Ke'nee

Ke’nee

Table of contents:

Chapters:

Chap 01: Prelude

Chap 02: The House on the edge of the Park

Chap 03: The Hidden One

Chap 04: The Girl in the Treehouse

Chap 05: Howls in the Forest

Chap 06: Wild boys of the Woods

Chap 07: Fairy of the Forest

Chap 08: Fred

Chap 09: Kort

Chap 10: The Rangers

Chap 11: Ke’nee

Chap 12: The Social Workers

Chap 13: Adjustments

Chap 14: Balls through the Van

Chap 15: Compromises

Chap 16: The Gym

Chap 17: Family Hunting Plans

Chap 18: The Rangers Visit

Chap 19: Family Time

Chap 20: The Lightening Storm

Chap 21: Caves and Crystals

Chap 22: The Panoramic View

Chap 23: The Relatives

Chap 24: Talk about School

Chap 25: The School Bus Incident

Chap 26: The Recruitment

Chap 27: Identification

Chap 28: The Restoration

Chap 29: Junior Rangers

Chap 30: Childhood Story

Chap 31: The Lost Boy

Chap 32: The Rescue

Chap 33: The Babysitters

Chap 34: The Plane Ride

Chap 35: The Mission

Chap 36: The Chicken Coop

Chap 37: Dolphin Play

Chap 38: Orchards and Ponies

Chap 39: The Jungle

Chap 40: A New Knife

Chap 41: The Protest

Chap 42: Trip to the Plains

Chap 43: Jonathan

Chap 44: The Hunt on the Plains

Chap 45: Brother and Sisters

Chap 46: Catching Up

Chap 47: Back to the Mission

Chap 48: The Charter

Chap 49: The Small Craft

Chap 50: The Storm

Chap 51: The Assessment

Chap 52: Preparations

Chap 53: The Descent

Chap 54: The Soldiers

Chap 55: Dreams and Confessions

Chap 56: Ducks in a Pond

Chap 57: The Boss

Chap 58: Not Alone

Chap 59: Pain and Tears

Chap 60: Reminiscing with Jonathan

Chap 61: Unrestored

Chap 62: Lost and Found

Chap 63: Old Battles

Chap 64: New Friends

Chap 65: At the Hospital

Chap 66: First Christmas

Chap 67: Kidnapped

Chap 68. The Search

Chap 69: The Rescue

Chap 70: Katelyn’s Meteor

Chap 71: Extraction

Chap 72: Crystal Pieces

Chap 73: Jennifer Alvarous and Pastor Rob

Chap 74: Requests

Chap 75: Pieces of a Dream

Chap 76: Rogues and Revelations

Chap 77: Ranger on the Run

Chap 78: Strategies

Chap 79: The Hunt

Chap 80: Bonnets and Barricades

Chap 81: God’s Enduring Purpose

KE’NEE

By David L. Matthie

Chapter One

Along the road that I was on, looking over the railing as I drove by, I saw down into a wide-grassy-ravine, where a railroad track stretched out along the wood-line.

The ground was damp, and the water rose almost to the level of the track.

At the forest edge the grass grew tall.

Where the woods opened up, I could see a small pond sheltered in the trees.

And standing among the tall grasses, camouflaged by her tanned skin and long-black hair: a beautiful young girl, silently observing my passing.

But when I looked back in my mirror to see her again..., she was gone.

It was like she had never been there at all; and yet--I could not remove her image from my mind.

...Her opinion of me was different.

I was just a passing curiosity, as she turned and melted into the forest.

She was a wild creature, who had lived alone in the Keneetian Park since she was five years old. Beautiful and intelligent; and wise in the ways of the woods.

She stood now on a plateau at the edge of an open glade, of an immense escarpment with a long pine-covered slope up the back, and a black rock-wall on the front—descending over its ledge 1200 feet to the valley floor.

The girl stood posed in an extraordinary portrait of strength and confidence, surveying the parameters of her domain: overlooking the great Keneetian grasslands to the southwest.

Above her head the evening stars began to twinkle in the darkening sky, as a circle of moonlight surrounded her; glistening in her hair and brightening her skin until it shone: casting a silhouette of her shape before her.

Encroaching shadows of the night slipped in, engulfing the hillsides; finding the girl resting high in the branches of a great oak. Gentle breezes blew her in a rhythmic sway as she slept soundly, enveloped in the warmth of her own hair.

The morning brought hunger.

The forest child climbed down with her bow over her shoulder; her arrows in a quiver hanging down her tanned back, inhibiting the flow of her long straight black hair.

A sharp knife was sheathed at her hip and was tied with a thong to her leg.

During her hunt she ate berries which she found along the trail. She scavenged eggs from nests, honey from hives, herbs from the field and water from the creeks.

She swam in the river and dried in the sun, and resumed her pursuit.

She paused at a sound so-faint… --as to be indistinguishable from the breezes she scented, and melted in among the trees…and waited.

Silently she drew an arrow from her quiver and laid it across her bow.

…She feasted on venison, crouching over her prey, attentive to danger that might lurk in the branches above, or concealed on the ground below.

There were many creatures in the forest that had attempted to kill and eat her over the years.

But they had failed to capture her.

--And most of them feared her now.

Even the cougar no longer stalked her.

As the years had gone by, she had become, too dangerous.

…She had scurried away in her earlier years, desperately hiding in rocky crevices and caves, or climbing high into the branches of trees; or jumping over waterfalls and swimming across rivers to islands of refuge.

But now, nearing her eleventh year, she stood tall and straight; boldly defending her territory and her belongings.

Many lonely days had come and gone, living among the wild animals of Keneetia.

She no longer recalled: clear or accurate memories of her family, or the previous life she had known.

She had been too young to fully appreciate that her parents had been Rangers: Her beautiful, talented mother; and her strong, brave father had watched over the Eastern Forest sector of the great Keneetian Park.

They had lived in a log home which they had built with their own hands. With sheds and a stable for their horses. An extensive garden had spread out across the hillside, adjacent to a swift running creek; surrounded by tall pines, oaks and maples.

An unexplained fire had destroyed their home in the night and taken their lives; leaving their five-year-old daughter alone-in-the-world, preserved in an icebox they had used for her bed.

She had cried out for them, but they couldn’t answer.

The horses had run away.

At five years old she had escaped from the burning cabin, having snatched two books from the table and her father’s knife and his bow.

One of the books, authored by her mother, was about the things you could eat from the forest. The other: Stories of Keneetia; that her mother had often read to her; It’s cover partially burnt away; leaving only the letters: K-e-n-e-e.

By the time she had doubled her years, she no longer remembered her Parent’s names; or her own.

Finally, …she called herself:

--KE’NEE--

Chapter 2

Kenee’s bare toes bent as she crouched upon the lower roof beneath a bedroom window.

Inside, in the semi-darkness, the voices of girls her own age could be heard.

Although-so-often occupied with the necessities of life, Kenee had the curiosity of an active mind…and emotions to contend with.

She had known fear, and she had developed courage. Strange antics of little creatures amused her and sometimes made her laugh.

She retained shadowy memories of happy times in the distant past, in the arms of her parents, and the sharing of a family. And here was a family; who lived in a tall beige house, on the edge of the Keneetian forest.

Out of necessity Kenee had adjusted to the changing of the seasons: The cool, wet, rainy days of springtime; The growth of life over the hot summer months; and the falling of the leaves preluding the cold and dreary winter snows.

Although Kenee scantly wore clothing during the summer, she had adapted to making her own apparel to replace the pyjamas she’d originally come away from the cabin with: Some from the skins of animals, and some scavenged from abandoned campsites.

To be clean…and just to enjoy it…Kenee bathed in the rivers, and dived from the cliffs into the cold, lake depths.

She dwelt in various accommodations…homes of one style or another, that she had dug out, or put together; some among the trees, and some within the caves of the mountains. Where she slept on any given night, depended on where in the park she was.

Every creature in the park knew Kenee: from the cougar to the wolf pack, the grizzly bear, the elk, the moose and the deer; the bison and the wild herds of horses. She was not so much their friends; but more like—simply—one of them.

Yet none of them drew her curiosity, or her heart, as the three girls who lay in the big bed on the other side of the window.

The four sides of the Keneetian Park, that Kenee knew as home, --was on the north side…the High Mountain Range. And far to the west—the ocean.

Between the Southern Basin and these Northern mountains—was the vast grasslands—and further on--the large cold lakes.

On the east side: The Great Forests and the Lesser Mountain Range; and the Eastern Park entrance, and the Ranger station; and new homes being built adjacent the Eastern Forest line.

Kenee had come here often, since these houses had begun to be built. The occupants were protected from the world around them by the walls of their homes. They were like the campers who came to the park. Without their weapons they would not last long in the forest. They were loud and careless as they walked. They were inept in wood craft and understanding of the woods. They would be easy prey for the cougar, or the bear.

Yet, Kenee had known them to be dangerous and unpredictable. Every encounter she had ever had with them, had nearly cost her-her life. And although alert and cautious, she was fascinated and drawn to them with a strange inner longing to be near them.

Kenee knew she had not come from some place like this. She had returned occasionally to a pile of ashes located ten kilometres inside the East Gate of the Keneetian Park, where once stood a log-home where she and her parents had lived.

These settlers, on the east of the park, had only begun to arrive and to build these houses recently, before the last two snows had fallen.

…Of course, the girls, had no idea that Kenee was there; or that she had been there--many nights before.

…The shadows made more noise than Kenee.

She came. She listened. She wondered. And she was gone. But what drew at her heart the hardest, in a way that she could not explain to herself, was on certain nights the voice of another was there among the girls. A big, deep voice, that increased her loneliness twice over.

The girl’s father lay in the big bed beside them; the littlest curled up in his arms. The three girls said their prayers and their father told them a story. And then Kenee could hear the regularity of their breathing; for they had fallen asleep.

And the big man attempted to walk quietly away, in what he imagined to be silence; although he seemed to Kenee, to have the footsteps of a moose, as it tramped through the reeds of the marsh.

On this night, the curtain had been left a bit aside so the children could look out and see the stars as they lay in their bed.

Kenee could watch the man as he walked away heading to his own bed to cuddle with his wife.

…There were three other occupants in the house: and these three were keenly aware of Kenee’s presence: A big, white, fluffy cat that mostly ignored her. And a little black, curious kitten that rubbed up against the screen of the window and purred at her. And a black-and-white Border collie who barked at her at first…and told to be quiet by its owners…that had finally gotten used to Kenee’s secret comings and goings.

It had met her outside, and came wagging its tail, trying to be friendly.

Kenee knew nothing about pets.

At first, she had thought to kill-the-dog; but she reconsidered. She decided it must have some useful purpose: having witnessed from the edge of the forest, the dog playing with the children and being protective of them when strangers would visit.

The grownup mother of the home particularly appealed to Kenee. She’d often seen her working in the garden, or swimming with the children—in a strange pond—the father constructed.

Sometimes the mother made fire. And took perfectly good meat--burning it--as she turned it over and over.

Kenee could not understand why she did this.

This burnt meat seemed to be a favourite food of the middle girl: the one with the strange eyes, and with hair the colour of a fox.

Kenee’s long, straight, black hair hung down past her hips, and she tied it back with three, evenly spaced, leather thongs, made from the hide of a rabbit.

In a rare percentile, Kenee’s eyes were blue.

The other two sisters had blond hair—although the younger, had sandier, than the older.

The Mother’s hair was changeable. Kenee imagined that it was like the snowshoe rabbit…changing with the seasons.

The Father looked almost always the same: His hair, his clothes, and his manner.

The five of them demonstrated something that Kenee longed for: Her desire to be loved. She may not have called it that—defined her need as love; but it was love that she was missing in her life: Love, and companionship…and family.

Chapter 3

Kenee had been away from the east side of the park for many days. She had gone to the Southern Basin to watch the migration of the Bison and the Elk, from the warm southern sector onto the mid-park grasslands, where they would have their spring calves before moving north for the summer. This delay allowed the bears to awaken and come down from their mountain hibernation. Hungry, before the berries were ripe: they would have hunted the younglings with a fervour. The mothers had enough to contend with from the wolves, and later from the cougars.

Kenee loved to watch the young calves being born, and first begin to walk. But better than this, after the Bison and the Elk, came the horses. They also gave birth among the tall grasses of the plains. Their young clambered to their feet less quickly than the calves; but once they did, and had a few days of warm nourishing milk inside of them, they frolicked with a great joy of being alive. They soon ran races, and their long legs aided them as they virtually flew across the grasses of the open lands. Kenee watched and appreciated their strength and stamina.

On her way back toward the Eastern Sector, Kenee spent time at the lakes beneath the Great Mountain Range. Here the deer came among the trees to have their offspring. Although danger from the bears existed here, they were safer from the wolves who were busy on the plains. Along with the moose and their calves, the deer would stay near the lakes-edge while their fawns grew strong enough to run fast.

Soon, only the male wolves, would be active upon the plains. The females would come to the cliffs to give birth. But among the wolves some were ineligible for this duty; as the wolves are selective of which among them may breed. And the younger females, not paired, would often stay near the mothers—acting as nursemaids—and gaining experience from the experts.

Eventually Kenee ranged near the east again. And came again to the tall, beige house. And as was her custom on many nights, she climbed up onto the lower roof of the house, beneath the window where the girls slept…to observe them.

On this specific night, as Kenee crouched beneath the window sill, lifting up her eyes enough to look in without being seen; the father and the three girls did something unusual. They all knelt down along the side of the bed, with their knees on the floor and their hands folded on top.

Their eyes were closed; and although they were talking; they were not talking to each other, Kenee realized. --And this startled her. As she thought: there must be someone else in the room that she wasn’t aware of.

She had seen no one enter or leave. So, she keened her senses, trying to listen; trying to smell. But when they were done, they hugged each other and crawled into bed. Their father told them another story. And then they fell asleep. And once again the father left. And once again Kenee was left alone. Although, tonight, she was concerned that she was not alone. That there was another in the room somewhere. Perhaps under the bed or in the closet, or in the corner that Kenee could not see from her angle. But whoever it was, it must be very much like herself: moving silently from place-to-place; for even Kenee’s highly attuned senses could not determine where in the room this person was.

As Kenee glided over her forest floor, her silent feet feeling out the perfect path through dew-covered grasses; avoiding rocks and twigs and uneven patches; her mind searched its own pathways, trying to reconcile her troubled thoughts. Kenee could not understand the mystery of the talk by the bed.

Why did they kneel?

Why did they close their eyes?

If not to each other: to whom did they speak?

Kenee had heard them speak similarly before…each night before their father’s story…but her angle had prevented her from observing their manner; and she had presumed they’d been conversing with each other.

This, now; seemed untrue.

Now, she knew: they’d been talking to the hidden one… all along.

Chapter 4

The words of the family who lived in the tall, beige-house; was increasingly becoming, re-familiar to Kenee. Words she had learned from her parents, in the first five years of her life, were re-emerging as she listened outside the girl’s window, to their talk in the evenings.

Kenee repeated the sounds to herself as she walked along on her treks through the forest. She enjoyed believing that she was becoming quite good at pronouncing them. Of course, she didn’t know what many of them actually meant. But she did know that they were words. That people spoke to each other in the same way that the wolves communicated among themselves within the pack.

As the sun set, between the towering Northern Mountain Range and the vast prairie of the Southern Basin, Kenee walked through the lush western grasslands which interconnected them.

Beauty surrounded her on every side. Gentle breezes ruffled the tall, green grasses. The great forest was at her back, miles behind her. Rolling hills lay before her in the distance, where the lakes were cool, and their water clear and good to drink.

Above her head the eagles flew: scouring the earth for their prey.

She had become distracted with her thoughts and, the darkness would find her in the open without shelter if she continued at her pace.

She increased to a lope.

Though several kilometres to go, she covered the distance under half-an-hour; and slept in a cave that she knew well, beneath an overhang of rock.

She was not alone inside.

The one who slept nearby her throughout the night—though not a friend—was an associate of sorts. He was gone in the morning before she awoke; but he had hunted early and left for her--a breakfast.

The sun rose warmly and flowers opened along the path in welcome.

Kenee could hear the sound of the falls ahead as she silently-tread along the hardened deer path.

She scented them. They had a soft, sweet smell. But another came, upon the brisk breezes of the morning: pungent and perilous. A cat!

Kenee had no fear, but she was wise. There was no need to interfere in the affairs of a cougar. She was not hunting for venison. She was going fishing, and diving, and swimming. So, she veered off the trail and took to the trees and climbed to the rocky ledges above, and strode on the roughly hued pathways of the mountain goats to the face of the cliffs that overhung the lake-of-the-birds.

There she stood as though a stone mason had carved her—though but a moment—and then stepped forward, into a frontward fall, to an arrow shaped dive, into the cold spring depth below.

…One evening Kenee sat in the treehouse that the father had built for the girls. It was on the back side of the house which had no lower roof to look into any window.

The mother let the dog out for a pee, and he recognize Kenee right away from her smell. He clambered up the plank and sat beside her and rubbed against her.

Without really thinking about it, her hands began to caress his fur in the way she had seen the children do.

In the window, high up, on the second floor, Kenee could see the oldest girl brushing her light-blond hair. Kenee was fascinated by many things the girls did; but this oldest girl was especially strong and fast: flipping around wherever she went; or she would sit for long periods, making peculiar markings on thin, white bark. Sometimes she would build swings, out of rope and wood, for her sisters to play on.

Kenee thought it would be nice to have such a companion in the forest.

Watching her, standing in front of her mirror fixing her hair, Kenee saw her talk into a small shiny box, that lit up as she held it. Kenee imagined she was keeping small creatures inside of it: like she’d seen fireflies coming out from the girl’s window one evening, after they had captured them in a jar, from around the campfire where the whole family laughed and ate marshmallows.

Of course, …she knew the girl’s names.

She knew, everyone’s name, now.

Even the name of the dog.

…On this particular night, when Victoria was brushing her hair, she turned for some reason, and looked out her window; and to her startled surprise, her eyes met Kenee’s: thirty feet away, crouched on the floor of the treehouse, partially hidden in shadows and branches.

The two girls stared at each other for the briefest of a moment; and then, like the passing of the wind, Kenee was gone.

Victoria was an artist. She knew she had a vivid imagination. So, she didn’t mention her observation to her siblings or her parents; but she went downstairs, and she saw the dog sitting outside on the step.

She walked cautiously toward the treehouse with Jasper at her side.

Nervously, she looked all around.

In her hand was a stick; and in her heart was courage.

In her mind, there was a reasonable amount of concern.

--Yet, she advanced. And climbed up the plank into the treehouse.

She found no trace of any stranger.

She sat on the treehouse floor thinking about it, until she heard her mother calling for Jasper to come in. Then Victoria returned to the house and went upstairs to her own room; but she changed her mind and went to sleep with her sisters.

Outside Katelyn’s window, perched on the lower roof, Kenee watched Victoria climb into her sister’s bed.

She listened to her breathing as she drifted off.

She watched the three girls as they lay in their sleep…closing her eyes as she smelled them…holding their scent in her nostrils…letting it drift up into her mind into separate images in her thoughts.

And then she returned to her forest.

Chapter 5

The rains had come late in the spring. The flowers had bloomed and the trees had blossomed. The grass was tall and green, and the water in the ponds was flooding.

Kenee lay on a hill on her back on a pile of soft moss. She looked up at the blue sky, watching the clouds as they blew from one side to the other. She lay with her arms behind her head. Not far distant, she could hear the chomping of a deer as it ate the grass. The wolf pack was hunting it, but it was not yet aware; although it occasionally raised its head and listened.

Kenee did not interfere with the hunt. She did not consider it her place to do so. The deer had a wheezing sound as it ate. Kenee knew that it was sick. It would die on its own before next winter; but it would suffer much between now and then. The wolves seemed harsh, but they were a mercy. She knew someday—they would come for-her. Someday, when she was old or she was sick; when she could--no longer--draw her bow or defend herself with her knife, they would kill and eat her; and her bones would lay where they were left.

The evening air was beginning to cool, and Kenee wrapped herself in the hide of a young moose that she had stolen from a cougar. She often carried it with her on her treks. For two years it had helped to stave off the cold winter nights as she slept in her cave, near the fires she had learned to make.

Her first fire had been an accident. Lightning during a storm had hit a tree. Kenee took some of the burning wood and made her own fire. For weeks she had carried the fire around in a small portion, but during the heavy rains she had lost it. She missed it dearly on cold nights.

But an idea occurred to her while sharpening her knife on the rocks. Small sparks like fireflies broke off from her knife as she sharpened it, and landed in the nearby grass and smouldered there. The wind stirred and brightened it. From this, Kenee realized the nature of fire. With dried grass and leaves, her knife and her rocks, she eventually made her own fire. And soon afterwards, became proficient at doing so. Never after, did she need to fear the cold. She would block the front of her cave with logs and branches. An opening from somewhere in the back of the cave drew up a draught, and provided fresh air. A small fire was all that was needed to keep the cave warm, even on the coldest nights.

When the wolves were finished, they licked their long white teeth and the fur of their faces. Some lay down and slept immediately with full bellies. Others sat, looked up at the full moon and began a chorus of mournful howls; until those that slept awoke, and rose to join them.

Kenee too, threw back her beautiful head. Her long black hair flowed down behind her, and her rich, melodic cries filled the forest.

Chapter 6

The wild eyes of the girl in the treehouse haunted Victoria. She began to draw her — picture after picture. And with each drawing, a surer form of the girl became clearer in her mind. Now, she was seeing her face in her dreams. Her intense, piercing eyes. Her long, straight, unkept hair. The tight, perfect form. Not an inch of flesh upon her that was not necessary for survival.

As a gymnast, Victoria appreciated all these attributes.

No one had to tell Victoria that this girl had no home except the forest. How she came to live there, and survive there, who could imagine? But day by day, Victoria grew more curious, as she was drawn ever closer to the edge of the forest in search of the girl.

She had her own bow and arrows that her father had taught her to use.

In every way Victoria was a natural athlete.

One day, as she was loitering at the edge of the forest, she turned at a noise to find her youngest sister, Jessica, behind her.

Sitting on the grass beneath the trees with a picnic lunch, Victoria told Jessica her discovery of the girl. For two weeks, the two of them told nobody else. They would strip to the waist with staffs and rope and with Victoria’s bow and arrows, marching out on the search. They would never go further than the edge of the forest, 400 yards from the door of the house. When father would ask them where they were going, they would describe themselves as: the wild boys of the woods; and Jessica would add that they were off to hunt pirates.

Dad would smile.

Mom did not.

She didn’t approve of shirtless girls.

Kenee watched their progression as often as she was near the vicinity, which was increasingly frequent. She was drawn to them, and wanted to step out of hiding. But she had made this mistake in the past—with occasional encounters with campers—forcing her to occupy the wilder parts of the park.

Chapter 7

To the surprise of Victoria and Jessica, when they decided to take into their confidence their sister Katelyn, they discovered — she already knew.

“The girl—outside the window,” Katelyn said: “Yes…I know!”

Katelyn had been born with an inquisitive mind, and an investigative nature and strength of spirit. She had suspected that somebody was there. Katelyn had activated the camera on her tablet to record the person. And though the images were blurry, since the girl always came to the window at night, they nevertheless showed a person crouching in the shadows below the sill. Victoria recognized her immediately and confirmed: This was her; the same girl she had seen on the deck of the treehouse.

Katelyn suggested they get a light with a motion detector that would come on suddenly and capture the image more clearly. But Jessica worried that this would frighten away the little ‘fairy of the forest’ as she called her. And Victoria, remembering just how quickly the girl had faded into the shadows and disappeared, agreed with Jessica’s assessment — the girl might become frightened and never come back. Still, they did not consult with Mom and Dad. They continued to search for the forest fairy. With Katelyn joining them. But Katelyn carried no weapons, and wore her shirt.

“Finally, a good influence,” Mom thought; watching their march from the kitchen window. “That Katelyn is a good girl,” Mother said.

“They’re all good girls.” Dad corrected.

“Yes, of course. –Hmm. We might as well have had boys.”

“That would bore you.” Dad laughed.

“Not today!” Mom flatly stated, as she returned to her cooking, one eye vigilant as the girls approached the edge of the forest.

Chapter 8

“I tell you, I saw her,” said the gruff looking man to his friends.

“A young girl? They laughed! Living alone in the forest?”

“She must be. There’s no other explanation.”

“Except...maybe your crazy imagination, Fred.”

Fred fumed inside. He didn’t like his friends mocking him. But he shook it off, saying, “I’m going back, and I’m taking the dogs. I’m going to find her. She’s a wild, crazy thing, and she’s worth money.”

“Money? What kind of money?” His friends asked, ridiculing him.

“Don’t laugh.” Fred said. “She probably can’t even talk. We’ll put her into the circus. People will come to watch: --The wild girl from the forest. …we’ll make millions!”

“The only thing you’re making: is no sense Fred. Last Fall, when you were out in the forest, you think you saw a girl. You must have been drinking!”

Fred was livid. “I was not drinking!” He admonished. “I know what I saw. A young girl, about ten years old, with tanned skin like leather. Hair--way down to here.” And he pointed past his bottom. “She had weapons too — a bow and arrows, I think. And a knife. She was hunting the same deer I was after.”

“Oh!” Said his friends: “that explains it! That’s why you came back empty handed. It wasn’t—just--your poor hunting skills, they laughed.”

“Go ahead. Laugh if you want to. But I saw her; And I’m going to get her.”

“If she doesn’t get you first!” They all cackled, bouncing the humour of the whole affair around the room like an echo. But despite Fred’s incredulous claim, none of them could deny, it was strange. Particularly, coming from Fred. Fred was not a man in the habit of flying off on flights of fancy.

“Look,” said the friend next to him, “I really don’t know what you saw, Fred. Maybe you did see something. Hey, guys! Why don’t we go along? Who knows? It could be fun!”

“I’ll go, agreed another; --I’ll even bring the hounds.”

Chapter 9

It was the beginning of a warm summer. That June, on her 9th birthday, Katelyn convinced her family to take her into the mountains to camp. She had this way of tossing her beautiful red hair over her gentle, sloping shoulders as if it gave her some extra merit for the request she was making.

Much of the family resources, time and effort centred around her sister Victoria and her gymnastics competitions. Katelyn was clever. She knew how to take advantage of this. She knew that her parents felt like she didn’t always get her fair share. She got plenty. She was just really good at debating. And she usually could maneuverer her little sister Jessica into the negotiations as well. She knew, that what she couldn’t convince with arguments, Jessica could further convince, with cuddles.

So, they packed up the family van and headed off to the mountains.

Of course, Dad saw himself as a camper — and, was quite good at it, he thought.

Mom loved the canoe. Although, for some years now, she’d been afraid to go out because the children had been little. She didn’t want them to drown.

So, with food and drinks; their tent and other gear, they headed off to the Keneetian Park. And, before long, they were much further into the park than they should have been.

They unpacked their things, started a fire, and had their supper. Dad told some campfire stories, and soon they were sound asleep, inside their warm, cozy tent.

It was rare for a grizzly to go rogue and become a man eater. But when it does happen, the Rangers must be sent out, and the bear must be disposed of.

