Lost in the Pines

Four kids chased a birdcall off the trail at dusk and got completely lost in the pines.

When night fell, a massive bear emerged from the shadows, breathing rot and hunger,

backing them against the trees. Then howls erupted from the darkness. A wolf pack poured

into the clearing, circling the bear with eerie discipline, forcing it back until it crashed

away into the forest. But the wolves didn't leave. They stopped, looked back at the

children, and waited. Trembling, the kids followed as the pack led

them through ferns and fallen logs, past a moonlit creek, until the trees opened to a gravel

road. The wolves vanished without a sound. At dawn, searchers found