Wilderstory 23 Quinn extended her hand toward Meredith, balancing the shallow specimen dish on the tips of her fingers. It was nearly empty. Only a thin filmy substance remained at the bottom. “Jeezus, Quinn,” Meredith gasped, leaning forward. “I told you not to mess with those.” “It vanished — I…

Wilderstory 22 Late afternoon shadows spilled over the pavement as Quinn made her way toward the aluminum trailer. Drawing closer, she observed her warped reflection along its gleaming metal hull. With each step, her shape puckered across seams and rivets, stretching in unnatural ways. …

Wilderstory 21 Quinn laid the handset down and listened. The radio continued to sputter brief snippits of static, but the back of the patrol car was silent. Her eyes flashed up to the rear-view mirror, which was turned away from her. …

Wilderstory 20 Quinn pulled in and parked on the far edge of the lot at Sugar’s Diner. She quickly scanned the property as she got out of her car. The building looked old. Its brick facade was whitewashed from top to bottom. But it was clear it had seen other…

Wilderstory 19 Eugene chomped on a large blob of taffy, pushing it from one side of his mouth to the other. A sharp morning wind coursed through the open windows, as the big animal control truck lumbered down the highway. He grabbed another piece and tossed it to Bud, who…

Wilderstory 18 “Is it one of them?” asked Dot, peering back into the canyon. A lone dark shape was moving up the trail, scampering in and out of the shadows. It stopped now and then to sniff at the air, or to follow a fresh scent on the ground. “Can’t…

Wilderstory 17 Dot watched, as the nature spirits continued to emerge from the surrounding cliffs. They collected into a loose procession along the bank of the river, filling the canyon floor with a mass of flowing shapes. A gust of wind came down from above, bringing with it a host…

Wilderstory 16 Night had long since fallen over the western rim. Moonlight washed the world below in a faint silvery glow. Shimmering stone spires stood in sharp contrast to darkened chasms and shadowy depths. Dot marveled at the view, as Abe crouched beside her. “Wanna ride?” he asked, motioning to…

Wilderstory 15 Little Abe sat on the edge of a woven grass mat. He let his hands settle awkwardly into his lap. Across from him sat the monk, whose simple garments hung loosely against his narrow frame. Deep lines cut across the monk’s face, which made his expression appear both…