Kort, had become old. His teeth were worn, and some were missing. His once keen senses had begun to dim, and pain had set into his bones. Securing enough food to keep him through the long winters was becoming more difficult each year. This year--panic was setting in.

Kort took up hunting the easiest prey possible: hunting among human camps and scrounging through the garbage for satisfying leftovers.

His first human kill had been an accident. A pet dog had come out of a tent and attacked him. Its owner, had run out to save the dog. Kort’s eyesight was also deteriorating, and the mix of smells was confusing. The yelling and screaming made him panic. He rushed, and he struck out. And he killed.

As the other humans ran away, Kort smelled the blood, and in his hunger, he feasted on the flesh. After that, he realized that hunting people was easier. The only danger of a campsite was that many people gathered together, and some might have weapons.

As the shadows lengthened in the park this night, Kort came upon a single-family camping on their own. He stood on his back feet, smelling the air for hidden danger.

Finally, he advanced.

With one sharp claw, he ripped open the side of the tent.

The dog barked. The girls screamed. The father leapt to his feet, intending to defend his family in what he knew would be his last battle. The mother was too shocked to speak, and pulled the girls in tight beside her.

The black and white border collie leapt ahead to confront the bear, but the man quickly reached out his arm, caught it by the collar, and held it back. The advancement of the dog gave the Grizzly momentary pause. But with a vicious snarl, Kort rose up on his back legs; intending to fall upon the tent and rip it apart, and devour the people within.

But then, there was another cry. A piercing, terrifying scream. And upon the shoulders of the ten-foot grizzly appeared a girl. Her eyes blazed in anger. In her right hand, she held a long-sharp-knife.

Up and down, it went into the neck of the bear.

The bear growled a horrible cry as blood spurted from the jugular in its neck.

The great mass stumbled and fell backward and the girl leapt from its back.

The father stood shocked, watching the gruesome scene.

Victoria pulled away from her mother and stood beside him. She stepped forward and looked into the terrifying features more ferocious than a Grizzly’s.

Then a shot from behind in the woods rang-out and a tranquilizing dart pierced the right shoulder of Kenee. A moment later, she crumpled into the dust. Victoria pulled from her father’s side, and quickly knelt beside her.

“I got her,” said Fred.

Chapter 10

Jasper stood against the other dogs; the hackles on his neck standing tall, a full growl rumbling in his throat. His long white fangs glistened in the moonlight. Jasper wasn’t a fighter by nature. But he recognized in this situation that another danger was happening, and he felt an overwhelming instinct to once again defend his family. But the father came up and put his hand on Jasper’s shoulder and looked the approaching men in the face. In the same motion, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Surprisingly, he had a signal; and he immediately called the Rangers--as he spoke to the group of men entering their campsite: “I wouldn’t be here, if I were you, when they arrive.”

Fred scowled. And he scuffed at the ground with his foot. But his friends convinced him of wisdom, and in a moment, they and their dogs were gone.

Victoria removed the dart from Kenee’s shoulder. Kenee was fast asleep. With her strong gymnastics muscles visibly rippling in the available light, Victoria lifted Kenee up into her arms, turned, and carried her into the family’s shredded tent. Her mother held up a lantern. There was blood all over Kenee, which Victoria quickly realized was not because of the dart, but because of her fight with the grizzly. There were gashes on Kenee’s legs that had hung down around the neck of the grizzly, where its claws had ripped her. The grizzly’s blood, spurting out from the arteries of its neck, had covered Kenee’s face and her hair and her shoulders. Victoria’s mother went to work washing the wild forest child as best she could, and the girls helped her.

The Rangers arrived. The father gave a description of the men to them.

The Rangers recognized the bear: “Old Kort… We were hunting him ourselves.

These--look like--knife wounds?”

“They are,” said the father. “That young girl in there, she killed that bear.”

“What sort of girl could kill a bear with a knife?” questioned one of the Rangers with a doubtful look.

Another Ranger spoke up, with a quiet, authoritative tone to his voice: “There was a girl—lost in the forest—back some—five or six years now. The daughter of two Rangers, who I knew well; but we never found the child’s body.”

Dad interjected here: “I feel some responsibility in regards to her. She is a very brave girl. And if she hadn’t come to our rescue…we’d all be dead now.”

“Let me take a closer look at her in the light.”

The head Ranger held up a lantern to see into the tent better….

“Yes.

That’s her alright.

A perfect image of her mother.

–But now, I think she needs some hospital care. Those gashes look pretty deep. Family Services will have to get involved.”

Victoria said: “She’s wild, you know. If you try to hem-her-in to a hospital bed—she’ll probably fight back!”

“Yes, you may be right, at that,” he replied. “I presume you folks are done camping for now…?”

“Yes, we are.

For sure,” Mom said.

And Katelyn and Jessica agreed.

“Let’s just start with getting you all out of the park.

I’m sure we can figure out the rest later.”

Chapter 11

Kenee had a fever from infection in her wounds trying to fill her body. But her constitution was so strong that she soon overcame it, and she awoke.

She didn’t wake like a person who is familiar with the comforts of a home. Instead, she came instantly awake, and her eyes stared piercingly into those of Victoria’s.

The family was concerned, even afraid perhaps, of letting Kenee into their house — what she might have perceived as a trap. So, they set her bed up in the treehouse, as safely and comfortably as they could make it. Victoria set herself up there as well, and watched over Kenee day and night.

The top of Kenee’s legs were covered with bandages. She felt them with her hands, never taking her eyes from Victoria.

With her own foot, Victoria pushed forward a plate of food.

Kenee’s hands felt the food, picking it up, bringing it up to her nose to smell it. There was nothing about it that she wanted, and she let it fall from her hands. The meal had consisted of cooked meat, potatoes, and some other vegetables which Kenee was not familiar with.

Victoria also had a plate of food, and she began to eat it, attempting to show Kenee that it was safe. There was no meat on Victoria’s plate because she was a vegetarian. She lived with a sister who was virtually a carnivore, but Victoria had resolved long ago not to kill little animals and eat them. She once explained to her mother: “How could she cry for the little animals that had died on the side of the road, and then put an animal on her plate and eat it?”

Kenee moved towards the edge of the platform of the treehouse, as if to escape. Victoria would have let her go if that was what she wanted. But she didn’t go, although at least half of everything within her wanted to. She couldn’t rationalize what had happened to her; how she had ended up in this treehouse. She understood that beneath the bandages were the cuts she had received from the bear. She could feel the pain of them, but she ignored it. Ignoring pain was a common thing for Kenee. Victoria slid a cup of water toward Kenee, who looked at it suspiciously, but took it up in her hands and smelled it. And then she drank from a great thirst.

Victoria offered her a carrot and reached it out as far as she could without moving her body any closer to Kenee. At first, Kenee ignored her. Then seemingly changed her mind, and reached out suddenly, snatching it from Victoria’s hand. After smelling the carrot, she took a bite and then ate it all. Victoria smiled--one of her beautiful smiles. Something in that smile reassured Kenee, --and to her best imitation, she tried to smile back.

Victoria took her open palm and laid it against her heart. And she said: “Victoria. My name is Victoria.”

Kenee understood, because she knew the girl’s name was Victoria. But Kenee had never pronounced her own name. She thought of herself as the letters which remained on the cover of her book—the remainder of the word, Keneetia. She had never spoken it out loud, nor had she actually understood how the letters pronounced. Her knife was gone, she realized, as she reached for it now. So instead, she took a sharp stick that lay beside her on the boards of the platform of the treehouse. With this, she carved the letters K E N E E.

Victoria looked at the letters, as if to decipher them, and then she spoke: “Kenee. Your name is Kenee!” And she pointed to herself and said, “Victoria.” Then she pointed to Kenee, and said again, “Kenee.”

Kenee repeated the sound herself. “Keneeeee”. It came out strangely, something between a half growl and a partial snarl, which made Victoria laugh. The laughter startled Kenee, and she jumped back in concern. “Sorry, sorry!” chuckled Victoria, “I didn’t mean to startle you.” Something in the freedom of Victoria’s recovery assured Kenee, and she settled down.

It was a beautiful summer evening, but there was a chill in the air. Although Kenee’s fever was gone, Victoria saw that Kenee was shivering.

Victoria removed her own jacket and handed it to Kenee, who took it carefully, turning it over and over in her hands, unsure if she was going to accept it.

Victoria edged closer, smiling all along, talking in soothing tones, like one might to a wild animal. Kenee allowed her to become close, even to the point of letting Victoria take the coat and put it over her shoulders. She could feel Victoria’s gentle touch. It was the first touch of a human being that she could ever remember.

Chapter 12

The social workers came.

From their first appraisal, the treehouse situation was unsuitable to them.

They attempted to touch Kenee; to reach out and take her by the hand. But a growl from her throat, and a warning glaze in her eyes made them step back in a measure of caution, like they’d been approaching a wild wolf and were about to have their hand chewed off.

Victoria feared they would soon be dead if she didn’t intervene, so she stepped between them and Kenee, reaching out her hands with palms up, and gently pushed the social workers back. “You don’t want to do that,” she spoke to them softly, “If you try to touch her, she will probably hurt you. I saw her kill a ten-foot grizzly with a knife. She’s been a wild animal in the woods for as long as she can remember.”

The social workers shook their heads as if unable to comprehend this case. Of course, they had read the reports the Rangers had provided. They knew Kenee’s background — that her parents had been Rangers; that fire had destroyed their lives, and that somehow this child had survived in the wild on her own. But it was the nature of social workers to try to fix things; in the way they perceived it needed to be done. This was a very unusual case, and neither of them knew how to proceed. And after a lengthy discussion between themselves, they were no further ahead.

Mom suggested: “Perhaps we’re doing things now, in the way that we ought to be doing them. As strange as it might seem, the unusualness of the situation might merit it.”

The social workers called their supervisor, and had another lengthy discussion. Eventually, they gave Mom and Dad some papers to sign. They gave them a bag of clothing and some money to take care of the girl. They told them that as soon as possible, Kenee needed to come and live inside the house; and that they would come back next week and see what improvements had been made. Then, shaking their heads all the way to their vehicle as if in great doubt, they drove away.

Kenee continued to live in the treehouse. And Victoria stayed with her. And gradually, Kenee began to accept the members of the family, --particularly Jasper, --whom she already knew. Sometimes at night, Jasper would also sleep in the treehouse, and sometimes Katelyn and Jessica would sleep there as well.

Their laughter and their childhood freedom were gradually winning Kenee over.

This was not to say that Kenee was becoming civilized in any way.

She was simply becoming accepting of allowing herself to be touched, to be cared for, to eat and drink strange food.

But she didn’t eat the meat.

Victoria knew it was unlikely that Kenee was a vegetarian.

Katelyn suggested, maybe they shouldn’t cook it, and just give it to her raw. Mother found this idea disgusting.

But Dad persuaded her to try it.

Kenee devoured an entire raw steak in one sitting.

“I guess Katelyn is right,” said Victoria, regretfully: realizing it had been a highly unlikely prospect, since Kenee had survived so long in the wild; and seeing the clothes Kenee wore, which had obviously been made from the hides of animals she’d most likely killed, or something else had killed them.

Since the children were part-time home-schooled, they began to do their schoolwork in the treehouse.

So, Mom had to climb into the treehouse as well.

Dad set up a table and chairs, and Mom and the girls began teaching Kenee to read and speak.

Soon, her vernacular sounded less like growls and snarls, and more like human speech. Kenee was highly intelligent, and a fast learner.

Learning quickly was a survival skill in the forest.

But one day, when Victoria woke up, Kenee was not there.

Kenee had been completely healed for a number of weeks. The social workers had come several times, but had given up any attempt to move her into the house. Though they were happy to hear that she was learning to read and write.

Victoria wondered if Kenee had simply returned to the forest. She went into the house with tears in her eyes, telling Mom and Dad and her sisters that Kenee was missing. But not long after, to everyone’s happiness, Kenee returned: coming out of the woods and across the yard with a small deer draped across her shoulders. She carried it to the steps of the house, laying it down before the entrance. She stepped back to observe the reaction of the family; of the gift she had provided.

Victoria eyed the small deer, then began to cry again. Kenee clearly did not understand these tears. She stepped forward, and with her hand, wiped them from Victoria’s face.

Mom took Victoria aside and she said to her: “You have to accept this gift, Victoria. We gave to her, and she has given back to us.”

So, with a mix of emotions, Victoria conceded.

Chapter 13

The tree fort had originally been a simple construction, nothing more than a platform with some planks for slides and some posts for safety. But now, with some of the money provided by the social workers, Dad had gone ahead and built sides and a roof on it. After that, he added a door and two windows, and extended the size of it--after all, it was doubling now, for both a home and for a school.

Kenee avoided the rains similar to how a wild animal sheltered itself from the storms. She had the same body odour as anybody else, and it was obvious to Dad that spraying her down with the hose might seem like an act of aggression. Kenee’s response to aggression was similar to that of a wolf. But she did climb into the swimming pool with the girls. She was an apt swimmer. So, Victoria washed her in the pool, shampooing her hair, and combing it out.

Strangely, Kenee responded well to this; and it seemed to Mom that Kenee was actually enjoying the experience.

One of the problems they faced was that Kenee would go swimming in her clothes, or she would go swimming naked. Victoria taught her to wear a swimming suit, and then later practicing gymnastics in the yard, she convinced Kenee to try on a gym suit. It fit her well, and she could imitate anything that Victoria could do. She was such a natural athlete that Victoria began to imagine taking her to the gym to see what she was capable of, and to meet her friends.

Katelyn didn’t think this was a good idea, and neither did Dad. Mom thought it might be all right; and Jessica declined from having an opinion.

Kenee’s hair was so long, hanging down below her bottom, and now that it was shampooed, it flowed around her like a blanket. She watched Mom putting Victoria’s hair up into braids in preparation for gymnastics class, and she allowed Mom to braid her hair into seven long braids that hung down her back.

When Victoria went to gymnastics, now five days a week, Kenee hung out with Katelyn and Jessica. Katelyn was teaching her the rudimentary foundations of mathematics, and Jessica had taught her to sing a number of little songs from the church.

Because Kenee’s voice was so sweet when she sang, --so surprising, since initially all they’d heard were growls and snarls, Mom contacted the Head Ranger, who had known Kenee’s parents—and found out that Kenee’s mother had been a very good singer.

Kenee had learned quite a bit of language by the end of three months. She often came into the house during the day; yet, she would not stay there at night. And although you could converse freely with her now: debating with her only brought about a stubborn silence.

Many things in the house took time for Kenee to adjust to: Voices on the radio; the pictures on the television; words typed on a tablet; the operation of appliances; or how the toilet worked; or where the water came from when you turned on the tap; And how a light switch could turn on the sun in the middle of the night.

No amount of coaching would get Kenee inside the family van. So, when the family had to go someplace: Kenee was left behind.

This was greatly disturbing for the girls, particularly for Victoria.

Sometimes, when they returned, Kenee would not be there.

And when she was not there, she was in the forest.

But when she was in the forest, she lost track of time.

Days or a week had gone by after a short family outing to the city, before they saw Kenee again.

Because as much as they wanted to believe it, their house was not Kenee’s home.

The forest was her home.

She wasn’t leaving.

She wasn’t running away.

She was simply going home.

When she came back… She was visiting.

When she’d been gone for more than a week, she would return wilder and distant for a while.

Dad would say: “We’re only covering her with civilization. She’s not actually civilized.”

And Mom replied, “I think we’re trying to tame her. Like trying to make a wild-wolf into a dog.

She’ll always be a wolf.

She’s just friendly towards us.”

Katelyn said: “We’re part of her pack!”

Victoria said: “She’s, my sister!”

And Jessica said; “She’s more like a--wild cousin.”

But in fact, Kenee did see them as family. The family she longed for. The only family she had.

But Mom and Dad would not let her take her sisters into the forest.

Although Dad said, they were probably safer with Kenee than with anyone else he knew.

Chapter 14

The black van that the family owned was the type with middle doors opening on both sides. You could climb in and climb right through.

Victoria had an ingenious idea.

Kenee liked to play ball, and on some evenings She and Victoria would throw the ball back and forth for hours.

Victoria opened both doors of the van, and had Kenee stand on one side, and she stood on the other. Then she tossed the ball through the van to Kenee. Making Kenee miss a catch, was as difficult as making a border collie miss a catch. Kenee enjoyed throwing the ball through the van; and it even made her laugh. She didn’t laugh often, and she never laughed without a reason. But sometimes she made her own little jokes; although, usually you didn’t see why they were funny at first. It was one of those: “You had to be there to understand”: Like, her bear--lost its toe--in the creek--joke.

Apparently Kenee was tracking a bear.

She had been for days.

It knew her well, and it was wary of her.

Salmon in the creek was scarcer that year, and the bear had taken up to killing and eating deer.

---Kenee’s deer, as Kenee saw it.

…Of course, she hunted them herself, --but she saw them as her own.

She was both their protector and their harvester.

When the bear began killing them, Kenee decided its time had come.

When the bear realized Kenee was tracking it, it began to mask its tracks by wading through creeks and rivers. This, of course, did not fool Kenee. She saw clearly where it had entered the creek and where it exited the creek.

But on the third day of tracking it, the paw prints suddenly changed.

Either she was now--tracking a different bear--or the bear had somehow lost a toe.

Through its loss, the bear didn’t enter any more creeks. It remained in the same vicinity, and Kenee soon overcame it.

As the large-old-grizzly circled back upon its own trail, Kenee was waiting for it--above in the trees--as it clambered past: stalking the deer-path of a young doe and her fawn.

It was never any contest.

Kenee, with her knife, was far more dangerous than any bear.

Katelyn loved this story, and Kenee told her that the bear had caught its toe in a fishing trap, which had torn it off as he tried to escape from it. Then, not only were his tracks different; but he was no longer silent, as he walked.

Bears are silent in the woods, Kenee explained: “Like Starlight, your cat. --They make no sound.

You do not hear him coming, as big as he is.

But he could not be silent with the pain in his foot. Everything in the woods hears him coming.

There was no deer.

She had heard him long before, and she was far away.”

And, then, Kenee would laugh--

She would throw her head back, and her long hair would wave and fly behind her; and her beautiful white teeth would gleam, as she laughed heartily.

It was so funny to her.

And she would look into the faces of the girls expecting the same response.

But they just stared at her, blankly.

The story was horrifically terrible.

Victoria was the most put off by it.

Katelyn was fascinated.

And Jessica--just shrugged her shoulders--and walked away.

Victoria threw the ball again through the van, and Kenee caught it.

Then Kenee threw it back, and Victoria caught it.

And then, deliberately, Victoria threw the ball into the van and it landed in the middle on the floor.

Kenee looked at the ball.

She wanted the ball.

She wanted to continue playing with Victoria. But Victoria did nothing to retrieve it. Kenee looked at her wishfully, but Victoria did nothing. She just stood there, waiting…

Finally, Kenee stepped forward and reach into the van and retrieved the ball.

She took on that stare, she had, when she was looking about, expecting some dangerous animal to attack.

She edged closer and, placing one foot on the floor of the van, squatted and retrieved the ball. Victoria laughed and she clapped. She made a really big fuss about it, and Kenee liked the attention. So, as in the form of another joke, Kenee threw the ball into the van herself for Victoria to retrieve, which Victoria did, and then repeated it, throwing the ball in for Kenee, back and forth. They did this for about twenty minutes, and then when it was Victoria’s turn to retrieve the ball, Victoria climbed right in and sat down on the floor in the middle of the van and waited.

Kenee didn’t know what to make of this. Victoria motioned with her hand to come and join her. She had in her pocket a chocolate bar. Kenee had developed a taste for chocolate. Very cautiously, Kenee climbed in, sat down, and took the chocolate bar and began to eat it. They sat and they talked inside the van for about a half an hour. And when the time was gone, most of Kenee’s fear of the van was gone as well. In Kenee’s perspective, she considered the beast to be dead, but she knew, in fact, that it was only asleep. And she knew with a small piece of metal, you could revive it.

Chapter 15

There were several creatures inside the house that Kenee was not friends with.

She bristled when these appliances were used.

When Victoria used her hairdryer.

This was a terrible creature that Kenee would have dispensed with, if Victoria would have let her.

She did not like the toaster, although she had developed a taste for bread.

The washing machine was a bad creature, but the dryer was worse.

But the electric piano; she did like that, and she learned to play it. Yet for all of her patience in the woods, she lacked a kind of patience to sit and practice scales. Jessica had tried to teach her these routines several times, and Kenee learned and did become proficient, but there was no joy in the effort.

Kenee would invent combinations of melodies herself. She would play these over-and-over, until Mother finally bought her, a set of headphones.

In the same way, Kenee would now get inside the belly of the creature--known as the Van, --while it was sleeping; and only in the company of Victoria; who controlled it somehow.

Kenee trusted Victoria; but she would not get into the van once it had been started.

Once it begun to growl, -- Kenee would fall back instantly into her stance, with her hands upon her knife.

But then Victoria had another idea.

Vans have auxiliary power.

And Victoria left the key in the ignition.

She opened both-side-doors, and climbed in and sat on the floor; and Kenee joined her.

Then Victoria reached over and turned on the auxiliary power, but she didn’t start the engine.

At low volume, she turned on the radio to her favourite Christian channel and the sweet melodies of songs that Jessica had taught Kenee came resoundingly through the speakers. Kenee had heard the radio before inside the house. Her mind began to associate this with appliances. And suddenly, as hoped by Victoria, a revelation was evoked in Kenee’s mind, that perhaps the van was an appliance.

Victoria looked at her gently, but steadily in the eyes. She then asked: “May I turn on the van?

It will not hurt us.

It is not a creature. It is a thing. Like the dryer in the house.”

Kenee consented.

Yet when it came on, she was startled. She shivered like a wet dog the entire time the van was running. Victoria described to her father the hilarious look of relief that came over Kenee when the van was finally turned off.

Victoria and Kenee played this game several times over the next week.

And then one afternoon, when it was time for Victoria to go to gymnastics and Dad started the van, and Mom and the girls climbed in, Kenee stood looking longingly at them.

And then Jasper, who had been mistakenly left outside, came quickly and jumped into the van as well.

Seeing Jasper inside the van with the family, made Kenee realize her fears were unfounded.

She walked toward the van as Katelyn was pulling the middle door shut.

She stopped it with her hand.

And then, to everyone’s great surprise: Kenee climbed in and sat down.

She sat on the floor with Jasper.

This was not a legal procedure, driving down the road with a child seated on the floor without wearing a seat belt.

Victoria indicated the seat beside her and patted it with her hand. Kenee climbed onto the seat, and Victoria buckled the seat belt around her. Once the van was moving, Kenee became fidgety. But Victoria pointed down to Jasper on the floor and said:

“See, Kenee? Jasper doesn’t like it either. He doesn’t like to travel in the van; but he wants to be with us. Are you okay?”

Kenee grunted a noise, but it wasn’t intelligible--except to Katelyn--who said, “That means, Okay!”

Mom turned and looked back. She smiled at Katelyn.

Then she said to Kenee: “You are safe, Kenee.”

And Kenee somewhat relaxed in the seat as they drove to gymnastics.

At gymnastics, Victoria got out.

And then, quickly, Kenee climbed out as well.

“No, no,” said Dad. “Kenee stays with us.”

But Kenee did not stay. She strutted stubbornly alongside Victoria down the sidewalk to the gymnastics front door. Dad parked the van and got out and followed them.

Katelyn said: “Bad idea.” And this time, Mom agreed.

Jessica made a surprising observation — “She left her knife behind!”

Mom looked at the seat, surprised that the knife was still there on the seat. Kenee wore her knife to bed. She never went anywhere without it. Somehow, she knew she couldn’t take it with her into the gym. And she so wanted to be with Victoria and experience what Victoria did, that she was even willing to leave her knife behind.

Mom picked it up from the seat.

She opened her window.

She called out to Dad as softly as she could.

He stopped and turned and looked at her, and she brandished the knife, showing him that she had it.

He was also greatly surprised.

But then, he had his own kind of epiphany, and he stopped. He didn’t follow them any further.

…It was time, he realized; …to let things take their own course.

Chapter 16

The light in the foyer was dim compared to the brightness outside as the doors closed behind them.

They were soon out of sight as Dad turned, to return to the van. There was prayer in the minds of the four as they drove away to go shopping. Even Jasper sat up and looked out the window. He had his own concerns. Mom held Kenee’s knife on her lap, but no one spoke, except to God.

In the change room, Victoria gave Kenee the extra gym suit she kept in her bag. She wore her own beneath her clothes for efficiency.

Kenee stripped naked, leaving her clothes where they fell.

Victoria picked them up and put them in her bag.

Victoria admired her. Appreciating her perfect form and sinewy muscles. Victoria herself was a natural athlete. Tight little muscles rolled across her shoulders and her abdomen. Her body was slim, but strong. Victoria’s light blonde hair hung down her back two thirds as long as Kenee’s. She was nobly built. Her forehead and cheek bones were high. Her deep-blue-eyes were bright and large.

She was to all accounts, --perfect.

Yet in comparison, she was like a thoroughbred racer standing next to a taut, sinewy-muscled panther.

Kenee had many battle scars; some that could not be hidden beneath a gym suit. During ferocious states, they stood out against her darkly-tanned skin.

Kenee knew nothing of pride. But if she did; she would have worn her scars like badges of honour.

The two girls stood facing each other.

They were about the same height.

They complimented each other; and at the same time, were a startling contrast.

Kenee’s dark-black-hair; and Victoria’s almost bleached-blonde.

Victoria’s gentle disposition and relaxed pose, and Kenee’s ferocity and prepared stance and her endless surveillance of her surroundings.

Victoria’s look of peace and gentleness. Kenee was only gentle when she was with Victoria or other members of the family; and even then, there was an intensity to her unusual blue eyes--blazing like two glowing embers--burning inside of her eye sockets.

Katelyn would say: “I wonder if she’s like that, when she’s asleep. If we opened her eyelids, --would they look the same…?”

Victoria smiled at Kenee, and took her hand, and led her into the gym; then stopped and turned to face Kenee, and she said: “Kenee; these are my friends. No matter what seems to be happening, don’t hurt them.”

Kenee proffered an acknowledgment, but it wasn’t totally convincing.

Victoria put her hands on Kenee’s shoulders, looking her deeply in her eyes, and she adjured her: “Promise me,” she said.

Kenee said: “I will not hurt them.”

“Okay…then, come with me.”

Kenee followed Victoria across the gym onto the mats.

Victoria’s feet made little slaps as she walked.

Kenee’s feet made no sound.

There were customary greetings. “Hi, Victoria. Who’s your friend?”

Mr. Roberts the Head Coach, observed them appraisingly.

Victoria was able to introduce Kenee to small groups at a time; mostly one-on-one, which was the best way for sure. She could see the looks on her friend’s faces and she could judge pretty much what they were thinking.

Mr. Roberts came across the gym and met them. And in a matter of introduction, he asked Victoria, “Who is this?” And Victoria replied, “The greatest athlete you will ever meet.”

Mr. Roberts smiled: “I thought you were the greatest athlete I had ever met.”

“Thank you,” said Victoria.

“How would she do on bars?” asked Mr. Roberts.

