Watching.
I stopped breathing.
“Dad,” I whispered.
He saw it too.
Every man in the kitchen went quiet.
The shadow stepped forward.
Just enough for moonlight to catch his face.
Gerald.
He stood at the edge of the pasture.
Far enough away that nobody could reach him.
Close enough that I could see his smile.
My stomach twisted.
He lifted one hand.
Slowly.
Waved at me.
Like we were old friends.
Like he hadn’t been hiding in the woods.
Like he hadn’t written my name in some horrible notebook.
Like he hadn’t scared me in my own home.
Then headlights appeared behind him.
Bright.
Fast.
A truck tore down the road toward the ranch.
Gerald looked toward it.
His smile vanished.
He ran.
Straight into the trees.
The truck skidded into the driveway.
Beast jumped out before it fully stopped.
His eyes found me through the window.
