—but also others. Barefoot.