Victoria said: “I’ll show you,” And she went to the bars herself and completed a kip-cast to a handstand, then followed it with a complex combination.

After making a perfect landing and proper presentation, she turned and said to Kenee, “Your turn!”

What Kenee did next, no monkey could have duplicated more proficiently.

She replicated Victoria’s kip-cast to a handstand, but then came down on her feet on the bar.

She leapt forward in a tight, somersault unfolding in time to catch the upper bar. She completed a second kip into a handstand, following through into a Giant; And coming around again, she let go near the top into a forward flip and a half, landing on the mat below, in a perfect defensive stance —. Not the stance of a gymnast, but of a hunter.

Mr. Roberts came over and said, “Very talented; but we’ll have to work on that landing.” He smiled, … “May I have a word with you, Victoria?” And he stepped forward and placed a hand on Victoria’s shoulder to manoeuvre her into a private setting. But the instant that his hand landed on her shoulder, a sharp snarl came from Kenee. Victoria quickly turned, in a very sharp reprimand, she said: “NO!”

Kenee did not divert her eyes from Mr. Roberts hand, but she did not attack. She had promised Victoria; and the concept of dishonesty was alien to her.

In that moment, Mr. Roberts realized who Kenee was.

He said to Victoria: “This is the girl that came from the forest, that you’ve been taking care of at your home?”

“Yes, sir,” answered Victoria.

“You’re right, she is amazing. But she has no formal training. You’ve been at this gym since you were…what — two and a half years old? You don’t really expect me to throw all that together in the next three and a half hours?”

Victoria smiled, “No, sir. Just being here is a big step for Kenee.”

“Yes, I can see that. She’s welcome, of course. But let’s proceed with caution.”

Chapter 17

Out of necessity, a survivor is a quick learner.

At the gym, Kenee watched. She learned. And she replicated each move.

At the end of the evening, Mr. Roberts said to Kenee, “You did very well, Kenee.”

Victoria smiled, --in gratitude of the compliment—on Kenee’s behalf.

Even Kenee smiled; slyly; like a fox appraising her prey.

Dad got out and met them, as they were coming down the sidewalk toward the van. “How did it go?” he asked, hopefully.

“It went well,” said, Victoria. “Don’t you think so, Kenee?”

Kenee said: “Fun. --Good play.”

Dad smiled. “Okay. let’s go home.”

Kenee had been with the family three weeks straight this time, without returning to her forest. And Although Victoria was ignoring the signs, Jessica noted an uneasiness about Kenee: “A longing for home,” Jessica said, poetically.

“Maybe she needs more meat?” Katelyn offered.

Dad was standing nearby. “No. … She needs to get her own,” he said.

“Yes,” said Jessica. “That’s it — she wants to hunt.”

“I’ll go with her.” Katelyn said, matter-of-factly.

“No, you will not!” admonished Mom, coming down the steps out of the house.

“What if we all went?” offered Victoria.”

To which Mom replied, “--What? Go camping again? After that last experience?”

Jessica said: “It’s like a horse! We’ve got to get back on and ride again, or maybe we’ll never ride again.”

“That would suit me”, said Mother.

“It is unlikely there will be another man-eating bear out there, said Victoria: And besides: Kenee will be with us.”

“Well, then; we couldn’t be safer,” said Dad.

Mom thought—though she didn’t say it—that it might be better, not to ride that trauma again.

“Okay,” said Katelyn. “--It’s settled. --Let’s go hunting, Kenee!”

Kenee perked up.

She looked steadily into the eyes of the different family members and then settled on Victoria’s. “Victoria, go hunting with Kenee? she asked.

“Yeah,” said Victoria. “I guess we are!”

While the family were making their preparations, Kenee could not have been happier. She was full of joy and excitement. She virtually danced about, helping anybody with anything she could; although she had no idea why they were bringing all of these things.

Kenee was so happy.

She put her arms around Victoria and hugged her then stepped back, placing her hands at Victoria’s shoulders. She looked at her steadily in the eyes—similarly as how Victoria had looked at her in the gym—and she said to Victoria: “All Victoria needs is her knife and her bow. Kenee will teach you.”

This time it was Kenee’s turn to be the teacher, and she couldn’t have been more pleased with the prospect.

Chapter 18

Victoria’s proficiency with her bow and arrows had increased tenfold over the summer, under Kenee’s tutelage. She felt prepared for whatever might come up.

The Rangers who had known Kenee’s parents came visiting one day, while the two girls were practicing. The older Ranger standing beside Dad commented, “She’s very good.”

“Yes,” said Dad, “But wait till you see Kenee. She possesses uncanny speed and accuracy. With an unstrung bow and a bird taking off from a tree. Kenee can string her bow, load it with an arrow, and shoot the bird out of the sky. She’s a marksman at ridiculous distances. I fancied myself somewhat of an archer, until I met Kenee.”

“Well,” said the Ranger, “There’s a contest coming up in the county, next month: August the 25th —You should enter her. Maybe she could win a trophy to put beside Victoria’s gymnastics trophies!”

“Yes, she might like that. An interesting day—” said Dad. “Our wedding anniversary.”

“Oh, I didn’t know. Okay. How are you celebrating?”

“Perhaps now, at an archery contest,” said Dad. “It’s not a bad idea.”

Everything was ready to go. The van was properly packed up. Jasper would not be coming on this trip. He was visiting Grandma.

Mom, Dad and the children safely secured themselves inside the van, along with Kenee. They headed on their way for the Keneetian park with some trepidation. All except Kenee, who said, “Shorter, through the forest.” Meaning to say, they could have arrived to their destination much sooner, had they simply walked behind the house into the park.

But the family was heading to the actual Keneetian Park entrance.

Kenee viewed this, as civilization — a poor place to hunt. But she had plans in her mind, to take them in deep towards the mountains, where the hunting was good. Kenee hadn’t taken into consideration Mom’s instinctive resistance to this plan. But Kenee looked at her steadily in the eyes, as she had learned to do from Victoria. And she said to Mom: “Do not be afraid. You are safe, Mom—with Kenee.”

Coming from Kenee, this symbolic address of implied affection touched Mom’s heart; and although it did not totally reassure her, it was enough to persuade her. And so, once again, the family found themselves trekking too far into the forest.

Chapter 19

After the family had followed Kenee far into the forbidden zone, one of the many non-commercial sectors of the park; they set up their tent and built a fire. Kenee went hunting at first on her own: tracking a deer and redirecting it towards the camp. She had Victoria wait with her bow. And although Victoria waited at the edge of the camp as instructed, she did not kill any deer. After the third try, Kenee was clearly disappointed.

Watching this progression, Dad decided to set up the portable barbecue, and Mom began wrapping vegetables in aluminum foil. They brought no meat with them, anticipating that Kenee would provide it.

Kenee came forward and sat down crossed legged in front of Victoria, about a foot away from where Victoria sat on the grass and looked at her in the eyes. “You will not kill the deer?” Kenee asked.

“I can’t,” said Victoria.

Katelyn came forward boldly, “I’ll try,” she offered.

Kenee looked up at her, but shook her head, “No”. Most likely Katelyn would accidentally shoot Victoria, or her.

“Katelyn,” she said: “you are very smart; but you are not good with a bow.”

Kenee, put her hands, on Victoria’s shoulders.

“It’s, okay.

Kenee will do it.”

Then she rose. She spun. And she left.

Victoria watched her as she melted into the forest.

Victoria had never become used to it. Watching as Kenee walked towards the edge of the tree line, and then, somehow, as she stepped over the threshold, she became part of the forest and, --just disappeared.

Kenee returned soon, with part of a deer. Atypically, she left parts of it behind: the head, the legs, the tail. Things that would identify it as a living being to Victoria.

Kenee loved Victoria.

And in her own way, she was beginning to understand her.

Dad came forward with his own knife and helped Kenee skin the deer. Then he said to her, “Let me have the hide, and I’ll show you something you may not know.” He took a jug of water, and some chemicals from a bag at his side. “If I were a native,” he said, “I would have used part of the brain as well. But I see we don’t have that.” Kenee was intensely curious as Dad scraped the hide. When he was finished, he made a sort of poultice out of the chemicals and rubbed them thoroughly on the inside of the hide. He then wrapped it up tight, and tied it with a string. He had noted, after examining the stiffness of some of the items Kenee wore or used that had been made from the hides of animals she had killed, that she knew nothing about tanning, much less softening and preserving; making a hide supple and malleable. He said to Kenee, “Now we wait. In a couple of days, I will show you the results. These chemicals, I bought. But the native people did all this in the wilderness. What they used came from the environment in which they lived.”

Dad tied the wrapped hide up into a tree to prevent animals from getting it. He and Kenee gathered meat portions to bring to Mom to cook on the barbecue. Katelyn was excited to try this new meat. From the blood on her face, Dad could tell that Kenee had already eaten a portion of it immediately after killing it, and she would eat her vegetables raw with Victoria.

Jessica was one of those people who could make a friend with just about anyone anywhere. And for the last hour, with bread crumbs, she had lured a wild chipmunk into the camp. And as she sat beside the tent, the chipmunk was now taking the bread pieces directly out of her hand.

Twenty minutes later, it was sitting on her lap eating peanuts, and she was stroking it from the top of its head to its tail.

Mom said to her, “I hope you don’t think we’re taking that creature home with us.”

“I thought she would make a nice girlfriend for Chippy,” replied Jessica.

“She’s just a wild thing,” countered Mom. “Chippy, can get his own girlfriend— a domesticated one.”

Dad stood beside Katelyn at the fire. “Hey, little one. I remember when we had our first campfire. You were pretty young. You used to stand here like this, watching the flames rise up. And I remember you saying they’re going up to heaven to be with God.”

Katelyn looked up and smiled at Dad. “I remember that,” she said, “That was at the old house.”

“That’s right,” said Dad.

“I was imagining myself rising and flying up to God.”

“Oh, yes, I remember that too.”

…Dad called over to Kenee: “Kenee, how far are we from the ocean?”

Kenee replied, “Five days--for me.”

Dad knew they could drive their van no further into the park. Too wild and rough from here on in. Dad knew they’d already gone far past the civilized part. Later in the evening, as the children sat cooking marshmallows on long sticks before the fire, Dad sat beside Kenee and asked her: “Have you been to the ocean, Kenee?”

“Yes, I have been there. You see, where the sun sleeps at night, as the light leaves the earth, the sun goes down into the water to sleep.”

Dad smiled. “Have you seen it return in the morning?”

“No,” said Kenee. “It has a secret cave under the water. Through this cave, it comes back up. It comes from the ground there to the east, far from the park.” Dad looked at her thoughtfully. And then he said: “Someday Kenee, I will take you to the other ocean on the East side.”

Kenee looked at him, surprised.

“Yes, on the other side of this land we live on, there’s another ocean. And the sun seems to come out of the other ocean in the morning as it seems to go into the West Ocean at night.”

Kenee looked fascinated. She had never seen the tunnel under the ocean. She had invented the idea to explain the rising of the sun. It had never occurred to her that there was another ocean on the other side that the sun came back out of. “Someday, Kenee, I will tell you the truth: what the sun really does; and what the earth really does.”

Kenee cocked her head in a sideways tilt, similar to a border collie.

Dad placed a hand on her shoulder and said in a warm voice, “Kenee: if it would not frighten you, I would tell you that I love you. And I would say, that you are the most interesting person.” And he laughed with a happy laugh.

And Kenee smiled.

Chapter 20

For more than a month, Kenee had joined the family at prayer time. She had agreed to stay in the house, but she slept on the floor with the dog. Sometimes, the girls would put a mattress down and sleep with her. She had been curious about where all the things in the world came from. And when Victoria explained about Jesus to her, she accepted Him very simply. She would take her turn like the others, and she would listen to Victoria’s long prayers and Jessica’s short ones. But it was Katelyn’s prayers which fascinated Kenee the most. Katelyn was a person of routine, and her prayers reflected this. Since she’d been a small child, she had started her prayers in a certain way, and her prayers were started similarly now. She would begin, “Dear God, I pray for everything that you need and everything that we need. I love myself and Daddy and Mommy…”

Kenee was fascinated by this, and she asked Katelyn: “What could God need?” Katelyn answered her: “He needs to Be. And He needs things to work together for good.”

Kenee’s prayers were about the things she understood. She would pray, “God, I am happy that the sun comes up in the morning so that I can see and that it goes down at night so that I can sleep and that the wind blows in the trees and moves the air. It is nice to breathe.” And she would pray, “I pray that Victoria would not die by the bear, that she would kill it.” Although, Kenee did not believe that Victoria could kill a bear, even if she had to. She thought: maybe a small bear. In this worry, Kenee once asked Jessica if she thought that this could be. But Jessica said, “Victoria is not a killer.”

For this reason, Kenee started to take shorter trips away and to return sooner. She told Jessica, “I will stay with Victoria. The bear will not get her.

Jessica said, “but it’s okay for the bear to get the rest of us?”

“No,” said Kenee, “I will not let it get any of you.”

Jessica wondered that a person with such worries would sleep so soundly.

When Kenee would lay her head down, she would be asleep right away.

The girls enjoyed watching this, and sometimes they would say to Kenee, “Well, time for bed. Good night Kenee.” And Kenee would lie down on the floor by the dog.

“There. She’s gone.” Katelyn would say.

“Yep, she’s gone.” Jessica would confirm.

And yet, as she slept, Kenee heard every sound. She knew what the wind said, and what coyotes came around the house at night. She knew if a storm was brewing, and she knew the breathing sound of each member of the family when they were having good dreams or when they were uneasy. Everyone’s breathing was uneasy on this night — a great storm was coming. The top of the tent was blowing about. The wind could be heard whistling through the trees. Rain began to fall; at first lightly, then a heavy drench. Kenee awoke. She went outside and stood in the rain. No dangerous animal would come around during a bad storm. It was hard to smell them through the rain, if they did come. It was the conditions themselves that was the danger. Kenee knew this type of storm. She knew dangerous lightning would soon follow. There was a series of caves not far from where they were camped. She returned to the tent and knelt down beside Dad to wake him. As Dad stirred, Kenee said, “We must leave here. There is danger.”

“What? What?” exclaimed Dad. “An animal?”

“No,” said Kenee, “This storm is dangerous. There are caves nearby. We should go there.”

Dad rubbed his eyes and looked at Kenee and saw the seriousness upon her face. “Okay,” he said, and woke the others, explaining Kenee’s worries to them. Mom asked, “Are the caves safe?”

Kenee reassured her. “I will go first and check within and make sure there are no animals. But during lightning, it is the best place to be. It is not safe in this tent.”

Everyone took things, including food and water and a change of clothes. Kenee took her weapons and so did Victoria. Heavy lightning began soon after they entered the cavern.

Dad asked if it was safe to build a fire.

“Yes, I have had fires here,” Kenee pointed: “There is a natural draft that goes up from here and carries a smoke away.”

Dad had carried blankets and everyone lay down for the remainder of the night to get as much sleep as they were able.

Kenee lay at the entrance and Victoria joined her there. “Kenee, are you worried about the lightning? Are we safe here?”

“I am not worried about the lightning. We are in these caves; but we are not safe.”

“What do you mean? Why are we not safe, Kenee?”

Kenee turned and looked at Victoria. “This is a big storm. Much water will fall. The river will grow and flood the bank.

Soon this valley will be underwater.

Then the dangerous animals will seek shelter from the lightning and the flooding.

They will come to these caves.

Victoria was startled. “Has this happened before?”

“Yes,” said Kenee.

“It has happened to me when I was younger.”

“What did you do?”

“I climbed up there: into those ledges, at the top of the cave.

I stayed with the bats until the water dried up and the animals went away.

It was many days and I was very hungry.”

Chapter 21

In the morning. Kenee climbed up the walls of the cave to the ceiling.

Victoria climbed up with her.

Braced on the natural ledge, Victoria found it hard to remain a long time.

They were not spacious. And they were not comfortable. No one else could climb up.

“This isn’t going to work,” Victoria said.

“I know,” said Kenee.

“There is another choice, but it has its own problems.”

They climbed back down, and Victoria questioned Kenee.

“Further back beyond the first wall of this cavern are more caves, explained Kenee. There are lower ledges, like small rooms: easy to climb up and get into.”

“Okay,” said Victoria; “so, let’s go there! –What’s the problem?”

“The problem is,” replied Kenee: “the dangerous animals can climb up there too! Like the panther, and the wolves.

I cannot guard the entrance when the waters come and flood this cave.

The deer and the rabbits will run. They will leave this valley. But some of the dangerous animals will not go. They will come here to the caves.”

Dad took his flashlight, and they all went back to examine these ledges. Even the highest ones were easy enough to climb up into.

Kenee said to Dad:

“With long, sharp sticks, you and I and Victoria can defend these ledges from most of the dangerous animals. We can keep the wolves down.

The cats are more dangerous.

But the bear is the worst.

If the bear comes to this cave, he will drive out the wolves and the cougars.

But he can stand up tall.

He can reach these ledges.

He can reach us.”

Dad said: “I’ve seen you kill a bear, Kenee.”

“Yes, from above—I drop on them—but I cannot fight a bear to his face.”

“Well, is there nothing we can do,” asked Dad?

Kenee looked sombre…

“The bear fears fire.”

“Okay,” said Dad; “We can make a fire up here!”

“It will be smoky,” replied Kenee.

“There is not the same ventilation in here as in the front part of the cave —

Eventually the fire will eat all the good air, and we will not be able to breathe.

And we will have to gather much wood, to keep a fire going so long--against a bear.

And we cannot go outside in the lightning to get more wood.”

Dad flashed the light on Kenee’s face to look at her.

He said: “Kenee! I have never seen you uncertain about what to do before.”

“It is true, Dad.

I do not know what to do.

By myself, I would be safe. But I do not know if I can keep all of you safe.”

--Kenee had never followed the caverns all the way through, and she didn’t know how far back they went. These ledges where as far as she had gone.

She had always worried that she’d be in the caverns and a bear would come and she’d be trapped. So, she never went too far; but would block the entrance with branches, and build her fire near it, as a deterrent. But her branches and a small fire would not keep a bear out in a lightning storm.

After hearing this, Dad said: “I’m going to venture further back into the caves.

I’m going to take the light, and I’m going to see how far in these caverns go.”

Mom said: “Is it possible to get lost? How big are these caverns?”

Dad answered, “Even Kenee doesn’t know. But I will take the chalk, and I will mark as I go. And I will return by following my marks back. I’ll go in only a half-hour at most; and then come back to tell you what I find.”

Mom was uneasy; but she agreed.

They decided that Victoria would go with Dad, and Kenee would stay and protect the family.

They took extra batteries, and they each had a light.

They took some water also, and Victoria gave Mom a hug, to reassure her. --But Mom was not reassured.

--Katelyn said: “It never works out well in the movies when people separate.”

Jessica agreed, “Yep: they all die!”

Mom looked sternly at them.

Dad said, “Have a little faith, girls;” and He and Victoria set off: the light of their flashlights bobbing as they went; until they turned around the corner, and their lights were gone from view.

--Mom looked at Kenee.

“Are they going to be safe, Kenee?”

Kenee said: “I do not know.

I have never been into the caves that far…

I do not know—”

It was a moment in which Mom--almost wished--Kenee wasn’t so honest.

About ten minutes into the caverns, the walls began to reflect the light of the flashlights. Here the walls were lined with some kind of crystal, mostly white, but other colours as well. Victoria pointed out a colour that looked like gold. Dad laughed. He said, “Must be fool’s gold.” But he took out his phone, and as Victoria held her light upon them, Dad took pictures.

As they walked on, the floor of the cavern tilted upward in a gradual slope. The light showed that there were bats above in the ceiling.

Victoria could see on Dad’s face that he was surprised by this.

Dad breathed in, and he said, “Victoria, breathe this air. Does it seem fresher to you?”

Victoria breathed deeply, “Yes,” she agreed, “it does. It smells fresher.”

Dad said, “Didn’t Kenee say there was natural ventilation when she built a fire in the cave?”

“Yes. She said that the smoke went up and out.”

In about ten more minutes they knew why. Light appeared from above, and as they climbed up, they found an exit port. The rock was broken away at the top, and Victoria was able to climb out. It was about ten feet above the cavern floor. Dad called up to her, “What do you see?”

“I’m on top of a cliff--!” Victoria yelled back.

Dad called, “Why doesn’t the rain come in?”

Victoria answered, “There is a wall of rock about as tall as our house. It slants overhead, almost like another cave, but it is actually just a higher ridge. The rain is pouring down in front of me like a waterfall. But it’s dry in here. It’s big and open. I can see the whole valley. Dad threw up the rope, and Victoria tied it to a small--sturdy tree--that grew at the back of the ledge, and Dad was able to climb up. They looked around together.

“Wow,” said Dad. “This would be a beautiful place to build a house.”

“But where would we put the pool?” Asked Victoria.

Dad reached his hand out past the natural overhang and felt the water as it poured down upon his arm. “We could take our showers right here. --Okay, let’s go back and get the others. It might take some convincing to get Mom up here; but this is our way out.”

Chapter 22

When the whole family was safely through the hole, they stood on the plateau together, looking out at the panoramic view.

Katelyn stood beside Kenee, holding her hand. “It’s so beautiful, Kenee.”

As the rain continued to pour down—now for the second day, --and lightning and thunder flashed and cracked without ceasing, the impact on Kenee was unusual. Tears flowed down Kenee’s face as she looked at her valley from a perspective, she had never seen it before. “Yes,” she said: “very beautiful.”

Katelyn reached up and wiped the tears from Kenee’s eyes as she had seen Kenee do to Victoria. Kenee turned and smiled at her, and then gave her a hug. “You are a smart girl, Katelyn; but I am learning that you are much more than that.”

Jessica came and squeezed in between the two of them and Kenee pulled her up and held her in her arms.

Mom and Dad had prepared food, and everyone ate and were refreshed. The rain stopped at about 6:00 p.m., that evening. The lightning and the thunder ceased soon after, and the sun came out in time to show a magnificent rainbow arching across the entire valley. The colours of the sunset were astounding. It was a beautiful, perfect evening. Dad took a picture of it with his phone.

“For Kenee,” he said, smiling at her.

But now that the rains had stopped, a question came into the minds of the family regarding how they would get down off of this 1200-foot cliff. The ropes certainly wouldn’t extend that far down. Only one of them could make the descent for sure. There was a smaller chance for Dad or Victoria, but generally another solution had to be found.

The way the overhang enclosed them, the only way out—seemed to be back through the opening—down through the hole. Their two ropes were 100ft each in length. There was a small but sturdy tree at the back wall they could tie off on, but looking down the side of the wall, Dad saw few places you could get a grip. It was 20ft across the flat they were standing on, and it would take 10ft to tie the rope off securely around the tree. With another five or so feet to tie the two ropes together, you might have 160 or 170ft over the ledge. When you climbed down to the end of it, what would you do then? No one could make that drop.

If there had been any service, Dad would have called on his cell phone for help. But there was rarely any reception in the park. If he could climb down, he could drive the car and get help.

Kenee watched Dad’s face contort in increasing consternation. And then she said to him: “We must go up! Up over the overhang and down the side of the mountain. I know this mountain. On the other side is a round slope.”

“A round slope?” Dad asked?

“Yes: trees and grass grow on it. We can all make it down on the other side. I will climb up over the ledge and tie off the ropes. I will bring up Victoria, and together we will bring up you. Then I will come back down and help the others. And together we will all get to the top.”

After Knee reassured them that she could in fact make the climb over the top of the overhang, Dad fashioned the rope into a sort of sling—with loops for legs and arms. Even Mom thought it was a pretty good contraption, and sufficiently secure: as she imagined it, pulling her children up over the edge of the overhang, and dangling them there over a 1200-foot drop.

For what Kenee considered an unnecessary precaution, Dad tied off one end of the rope to the tree and the other end he put over Kenee’s back, her arms and legs in the loops.

Mom gave Kenee a hug. “Be careful, dear.”

“It will be okay, Mom,” Kenee assured her, and she began her ascent up the side of the wall.

In a moment she had disappeared over the top of the overhang.

Dad was standing beside Victoria when he said, “How can you not admire that? Her arms and hands, —she has the strength of steel.”

Victoria smiled, and she laughed a little, and she said to Dad: “If I didn’t know you loved me, I’d almost be jealous.”

“Ha. No-no. I know what you can do, and I appreciate all your gymnastic skills. But you have to admit, Kenee is a unique little force.”

“Yes; she sure is.”

And in a moment, Kenee was calling down, and the rope-sling dropped.

Kenee retained the middle part while Dad untied the other end from the tree, and Kenee pulled it up and found a secure place to tie it off above. Then Victoria got into the harness, and Dad secured her. Kenee easily drew her up to the edge of the overhang. Mom held her breath. Victoria clambered over the ledge and was gone. “Okay, I’m here,” she called back. Then the rope-sling dropped back down again.

Dad made some adjustments, and Mom helped him put it over his shoulders after he had stepped in through the leg holes.

“It hardly seems possible,” Mom said, “that those two skinny girls can pull you up.”

“I hope they can,” Dad said, “because there doesn’t seem to be any other way.” Then the rope drew taunt, and Dad began to draw upward.

Hand-over-hand, the two girls drew Dad up, until he became parallel with the edge of the overhang.

Victoria called out: “Dad, do you see the roots coming out from the ground at the edge—from those trees? Can you grab them”?

Trees had been growing close to the edge and their roots were digging out through the soil, and came out by the edge of the overhang. They were sturdy, and Dad grabbed hold of them and was able to pull himself up.

Now that all three were up, Dad said, “Okay, let’s lower Kenee down!”

But Kenee said, “It is not necessary.” And she went down herself, climbing over the edge, down the side of the wall, back down to the plateau.

“She’s so self-confident,” Victoria said.

“Yeah,” said Dad; “a little crazy; maybe on the verge of arrogance.”

“No,” said Victoria, “Kenee knows nothing of pride. She simply knows what she can do.”

Jessica was next. She was the lightest, and Dad and Victoria pulled her up after Kenee and Mom had secured her in the harness. They didn’t bother with the roots. They just pulled her up over the edge and onto the top. Then they lowered the rope down, and next they drew up Katelyn.

Katelyn was far more nervous about the whole thing than Victoria or Jessica had been. Mom said to her, “enough questions. Stop worrying. You’re going to be alright.”

Kenee’s smiled about this. She found that funny, because she knew that nobody worried more than Mom did.

Katelyn had a lot to say on the way up and over the edge, and Kenee could still hear her talking when she’d got safely to the top.

The rope came back down.

Kenee took it and turned and looked at Mom. “Your turn, Mom.”

“Goodness,” said Mom.

“You are worried…

That Dad and Victoria are getting tired.”

“Yes. –That; I guess.”

“Okay. I will go up.

I will help them pull you.”

“I’m not that heavy,” Mom laughed shyly.

“You are not heavy, Mom.

Dad is much heavier than you.

Victoria and I pulled Dad up.”

“—No. I was just thinking--How many times the rope has got over the edge.

Maybe it’s fraying or something.”

Kenee shook her head. “No Mom; the rope is okay.

But I will check it for you.” And she did.

Then she nodded to Mom. “All--OK”.

Kenee then climbed back up and assisted Dad and Victoria.

Even Katelyn and Jessica helped pull up Mom, though it was not difficult. She was not heavy.

But she did scrape her legs as they pulled her around the edge.

When she’d gotten the harness off, she took some water and rubbed it on her legs where they were cut. “Just a scrape,” she said, looking at Katelyn’s worried eyes.

She laughed. “Katelyn, —I’m okay.

—It’s just a scrape!”

They climbed up through the trees on top of the mountain section, and down the side, —an easy slope—just like Kenee had said. And within a half an hour, they had reached the bottom. And twenty minutes later, they had safely made it to the car. “Maybe it’s time to go home,” Mom said.

And everybody agreed.

Even Kenee.

Chapter 23

Most social workers are kindly minded. In their own minds, they have your best interest at heart; particularly the best interest of children. Two social workers had been appointed to Kenee’s case, and they often consulted together. And between the two of them, they made a critical decision. They had investigated and discovered Kenee’s grandparents. both on her mother’s side and on her father’s side. Both had married young, and they’d had their children young and consequentially were relatively young in mind and body. Kenee also had aunts and uncles and cousins. And one day, without proper procedure, and without warning; a large number of them came to visit Kenee. Although highly irregular and quite surprising, or as Mom said, “unexpected;” the family welcomed them and had a picnic outside: as there were too many of them to bring in the house. It was virtually a family reunion, with five carloads coming up the driveway. They were all very nice people and very cheerful. Overwhelmingly so, for Kenee.

Jessica was standing by—anticipating Kenee would soon disappear into the forest, or on top of the roof. Katelyn had a little bet going with her, about how long Kenee would last. But Victoria stood by Kenee’s side, and at one point held her hand when she looked particularly worried and out of sorts.

“If we’d known ahead,” Mom said; “we could have prepared better.

“Oh, nonsense,” said knee’s maternal grandmother. “We’re just all family here.”

It took some time and considerable reintroductions before Kenee really understood that “these” --were her “actual” family: On her mother’s side, and on her father’s side.

One of Kenee’s male cousins who was into body-building said to Kenee: “You’re really in good shape, Kenee. You must be working out!”

Victoria helped Kenee out-with-this and said to the cousin: “Kenee does gymnastics with me.”

“Oh,” he said, “that would explain it.”

Jessica, who was standing beside them, said, “no, it doesn’t.”

The cousin looked at her and noted that she was only seven and dismissed her. But Jessica isn’t that easy to dismiss. She stepped closer to the cousin and she said, “have you seen her scars? She didn’t get those at gymnastics.”

Victoria shushed her: “Jessica, why don’t you go and see how Mom is doing?”

“What for”? Asked Jessica. “I’m sure she’s doing fine.”

Victoria noticed that Katelyn had set up her video game outside for the younger cousins and was projecting it on Dad’s outdoor movie screen. “Wow, look at that, Jessica: look what Katelyn has going on over there!”

Jessica looked. She was interested, and she said, “Okay, I think I’m going to go over and check that out.”

“Good idea,” said Victoria.

Several of the female cousins admiringly touched Kenee’s long, beautiful-black-hair, and Kenee’s maternal Grandmother had brought along a photo album showing pictures of her daughter and son-in-law, Kenee’s mom and dad, and their marriage.

As Kenee looked at the pictures, of two people she’d only known for five years of her life, she took on a strange look on her face as her mind was trying to reform memories that had been long lost.

Grandma kept pointing out pictures with her finger, narrating the surrounding events associated with them. “--Here, Kenee; these should be interesting.

These are pictures of you!”

And indeed, there were lots of pictures of Kenee when she was little, for the first five years of her life, dating back to when she was born and first came out of the hospital.

These fascinated Kenee.

The social workers had made clear to Kenee’s natural family, the events of her life after the fire, and that she called herself Kenee. And to the best of their ability to understand it themselves, they described to her family the events of her life as she had lived it in the forest, and how she came to be with the family she was with now, who they referred to as Kenee’s foster family.

Kenee could read pretty well now, and beneath each picture was an inscription. Her parents’ names were recorded there as James and Jeanette Alvarous. And below her picture, —Jennifer! And Kenee quickly put it together, and spoke it out loud: “Jennifer Alvarous…”

“Yes.” Almost gleefully, her grandmother threw away all the social workers precautions and confirmed Kenee’s discovery; undoubtedly why she had brought the photo album along in the first place.

“Jennifer--?” Asked Victoria?

And again, a lost memory ignited itself; and Kenee, turning quickly and looking into Victoria’s eyes, said, “Yes;” And in glimmers of memories, she began to piece part of her past life back together, as distorted recollections came flooding into her mind. But they were the thoughts, having belonged to a child, less than five years old. She had spent the rest of her life in the forest—far distant from those experiences.

Her Grandmother put an arm around her shoulders, and she said, “Kenee; do you remember your mother? My daughter?”

Kenee again looked at the pictures, and she looked at her grandmother and replied, “Maybe. —Maybe, Mommy and Daddy; and Kenee!”

“No,” said her grandmother, “Mommy and Daddy…,

and Jennifer!”

The barbecue was ready, and everybody ate. And afterwards, when they were ready to go home, Kenee’s father’s parents came and said, “Kenee, you are welcome in our home. You should visit us.” And her mother’s parents said the same. Many of her cousins and their parents agreed. It was confounding for Kenee, to say the least.

Dad said, “Well, that’s wonderful. Probably that’s enough for today.”

“Of course,” said her Grandparents.

After everyone had given Kenee a hug—to her great discomfort—they began to leave, in groups, going down the driveway, as Kenee watched.

Mom and Dad came and put their arms around Kenee. “A lot to take in, my daughter,” said Mom.

Kenee looked up. “Your daughter?”

“You’ve called us Mom and Dad for quite some time now, Kenee. And there’s been something we’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

Katelyn, Jessica and Victoria crowded in close, having had preliminary discussions with their parents about this idea.

Dad said, “Kenee, we were all wondering, as a family, if you would like to join our family as a permanent member — if you’d like to become our adopted daughter?”

Kenee didn’t seem to understand, so Victoria said, “Become my real sister?”

“Yeah,” Katelyn confirmed, “Become one of us.”

Mom looked at Kenee carefully, and said, “Kenee, we’re saying: we’d like to adopt you, as our own daughter; make you a member of our family. Would that be something you would want?”

Kenee looked down the driveway. She looked back at Mom and Dad, and Victoria and Katelyn and Jessica.

Jasper came up, just at that moment, wagging his tail with that quirky smile he has, trying to say: “I like you.”

Kenee turned to Victoria and she said: “Sisters?”

“That’s right, Kenee. You and I, we’d be sisters for real.”

“Not for real now,” Kenee asked?

“Oh--of course,” Victoria said. “Of course, we’re sisters now. But it’s like—well--we have our van and our neighbour has their van; but they don’t have our van, because it’s ours! We own it!”

Kenee had a difficult time with ownership, the concept of owning something.

Katelyn remembered Kenee’s tale about the bear and the deer. And she said, “Kenee, you remember the bear that came for your deer, and you had to kill it to stop it from killing them. They were your deer. They belonged to you; and we would like you to come and belong to us.”

In her heart, Kenee did belong to them, and she said: “I do belong to you.”

“Yes,” said Dad. “Of course, you do. This might take a little longer to explain than we’d thought,” he said, turning to Mom.

Mom nodded.

Victoria smiled.

Katelyn tried an analogy about how Kenee was like a knife, and we were trying to take her out of her sheath and put her into our sheath.

And Jessica said: “It’s like--two cats, and they each have a kitten. And one cat dies, and then the other cat takes the dead cat’s kitten and has two kittens. One is her own, and other is adopted!”

It’s not that Kenee didn’t understand all of these different analogies. It was just the idea of legally owning someone, legally adopting them, that she didn’t understand.

Dad was right about that. …It was going to take a little longer.

Chapter 24

When the autumn came, the children returned to school. Mom continued with her studies, and Dad returned to work.

Listening to their plans, Kenee thought that she would then return to her forest; but Mom said, “Kenee, you should go to school. The children go to a safe Christian school. You could learn a lot, and lots about God! You would make good friends. You would be safe there. Would you like to go?”

Kenee had not considered this, and she seemed hesitant.

Victoria showed Kenee her school uniform. There had been a reasonable dress code, but insufficiently adhered to, and now everyone had to wear a uniform. Each of the girls had two, and Victoria gave one of her uniforms to Kenee to wear. It fit her perfectly.

Victoria laughed, and said: “She’s a dish!”

Mom said, “You look very nice, Kenee.”

Katelyn said: “She needs a book bag and a lunch pail.”

And Jessica added: “And a thermos and some shoes.”

So, the family went shopping. And while they were there, Mom talked to Dad on the side: “She’s never come to church with us. I’m sure she’d want to come. She’s safe. Why don’t we buy her some nice things?”

So, they bought Kenee a dress for church and some shoes. And some shoes for school. And a backpack and a lunch pail and a thermos, and some other things she would need at school.

With her own money, Victoria bought Kenee a headband to hold back her amazingly long hair.

Mom was trying to decide whether she should try to put Kenee’s hair up or let it hang down, or once again put it into braids.

As Mom was playing with her hair, Kenee turned and said to her: “Will I be like the others?”

Mom said, “do you want to be like the others?”

Kenee looked almost sorrowful. “I am not like the others.”

“I think,” said Mom, “that you are like them in your heart.”

“I am like the wolf in my heart,” said Kenee, and she cocked her head to the side, sardonically.

“I think,” said Mom. “You are what you’ve had to be—to survive; and you are adaptive. You can adjust to these new circumstances. You are a well-adjusted survivor. Just take things one step at a time. Remember to place your trust in God and not in the strength of your own arms.”

Kenee looked like she wanted to understand what that meant. She had spent her entire life depending on her own cunning and on her own strength. Mom could almost read her mind as it looked upon her innocent young face, and she said to Kenee, analogously, to help her understand: “Kenee; the bear is strong; the most powerful animal in the forest. Until Kenee comes, — with her knife. Life has many Kenees. Each of us encounters, sometime in their life—a Kenee—with a knife. Even the bear. …Even Kenee!

Each of us in our time, need to trust in God. He so loves you, and wants you to be one with him. And if necessary, to help you understand your need, he will provide those circumstances so you can understand.”

“What can hurt Kenee?” Kenee asked.

“I don’t know, said Mom; “But, why not just trust in God, instead of having to find out?”

Kenee looked at Mom thoughtfully, like she understood this wisdom.

“Sometimes when I think of you, Kenee, I think of David fighting Goliath. David was but a teenager, and Goliath was as big as a ferocious grizzly. Goliath was a hardened warrior. He’d fought many battles against many warriors much more powerful than David. He probably thought he was prepared for any contingency; but he wasn’t prepared to meet God.

David slung the sling, and he had killed bears himself, and he killed lions and wolves who were trying to get the sheep, that he was taking care of. But though he swung well, and the stone flew straight; it was God who killed Goliath.”

“Like the lightning that falls from the sky upon the dry grass,” said Kenee. “The grass and the forest can be burnt, but it is not the lightning that burns them. It is the fire—that it makes.”

Mom said: “Yes. Something like that.”

Chapter 25

Little by little, with the social workers encouragement, and Dad and Mom’s cooperation, Kenee visited all of her cousins’ homes and her Grandparents homes. Mom and Dad brought up the idea of adoption with the society. But now that her real family had been introduced to her, the social workers felt, they needed to give Kenee the opportunity to consider whether she might want to be adopted by any of them; or whether any of them might want to adopt her; or if she simply wanted to live with any of them, particularly one set or the other of her Grandparents.

In the meantime, Kenee did go to school.

A Christian school, like the children attended, is very accommodating. They recognized that Kenee was very far behind in her studies, although by age she should have been in the same grade as Victoria.

They saw Kenee’s emotional need to be close to Victoria in such an insecure situation. So, they placed them together side-by-side, and Victoria continued to tutor her, and the teacher put a lot of effort into assisting with this. Mom dropped them off in the morning, and she, or she and Dad, picked them up in the afternoon.

The route home ran alongside the water, and over a bridge which was under repair that overlooked the Bay.

Crossing this bridge always made Katelyn nervous because, the temporary railings were very low.

They were a third of the way over the bridge when the event occurred.

There was a school bus ahead of them, —not from the Christian school, but from the secular school.

An investigation showed that the driver had-had a heart attack. None of this was known at the time. Mom just suddenly yelled, “what’s wrong there?”

And Dad said, “that bus is weaving all over. It looks like it might—”

And then it did; topple right over the side of the bridge and tumbled, in a long fall, to the water below. In the end, the bus driver did not survive the fall, and some of the children died as well from the impact. Many more would have died, if not for what happened next.

All the cars were suddenly stopped in horror, on the bridge. And in a second, Kenee was out the door, running across the road to the edge. And then, in an amazing, perfect dive, she was gone: entering the water a few seconds later.

The bus entered face first, but then bobbed back up about 30 seconds later and floated on the surface for a while before it finally sank to the depth of the Bay. But while it was still bobbing up and down, Kenee swam quickly to it and opened up the back door.

Emergency vehicles had arrived on the bridge, and emergency boats had been sent out from the shore. Those on the bridge had sent down life preservers, dropping them through the air to the water, in the hope that someone would be saved.

Many were saved.

Kenee pulled them out; swam them across; got them a life preserver; and swam back and got another.

Child after child she rescued.

The boats that came from the shore started to pull the children aboard. Then two other boats arrived and assisted in the rescue. Finally, they brought Kenee on board as well.

Even as little as a few months ago, Kenee would not have brought out the bodies of the children who had already drowned. But she had come to understand a few finer points of society and how people felt, and their need to bury their dead and to mourn over them; so that with considerably more effort, she even brought the dead body of the bus driver to one of the boats to be pulled in and covered up. The rescue workers made a great fuss over Kenee and the newspapers and the TV station and several radio stations did interviews.

It was too much for Kenee.

Several family members called her on the phone and talked with her, and some came to see her. Everyone was very congratulatory and called her a hero. The city made her a special gold medal and hung it around her neck at a ceremony. Many people were there cheering, and Kenee was more than just a little frightened by it all. Victoria and all the family were very proud.

But Kenee was just Kenee. Only doing what anybody would have done; as she viewed the world.

Chapter 26

Victoria put a nail in the wall in her room, and she and Kenee hung Kenee’s medal up beside Victoria’s Gymnastics medals.

Victoria told her, “—Kenee; when you become accomplished at gymnastics and go to competitions, you will have many more medals to place on this wall beside mine.”

Kenee did not care about medals; but she cared very much that Victoria was proud of her.

Members of Kenee’s natural family began referring to her as Jennifer, and Kenee did not resist this. She understood why they did it, but her real family (as she thought of Mom and Dad and the girls) continued to call her Kenee.

Kenee was Kenee; and she knew this to be true.

Whoever Jennifer had been, Kenee was not that person anymore in any real way. She could not remember ever having been this girl—Jennifer.

The social workers provided Kenee with identification which she would need in the future — a health card, photo identification, and a social insurance number; if in the years to come she might want to take a teenage job.

Kenee would sometimes recite her name: “Jennifer Alvarous,” because it was her proper name, and it was the name the school expected her to learn and know. But the newspapers and the city and the television station, after her rescue of the children from the bus, all referred to her as the forest girl, Kenee. And so, the school generally adopted this “campfire name”, as the principal referred to it; and all the children of the school called her Kenee.

One Saturday afternoon, about a month after the bus rescue, the Keneetian Rangers who had known James and Jeanette, came to see Kenee, and asked her if she would like to participate in a youth training camp that could lead to becoming a Junior Ranger.

The program ran all year, from October to October, from 1:30 Friday afternoon till 6:30 Sunday morning. Bill Culvert was Head Ranger in that area, and he was the one who had known Kenee’s parents the best. After explaining in more detail to Kenee and the family what the program was all about, he also shared another point of personal interest with her.

“I wanted to tell you, Kenee,” Bill started, “that the Rangers have decided to restore your family home as much as possible, to the way it was when you were living there — and it will have several purposes,” he continued: “As a landmark and a museum of the special interests in the park. It will also act as a park information station. And when the barns are restored, it will be a way-station for long-range hikers and for the outlying Rangers who patrol the Park on horseback.”

Mom had supper prepared, and the Rangers stayed over to eat and continued to explain the program.

“The junior Rangers would learn to ride horseback and care for their horses. They would learn to shoot. They would learn to make a fire and a proper camp; what natural foods are edible; where to find water, and many other techniques of basic survival in the forest...”

Mom, Dad and the girls quickly realized that something else was going on, and when the Rangers saw this on their faces, they came out with it.

“Okay, I can see you figured it out,” said Bill, “Yes:” he confirmed, “We believe that Kenee’s participation in the program would improve it 110%.

—I don’t know if she’s ever shot a gun, or rode a horse; But in every other way, she knows all there is about surviving in the forest. More than anyone else. And that includes Bart and I. Doesn’t it, Bart?”

Bart laughed. “Sure does, Bill.”

“What we’re really asking you, Kenee, is would you consider helping us? We will make you an honorary Junior Ranger right off the start. What we really want, is to learn the survival skills that you’ve acquired. We want you to teach us! And to train the other cadets. How much better every Ranger would be, with your tutelage. And, of course, the Park and the tourists would all be the beneficiaries of that wisdom—these skills—that you can pass on to us.”

Dad said: “It sounds like quite an honour, Kenee;” and then to Bill, he asked: “It would—pay, I presume?”

Bill looked squarely at Dad and then to Kenee. “Yes, of course; it would — it’s a job!”

Mom smiled, and she said to Kenee, “I guess you’re going to need that social insurance number sooner than we thought.”

Chapter 27

With the arrival of Kenee’s identification, her grandmother’s photo evidence was confirmed: that Kenee had been born on July 7th, 2011, and that she was six months older than Victoria.

With assurance of Kenee’s birth date, the family decided to celebrate. Mom and Dad invited Kenee’s Grandparents and cousins to a barbecue and a swimming party. Mom made a beautiful cake with Kenee on top; standing among some trees with a wolf at her side, and her hand on its back. In her other hand she held her knife, and across her back was her bow and her arrows.

The cake was chocolate. Like Jessica, Kenee had a predilection for chocolate. The figurines, the grass top, and the rocky sides were all made with fondant. And there were various ice creams on the side — vanilla for Katelyn, chocolate for Kenee and Jessica, a mint-pistachio flavour with strawberries for Victoria, made with a special lactose-free ice cream. Mom and Dad liked Neapolitan.

Mom didn’t know what everybody else liked; she just hoped they would like one of these choices.

The Youth Ranger program was for boys and girls aged twelve to sixteen. Kenee accepted Bill Calvert’s offer to train the Junior Rangers in woodcraft and forest survival techniques. But she had made a condition, and she wouldn’t back down from it: that Victoria be allowed to join them, although she was a year and a half too young. Everyone except Mom agreed. But eventually, Mom agreed too, albeit with her own conditions: That it wouldn’t interfere with Victoria’s gymnastics, schooling, or going to church; and that Kenee and her knife would never leave Victoria’s side from the moment they entered the forest until they left it.

The girl’s backpacks were packed and a reasonable explanation was given to Katelyn and Jessica about why they couldn’t go. Both Dad and Mom would have felt more comfortable to have been going along themselves.

When William Calvert and Jake Hubert arrived and got out of the Ranger car and started to walk up the driveway toward them, Victoria felt a sudden qualm in her stomach, and she reached out and took Kenee by the hand. Kenee looked toward her and smiled.

Kenee said: “It will be OK, Victoria. We will have fun!”

“I know. But I don’t know all this stuff.”

“I will teach you,” Kenee reassured her. “When I first came to you, I did not know—all your stuff. But you taught me. —Do not worry. —You will learn; and you will understand the ways of the forest. Kenee will take you home.”

And Victoria heard an earnestness in Kenee’s voice; and a longing. And just then, she did understand something else as she stood looking into Kenee’s face, she realized, that this was not home. The forest was home. And that was where Kenee was taking her. To Kenee’s home.

Chapter 28

The family was waving goodbye. The girls were sitting in the backseat. The Ranger car was driving down the driveway, turning onto the road. Kenee grew tense as they drove. Victoria thought at first it was Kenee’s nervousness at being inside a strange vehicle, but her tenseness increased as they travelled down the county road until the East Gate could be seen (one of the four official entrances of the Keneetian Park).

Kenee literally began to shake as they entered through the gate, she was so tense.

Victoria could feel the sinew beneath her shoulders as they flexed, as she reached out and placed a hand on Kenee’s shoulder to comfort her.

Victoria could hear that Kenee’s breathing had quickened. Kenee’s nostrils flared as she sniffed the air, as though seeking some elusive scent. Her eyes blazed, almost with a fury. What was different this time? Victoria didn’t know. On the camping trip, Kenee was not like this. She had been at peace, calm, joyful, and happy.

About 10 kilometres northwest inside the park, they came to a homestead.

Bill spoke just before they turned the corner. “I hope we’ll have your approval, Kenee, when you see what we’ve done with the old place.” And as they rounded the corner between the great oaks, Kenee’s right hand reached for the handle of the door.

When the car stopped, if Victoria had not let go of Kenee’s hand, Kenee would have pulled her right out of the car with her: She left so powerfully, and immediately.

The property was totally done over. The burnt-out homestead, the ashes; the broken fence; the dilapidated sheds and barn, all gone now. In their place, a perfect replica of the house and the stables. And then, as you went around the back, you saw the new extensions attached behind, tastefully done: an office, and quarters, and a store house. There was now room for about seven people to stay for the night. The Alvarous’ had built a pretty good home. Both James and Jeanette were handy. Tools were no stranger to either of them, and between them they held a fair bit of engineering ability. So, it had been fairly easy to adapt the house to the new accommodations and its renewed purpose.

The stables were also extended to accommodate about 14 animals, both horses and other livestock. A horticulturalist had been brought in, and an extensive garden had been planted. Most of the garden had been harvested by now.

As they stood side-by-side surveying the property, a strong cool wind came up and blew through the girl’s hair, tossing it to-and-fro, so that parts of the black and the blonde intermixed in the stir.

Victoria said: “Home, Kenee?”

But Kenee said: “No… Not home.” And she looked up toward the north, to the part of the forest she had first wandered into, as a five-year-old. And she turned to Victoria and she said, “this is not home. —There— is-home.” And she pointed out toward the mountains.

The junior recruits began to arrive, both boys and girls, ages twelve through 16. They were excited and noisy as they unpacked their cars, and hugged their parents, goodbye. When their parents left, they lined up, standing together in front of the Rangers.

Bill said: “Welcome, Cadets. Junior Rangers is about to begin. This is your primary instructor, Kenee Alvarous. You might recall in your readings that her parents were James and Jeanette Alvarous, Rangers in the Keneetian Park for many years. We honour them here today and, although young, you will find that Kenee is an excellent teacher. She will teach you things that no one else could ever show you, and I hope that you’ll be grateful for this opportunity.”

A chorus of assent arose, and Jake Hubert added: “There will be a lot to learn. So, pay attention!”

Kenee said, looking at Bill: “The first thing they need to learn—is how to be quiet.”

Jake smiled, and Bill tried to keep a straight face: “Yes,” he said, “they will have to learn to be quiet.”

When everybody had repacked their gears correctly, Kenee set off with Victoria at her side, at an easy lope that left most of the cadets completely out-of-wind in the first ten minutes.

Victoria also tired, but she wouldn’t admit it. After a half hour at this pace, Kenee could see the slope of Victoria’s shoulders, and the worn look on her face. “Okay.” she said; “we shall slow down.” By which Kenee meant: a very fast-paced-walk.

Kenee stopped the group for a rest at a large pile of rock, somewhat like a cave. Here—she only took Victoria forward.

“—There. she said, under there: Kenee slept her first night.”

“Your first night? You mean-- when you were five? When you—”

“Yes.” Kenee cut her off:

“When I was five—when the house burnt. When I left! I walked.

This is where I came.

That is where I slept.”

“That must have been scary.” Victoria said.

“Yes; Kenee knew fear then.”

“You don’t know fear now…? I think you still do. I think you feared the van.”

Kenee looked at Victoria; and smiled. “Perhaps.

Perhaps not fear, but it imposed a sense of danger I could not shake off. Thank you for helping me with that.”

“You’re welcome.

You can make it up to me, by not letting me get killed out here.”

Kenee laughed, “Ha. Victoria will not be killed. Kenee will teach you how to survive.”

“And how to kill a bear, I suppose.”

“— No. Victoria cannot kill a bear.

But you will not eat meat. And Kenee knows many foods that are not meat.”

“Foods in the forest?”

“Yes,” said Kenee, “I could live in this forest and eat no meat, and so can you.”

When the group had rested, Kenee marched them on about two and a half more kilometres to a small river. The evening shades had begun to darken the forest, and Kenee suggested to Bill and Jake, that this might be a good place to stay for the night.

The Rangers were as tired as everybody else in the group, and they were glad to stop.

“Good,” said Bill. “Okay, we’re going to stay here for the night.

Set up your tents along the river. We can do a little fishing in the morning.”

Kenee corrected: “Do not put your tents too close to the water.”

Then she added: “We will fish tonight. The night is better for fishing.”

--After the tents had been set up, and a roaring fire was made—that Kenee put out two times before Bill convinced her to leave a small fire.

“Kind of cold tonight.”

“The fire attracts danger,” said Kenee.

“Well, we might want to cook that fish we’re going to catch, and to keep warm. Aren’t most animals afraid of fire?”

“The wolves are afraid,” said Kenee. “But the bear is patient. You attract him with your cooked meat. After he is done eating your meat…, he will eat you.”

“Well, that’s what our rifles are for,” Jake spoke up.

“You are overly dependent on your firearms,” Kenee told him.

William laughed:

“Not everyone can kill a bear with a knife, Kenee.

“If the bear comes in the dark of the night, he will come silently. Your rifles will do you no good.

But I will show you a way, so you will know when he is coming.”

And Kenee busied herself manufacturing something as Bill, Jake and the cadets all circled around and watched her.

Chapter 29

After a very successful fishing tour: Kenee catching more fish with a sharp stick in the dark than the rest of them caught altogether with their poles and lines and hooks and bait. All the recruits enjoyed a good supper and a warm fire. If they had been depending upon fish, the group would have gone hungry without Kenee’s help. Victoria made a meal out of her reserves, but Kenee promised she would provide for her in the daylight. Mom had added a spool of cord to both her girl’s backpacks. Although Kenee did not see the purpose, she left them in the pack for politeness. Mom had packed other things that Kenee believed they did not need. However, she tied the cord in one long piece and surrounded the camp, stretching it around the perimeter, about 10 feet from the tents. Kenee tied small, dry bundles of sticks about a foot apart along the cord. Bill and Jake watched these proceedings with interest. Kenee looked up, noting their bemusement, and said, “The bear will not walk on these dried twigs. He knows they will crack and make a sound. He is not agile enough to walk his legs on either side of the bundles. It will be as a trap to him. If you are awake, you might hear him grunt in his dissatisfaction, but then he will go away.”

Jake looked at Bill and remarked, “Hum, how about that?”

Bill said, “Yep. The right choice!” And everyone slept peacefully that night.

Victoria set out two beds, for her and Kenee, inside the tent. But in actuality, Kenee did not sleep in the tent. She slept outside, just in front of the tent.

In the morning, when the others awoke, Kenee was not there. They ate breakfast, cleaned up the camp, packed up their tents and gear, and were ready to go. And yet Kenee had not returned. Then, suddenly, startling everybody, Kenee dropped into the camp from above.

“What!” Said Tom, the 16-year-old recruit. “Can she fly too?”

“No,” Bill replied, “but she can climb as well as that panther I see there in the trees.”

Everyone glanced upwards in surprise, as Kenee confirmed the cat’s presence. “This one would not go away peacefully,” said Kenee. “I knew he stalked us yesterday. He was in the trees above when we returned with the fish. It is good that we cleaned everything away before we went to bed, or he would have climbed down into our camp when the moon was hidden behind the clouds at about five in the morning.”

“How would you know what time that would be?” Asked Brenda; a fourteen-year-old female recruit. “You don’t carry a watch, or a phone! How would you know the time?”

Kenee gave her a sharp look that put her quickly into submission. “Bill told you last night when it was time for lights out. But some of you were unsettled long after that. The panther waited. And I waited. It would have been five in the morning when he came down. I did not wish to kill him; and I could not chase him away quietly, while you slept.”

Kenee gave no further explanation of how she knew the passage of time without a mechanical device to aid her. After the cadets were at a safe distance, Kenee had the cadets shout loudly and throw rocks at the panther until it relented and disappeared into a denser part of the forest.

When the group started out on their way, Kenee allowed Bill to lead, slipping back into the procession beside Brenda, to walk along beside her. There she taught Brenda an explanation that Katelyn had explained to her.

“This is not how I know,” Kenee began with Brenda, “but here is something that you could know; that Victoria’s sister explained to me…The world turns at about 1000 miles an hour. The world around its centre, is about forty thousand kilometres, which is twenty-four thousand miles, and so it turns at one thousand miles an hour. A circle has three hundred and sixty degrees. Divided by twenty-four hours in a day, is fifteen degrees per hour.”

Kenee then took Brenda’s hands, lifting them into the air, in the shape of a V.

“This far apart,” Kenee said, “is about fifteen degrees, about one hour.”

Brenda looked at her, practically in astonishment.

“It’s so simple!” she exclaimed. “This is how you know an hour?”

“No,” said Kenee: “It is not how I know. But it is how you can know. But it will not work in the dark. And it will not save you from the panther.”

Chapter 30

Kenee gave Victoria a book of edible foods that could be found in the forest. Some she had recently crossed out and others she had written beside in the margin, adding more detailed information. Kenee deliberately directed the progress of the party to the locations where Victoria could find the plants she could eat. Kenee was careful to allow Victoria a personal discovery of each plant and allowed her the time to harvest what she needed for her food.

As Victoria tasted the plants, she would cut the ones she liked and put them in her backpack.

Kenee told her: “Do not take too much. There is always more, and they will only go bad in the heat of your pack.”

Kenee began to teach the whole group, as they watched her teaching Victoria and seemed eager to learn as well.

Kenee taught them which mushrooms were safe; the many water plants along the river, and plants in the valley that could be harvested; roots and wild vegetables; edible bark, leaves and nuts, and where you could find honey. She taught them with an axe to cut a slice in a maple tree and to sip the sap that was draining back down into the roots at this time of the year. She taught where eggs could be found in the springtime—in the trees and in the long grasses, and which leaves or plants were good to make tea.

That night at camp, Kenee and Victoria cooked a meatless stew together and enjoyed various kinds of fruit.

Kenee had attempted to teach the cadets to make fire without matches, with minimal success. Finally, Kenee built their Saturday night fire herself, and the cadets added wood until it was much bigger than Kenee would have preferred. They all sat around warming themselves, roasting marshmallows and telling stories. They asked Kenee to share one of her experiences—as a child alone in the park.

Kenee took her quiver and poured the arrows out onto the ground. She motioned for the cadets to draw closer to view them. Randy Moore, a red-haired son, of a long-standing Ranger who looked after the Southern Basin, noticed the unusual assortment; and Kenee agreed that there were many differences between the arrows as she carefully separated them into categories.

Kenee held up one set of newer-looking arrows, which she explained had been given to her by her adoptive family.

“These five”—she held up for the group to examine—”are what remain of the original arrows that had belonged to my natural father. These two I took from deer that hunters had shot, and this one--from a tree. The others I made myself. You see, they improved as I practiced making them.”

Sandy noticed: “this last one is different. It came from a store, but it’s smaller and not as professional looking.”

“That is right,” said Kenee. “A boy about Randy’s age shot me in my side— here—with that arrow,” and Kenee pulled up her shirt to show the long healed wound half-way-up between her left hip and her ribs.

Sandy said, “how did that happen? Who was the boy?”

Kenee was quiet for a moment, attempting to withdraw long unused memories from her mind.

Quietly she began:

“The Rangers say I was about five years old when my parent’s house burnt and this park became my home. It was the early spring of the year and I was nine months older than five. As you know, our house was 10 km from the entrance of the park. The wind was cold; and I was dressed in pyjamas. My feet were bare. I carried my father’s bow and arrows, his knife and my mother’s books. Only a kilometre away were the cliffs by the hot springs. I was small and I could crawl into the crevices and be warm. Here the wolves first came. They tried to dig me out; but by nightfall they had given up and went after easier prey.

I drank from the springs. I ate plants pictured in my mother’s books. The birds began to lay their spring-time eggs, and I climbed the trees and ate them.

By the time the berries were growing on the ground, the bears had come out of their hibernation and the cougars had come down from the mountains. The cats could not climb as high as me, but they were patient. They would wait below in the lower branches throughout the night, or outside my cave for days.

The bears would want my caves and chase me out, but at least they would first chase away the cougar.

The wolves took up my trail again and again, pushing me to the north and to the west. But they came as a pack, snapping and snarling and yelping. They only masked their footsteps when they were hunting alone and needed stealth. If the bear is not hunting meat, he will grunt as he walks along searching for roots and berries. But the cougar is always silent. She is always hunting.

I learned the scent of the deer from the smell of the wolves--and the wolf from the bear. But most importantly, I learned what is the smell of the cougar.

Not until the autumn was I able to return to our burnt house. I was frightened as I stood there looking at the ashes. I left quickly and I travelled southwest. Between the East Entrance and the Southern Basin, I encountered a family camping. I watched them throughout the day; and in the evening I approached them. There was a girl about my age and she had a warm coat. I knew that the winter was coming and my pyjamas were torn and small on me; and I knew that I would freeze in the winter. But I had not spoken to another person in half of a year. My hair and my body were dirty. My bow was on my shoulder and my knife at my side.

My words came out strangely and the girl screamed at me in fright. Then her brother came out of the tent. He did not recognize what I was. He thought I was attacking his sister. He took up his bow and shot this arrow at me. It was a poor shot, and I did not die; but I fell backwards, and my head hit on a rock. When I awoke, I was bandaged; and this arrow lay in the grass beside me. Over me was a blanket and beside me was the coat, and a pair of warm boots. Without them, I would never have survived that first winter.”

Rangers Jake Hubert and Bill Calvert had been quiet throughout the telling of this story. But now Jake looked across the fire at Kenee, and he asked Her: “At that point, you were so close to civilization. How did you not encounter a Ranger? Why didn’t you come to us? We would have helped you.”

Kenee looked up from the faces of the cadets transfixed by her story, and looked back across the fire into Jake’s eyes. “The wolves, the bears and the cougars were not the only ones that hunted me. Many times, I was hunted by dogs and by their owners. Twice, I was shot; once from a far distance; by a hunter that dressed like you, and rode on a horse. He taught me to never come out of hiding until I had listened, looked, and smelled. He taught me stealth, as he endlessly pursued me. And he was more relentless than the wolves.”

Hearing this, Jake turned to Bill. “What is this? Who could that be? One of those hunters that shot Kenee with the dart?”

Bill didn’t answer Jake, but he looked across the fire into Kenee’s eyes and he asked her, “Kenee, how long did this go on?”

She replied: “When Kenee was mostly ten. She was a warrior then. She was not afraid. Sometimes still, his scent comes to me upon the wind, occasionally mixed with that of the other. And sometimes with his horse. And sometimes his dog.”

Then Bill could see Kenee’s teeth sparkling amidst the flames through the darkness, as she finished with a smile:

“He is wisely wary of Kenee, now.”

Chapter 31

Down in the valley: beneath the trees, the rocks jut out.

Facing them, Kenee stood with Victoria surveying the rolling tree-covered hillsides that rose up around them. These were the foothills; a prelude to the mountain range that lay beyond them. Sand-rock sides crumbled and lay at the Creekside where Victoria and Kenee stood with their feet in the water. On the shore were Victoria’s hiking boots and her socks.

It had always been difficult for Mom to get Kenee into a pair of shoes, and all the more now, that she was back in her forest.

Autumn colours were on the trees, but some were still green. The water of the creek was too cold, and Victoria stepped out onto the shore. But Kenee remained looking up at the mountains, wishfully—longingly—a faraway stare that Victoria could see on her face. That was where she wanted to be, Victoria thought, as she stood there looking at her. Mom was right. We are just trying to tame her. We have adopted Kenee from the forest, but it will always tug at her heart.

Before long, the valley rang with the laughter of Junior Rangers coming up with their gear upon their backs. It had been a long weekend and they were tired. They were glad that it was Sunday and they could take a day of rest before returning to school. Some of them took off their socks and shoes and waded in beside Kenee. Though they addressed her, Kenee gave them little notice. Ted shrugged: he was used to her.

Bill and Jake each carried with them, satellite communication devices. On them they could receive status reports from other Rangers stationed throughout the park. The report Bill had just received troubled him, and he brought it to Jake’s attention.

Jake responded: “A boy, you say; is lost in this area? —June Havard is stationed here, isn’t she?”

“That’s right,” Bill said. “The boy’s lost and it’s being presumed that he wandered away from the camp during the night; but fearfully, you know how that turns out, Jake.”

“What section of June’s area was his family camped in,” Jake asked.

Bill looked up to the north. “The high range,” he said.

Jake shook his head. “Not good. It gets cold at that altitude at this time of year.”

Bill said: “The winter heads-in too-soon up-there,” he agreed.

“Well, it’s not Winter up there yet; but it’d be cold at night for a child. But you know, Bill, the real danger is the animals.”

“Yes, I know,” said Bill. “They might not have a taste for humans, but a child; they might kill him.”

“Yes, and then just leave him,” Jake said; “it would be a grisly outcome.”

One of the young Rangers came up just then: 13-year-old Susan. “What is that you’re saying about a grizzly?”

Bill turned to her and wanted to diffuse any fear she had. “No, it’s not a grizzly specifically. We’re just saying, there’s a situation involving a young child that seems to have lost his way in the forest, there to the north in the mountains.”

Just then, Bill got another message. Susan’s attention was diverted as a large flock of blackbirds flew past. After listening and responding, Bill turned to Jake and said, “I think we need to get involved, Jake. There’s enough of us here to form a good search party.” He called Kenee and she came over. Bill explained the situation to her.

“I will go and get him. Kenee said.

“No, no,” Jake explained. “We need to form a rescue party and search for him.”

Bill laid out the map on the ground, and they all squatted down and looked at the area.

“This is the approximate spot that the boy left the camp of his parents.”

“It is high up,” Kenee said.

“Yes,” Agreed, Bill.

“These cadets would be slow to make that climb.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“You and Jake and the cadets come at your own pace. I will take Victoria. We will go and find the boy; be he alive or dead. If a cougar or bear kill him, they will move him. The wolves or the coyotes will not. But if I go quickly and if I reach him in time, I will save him.”

Bill looked at her steadily. “Yes, you’re right. I know you would, if you could. Okay, then; but are you sure you want to take Victoria? Wouldn’t she slow you down?”

“Victoria can do much, when she has a purpose. She will want to save this boy. She will give her best.”

And so Kenee took Victoria, and the small things they needed; the bare necessities; and they set out at a run. Bill and Ted explained the situation to the cadets and with some preparations, they followed after them.

Kenee had agreed to take along the second radio in a small pack on her back—a hindrance—she felt. But Bill insisted: “When you find him, and assess the situation, let me know immediately. We can send a rescue team…or whatever is needed…as soon as you inform us of the location.”

Kenee moved quickly up into the foothills, like she knew where she was going. Victoria did very well, keeping-up with her.

It wasn’t just the position on the map that Kenee was heading for. Kenee knew all the Park. The Park was home. And this specific area, she had spent most of her time in, during the first year of her life in the forest. And later, as her confidence grew, she had spread out to know the entire Park. She knew it like the rooms in a house. Where was the kitchen? Where was the bathroom? Where were the closets? Where could a child go? Where could he hide?

Victoria did not quit; and within one hour they reached June Havard’s station.

June had no personal experience with Kenee, but she’d heard everything about her. She was too young herself to have known Kenee’s parents. But she had great respect for them, particularly because--this was their area; their sector of the park which June now watched over. So, meeting Kenee, was sort of an honour for June.

June got right down to business. “Kenee, we’ve been searching for the boy since early this morning. We’ve even brought in dogs, but they haven’t found any trace of him. We let them scent articles of his clothing, yet they haven’t picked up his trail.”

Kenee thought. Then she said: “June, the clothing…has the boy actually worn them?”

“Oh,” said June—surprised. “I hadn’t thought of that. The family just got into the campsite yesterday morning… —Maybe not!”

“New clothing would smell like the washing machine,” said Kenee.

June quickly went to talk to the family and to find an article of clothing that the boy had actually worn. The men with the dogs had not returned.

When June came back, Kenee reached out and took the sweater and drew it up to her face. She pressed it against her nose and breathed in deeply. Victoria watched her, fascinated as Kenee’s nostrils flared and her eyes blazed. There was a look that came over her, and somehow Victoria knew that Kenee had ‘confirmed the scent’. Then, to June’s surprise, Kenee set out, and Victoria followed her.

“Where are you going,” June called after them?

Kenee did not answer; but Victoria looked back and smiled, and then followed Kenee into the woods.

Ascending—Kenee soon found the trail. For twenty minutes, they continued steadily until they came to a plateau higher up the range, which was mostly flat. Victoria was grateful for this because, admittedly, she was tired. But she kept up with Kenee, who was now at a run. As she ran the trail, Kenee stopped several times to investigate places—obvious to her—where the boy had stopped to rest, or lay hidden for a while. But now there was a different look that had come over Kenee’s countenance, and Victoria recognized it as worry. There were few things that Kenee worried about, but she generally loved people. Victoria had come to see this about her. There was a depth of compassion about her that she must have inherited from her parents. And Victoria also surmised, --from her growing relationship with God.

What was worrying Kenee, was that she saw on the trail that they were not the only ones following the boy. But she didn’t stop to explain this to Victoria. She just ran on; —now at a faster pace.

Soon Victoria knew she could no longer keep up with her, and she called out to Kenee: “Kenee, —go!”

Kenee stopped and turned. Victoria came up, breathing heavily.

Kenee put her arms around Victoria. She said: “There, —See those cliffs? Climb them, and you will be safe. —I will return.”

And Kenee spun, and she bolted forward at a speed Victoria had never seen a human being move before. The forest swallowed her—and she was gone…

Chapter 32

Bill and Jake and the cadets reached June’s camp about supper time. As Kenee had predicted, it was a slow, hard climb for them. After pleasantries, June explained to Bill, that the girls had set out “after Kenee had, —I think, ah—smelled—the ah—sweater I gave her, —that the boy had worn.”

“Good. So, she has the scent,” Bill said.

“Excuse me? --The scent?”

“I told you some things about Kenee; you understand of her background?”

“Yes, —I read the reports… Are you saying she can smell—like—what? —an animal?”

“Pretty much,” said Bill. “So, then, they left?”

“Yes… —She smelt the sweater, and then she turned, and ran into the woods; and the other girl—Victoria—ran with her.”

“Good. She’s on the trail.”

“I’m sorry,” said June, “this is a little hard to swallow...”

“Not really,” said Jake: “not once you get to know her!”

The cadets were refreshing themselves with water, food and rest. The Rangers didn’t take the cadets further. They knew there was no point. A child can only go so far. Kenee would have found him by now. Soon, Bill knew he would be getting a report on the radio.

As Kenee bolted forward, leaving Victoria behind, she knew where she was going. She could hear up ahead what was happening; even though still a half-a-kilometre away. She could hear the yelping. She could hear the digging. And she knew who it was. An old enemy. The large, black wolf—once the leader of the pack; but now, after his mate had died—he preferred to range alone. The pack had hunted Kenee when she was young. Later, she hunted them. After several of them had fallen to her arrows, they had left her alone. But even as she ran forward, she knew he would not back down from her. If his pack had still been with him, they would be nervous. They would want to leave her alone. They had all seen the damage she could do with her arrows. But in his heart, the Black hated Kenee. It was one of her arrows that had brought down his mate. Seeing her again would renew his thirst for vengeance.

Very quickly, Kenee covered the half kilometre. Although she ran in virtual silence, she made no attempt to mask her footsteps. The great black wolf turned as she entered the glade. His nostrils had scented her before he realized who she was, and he recognized her before he saw her. He turned in a full battle stance. Kenee came into the glade at terrific speed. The clash was inevitable, and they both knew it. This was the end of one of them. And the boy’s life, as he hid in the clef of the rock that the wolf was digging out, was held in the balance.

Kenee’s knife came up as her legs propelled her the final ten meters. The great black wolf did not wait but leapt toward her.

Wit. Sinew. And a long cold blade.

Steel muscles. A relentless intent. And razor-sharp fangs.

In the last instant, the wolf leapt straight up toward Kenee’s throat. And in that same instant, Kenee slid beneath him, her knife in both hands, cutting him from under his chest down through to his tail. He had leapt entirely over her as she had slid under his belly. Kenee was instantly on her feet, turning for a renewed attack. But the great wolf had crumbled. The muscles in his chest and his abdomen were cut through.

He did rise. And he did turn. Blood pouring down on the ground beneath him. His eyes were filled with hatred. But then his legs crumbled beneath him, and he fell back to the Earth.

Even in his last moment, he stared at Kenee, with an intensity and unrelenting hatred. He would have avenged his mate, but now he could not.

Kenee re-sheathed her knife and turned to the boy. “Come out,” she said, “The wolf is dead. He cannot hurt you.” But the boy did not come out.

Kenee had left her radio with Victoria. She didn’t know that Victoria had already called Bill. That an evacuation team was already on the way.

When they reached Victoria, they then came on to find Kenee in the glade, sitting beside the hole that the wolf had dug. The boy’s only comfort was watching her as she had dragged the dead carcass of the great black wolf into the hole that he had dug himself and buried him with her own hands. Burying the dead was something Kenee had learned from the family, not something she had learned from the forest.

The boy’s parents had come with the rescue team and the boy’s mother now coached him out of the clef of the rock. Though she didn’t know how the rescue had occurred, she knew it was Kenee that had saved her son. She came and wrapped her arms around Kenee and hugged her tightly, thanking her profusely. Kenee allowed it.

But then there was Victoria, standing in the middle of the glade, a huge smile on her face.

Kenee looked up into that smile, and she was happy. She wanted Victoria to be proud of her.

Chapter 33

The Junior Rangers took a break from Kenee’s training as the city once again bestowed honours and notoriety upon Kenee. Again, the newspapers and the television station took up the story. Kenee, the forest girl, —a hero again. Again, she received visits and phone calls from her family, and some relatives she hadn’t met yet. And many strangers drove by the house; to get a glimpse of the beautiful black-haired forest girl.

Very little of this interested Kenee, but she felt a wave of happiness when Victoria took her new honours, a second medal the city had made for Kenee, and hung it up on the wall beside her first; next to Victoria’s many gymnastics ribbons, medals and trophies.

Victoria said, “soon—we’ll have to start a wall for you: a wall of your own.”

But Kenee said, “no; I like them beside yours.”

Victoria looked at her, and said: “It was lonely all those years for you out there in the forest. I know that you love the forest, but it was lonely.”

“Yes,” said Kenee, “it was lonely. It is nice to have three sisters.”

As with all the things that Kenee did, she was a very apt student, very focused and determined. In this respect, Katelyn was her best friend at school.

In the Christian school where they attended, Kenee was considered a grade above Katelyn’s room, where Jessica also stayed. This was the first year that Jessica and Katelyn were in the same room, but the principal thought it was best to move Katelyn up into the higher grade in order to assist with Kenee’s learning.

Jessica was okay with this, though she missed having Katelyn in her room. Jessica made friends very easily and was very popular at school.

At recess, or during sports-time, everyone wanted Kenee on their team; but they were less eager to have Kenee on the spelling team; where Katelyn thrived; but under Katelyn’s tutelage, Kenee was learning fast. Katelyn told Mom, that by next year, Kenee would be at the same grade-level as those her own age.

Kenee had come from well-educated and talented parents and when the principal heard Kenee’s beautiful singing voice, she directed her toward a part in their upcoming concert.

On track-and-field day, Kenee brought home many red ribbons to pin to her wall. In previous years, Victoria had won many of those ribbons, but now, with her advancement in gymnastics and the many hours required, she primarily home-schooled. Kenee had not realized that Victoria was not going to come full-time with them to school this year. Although she was disappointed, she’d become close to Katelyn in these intellectual pursuits. Katelyn and Jessica were fascinating to Kenee, with all they understood about the solar system. They had set out together to learn all about it. And for girls so young, their knowledge was extensive. They were a continuous source of knowledge, for the many things that Kenee did not know about the world or the universe. And both Katelyn and Jessica were always ready and willing to inform her.

Show-and-tell was always an interesting day. The entire school had begun to look forward to it; never knowing what to expect when Kenee’s turn came.

With a target set up, and carefully supervised, Kenee brought her bow and arrows to school and demonstrated her archery skills.

This having gone well--one day, to the horror of the principal, Kenee brought to school part of a deer hide in her backpack, and began teaching the children how to tan it.

A note was sent home, suggesting a different activity in the future.

But the children loved it.

Another note was sent home after Kenee taught the children how to make a fire.

The kids had gathered sticks and Kenee made the fire in the middle of the playground. It was a good fire and well built.

After the second note from the school was sent home, Mom and Dad did their best to explain to Kenee what was appropriate at school and what was not.

Kenee’s social workers signed-her-up for a course in CPR given by the Rangers. Victoria and Katelyn took the course as well. Jessica was too young; and the three of them also took a babysitting course. This was an eye opener to Kenee, who had never held a baby in her arms. She had seen babies, and some of her cousins had babies, but no one had offered to let her hold one.

The woman teaching the babysitting course had a volunteer baby; or at least the baby’s parents had volunteered to allow their baby to be part of the training program.

Under the trainer’s watchful eye, the girls were able to hold, change, feed and bathe the baby.

The baby had a strange effect on Kenee. Victoria noted to Mom how soft and gentle Kenee was with the baby. “Very appropriate,” Victoria said.

But Katelyn said: “Not entirely appropriate. She held the baby up close to her face and nuzzled it with her nose. I saw her lick it; and she made little growls and purrs into its ear.”

Jessica laughed, “I would like to have seen that.”

Mom shook her head.

Jessica continued, “It’s probably what she saw in the woods: how wild cats and wolves did it.” But that explanation didn’t make Mom feel any better.

“Well, I didn’t see that part,” said Victoria.

“The woman tried to explain it to her — ‘this is what we use cloths for, dear’,” Katelyn added, with a laugh. “It’s going to grow up thinking it’s a wolf!”

--“I’m just saying, how tender and loving she was,” Victoria countered: “A natural mother.”

“Yes,” admitted Katelyn, “she was very protective.”

After the training was over, Kenee showed signs of missing the baby. She began spending time with Jessica, playing with the dolls, helping Jessica to dress them up, bathing them and pretending to feed them. She would hold them in her arms, whispering soft little purrs into the doll’s ears. It was a contrast to the Kenee that everyone had come to know. When Dad heard about all this, he said to Mom: “Maybe she’ll be interested in boys soon.”

Mom said: “Most boys would be intimidated by her, I would think.”

Dad said: “I don’t know. I saw a teenage boy giving her quite a long look at church last Sunday.”

“Oh! “And who was that?” Mom asked.

“The Henderson’s boy. Ricky. Rick Henderson.”

“Hmm...”

“Nothing inappropriate?” Dad assured. “He’s a nice boy. —But the way you-comb-out her long-hair, and those pretty dresses you put on her; what do you expect them to do?”

“I expect them to pay attention to the things of God,” Mom said.

Dad laughed, “I’m sure they do that. Remember, it was God who made boys and girls.”

“Yes,” Mom said. “She’ll be twelve next summer. I suppose you’ll be wanting to send her to youth group?”

“Don’t you?” Dad asked.

“Yes, of course. But I’m going to keep a close eye on that, Ricky.”

Dad smiled. Then he said: “When they were doing the babysitting course, the social worker spoke to me on the side. I wanted to mention it to you. They’ve had some extensive private conversations with Kenee.”

Mom looked up; —a serious expression on her face. “What kind of conversations?”

“Conversations about adoption.”

When Mom’s expression changed from serious, to worry, Dad said reassuringly: “Kenee has a strong-willed opinion about it all. As a social worker related to me. She would like--to be adopted by us!”

“Good,” said Mom, “it’s about time.”

“Yes,” said Dad: “It’s time.”

At the supper table, when the family had all gathered, Dad asked Kenee if she would like to say Thank you, to God, for the food; which she did, very nicely. Dad noted to her that she prayed with sincerity. Kenee replied in a matter-of-fact manner: “I love God.”

“Good,” said Dad. “Listen! While we’re all here together. I wanted to bring up — your mother and I, would like to bring up, — a point. …. I’m sorry, I’m not quite sure how to begin this. —Kenee; I understand that the social workers have spoken with you recently, about the possibility of adoption?”

“Yes. I told them I want to be adopted by you.”

“Oh, yes. Good! We feel the same way! And I’m sure all the rest of the” —-and then the children interrupted: expressing a chorus of concurrence.

Dad sighed: “I think we’re all in agreement. We love you, Kenee. And we’d like to adopt you as her own daughter. Make you a part of our family officially, if that is what you want.”

“Yes,” agreed Kenee, “I want to be a sister. And I love you, Mom and Dad, and Victoria and Katelyn and Jessica—and Jasper.”

And Katelyn said: “And Millie and Starlight!”

“Yes…” included Kenee.

Everyone seemed very happy.

Dad said, “Okay then—we’ll proceed!”

Chapter 34

When the adoption was finalized, the family decided on a vacation as a celebration. Although the Keneetian park was extensive, Kenee had never been anywhere else. She had learned much about the world at school, and from Katelyn and Jessica. She was excited to go and see the world, as she put it. “Well, we can’t see the whole world on this one vacation,” said Dad, “But we can see some interesting parts of it.”

Mom wasn’t sure how Kenee would fare, flying in an airplane. Grandma and Grandpa agreed to take care of the two cats. With suitcases packed and Jasper crated, the family drove to the airport. Kenee did show signs of apprehension as they got closer to the large planes. Waiting together in line with their tickets, Jessica stepped forward and took Kenee by the hand, and said to her, “Think of it like…being inside of a big bird.” But Katelyn turned to disagree, “It’s not like that. It’s like a spaceship!”

Katelyn continued: “At this time of year, it will be dark soon—I’ll let you have my seat at the window. You’ll feel the thrust as the ship pulls away…and you can look out and see the stars.”

“Flying through the stars, headed for the planet Mars,” Jessica chorused. Victoria came over and put her arm around Kenee’s shoulders. “I know Mom thinks that flying isn’t safe. But really, these things hardly ever crash.”

“Was that intended as encouragement?” Katelyn asked.

Jessica spoke up, looking worried, “No…they don’t crash…—do they Katelyn?”

Dad finished up at the ticket booth. Turning to the girls, he said, “Don’t worry girls. It’ll be fun! We’ll be fine.”

Mom didn’t look convinced.

Their luggage was placed on a cart, and they pushed it to the waiting area of the airport. Mom pulled out some snacks from home. “You can’t eat these on the plane, so you’d better eat them now.” She handed them around, and they only had a few moments to eat them before a stewardess arrived and advised them it was time to board the plane. As they walked along the boarding aisle in single file, Katelyn nudged Kenee, “Do you miss your knife?”

Kenee turned to her, in assent.

“She never would have made it through the metal detector,” reminded Jessica.

The group clamoured through the main entranceway and onto the airplane. Dad began to check their seat numbers in comparison to his tickets. But Mom found their seats first. So, Dad began to put their luggage up into the overhead compartments.

As promised, Katelyn showed Kenee to her window seat, and then promptly sat down beside her, in what would normally have been Victoria’s seat. Jessica sat in the seat ahead, and Victoria conceded that she could also have the seat next to the window. Dad patted Victoria on the shoulder as he walked by, following Mom to their own seating. “You’re a good girl, Victoria.”

Victoria smiled in appreciation, as Dad looked back.

The sun had set as Katelyn had predicted, and the stars were coming out, as the thrust of the engines increased. The airplane began to taxi down the runway.

Katelyn checked to make sure Kenee’s seat belt was on correctly, and noted that Kenee had a tight grip on her seat.

In the seat ahead, Jessica was no more relaxed than Kenee; similarly digging her nails into the cool fabric of the arm rests.

Victoria laughed, “We’re going to have a great time!”

They were travelling over the gulf now, but no one could see it in the darkness outside. Katelyn and Kenee stayed awake long after the other passengers on the plane had shut off their overhead lights and gone to sleep.

Katelyn chattered away to Kenee, describing what their vacation would be like. “Katurah is a town, three-quarters surrounded by mountains. Different from what you’re used to: not so rocky; and covered in jungle. There are a couple of varieties of snakes and spiders that are poisonous that you have to look out for,” Katelyn warned.

Nearby, but separate from that; is the place where we’ll be staying.

— it’s a sort-of-a ranch, that sits on a cliff, overlooking the Western Ocean. The entire property is isolated and very secure.

From the lookout point, you can see the--endless water, she added.

If we go down to the water, we can scuba-dive for shells, and play with the dolphins. They’re very friendly.

Victoria and Jessica will want to surf — you should try it too, Kenee. You’d probably be good at it.

Oh, and the ocean could have sharks,” Katelyn further cautioned, “but…none have been reported in that area. And the dolphins mostly keep the sharks away.

All the fishing in the area is done in small boats, or at the shorelines using a stick-and-trap combination — kind-of-like what you’re used to using.

We have big campfires on the beach, and barbeques. The food is great too.

And Jessica likes to sing. …We all end up singing.

The villa is really a Mission, started by the Rotanzas after they graduated from Bible college, then moved back to Mr. Rotanza’s home area. We’ve only been here once before; but it will feel like home. Victoria is right, --it’s a lot of fun. The last time we came here, we helped the community with house building. We brought medicine, along with a friend of the family, who is a doctor. And we told a lot of people about Jesus. It’s kind of like, —a vacation mission!”

Katelyn looked at her phone. “It’s getting late, Kenee. Maybe we’d better go to sleep. We’ll be landing in six hours.”

Kenee agreed, and as suddenly as her eyes closed, she was asleep.

Katelyn marvelled. “Sometimes I wish I could do that.” She looked up to see her sister Victoria standing in the isle. “I’m going to the bathroom, Katelyn.”

“Okay, don’t get lost!”

By the time Victoria returned, Katelyn was also asleep.

Five hours and forty minutes later, there was an announcement from the pilot that they would be touching down in just under twenty minutes.

Dad stirred and began to wake everyone--as the seat belt sign lit up.

Kenee awoke as quickly as she had fallen asleep.

Everyone buckled up, and Kenee experienced her first airplane landing.

Chapter 35

Amero and Janice Rotanza met the family at the airport. Everyone, and all their belongings, packed into the Rotanza van. It resembled a truck, with its air-scoop up front, and it’s extra-large, deeply-treaded, four-wheel-driven tires.

Soon, they were out of the city and bouncing down the roads, crossing rickety bridges over swift-running, muddy rivers.

Kenee keenly watched the strange, jungle-like forest passing them by as they drove through it, on the way to the Rotanza homestead.

As Katelyn had described, Katurah was a friendly, medium size town. Combining the men, women and children, there were about nine thousand people, including surrounding farms.

Eight miles from the town, the Rotanza Ranch stretched out another four miles to the cliffs by the West Ocean; and two miles North and South from its centre: including jungle, pastureland, gardens, buildings, and beach. The entire Rotanza estate was like a villa, and the Rotanzas simply referred to it as: “The Mission.”

Many churches back home donated money every year to the Mission, and many people had come to Know-The-Lord through the Rotanza’s love, efforts and ministry.

The Rotanzas had three children; a boy and two girls, ages thirteen, eleven and eight: Rodriguez, Maria and Josee.

Amero, Rodriguez and Dad carried the luggage into the house, while Janice and Mom immediately began to catch up. There were so many changes to the Mission, and everyone had missed everyone. Josee, was in-between Jessica and Katelyn’s age. Maria; closer to Kenee’s age, had deep, Christian ties with Victoria. They both carried many warm memories of their time together in ministry.

Rodriguez, or Ronnie as his mother called him, was a handsome young man with a strong physique and an intelligent mind. He was the guide for anything anybody wanted to do, from sailing to hiking to fishing to surfing. The Rotanza family shared a mixed heritage similar to Kenee’s and they naturally tanned as dark as she did. The girls, with their long, straight black hair, resembled Kenee enough to be her long-lost sisters. Katelyn spoke to them in basic Katurian. Kenee did not know that language. But the Rotanza children transitioned between the two languages as smooth as peanut-butter on bread.

Ronnie clearly appreciated the changes in Victoria. It had been three years since he had last seen her. “You have very beautiful muscles now,” Rodriquez told Victoria. “And your friend — wow, very strong.”

Victoria laughed out loud.

Kenee steadily surveyed this boy, trying to determine his meaning. But there was no improper meaning, simply a natural enthusiasm for the opposite sex.

In Katurah, it rained almost every day. But when the sun was out, it was hot. Mom now remembered it was more humid than she liked. The villa didn’t have air-conditioning, but it did have large fans. The ocean waters were warm, but refreshing. Water was plentiful, and Mom took a cold shower before dinner and was refreshed. Under Ronnie’s watchful eye, the children went down to the beach.

Dad and Amero caught up while working on a construction project that Amero had recently begun.

Chapter 36

Janice and Mom left the kitchen and walked down the hallway and through the screen door onto the deck. They sat on chairs overlooking the pond at the South-west corner of the house. The men had jacked up the front side of the chicken coop with two supporting jacks about ten feet apart. The foundation beams of the coop had rotted away. With sledgehammers they hammered off the old foundation. Two new jacks were placed on the bottom of the wall where the foundation logs had been hammered off. The work then continued, on a new section.

Mom could hear the children laughing as they climbed the steps from the beach to the top of the cliff. She knew the stairs had a secure railing, but she had that look that came over her face. A mother’s worry.

Janice saw it, and reassured her. “They’re perfectly safe you know. Maria is ahead, and Ronnie is behind them.”

Mom turned and looked at her. “I know. I’m just a mother.”

Janice’s eyes sparkled back…

--Maria’s head appeared above the cliff as she climbed onto the plateau; with Kenee directly behind her.

The children had all reached the top, when suddenly there was a large, cracking sound, and everyone’s eyes turned towards the men at the pond.

The wall above the removed, rotten foundation, was weaker than the men had anticipated.

At the sound of the crack, Amero threw up his hands, and his weight, against it. But he was not nearly strong enough to hold it. He called loudly to Dad, “Replace the jack!”

Dad grabbed the displaced jack, but he couldn’t wind it down as fast as the rapidly descending wall and Amero’s weakening support.

Realizing the futility of his actions, Dad threw his own weight up against the falling wall. Together, they held it. But they couldn’t maintain it. Dad yelled to Amero, “Let go — get out from under there!” But Amero shook his head in disagreement, “You — you go!”

It was two hundred yards from the top of the stairs to the coop by the pond. By the time Ronnie recognized the situation and leapt into action, Kenee had already crossed half the distance. Back on the veranda, Mom was on her feet— her heart in her throat—as she saw Kenee flash past.

Kenee came up underneath the wall, between the two men.

Through Dad’s ear, and into his belaboured-focussed mind, Kenee commanded: “Support the wall. I will hold it.”

Dad heard the ridiculous demand; but his experiences with Kenee convinced him that she could do it. To Amero’s surprise, Dad released his grip and reached for the jack, winding it down as quickly as he could to the correct level, and pushed it under the wall. Next, he placed a two-by-six board upon it, and Kenee and Amero let the chicken coop down to rest.

Of everyone else, Ronnie was the next to arrive at the wall. He slid in, almost at a stumble, encountering Kenee, as she turned from her task. Pushing out two hands into his chest, she prevented him from colliding into her. Their faces were close, and Ronnie looked intensely into the eyes of what seemed to him, to be a miracle. “How…can you be so strong…so fast?” he demanded. “What are you?”

She returned her most simple answer; along with that calm, quirky smile she often rendered:

“I am, Kenee.”

Chapter 37

The sun set, in colours that cannot be described. The artistic display of a creative master.

Ronnie and Kenee built an enormous bonfire on the edge of the plateau overlooking the ocean.

Both families gathered, seated on the benches surrounding the fire. Janice placed a basket on an old wooden table filled with fruits and nuts.

Victoria sat with Kenee, their backs to the fire, looking over the cliff and down towards the beach at the glistening sand, as the moonlight reflected beyond--across the ocean: listening to the splashing of the young dolphins at play, too enlivened by the full moon to follow their parents to rest.

Jessica began to sing. It was a favourite song from the church. Soon, Katelyn and Maria joined her. And then Josee’s sweet harmonies, mixed with the deepening tones of Ronnie’s maturing voice. Kenee and Victoria turned around in their seats. Soon, everyone was joining in, praising God, and enjoying one another’s company.

The evening slipped away.

Everyone was an early-riser.

As the shadows of the night silhouetted the wings of a great bird, flying overhead, basked in moonlight; and the brightness of the fire burnt down to its ambers; Mom put her arm around the shoulders of her husband and whispered into his ear:

“This month, will go by too quickly.”

--There was rain in the morning; but soon after breakfast it had ended.

Janice, Mom and their girls worked in the garden, weeding and harvesting until mid-morning. They carried their produce in and prepared lunch, packing it into a basket. Amero, Dad and Ronnie came in from the field and washed up.

Janice said, “Amero: let’s eat on the beach.”

A family pulled in from Katurah, just at that moment. They brought in their son, who had a broken arm, looking for medical attention. Mom finished packing the lunch while Janice attended to the hurt boy. They paid her, with a beautiful blanket that the boy’s grandmother had made. Janice hugged and blessed them. Amero came up and laid his hands on their shoulders, and prayed for them.

After their departure, Janice wrote a note, “We are down at the beach.” She left it on the table. With water and a full basket of food, the two families descended the great stairs on the side of the cliff to the beach. Janice set out her new blanket on the sand. Amero and Dad walked and talked along the beach. The children went surfing.

The dolphins had gone fishing early and were back in the cove, looking for treats. Ronnie, had his small ice-pack attached to his waist; carrying little cubes of frozen fish inside. Some of the nursing baby dolphins, that had not yet acquired hunting skills, appreciated these treats: as any fish they ate—was dependant on their parents.

Maria and Victoria initiated Kenee into the art of surfing. The adolescent dolphins in the pod dashed out to enjoy the surfing game. Maria called them pests, but she said it with a kindness, and was obviously fond of them. Victoria had forgotten that sometimes the teen-dolphins would come up from underneath you and try to knock you off your board; then rise up out of the water making a funny-laughing-noise, as if the whole thing was great sport.

Kenee asked if they were good for food.

Maria and Victoria echoed the same answer together, in very stern descent: “We don’t eat dolphins.”

“Okay,” said Kenee. “They’re pets, —like Jasper?”

“No,” Maria corrected, “They’re friendly — but they’re wild.”

“Yes,” Victoria added, “they’re our wild friends…kind of like you, Kenee.”

Kenee did not like this answer, and she turned her head.

Victoria realized right away that her words had hurt Kenee’s feelings.

Victoria swam over and put her arms around Kenee.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that Kenee…I was just trying to make a comparison that you might understand; that we can have a friend who isn’t domesticated—in the way that Jasper is. Admit it; you’re pretty wild, still! But you’re my best friend.”

Kenee turned, and looked at Victoria softly, “Your best friend?”

“You know you are.”

Kenee smiled, “And you are Kenee’s best friend.”

“Wild girl from the forest.” Victoria laughed.

“Crazy gymnast from the tree-fort.” Kenee joked back.

Chapter 38

Ronnie drove Katelyn, Josee, and Jessica to the apple orchard and the bee-keep. They rode in the back-box of a five-wheeler that Amero had somehow acquired. The ride was about a kilometre from the main house. It was a bumpy ride, but Janice had provided the girls with pillows to sit on.

At the orchard, Katelyn inquired, “Ronnie, why is the orchard so far from the house?”

— “Some of the bees are big,” Ronnie answered.

“Big?” Katelyn repeated.

Ronnie looked at her and smiled. “I don’t mean big like a bird. My mother has taught me many things about life in her country, when she was a child. She also told me that the bees here are of a larger size, and less friendly, than the bees on the farm where she grew up.

With that statement, he began handing out protective-netting-gear. Janice had made sure the girls had worn long pants, long-sleeved jackets, and shoes, —not sandals. The netting started under a hat and fell over the face and down the back of their heads and shoulders. Ronnie had also given them long gloves that went up to their elbows.

“It looks like we’re wearing Halloween costumes,” giggled Jessica.

“If the bees attack you,” returned Ronnie, “it will be scarier than Halloween; and you’ll be glad you’re wearing all of this.”

Katelyn looked worried, but Josee consoled her, “Don’t worry. They won’t attack us. —Have they ever, Ronnie?”

“They could!” countered Ronnie. “Gotta be prepared…always a first time!”

Ronnie pulled his own net over his face. He readied his smoker, and started off towards the bee hives. Katelyn began to follow, but Josee stopped her, “No, no; we’re not going with him. He’s going to collect honey—we’re collecting fruit—come with me, this way!”

“Then why do we need all this gear?” Asked Jessica.

Josee answered: “Because bees like nectar, and many of the trees still have blossoms. It’s different where you live, where the trees only blossom in the Spring.”

She continued: “We don’t have Winter here, and it never snows. We only have a rainy season, where it rains even more than usual. And because it’s always warm here, the fruit-tree-varieties blossom at different times. So, there could be some bees on the trees.”

She paused for a moment, then warned, “But my real reason for wearing the gear… is because of the spiders!”

“Eww, spiders?” Katelyn and Jessica both said, in unison.

“Yes,” said Josee, “Poisonous spiders could be on the bark of the trees, and sometimes on the fruit itself. And it’s a good thing you have long pants, because there could be snakes in the grass…or even a scorpion!”

Jessica turned on her heel. “Okay, I’m going back to the five-wheeler!”

Josee reached out and caught her by the arm. “C’mon… you’ll be okay! Just do as I tell you, and keep your eyes open.”

After this, Katelyn and Jessica followed Josee very closely; carefully observing the ground as they walked.

Katelyn remarked, “The fruit here is so big and juicy, and tastes… clean.”

“Clean?” repeated Josee, “That’s a funny description.”

“I think I know what she means by that,” Jessica explained: “You don’t spray chemicals on your fruit trees.”

“Chem…chemicals?” Exclaimed Josee, aghast. “Whatever for?”

“Yes, believe it or not.” confirmed Jessica, “They spray chemicals on the fruit trees, back home. But not for spiders, I don’t think. Maybe for other kinds of bugs, that mess up the fruit.”

Josee responded, firmly: “I’d rather have a bug on my fruit, than chemicals.”

“Yup!” agreed Jessica, “I totally agree with you.”

Amero had built step-ladders with large wheels that could roll through the tall grass of the orchard. Josee rolled one of these into place, up against her favourite tree. “I like these apples the best. They don’t come from here originally, and they’re not natural to this climate. Mom brought the seeds with her from her home, and we nurtured these trees from seedlings. I love the taste of them. “Here.” She picked one and offered it to Jessica, “try one for yourself.”

“Mmm — delicious.” Agreed Jessica.

“Funny,” remarked Josee, “That’s what Mother calls them.”

Katelyn laughed, “Yes. Back home, that’s exactly what we call them, it’s actually their name: ‘Delicious’ apples.”

Josee laughed and sighed, “Oh, Mom.” And all the girls laughed together, then picked and gathered several bushels and varieties of fruit and carried them back to the five-wheeler.

By this time, Ronnie had returned with the honey. They took off their gear and made room for themselves in the back box, then bounced along on the pillows as they returned to the house.

Amero, Dad, Maria and Victoria were all busy trying to teach Kenee how to ride a horse. Victoria climbed on first, rode around, and then came back. There was no saddle, and only a rope for a bridle. Victoria flopped over, swung her leg around, and sat up. Kenee was told to imitate this. But she leapt onto the back of the pony like a panther, digging her knees into its withers, and her fingers like claws into the pony’s shoulders. The pony bolted forward, bucking and neighing like some creature had it for the kill. Which, not long ago, wouldn’t have been too far off the mark. Victoria laughed and laughed until she fell onto the ground on her back. The pony was bucking and racing across the field with Kenee attached like glue, resembling a giant brown spider with long, black hair.

The pony ran into the jungle and Kenee leapt off it’s back into the trees. The pony ran on, deeper into the jungle, to some unknown destination or fate.

Kenee squatted on a large branch and looked around.

The foliage was so dense that only a diffuse light penetrated its realm.

The trees were tall with smooth bark, thick trunks and large branches, with vines growing around them.

It was not so quiet here as in the forest back home. Kenee could hear many varieties of unrecognized birds, and the voices of other animals she didn’t know.

She felt a very uncharacteristic feeling of being a stranger in her own domain.

Chapter 39

The branches of the jungle were enormous and overlapping, Kenee found that she could run upon them with ease. And by running, leaping, and swinging along, she could move quite rapidly above the jungle floor--in the middle emergent layer beneath the canopy.

Below, she saw that there were many entanglements and thickets — ideal places for unknown creatures to potentially hide, --and leap out upon her.

She didn’t know this forest, called a jungle. She didn’t know what dangers might be living here.

She recalled that Katelyn loved cats. Especially large, wild ones; like lions, and tigers. But cheetahs were her favourite. Kenee did not know if any of these lived in this jungle. The cry of a jaguar had already been heard, but she didn’t recognize it. She only knew it was a cat. It was still too far away for her to get the scent of it.

The trees; rising up from the jungle floor, towered high into the sky.

Kenee climbed to the top of them; noting that even here, the branches were still strong.

In some places, the upper branches were woven together like a hammock. In one of these, Kenee rested; swaying back and forth in the wind, surveying the landscape from above. This jungle was indeed, enormous. Not far to the West was the ocean. The jungle stopped short on that side. But for a very far distance; many kilometres, as far South or East as she could see, there was no evidence that it came to an end. To the North, she could see the settlement, and tiny, moving dots who were the people.

Kenee knew Victoria would be worried, after she had not returned.

And what had become of the pony?

She should go and get the horse and bring it home, she thought.

Kenee climbed out of her hammock, down into the middle of the trees, and turned in the general direction where the pony had run. Then she ran…and she leaped, and she swung. She could not see the trail, but she had the pony’s scent clearly in her nostrils.

After twenty minutes, she swung into an open glade. There was the pony, standing in the middle of it, staring straight ahead at something that could not be seen.

Kenee swung down to the lower branches, just above the pony. She could tell by the animal’s demeanour that it was frightened. And then her nostrils caught the scent of the cat. It was not a cat that she knew. But if the pony knew, and was frightened, it must be large, and dangerous.

Kenee had no weapons; not even a strong stick was immediately at her disposal. She knew that if the cat was anything like those at home, it would attack. She had only a second to decide what to do — so she dropped straight down, onto the pony’s back. It let out a terrific snort and, totally terrified, it ran back in the direction it had come. In just that instant as the pony spun, Kenee caught sight of the cat. “A panther,” she said to herself. She didn’t know the difference between a panther and a jaguar. It was the closest resemblance that her mind could conceive.

The pony was running for its life, back through the jungle the way that it had come, with Kenee crouched on its back, holding tight. The big cat was, fortunately, not pursuing. But the pony could not be convinced of that —laying its ears back and, with another snort, it pressed forward at its greatest speed, hoping to dislodge the terrifying creature that clung to its back. Eventually, the two broke into the daylight and ran across the compound. Ahead, the families had geared up to search for Kenee in the jungle. As the pony suddenly raced past them, Kenee leapt off; landing on her feet. She slid to a stop in front of Victoria.

A mixture of surprise and relief overcame Victoria’s composure, and she exclaimed, smiling, “How was your adventure?”

“Not like home,” said Kenee, with a wide grin.

Dad joined in, “Well…glad that’s over — let’s have supper!”

Then everyone suddenly laughed in relief. “Yes,” agreed Amero, “Let’s have supper.”

Chapter 40

At the Villa, Mom and Dad had a queen-sized bed. In Katelyn and Jessica’s room, they had two single beds. Victoria and Kenee had the same.

At home, Mom and Dad had placed a second bed in Victoria’s room, hoping that Kenee would use it. It was not uncommon, if you wandered to the bathroom in the middle of the night, to find Kenee asleep on the hallway floor, curled up beside Jasper.

Here, on vacation, Kenee was trying hard to be civilized. She started out each night on the bed. At midnight, she was surprisingly, still there.

Victoria awoke to strange sounds and realized, for the first time since she had known her, Kenee was having a bad dream.

In fact, Kenee was dreaming about the jungle — and the insecurity of not understanding her surroundings: her lack of experience with the many differences between it, and her forest. It was a different nakedness than simply removing your clothing. It was more akin to not having your knife.

When Victoria woke up in the morning, Kenee was still asleep in her bed. Victoria stood by her bedside for a few moments, looking at her. It was something Victoria had never witnessed her do before. She decided to let her sleep.

When Kenee woke up, she came down too late for breakfast.

Mom saw her, and offered to make her something.

Kenee politely declined. But she took an apple, then went outside, to look for Ronnie. She found him down at the beach, standing in the water, catching fish with a stick and net. Kenee picked up a stick for herself, and very quickly caught three good-sized fish in succession.

Ronnie was not overly elated by her success. “Fine,” he said, rolling his eyes; you’re good at this, too. We have enough; let’s take them to my mother.”

Kenee stalled him by grasping his arm. “I need a knife,” she requested, bluntly.

“What kind of knife?”

“A strong, sharp knife.”

“Okay — let’s go up to the shed. I might have what you want.”

And he did: A well-proportioned hunting knife, sharp, and in a sheathe with a belt and leg strap. Kenee examined it with an understanding that might have surprised Ronnie, if he hadn’t already witnessed who Kenee was. She tested its sharpness, felt its weight and balance. “A good knife,” she said, “I will take it. What do you need in exchange?”

“Nothing. You can have it.”

“A gift?” Asked Kenee, “I will bring you a deer from the forest.”

“The jungle.” Ronnie corrected.

“Yes, the jungle.”

“There are not many deer in the jungle,” Ronnie explained, “if you meant that you would be going hunting today. The jungle is not a safe place for deer — most stay in the open, on the Southeast plains, fifty kilometres from here.” Ronnie paused. “If you want to go and see them, I could ask my father if we could go on a trip there. It might interest the whole family. We haven’t been there in a while, and none of you have ever been there.”

Everyone back at the villa was excited about this idea: A two-family trip to see the plains. Talking about it over lunch, it was unanimous that they should start out immediately next morning.

But Kenee did not spend the rest of the afternoon with the others. She took her new knife, and walked to the edge of the jungle. Victoria looked up from where she had been crouching to pick strawberries from the garden.

“Kenee?” She called, softly.

But it was as if Kenee could not hear her. This too, was strange. Victoria stood up, gathered herself, and turned in the direction of the jungle. But Kenee was gone. She had melted into the jungle, as easily as she had melted into her forest at home.

Victoria walked to the jungle’s edge to peer into it, eyes searching piercingly for Kenee. She took a step inside; a short distance; but she knew: There would be no sign of her.

Kenee was already far away.

Kenee ran through the trees, using their middle branches like a runway platform at Victoria’s gym. The branches were strong, and the path was unimpeded. She was soon at the clearing where she had saved the pony, and first seen the glowing eyes of the jaguar. Here, she dropped from the trees, down to the soft, jungle floor. Her ears immediately strained to listen, and her nostrils flared to catch the scent. Her eyes scanned every inch of the foliage, and her body tensed in expectation of attack. But this time, there was no jaguar anywhere near the vicinity.

Kenee relaxed only slightly, still on alert. But half her attention was drawn elsewhere. Even in the brief time she had previously been in this glade, she’d seen slender stocks growing up from tree roots.

She investigated these further, testing them for strength and flexibility. Satisfied, she knelt beside them, and began to chop and saw away at the base of one, with her knife. When she was able to break it free, she went on to a second type of growth — a garden of bamboo, growing on the South side of the glade. She found the perfect size for arrows, and she cut ten of these.

From her pocket, she pulled a roll of twine, then secured the arrows in a bundle.

Satisfied, with her length for a bow, and her arrows, Kenee turned on her heels and leapt into the branches in one smooth motion, and headed for home.

Chapter 41

Before bedtime, with help from Ronnie and Katelyn, Kenee fashioned her arrows and strung her bow. Jessica found the feathers, and Janice had supplied the wax and thread, for securing them to the arrows. Maria sat watching the proceedings with interest, drinking a lemonade. She put her cup down, and went into the shed.

Maria returned with a rather large piece of leather, and some fine tools. She cut out an appropriate piece, then punched out holes along its edges. With a large needle and a long, thin, leather thong, she began stitching together, a quiver. At its top, and to its bottom, she also attached a strip for a shoulder strap. When it was completed, the arrows were also finished, and she handed it to Kenee.

Kenee examined it; then she looked up into Maria’s eyes and said, “Thank you, Maria, this will do very well.”

The arrowheads had been cut out of a thick sheet of heavy, steel roofing. It was the best that they had. They were inserted, and secured.

The top of each arrow had been grooved out, fitted for the string; and Ronnie had poured liquid lead into each groove.

In the end, the arrows were lighter than Kenee preferred, so Ronnie hammered a nail in alongside each tip. Kenee examined each one and lay them back on the ground; and Jessica began to pick them up and put them in the quiver.

When all ten were completed and the bow was restrung, a suitable target was set up, and everyone was eager to try it.

Kenee gave no lessons. She just simply let them try it. With varying degrees of success.

When target practice was finished, Kenee hefted the bow, checking its balance and weight as she had her knife. Above a hawk flew over that had been attacking the chickens.

Ronnie said: “I wish I was good enough to shoot that. We lost three chickens to it last month alone. I tried shooting it with Dad’s rifle, but it’s too wary and quick.

Kenee saw it turn and begin its flight back. She drew an arrow from the quiver and lay it upon her bow. In one quick motion she drew back and released. The hawk gave out no cry, as the arrow had gone through its neck. It fell to the ground near Victoria’s feet, just as she was coming back from the garden with a basket of berries. She looked down at the dead bird and the arrow through it; and then she looked up at Kenee.

“Is this why you made that: to kill a helpless creature?”

Kenee shrugged. “You know why I made it. Ronnie said, the hawk was killing his chickens.”

Victoria’s return look was piercing. In a stale retort she concluded: “I can go without eggs for breakfast.” She marched her berries to the house and Katelyn gave Kenee one of her sassy smiles: “Silly sister,” looks; but Kenee ignored her and watched Victoria climb the steps to the house.

Victoria did not sleep in the room that night. She slept out on the floor in the hall with the dog, as a protest.

Kenee sat up on her bed watching her as she tried to become comfortable. She lay her head on Jasper’s back for a pillow, but he got up and left.

Finally, Kenee got up, and went out and lay down beside her.

She snuggled up behind her, and she said in her ear: “I’m sorry.”

Victoria rolled around and looked at her. “You and I are so different.”

“In some ways—” Kenee, said. “But if your life had been my life…What does Mom say: ‘A different perspective.”

“Do you think you just ‘know me,’ Kenee: like you know the creatures in your woods?”

“I think I know life! And what is needed to survive.”

“I would rather starve, than kill and eat an animal.”

“Then…—you would starve!”

Victoria rolled back over, and pretended to sleep.

They both lay awake for some time.

Each in the fellowship of their own thoughts.

Chapter 42

Lots of food had been packed in baskets and in a cooler that was plugged into the lighter of the truck.

The truck had two rolls of seats up front, and two wooden seats in the back facing each other.

It had been an army vehicle at one time, and it was very tough, rugged and sturdy.

The wooden benches in back had been necessarily padded.

Amero and Dad sat up front; and Janice and Mom in the second seat, inside the cab.

The seven children sat on the benches outside: with the tents and the unrefrigerated food and other gear between them.

Jasper leaped up when Victoria called him, and he lay down in the middle on top of the tents.

Amero closed the back gate of the cargo box, and went up front and climbed in where he was driving. And off they went down the road toward Katurah, stopping at a house in the town, on the way to the plains, where Janice had a package to deliver.

The trip to the plains in the old truck was a journey that took more than two hours, but they had started early, and even with their stopover in Katurah, they had arrived in the open and set up their tent on a suitable location long before noon.

At home, there were plains to the south, in the Keneetian Park; but the openness was about the only resemblance.

Amero referred to the vastness before them, as Grasslands. But to Kenee—who had known so well the lush green pastures of Southern Keneetia—saw before her—a wilderness.

Where there were moose, deer and elk, wolves, bears and large cats, bison and wild horses ranging throughout the park, intertwined within the park ecosystem of lakes and rivers, grassy ranges, mountains and forests; here Kenee viewed an open dry plain with huge herds of but-a-few varieties of both large and smaller deer species; gangly wild cattle and lanky-legged horses. But there were so many.

“You could take all day, and not be able to count them all,” Katelyn said.

The animals gathered at watering holes.

Ronnie told Kenee, that in the rainy season the waters were gathered into large lakes, stretching out for miles. But at this time of year, they were only thirty or forty feet wide and scattered here-and-there across the landscape.

What trees grew on the plains were not like those in the jungle. They were straggly and sparse; nothing more than tall bushes.

Katelyn had sadly told Kenee that there were no lions or tigers or cheetahs on this continent, but that the Jaguar ruled here and were relatively plentiful.

Very much a cat, it lived and hunted alone, and mostly at night.

There were no signs of them on the plains during the day.

The two families shared around the binoculars, and Amero and Dad set up the telescope. Having strong enough magnification to view the craters on the moon, it served well to view the far extending grasslands, and the mountain range that rose up beyond them.

From those mountains, through a scope of his own; seated on the edge of the extended front bumper of his dusty old jeep; and athletically built, dark haired, blue-eyed man, sat back in comfortable composure. A thin crest across his wind-chapped lips, spread into a full smile across his handsome, intelligent countenance.

Jonathan sat forward and looked again to confirm his observation.

“Hmm—he said: Unexpected.” But it was easy to tell that his discovery was very pleasing to him.

The Rotanzas he knew. And his own family, of course.

“But who was that?”

He looked again, studying her. Watching her deft movements.

“No panther ever strode so beautifully,” he thought.

“Where did Mom and Dad find you?”

And his sisters. “How they’ve grown…” he reflected with a mixture of melancholy and sombre longing.

Chapter 43

In the years following the death of Jonathan’s black-and-white Border Collie, Kyp; his best friend in the world and his close companion on many of his photographic adventures; the family had seen very little of him.

This was grievous to his sisters.

They tried to be comforted by the videoconferences when internet was available in whatever region he was shooting from; or through the many beautiful photographs he emailed to them.

Dad explained that Jonathan was consoling himself in the way he knew best; but Victoria who had known him the longest among her sisters had known Jonathan, to have always be at some distance. Some pursuit, some challenge or adventure. Although in the past, Kyp had always been at his side. Now, alone, it seemed his times away were longer-and-longer.

The families had brought along no meat; as it was hard to preserve during long hot days; and the cooler only worked while the truck was in operation.

Kenee had promised to provide what they needed. And Dad reassured Amero that she was good to her word.

“The deer are fleet.” Amero told Dad. “They’re hard to shoot, even with a rifle.”

“Kenee doesn’t need a rifle,” Dad told him. “And they will prove themselves to be less fleet than they imagine themselves to be.”

“Well, you can’t get close to them during the day. And it would be too dangerous after dark, with the Jaguars hunting at night.”

Dad laughed. “They should only be glad; she’s not hunting them.”

Amero took on a doubtful look. “I’ve seen her move. I know she’s strong and fast, --but I…”

Dad interrupted: “You’ve only known her for a short while. You haven’t actually seen her in action.

The real Kenee is aw-- fire…smothering beneath this veneer of civilization we’ve clothed her in. Remove the cloak, and a very formidable creature comes forth.

Imagine being lost in the forest at the age of five years old. Surviving on your own for five years in the wilds of Keneetia Park.

–You’ve been there. It’s not the jungle; but it’s just as unyielding. What kind-of-a child can survive that, --and thrive there.

Kenee is--unique!

She will leave in the dark.

She will come home with her prey.

And we will eat meat tomorrow.”

“Huh…” said Amero; I wish I could accompany her.”

“Probably not,” Dad said. “I saw her kill a ten-foot grizzly with a knife.

You don’t need to see that.

It’s not an easy picture to remove from your mind.”

The day ended in beautiful colours. Although it hadn’t rained on the plains, it had rained to the west in the jungle. And over the jungle was a spectacular rainbow. And as it faded with the setting of the sun, --the horizon lit up, in an astounding display of brilliant intermixing hues.

They just all stood there watching it. Supper in their hands. But not making it to their mouths. Caught as they were in the awesomeness of the moment.

After supper, the families sang songs. Laughed and told stories.

Amero kept his eye on Kenee. Watching her as she prepared the items she would take with her on her hunt.

Her knife. Her bow and arrows. A rope …

He walked over and knelt down where Kenee worked on the ground.

“All ready to go,” he asked?

“Ready to go.” Kenee answered.

“It’s hard for me—to allow this…”

---Kenee looked up.

“Allow what…?”

“As a father, it’s against my every instinct, to let a child go out hunting in the night.”

“Kenee is not a child. She is a warrior.”

“A warrior?”

“Yes. …I have been in many battles.

–I have…. prevailed!”

“I’ve never asked about the scars. It didn’t seem polite.”

Kenee laughed.

“Victoria calls them—badges!”

“Huh! I guess!

Some of your battles must have been hard won.”

“I have laid near death, more than once,” Kenee shared. “One time I lay three days in a fever; upon the carcass of a cougar, I had fought to its death. They are quick. They have long, sharp teeth, and rending claws.

When I awoke, its skin was no use to me. It was full of worms.

I was very thirsty. But there was a creek--not too far. So, I ate--what the worms had not yet stolen from me, and crawled and immersed myself beneath the waters. It was during the ‘fall-of-the-leaves’, and the cold autumn rains. It was in my fourth year by myself in the park.

A little younger than Victoria is now.”

Amero had said nothing during this disclosure. He couldn’t think of anything suitable to say. Pangs of compassion flooded over him, and tears welded up in his eyes.

“Don’t cry.” Said Kenee. I am Ke’nee. That is the life that made me who I am.”

“But surely, it isn’t the life that you wanted?”

“It’s the life I had…

I have more now.” And she turned and looked in the direction of her family, seated around the campfire, sharing funny anecdotes.

Amero studied the conflicting emotions cast across Kenee’s beautiful countenance; noticing her longing –pulled in two directions. One toward her family.

And the other toward the hunt.

Chapter 44

Songs and laughter slept in silence. Kenee became a shadow, underneath the moonlight. More-quiet than the Jaguar, hunting through the night. Freedom reached inside her connecting to her soul. Brought out a Kenee, that no one else had known.

Having driven down from the mountains, through the jungle, to the edge of the plains; Jonathan erected his tent at the back, over the Jeep’s box.

At the front, facing a herd of deer, grazing beneath a full moon, Jonathan setup his night-vision camera on a sturdy tripod. A supper of beans and canned meat—half eaten—rested on the hood.

Jonathan lowered the tripod to the level of his seat: He sat on a light, tubular chair, with a strong canvas cover.

He sipped from a thermos—he then set on the ground.

Jonathan covered one eye and he looked through the lens in the hope of seeing his family again.

What he saw, out on the plains, was quite a surprise. A stealthy young girl beginning to rise. In her hand was a bow—strung—and pulled back; intending to capture an antelope snack.

Again, Jonathan whispered—into his own mind: “Where did Dad find you?”

Intensely curious, Jonathan followed Kenee’s every movement. His 4-K CAMERA video-graphing every moment.

Jonathan held his breath.

“Too far… No one can make that shot.”

Kenee was not aiming at the deer. But above it.

The arrow released. Arcing upward.

“Four hundred feet.” Jonathan expelled.

And then it began to descend.

The power of Kenee. And the draw of gravity. Pierced through the deer’s heart, halfway to the hilt.

“Wow!” Jonathan exclaimed. “I can’t believe I just saw that. …The batteries in the camera had better not have failed me.

--Oh!” he said, looking through the lens. “You can’t possibly have heard me…? I’m three quarters of a mile away?”

Kenee was standing straight. The tip of her bow—resting on the ground. She raised it up again, and lay upon it another arrow. She pushed it forward. She tilted it upward.

“What!?” Jonathan murmured, incredulously: “You’re not aiming that at me!?”

He sifted to his right and fell from his chair—one second before the arrow pierced through the grill of his jeep. Tearing a hole through its radiator.

“Oh, Lord; you bloody little killer!” He was going to rise in protest, but then thought better of it.

Instead, he crawled on his stomach to the back of his damaged vehicle.

“A poacher.” Kenee inserted; in a silent declaration.

She could not see him; but she knew exactly where he was.

That the same could be said about her, on this wild land that was not her own, was a conviction—unconsidered.

She went forth to collect her deer.

By the time Jonathan came out from hiding, Kenee was gone.

After an un-fitful sleep, and a scanty breakfast, Jonathan set out at a trot.

Amero would be able to help him fix his jeep. They’d have to go for parts and come back for it.

He had sealed up the roof covering of the convertible and locked the doors. He knew that wouldn’t necessarily keep it safe. He cut and covered it in wide, leafy, tree boughs to help conceal it.

Kenee sat by the Morning Fire. The hide was scraped and treated as Dad had taught her. Choice portions of the meat were boiling in Mom’s stew-pot.

Kenee had buried the head and other body parts before Victoria had risen. But she sat waiting and watching for Victoria’s reaction; as her sister crawled out from her tent, and stood up.

Victoria rubbed her eyes and looked at Kenee. With a coy voice, she asked: “Success?”

“Yes.” Answered Kenee…in her best consoling imitation.

Kenee stood up and walked toward her.

When close, she spoke quietly, so not to be overheard.

“Last night, there was a man in the jungle; and now he comes across the plain.”

“What!” Victoria blurted out? “What man?”

Kenee turned and pointed. “There--!”

Victoria strained her eyes to see him. She went to the truck and pulled out the binoculars to get a better look.

“–Oh, my,” she exclaimed! And she leapt forward—calling out to Katelyn—handing off the binoculars as she raced past her.

Mom and Dad were startled. “Victoria… where are you going!”

Janice came forward: “Why is your daughter running out onto the plains?”

Katelyn came up beside them and handed Dad the binoculars: “Look! Its Jonathan…”

Dad put the binoculars up to his eyes. And Mom steadied her gaze in the same direction.

“Well— Huh—It is!” He handed the binoculars to Mom, and headed out after Victoria.

Chapter 45

Kenee came up beside the others and stood watching Victoria racing across the plains. And Dad also, at a slower pace.

Jonathan stopped to ascertain who was running forward to meet him.

He recognized Victoria first, and then Dad. Who was still some distance away.

Victoria hadn’t reduced her speed. She was still coming on strong. Her enthusiasm in her heart.

When near enough—she left the ground, and leapt through the air as the gymnast she was: landing in Jonathan’s arms, --knocking him backward to the ground.

She was full of laughter, --her mind racing with her questions.

“Calm down, little one; I love you too! I’ll answer all your questions, one at a time.

Let us get up! Dad—is almost upon us!”

Dad had stopped, about three hundred feet away, bent over, trying to catch his breath. His hands on his knees.

When he could breathe sufficiently—he stood up—looking at his two children, standing side-by-side.

From this distance, Jonathan could read his eyes.

Victoria looked up at her brother’s face, as she heard him say—in quiet sincerity: “I love you too, Dad. I missed you, too.

The three moved forward together. Victoria holding onto Jonathan’s left arm.

Dad threw both his own arms around his son, and held him tightly.

Victoria smiled, brightly; and she wrapped her left arm around Dad’s back, and her right one around Jonathan. Together they held each other for a long moment. When Dad released him there were tears in his eyes.

“Well, Son: I guess you have some stories to tell.”

“If you’d been with me last night, Dad… --I think, you have a story to tell me!

Who is this hired assassin you have sheltered in the family?”

Both Dad and Victoria looked puzzled.

“Young. Black haired. Huntress. Shot an arrow through my radiator. Trying to get me.”

Jonathan thumbed back over his shoulder in the direction that he’d come. “Gonna need some help, from Amero, to get it fixed--.”

He reached back behind his head, and withdrew from a partially opened back sac, a long homemade arrow.

“You recognize this,” He asked?

Still trying to understand what Jonathan was talking about; Dad and Victoria examined the arrow like two scientists investigating the bones of a murder.

“Why, --that’s aw, --Kenee’s arrow!” Dad said.

Victoria looked up into the sun-weathered, inquiring face of her brother.

“She’s our sister now.”

“–Our Sister…! --When did that happen? Who is she anyway?”

“That’s a long story,” Dad said. “Let’s go to camp. You can meet her. Your sisters are waiting.”

“Well, I’ve survived one meeting, so far.”

Victoria laughed. “Did you now? Kenee doesn’t miss.”

“I saw that. And, I have video to prove it. When I saw her aiming at me, through my scope, I must have been startled. I fell off my chair. Maybe that’s the only thing that saved me.”

“Come on.” Dad said. “We’ll walk slowly. I’ll tell you a little about it on the way.”

But the reunion came quickly; as everyone, having come out after Dad and Victoria, had split the distance.

Katelyn was in the lead. And Jessica was just a step behind her.

And then José, Maria and Ronnie walking with Kenee.

Mom, Janice and Amero were walking side-by-side behind them.

Just to qualify any undetermined feelings, Katelyn called out to her brother; in a sort-of pre-introduction…: “JONATHAN!”

Still two hundred feet away, Jonathan lifted his hand.

Satisfied, Katelyn picked up her pace. But Jessica didn’t. She’d been very young when Jonathan had left. She didn’t remember him as well, as her two older sisters did. She felt a sense of reserve. Even hesitancy.

Sensing this, Kenee increased her speed and came along beside her. “Don’t worry, little one;” Kenee assured her: “I have my knife.”

Jessica looked up into her newly adopted sister’s intentional expression. “Kenee. He is my brother. I think we could dispense with killing him for today.”

“Very well,” said Kenee. But as she turned her face away, Jessica could see a slight smirk across her lips.

Jonathan received Katelyn into his arms. Held her tightly and caressed her red hair. “Oh, I missed you!”

“I missed you-too,” replied Katelyn’s unsteady voice, --partially losing control of her usually well-maintained emotional state.

Jessica and Kenee came up side-by-side. They were about fifteen feet away. Jonathan locking eyes with Kenee…diverted his eyes to poor little Jessica; and knelt down on one knee and reached out his arms.

Suddenly Jessica ran forward crying; and fell into her brother’s arms. All-of-a sudden she remembered him again, and wanted him terribly.

Mom and the Rotanza family had circled around them before Jessica and Jonathan could relax their embrace.

Kenee stood on the outside of the circle. Her hand on the hilt of her knife.

Jonathan gave his stepmother a warm hug, and shook hands with everyone else.

Everyone was trying to talk at the same time.

Jasper sat beside Kenee. He had never met Jonathan. But as the good Border Collie that he was, he recognized a family member when he saw one.

Jasper breathed in this new person’s smell, --as did Kenee. Unilaterally, filing the scent away; each in their own mind.

Chapter 46

Cheerfully, the two families, meandered back to the campsite. Jonathan in the midst of them: Victoria walking proudly on his left side, and Katelyn on his right…Jessica being carried in his arms; her arms wrapped around his neck; her face tightly pressed against his.

Beside Victoria was Ronnie; and beside Ronnie was Kenee.

Jonathan looked over and spoke to her: “You can relax your hand on that knife now—sister!”

Kenee did not turn her head to acknowledge his attempted engagement.

Jonathan smiled broadly at this.

Victoria said: “It takes time… She’ll warm up to you, --when she hears your stories; and discovers how much the two of you are alike!”

“Huh.” Jonathan laughed. “That’ll be a relief.”

Victoria spoke quietly, into their own small circle. “She’s a better friend than a foe… She makes a good ally.”

“Is there a battle!” Jonathan asked?

“Kenee would say: “Many battles.

–You’ve had your own battles.

I think you’ll eventually understand where she’s coming from.”

“Well…Dad said it was a long story.”

Victoria qualified:

“A story—that isn’t over yet.

The version of Kenee you’re seeing right now; is the most civilized we’ve cultivated so far.”

Jonathan looked at is sister with heightened curiosity: “Now, I’ve got to hear this!”

Victoria shrugged: “It’s not exactly a story told in a single sitting.

Janice and Mom will make lunch. And you and I can talk.

And Jessica too, I guess.” As her youngest sister had no intention of disentangling herself from her brother’s arms.

But the talk had to wait.

There were too many questions being asked, to Jonathan about his life and adventures.

Too many questions of his own, to cover what the family had been doing since he had been away.

Lunch.

The afternoon.

And supper—all included. And a campfire. And the Praise and Worship time.

Dad called out from across the other side of the circle of fire: “I had forgotten what a beautiful voice you have, my son.”

“You haven’t forgotten,” Jonathan laughed.

“You just like to say that.”

“Sure, I do. –It’s true! --You should hear all the songs, Victoria has written.”

Jonathan turned to his sister.

“And still drawing—I hope?”

Victoria nodded her head: “I’ll show you—”

Jessica was now at the other side of the fire, cuddled up to Mom.

Amero called over: “Jonathan. I have a chemical solution in the truck that we could pour into your radiator—as a temporary fix. To get it back to the Mission.”

“Thank You, Amero. I don’t know if that will work. The arrow went through about halfway to the top.”

“Okay. Another idea might work. I have a compound we could press into the hole, that will harden. We can fill the radiator to the top than. It will still leak under pressure. When it stops leaking, we’ll know it’s too low and we’ll add more water. We’ll have to stop every hour. But we’ll get there.

In the morning, you and I can take the truck, and drive over to your jeep and recover it.”

“Okay. If you think so. Let’s try it.”

“Yeah. It’ll work!”

Katelyn climbed into Jonathan’s arms.

“Hey little-sister two!

You still studying the Solar System?”

I’ve moved on to the Universe,” Katelyn proudly answered.

“Forever, my little scientist.”

“She’s also become a student of zoology, and insects and things,” Victoria told him.

“Oh-yeah? Diversifying, eh?”

“Mom thinks I should become a veterinarian,” Katelyn told him.

“Sure, I guess! --To start!

But just because you study to be a vet, doesn’t mean that’s all you have to do. You could branch out. Go and see the world. See with your own eyes all the different creatures God has made.

The world is bigger than it seems from a book.”

“I know that,” Katelyn agreed. “Next time you go on one of your trips, I can come with you.”

“Huh. I don’t know if Mom would allow that.”

“When I’m sixteen, I’ll just come anyway.”

“When you’re eighteen—we’ll talk about it.”

Chapter 47

In the morning, Dad, Jonathan and Amero, trekked back across the plains, to the edge of the jungle, where Jonathan had hidden his jeep.

Amero’s plan work well enough; and Jonathan was able to drive the jeep back to the camp, before they had to refill the radiator.

During the repairs of the recovery operation, Dad was able to relay some of the early parts of Kenee’s story.

Jonathan was enthralled with aspects of her life, surviving in the forest.

Amero found many portions disturbing.

Jonathan reflected: “So, you’re camping in the woods; and a bear attacks you. And this girl drops from the trees and slays it.”

“Ha, Ha. –Yeah!” Smiled Dad:

“It was more dramatic than that, when you experience it personally, but, yeah, —that’s the gist of it.”

“And, she does this—bear killing—just with her knife?”

“Yeah!”

Jonathan gave a dry smile. “Is there a –bit of embellishment—here, Dad?”

“Not at all…”

“Come on!!!”

“Nope! I’m telling you the truth. She dropped down out-of-the trees, onto its shoulders. She jabs her knife into its jugular—repeatedly, with both hands. Apparently, then—cuts through its windpipe.

Blood spurted out everywhere.

I was standing right in front of it—watching it…as the bear died, literally on its feet.”

“And then, she jumps off as it’s falling? And then these guys shoot her with a dart?”

“Yes. A…tranquilizer!”

“Okay. What happened after that!?”

“Well, --we’re here—we’re almost back to camp; --but, briefly; we took her home. And ultimately, --we kept her!”

“And adopted her?”

“Yup! …--well, yes! But not on the same day! A lot happened in between.”

“Wow--Dad.”

“Yes. It’s been a series of adventures.

It’s not a story you can-tell all at once.”

“So-Victoria told me.”

Then they drove into camp and parked both vehicles.

They had started out so early, they hadn’t time for breakfast. Which Janice had tried to keep warm for them, over the cooling embers of the died down morning fire.

Everyone unanimously agreed they would spend one final night on the plain, and then head back to the Mission in the morning.

Jonathan was himself--a good story teller; and over the campfire that evening he shared the life he’d been living for the last three years. The exotic places he’d been. Adventures he’d had. People he’d met. Close calls, and tender, beautiful moments.

He showed many pictures and videos into the twilight of the day, including Kenee’s impossible arrow shot.

Kenee came close to see this. Resting a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder as she leaned in to watch.

Jonathan felt the strange touch and looked back.

“Kenee!

Curious, about your acting debut?”

She didn’t acknowledge his words, but she looked intensely at the video.

The girls had taken pictures of her before. She’d seen photos of her childhood. But this was sharper.

More real…

“Amazing shot. One of a kind,” Jonathan said.

“No!” Kenee spoke to him for the first time: “I have made many like it.”

Jonathan restrained from pressing the conversation, as much as he was aching to do so.

He loved wild creatures. And this crazy girl, resting her hand on his shoulder; was definitely one.

Mom was sitting beside Dad. Who was sitting beside Katelyn. Who was sitting beside Jonathan. Victoria on Jonathan’s other side.

Dad held Jessica on his lap.

Mom said: “We could have used a few more letters.”

They had that kind of relationship.

Their language to each other was plain; but honest.

“Sorry. –Mom.”

Mom shrugged. “It was a long wait for the girls.”

“Yeah. I know. For me too.”

“So, then…?”

“So, then, I, just—didn’t know what to say for a while.”

“A very long while.”

“Yes. It was a while. …I get that.”

Mom looked back at the fire.

Dad looked at Jonathan; and then at her.

Jonathan set up his camper-tent at the back of his jeep; letting Maria, Katelyn and Victoria sleep there.

Jonathan bunked in with Ronnie. Whom he told, a few, less watered-down versions of his adventures to, before they slept.

In the morning, they set out. Stopping as necessary to refill Jonathan’s radiator.

At Katurah, they left Jonathan’s jeep in the capable hands of the town’s only auto repair shop.

Jonathan climbed up and sat beside the children in the back of the truck, after loading on items from his jeep that he wanted to keep with him.

It was Jessica’s birthday; and Jonathan handed her a present he had sparsely wrapped in a plain, oil-stained paper.

“Happy Birthday, eight-year-old,” he smiled.

Jessica beamed. No one else had mentioned her birthday, or given her a gift; and she thought they’d forgotten. She didn’t realise they were planning a big surprise for her, that evening, at the Mission.

Soon the Mission was in sight.

And everyone was safely home.

Chapter 48

The month had gone by too quickly, as Mom had predicted.

It wasn’t going to be easy for anyone to say goodbye.

Mom spoke to Jonathan on the side: “You’ll come home with us? The children need you with us for a while.”

“Yes.” Jonathan consented… “I need that too.”

The children never asked. They just presumed he was coming home with them.

Mom knew this.

Neither had she consulted with Dad. She knew his feelings.

“I guess we’ll hang onto the Jeep, until you get back this way,” Amero questioned Jonathan, as they walked together along the beach?

“Yes. Keep it. Put it to work. --if I come back for it.”

“I see!

You’ve been in our country for a long time.

You’ve learned it well! And you know us!”

“Yes,” Jonathan said: “A second home.”

“But you don’t know where life is heading after this…?”

…It began to rain heavily. It was that season when the storms rage.

Both men were well soaked by the time they climbed the steps and made it to the plateau, and gotten themselves under shelter.

Under the overhang of the garage, Amero shouted: “Not a good season for flying!”

“No!” Jonathan shouted back over the din of the pelting rain and the tornado-like winds. “I remember, Mom doesn’t like flying to begin with.”

“Commercial airlines might not be taking off in this.”

“Maybe we’ll end up staying longer than we planned.”

“Well, that’s okay with Janice and I!”

“Let’s make a run for it, to the house.”

Dad was busy trying to connect with the airlines.

Janice told Mom: “Sometimes the lines are down in a storm.”

When Dad got off the phone, he said: “Well, it’s still a go!”

The rains slowed down and then stopped; and the winds were less tumultuous.

The children were off somewhere, saying their emotional goodbyes; with hugs and kisses.

Janice hugged Mom: “I’m going to miss you, dear.” She was staying behind with her three children.

“You too, Janice. You were a wonderful hostess, and a good friend.”

Amero said: “We’d better round up the kids then.”

With waves and tears, the family climbed into the van.

Jasper sat up front with Amero and Dad. They drove slowly down the driveway and out the gate onto the road.

“Well; that was hard,” Victoria said.

Everyone else was silent.

Normally they could’ve waited out the storm. Under different circumstances. But correspondence from home, made their immediate departure feel imperative.

“I’m sure, Grandma will be okay,” Victoria tried to reassure her mother, who sat beside her.

Jonathan sat on Mom’s left side; and Kenee, Jessica and Katelyn occupied the back seat.

The winds picked up again, and the van shook. But all nine of them arrived at the airport safely.

Jasper would not enjoy going back in his cage; but Dad had his sleeping pills ready.

The atmosphere inside the airport seemed unsettled.

There was some shouting and complaining and the lines seemed longer than expected.

The boarding-board told the tale. --ALL Commercial Airlines Cancelled—

“Well: I guess you’re coming back home with me,” Amero assumed.

“No,” said Mom. “We’re not.” And she spoke into Dad’s ear; suggesting an alternative plan.

“Maybe.” Said Dad. “Amero. How about hiring a private charter? Would those still go up?”

“Yes. Probably. --I could ask around…”

With no hope of flying commercially in the near future; Dad arranged for everyone’s tickets to be refunded.

Amero returned with news.

How did it go,” Dad asked?

“Well… I found you a plane—But the problem remains: The airport won’t let private flights out either.

--But you can drive a plane out.”

“Drive it out,” Mom asked?

“Yes. There’s a private strip on the other side of the road, about two kilometres from here. For a little extra, the pilot is willing to take off from there.

You’d still have a flight plan, with this airport; but they wouldn’t stop you.”

Mom was more inclined to try this than Dad would have expected, given her past disinclination with flying in general.

Dad turned to his son: “What do you think, Jonathan. You and Amero know this area best.”

“Well. I’ve never thought that commercial flights were any safer than private ones; depending on the size of the plane.”

“It’s an eight-seater,” Amero said. “And with no other cargo, except your luggage and the dog …”

“How’s the Man’s skill-level,” Jonathan asked?

“– I know him,” Amero answered: “He’s a good pilot. He has military-aeronautics training. He could fly commercially; but he doesn’t want to be away from his family for extended periods of time.”

“You’d vouch-for-him then,” Dad asked?

“Yes. For the pilot.

But there is a problem… Jonathan, do you still have your pilots’ license?”

“Sure.

Why?”

“There’s no co-pilot.”

“He doesn’t have a co-pilot?”

“I told him about you!”

“And, what did he say?”

“Well, you know: --free labour: An expense that doesn’t come out of his own pocket. And he probably doesn’t expect to need to use you during the flight.

A lot of charted pilots on these flights, fly solo.”

“It’s not exactly legal!”

“No.” said Amero; “and not recommended… –But often done!

Things aren’t as tightly regulated here.”

Chapter 49

The family boarded the plane.

Jasper was happy that he didn’t have to stay in his cage.

Amero prayed for them before he left.

Katelyn was particularly happy about this, as the whole venture seemed less-than-wise to her.

The plane had eight passenger seats. Four on one side and four on the other; in sets of two—that faced each other.

Jasper sat with Kenee.

Victoria sat with Katelyn.

Jessica sat with Jonathan; and Mom and Dad sat together.

Jasper faced Mom, and they both had a window seat.

On the opposite side: Jessica and Katelyn had the window seats.

The pilot came back and introduced himself, and checked on everyone to see if they were okay and ready to go.

Then he spoke to Jonathan, and the two of them left for the cockpit.

Jessica didn’t like that she was left alone, so she motioned with her finger, for Kenee to come to her.

Kenee nodded. And then she turned and smiled to Mom and Dad, and she left and sat with Jessica.

So, Jasper jumped down and climbed up between Mom and Dad; not really on a seat. Sort of between them.

Dad reached over and pulled him up onto his lap: “Sit quiet, now Jasper; or you’ll be sitting down on the floor.”

“Or maybe better in his cage,” Mom said.

Jasper turned and looked at her, and put his head down.

–He was a smart dog.

--The engines started—

Everybody was a little nervous. It had been a long wait to get this far; and dusk was settling in.

As the plane taxied down the rough, unlit, narrow runway; every thrust of the engines; every manoeuvre, was more pronounced in this smaller craft, compared to the larger commercial jet, that the family had rode in on.

The plane gained lift. Rose in altitude, and cleared the treetop hillside.

Following its flight plan: West … North, around the airport, it banked again slightly and then headed into the sunset. And an hour later the plane was turned due-north.

Rain began to pelt the window-glass.

Nothing could be seen outside in the dark, through the small windows except stray lightning, that flashed between the clouds.

The shaking of the jet frightened Jasper and he snuggled closer to Dad.

It also frightened Jessica, and she snuggled closely to Kenee.

The lights flickered in the cabin. And Jonathan took notice and mentioned it to the pilot.

“Yes,” He responded. “The storm continues.”

“A power fluctuation indicates that Lightning has touched the plane,” Jonathan said.

“Yes. Perhaps.” The pilot answered, unconcerned. “That often happens, in these storms.”

The lights also flickered in the passenger area.

Katelyn looked up from a game she was playing. She was glad to have her tablet charged again. She and Victoria had switched seats, and Victoria was looking out the window into the dark as a big bolt of Lightning flashed before her eyes. At the same moment the plane dropped in altitude.

Victoria; and everybody else were startled.

Then the lights went out, and the emergency lights came on.

“Everyone looks red,” Jessica said.

Inside the cabin, Jonathan asked: “How about now?” As, he and the pilot sat in virtual darkness, except for the lights from the panels. “No emergency lights?”

“No. only in the back. –Meant to get them fixed—”

“Anything else, you didn’t get fixed?”

“One or two things. Not important.”

“Okay. I’ll take your word at that. –It seems quieter,” Jonathan noted. “Do you think the storm has lessened?”

“No. –engines out. –On the starboard side.”

“What! The engines out?”

“About a minute now.”

“Have you tried to restart it?”

“Yep. A couple of times.”

“You seem calm about it.”

“Yes. –Can’t do anything about it. –Got three more.”

“What happens when we get over the gulf? When we get to the mountain range? Will we have enough lift to get over?”

“No. Need all four engines for that.”

“So, we’ll have to put it down?”

“Nowhere to put it down, between the gulf and the range.”

Jonathan stared at the man in the dark: expecting something else…

And eventually the pilot did say: “I know a spot. Right up on top. There’s a flat; with a small mountain lake to the side of it.”

“But you said we wouldn’t have enough lift?”

“We don’t. Not for the taller range, afterwards; but the first set--are lower level. We can make it on top of them. That’s where the flat is, and the lake.

The second range is almost a third higher. We’ll land on the flat—and then—fix the engine.”

“You carry the tools? You can fix it?”

“Yes. If it’s what I think it is.”

“And, if not?”

“Well, then; we’ll be hiking back down to the gulf.”

“…Maybe I should let Dad know.”

“Not yet.

--It still might restart.

I’ll try again in a minute.”

They were over the gulf now. About an hour from land. The storm had abated somewhat. The lights were back on. And everyone seemed cheerful again; as Jonathan left the cabin and came back, with news that was going to upset their peace-of-mind.

Chapter 50

There is no way to describe how upset everyone was at the news Jonathan had to share.

Katelyn looked frightened.

Jessica was frightened.

Victoria was pretending not to be, as she prayed.

Mom had a lot of questions.

Jonathan tried to answer them.

Dad listened quietly, in a mixed state of mind; between concern for his family, and what might be done.

Jasper could feel the heightened tension among the members of the family, and he whined; and Dad’s hand could not comfort him.

Kenee calmly stood to her feet. She opened the storage hatch above her seat. And took down her suitcase. Inside she found the large hunting knife Ronnie had given her. She attached the sheath’s belt around her waist, and tied its strap around her leg. She replaced her suitcase and she sat down calmly in her seat. Jessica again cuddled to her. No one else took notice of her activity.

The unavoidable disquieting settled upon each of them, as Jonathan informed them, they had made it over the gulf, and the ground was now rising toward the lower mountain range. “It will be about twelve minutes,” Jonathan said, in as calm a voice as he could muster. “I’m going to go back to the cockpit now,” he said: “Just in case I’m needed.”

“Needed for what?” Jessica said, in a startled voice. Gripping tighter to his hand she had been holding.

Kenee moved soothing hands up along her arm, and unhinged her fingers, from Jonathan’s hand.

“Go then,” she said: “I will care for this little one.”

Jonathan looked at her, like he wasn’t sure he was going to see her again. “Thank you,” he said. “She could be in no better hands.” And he turned and left, and went into the cockpit and shut the door;

…and a vacuum of emotion lingered in his wake.

The plane’s headlights broke the darkness poorly.

“Landing the plane by instruments alone, will be difficult,” Jonathan queried?

“Yup. Said the pilot. Likely hit something.”

“You presume that?”

“Yes.”

“All along?”

“Yes!”

The pilot then reached out his hand and pulled down a lever, lowering the landing gear. Presumably the mountains loomed—just minutes ahead.

Jonathan turned and looked at the pilot one last time: “You never thought we would make it. –You can’t fix the engine?”

“Correct. On both assumptions;” the pilot admitted. But he didn’t turn and look at Jonathan. He just stared straight ahead into the darkness;

…waiting for the end to come.

Jonathan bowed his head. He prayed out loud, not caring about the man’s ominous perspective any longer:

“Father. We have no chance here. I can see that.

I didn’t realize it.

Thank You for letting me be with my family at the end.

If You will, I know--even now--You can save us.

But if You will not; please let it be quick, that no one would suffer.

As always; I love You. And I look forward to being with You.

In Jesus Name, I pray.”

As it was, there was a plateau. The pilot had known this to be true. He just couldn’t tell in the darkness if they were anywhere near it. Instrumentation, in this situation, only calculated probabilities. Perhaps only possibilities.

He remembered the words of his mother, as he listened to Jonathan’s prayer: “God is the God of impossibilities,” his mother would say.

Suddenly he felt the landing gear skidding along the surface. As an act of sheer desperation, he pressed down hard upon the brakes. He could feel Jonathan’s eyes upon him.

Without turning his head, he muttered: “Just as likely to go over the cliff.”

But the plane was slowing; and it came to a stop; on the very edge of the lake.

Chapter 51

“We’ve Stopped! We’ve Stopped!” Katelyn almost screamed.

The members of the family looked up, each out of their personal prayers.

There was nothing to be seen out of the windows, from either side of the plane.

From the cockpit, Jonathan and the pilot, breathed in a sigh of relief; and stared out past the headlights at the glimmering lake water; shimmering like a shiver, in the coldness of the night.

Jonathan stood up. He put a hand on the pilot’s shoulder:

“God is Good,” he said.

“I’m glad your predictions were unfounded.”

He walked to the back of the cockpit, and stood just before the door, and bowed his head, and thanked God.

And then he went out, to see how everyone was doing.

They were all standing, except Jasper, who was sitting on the floor.

They seemed relieved. Happy even.

Jonathan hated to break their peace.

Dad said: “How long will it be, before the pilot can fix the plane?”

Jonathan walked close.

“Dad. It seems I didn’t get the authentic story.”

“Son. What do you mean?”

“Apparently, he knew, he couldn’t fix the plane.

And furthermore; he thought we were going to crash.

Only God saved us, Dad.”

“Oh!” said Mother: “You mean the plane won’t lift off?”

“According to the pilot, it will never lift off again. –we’ll have to walk out of here. Down the mountain to civilization… wherever that is.”

Katelyn came up, having overheard. “Is the plane safe, right now?”

Jonathan turned to her, hoping to be reassuring. “We seem to have come to a stop on top of a plateau, directly in front of a mountain lake.”

“A mountain-lake?” Victoria asked.

“Yes. Victoria. A lake on top of a mountain. –But beyond that, I don’t know anything else.”

“So, the plane could still be in a precarious position,” Mom asked.

Jonathan shrugged. And Dad suggested: “Maybe we should go out and investigate.”

Kenee said: “I will go!”

The pilot came up and stood beside them. “Probably shouldn’t send a girl!” Looking Kenee over, and noticing the knife strapped to her hip.

“I’ll go out and take a look around.”

Jonathan said: “I’ll go with you.”

“Suit yourself.” He went back into the cockpit, and returned with a knife of his own; and a flashlight and a map. “I should have brought my hand gun on this trip,” he was muttering to himself.

Together, the three men opened the hatch; and the pilot flashed his light out into the dark.

Kenee came up beside him. She made her own quick assessment.

Before the pilot could speak or stop her, she had leapt out into the night.

“What!? Stupid girl.”

Jonathan pressed his hand upon his shoulder. “You’ll get used to her.”

“Used to her! If I ever see her again!”

“We’ll see her again. You’ll be surprised what that girl can do.”

The pilot shook his head; and together, he and Jonathan, unrolled the ladder and let the unattached end fall down to the ground.

The pilot began to climb down. Jonathan followed him; and Dad followed Jonathan.

Victoria was next in line.

Kenee had already circled the ship, surveying as she went.

She listened for those who might be approaching on paws; smelling for scent. She observed the damaged engine. She measured the planes distance from the four edges of the plateau.

To the North, high above her, stood the second – taller mountain range. A desire arose in her, to go there; but she quieted its voice.

Coming back around the plane she met the others and gave her report.

The pilot flashed his light in her face. “Could have been something dangerous out here, you know.”

“There is;” Kenee stated calmly: “I am dangerous.”

Dad smiled. But his smile couldn’t be seen in the dark.

The pilot unrolled his map. Laid it on the ground and, they all squatted down to look at it.

With his light, he showed them their present position. “I got off a Mayday. –Mostly useless—because, we’ll never be seen.

Kenee said: “Shadow in the shade.”

The pilot looked at her, uncertain of her meaning.

Victoria had gotten passed her mother’s arm and made it down the ladder; and now stood beside them, listening. She understood Kenee’s signification, and quoted a perspective from the Bible: “…The substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things unseen.” Dad qualified: “Yes. Let’s have a little Faith.”

Jonathan said: “I’ve gained quite a bit of faith just recently.”

The pilot made a point of some wisdom, and said: “Faith’s okay; but sometimes you have to act on it. That’s what my mother would have said.”

Dad looked at him: “Your mother was a Christian?”

The pilot turned his head to the side. “I also am a Christian. I’ve just gotten a bit away from it.”

Chapter 52

Worrying about tomorrow made it difficult for everyone to sleep except Kenee, who slept soundly.

When she woke, Jasper was lying with his head on top of her shoulder. He also had difficulty sleeping, but he found it safer when Kenee was nearby.

Mom had prepared breakfast for everyone.

Jonathan, Dad and the pilot had already been outside scouting around.

Jonathan had determined the best path downward, off the mountain, both according to the map, and the safest route for the girls and Mom. Now that Kenee was up and seated at the table, eating breakfast, Jonathan sat down beside her and showed her his plan. “I just wanted to get your stamp of approval,” he said. “There’s a lot of forest between here and the nearest town, 20 km from the base of the mountain.”

The map the pilot had, was a satellite version with a 3D perspective. You could see the trees, the open spaces and some potential perils. Kenee agreed it was a good plan.

Kenee asked Jonathan: “Can you use a bow?”

“Yes, I’m pretty proficient. Not like you!”

“Victoria is also good with a bow.”

“Yes, I know that; But would she kill anything if she had to?” Jonathan thought out loud.

“I don’t know,” said Kenee. “Maybe…if she had to. She and I have talked about it before.”

“She and I have had that conversation too.” And Jonathan cringed at the thought of engaging Victoria in a conversation involving killing anything.

Everyone agreed, weapons should be made before they started out. The other two girls helped Mom pack the food, and what-else they could reasonably carry. “Don’t try to take everything,” said Dad. “We can come back for it later. I can rent a chopper and we can fly back here and get the rest of our stuff.”

“But how will we find the plane again?” Mom asked.

“Jonathan has told me, that he has a device that he can leave with the plane and he can track it. It’s partly--like a phone--and partly like a GPS.” Dad replied.

Surprisingly, Victoria wanted to go with those making the bows. The pilot claimed to know nothing about archery, opting to stay with Mom and the younger two girls, and pack what he could. Jonathan, Kenee, Victoria and Dad set out to find proper wood to make the bows and arrows.

The kind of wood Kenee was looking for was hard to find on top of this mountain. As they walked and searched, Jonathan noted: “If we were any higher, all you’d find would be pine trees. But we’ve passed some willows, so maybe we’ll find some hardwood.”

The tree Kenee chose was small, and the wood seemed as hard as iron. The hatchet barely cut into it, but they had a small saw with them.

Wood straight enough for arrows, was also difficult to find; but they eventually settled on the willow, and it was over two hours before they returned to the plane and began whittling them into shape.

There was plenty of cutlery on board, so when the shafts were ready, they inserted broken off points from steak knives for the arrow heads. There were no feathers to be immediately found for the fletching, so these were fashioned out of thin pieces of plastic found on the plane. When the bows were strung and the arrows tested, Kenee also made spears as alternative weapons for the others. In total they had four bows, about eight arrows each, and four spears. Jasper was naturally armed with his teeth.

The group slept one more night in the fuselage of the plane, setting out on the second morning after their arrival on the plateau; as according to Jonathan’s plan, and agreed upon by everyone. Jonathan followed behind, and Kenee took the lead. After Kenee, walked the pilot who watched over Jessica, and Dad watching over Katelyn; and Victoria with Mom, and Jonathan at the end. Jasper ran back and forth between the group.

The path Jonathan had chosen was not steep but because of this trajectory, it would be a longer journey, at least two full days to reach the bottom.

They’d gotten an early start, had a quick breakfast, and only stopped twice before lunch and supper. Dark arrived early at this time of year; just after 05:30 p.m.

When the time came, they pitched camp. And Kenee did not complain about the fire.

Chapter 53

On the plateau of the mountain the air had been dry. But as they were climbing down it moistened and it was gradually getting warmer.

Kenee set a pace she thought suitable for Jessica. But Dad could tell from Mom’s tone, that she was urging Kenee to move along quicker. Until they could get down to the valley, and gain phone reception, Mom couldn’t call home and see how her mother was doing.

And now, it was only four weeks before Christmas.

This would be Kenee’s first Christmas with the family, and Mom wanted to celebrate it with everyone, at home; including her parents.

The route to the valley, that Jonathan had set out, and which he and Kenee had agreed upon, was not the shortest route. But it was the most open route. And it was a gentler slope, and this meant the footing would be less treacherous.

When they stopped to rest, Kenee consulted with Jonathan.

“My Brother, she began: we are not alone.”

Jonathan looked at his new sister directly, and said: “I am aware of this.”

Jonathan continued: “It’s not an animal—not a wolf pack, I don’t think. It could be a man, or men.”

Kenee said: “It is three men. The wind blows now in our direction, and I can scent them.”

“I didn’t realize you could do that! … I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. Is it possible that they’re hikers?”

“No—they are not hikers—they are hunters: and I think they hunt us!”

“What makes you think that, Kenee?”

“Before…as we travelled through the bush, they stayed the same distance behind; but they followed directly behind. Now that we’re in the open, they walk through the woods to the side.”

“That could be coincidental,” Jonathan suggested.

Kenee said: “Is it also, coincidental, that they match our pace?”

“No. That’s improbable,” Jonathan agreed.

Kenee said: “Jonathan. You are good with words. Consult with the others.”

Although, they would have preferred, not to have worried the children; there was no reasonable way to keep them out of the conversation.

Now, Dad led the procession with his bow. And behind him: Katelyn, Jessica, and Mom. Followed by the pilot. And Jonathan and Victoria took up the rear guard with their bows.

Jasper was now aware of the men. He had also scented them. He walked with an uneasy pace; occasionally whining; accompanied periodically, with low throated growls.

Jonathan didn’t know, if the men following them had become close enough at any time, to have observed the number of members in their party.

He didn’t want to lose the element of surprise.

As they entered a bushy area, Kenee slipped away.

Mom was not pleased with this decision. She worried what Kenee might do in a crisis.

Dad attempted to console her…

“We don’t know of any specific situation where Kenee has deliberately hurt a human being.”

“But is she adverse to doing so,” Mom asked. “–Has she changed?”

“I don’t know, if she’s changed,” Dad said: “but before; she was so wild. It was more like; she was defending herself.

Like a survival instinct.

Not specifically targeting anyone.”

“But if they’re threatening us…, what would she do?”

“Dear… she would do the same thing I would do. She would defend her family.

And don’t kid yourself. I know you. –If the children were threatened! You would do the same thing.”

“Yes. I guess I would.”

“I think Kenee has good judgement,” Dad said. “Let’s trust her. Kenee is a very honest person. She sees things the way they are. If it is necessary, she will do what is necessary. But I don’t believe she would kill indiscriminately, without justification. In her heart she is kind and good. And you’ve taught her well, the precepts of Christian virtue. The principles of Christ.”

“Yes, I know she is good. She will only do what she has to do…I understand that …and that’s what’s worrying me.”

“Oh! I see. They’re people! You’re worried, she’ll hesitate: Maybe not make those split-second, instinctive decisions, she’s so good at.”

“Yes.” Mom said: “Hesitate. And be lost. Because of what we’ve taught her.”

“I think,” said Dad: “that Kenee is like—a soldier. She will be-as she was trained to be in the wild—when the battle comes.”

“I hope so,” said Mom.

“How much you’ve come to love her,” Dad said.

“Shush,” said Mom: “You love her—every bit as much yourself.”

Chapter 54

Victoria watched Kenee disappear into the bush.

Jonathan placed a hand on her shoulder. And she looked up into her brother’s eyes.

He saw there, the answer to the question, he and Kenee had wondered about her.

He drew an arrow from the quiver at her back and handed it to her.

She took it, and lay it across her bow.

She was not a hunter like her sister. But she would defend her family, by whatever means was required.

Jonathan reached back and pulled an arrow for his own bow.

Victoria looked at him; and Jonathan said: “Whatever it takes.”

Victoria struggled to express a flat smile, as she agreed: “Yes.”

Kenee waited; camouflaged in the cleft of a rock, as the men went by.

They were soldiers. Highly trained, and seriously weaponized.

They walked carefully, in an attempt to mask the sound of their footsteps.

Kenee saw this. And the futility of their efforts.

Kenee had never met a soldier. And although they resembled the hunters, she had occasionally encountered in the Keneetian Park, there was a noticeable difference in their manner.

She sensed the very danger that they represented. Their manner was very deliberate and professional. They felt like the cold winds of the winter; instilling a chill in her soul; as she thought about the danger they implied to her family.

These were killers. She recognized them for what they were.

They would not be dissuaded, As Dad would attempt to do. And they would not be put-off by a mother’s plea, or her children’s fear.

She saw their formidableness. Their self-assurance.

They were wolves.

They were fearless as the relentless ones.

The hunt would end “one way”. That was their intention.

Unfortunately, Mom was correct. The Kenee of six months ago, would have shot three arrows, in quick succession, through the back-of-the necks of these three men. She would have left them where they lay, and returned to the family; as if nothing out-of-the ordinary had occurred.

But this was a different Kenee in some critical respects: in her love for God, and in her view of human value.

The men observed another quality similar to a pack-of-wolves. They stayed together. They stayed focused. They allowed no opportunity to be separated and conquered as individuals. They were a team. A pack. –Almost, a family.

Kenee was honest about her abilities. And yet humble in the acknowledgement of her limitations. She had not always been Kenee. She had once been a five-year-old child huddled in the crevices in the cold rain; with a panther waiting in the rocks above, for her to weaken her resolve and come out. Or the wolves who dug, as she pressed herself further, and further back into the depth of the cleft, out of their reach. Or the first bear, she had dropped upon; and pushed her knife too slowly into its spine. And the antlers of a bull-moose that had flung her twenty feet into the air; and she had come down in the trees, or it would have trampled her to death. She had dived into rushing rivers to escape the pack; only to be drawn down by the swift current and nearly drowned. Smashed up against the rocks, and pierced by embedded branches entangled among partially submerged rocks; and by raw courage and the will to survive; she had forced herself to the opposite shoreline and dragged her exhausted body up onto the sand. Only to rise again, and move to safety. Because, waiting in weakness, meant certain death.

By all that, she knew, that she could not face these three men head-on, any more than she could fight a bear face-to-face.

They did not fully understand the ways of the forest; but they would be formidable in battle.

And so, she overcame, in a way that a hardened warrior might have criticized.

As Dad had said: She summarized, what was necessary: And sent one arrow through the back of the knee, of the man in the middle—so hard—that it came out through the front.

Although trained, not to expressed the pain of the moment; the shocking surprise and the sheer hurt of an arrow through your knee, provoked and uncontainable utterance of suffering; as he fell forward onto both knees; pushing the arrow back through where it had come.

Not as quickly as a wild-thing, did the men understand their situation and turn upon their opponent.

Their seconds were to Kenee as minutes, as their chance was lost to identify the position of the deadliest enemy any of them had ever known.

As they rapidly assessed, with their high level of training and skill; all they became, in those instances of imperfect reaction: --were additional targets.

Chapter 55

Kenee returned to the family.

They all bunched around her; each with their own concern.

“Are they dead.” Mom asked?

Kenee looked upon her mom’s soft face. In her heart, she needed to be, the Kenee her mother needed her to become.

“They are… delayed!” Kenee softly said. Looking into Mom’s worried eyes, as if her mother were the only one standing there with her in the glade, among the shadows of an encroaching darkness, amidst the breath of a late autumn’s breezes.

“Delayed…!” questioned the pilot. As if he had always known, exactly who these soldiers were.

Jessica stood in the middle of the trail.

She had in her hands the spear Kenee had made for her.

Behind her, stretched out, lay her family asleep.

She had tried to stir them, but they wouldn’t wake up.

Now she stood alone trembling, pointing her spear ahead before her, into the snarling face of the Big Black Wolf that Victoria had told her about—recanting the story of how Kenee had saved the boy—in the Keneetian Park.

Sweat poured from her forehead; blending with her tears and rolling down her face.

Her eyes were ablaze like those of Kenee; but she herself was still little Jessica.

Jessica knew that her mom and dad could not save her.

That Katelyn had no wisdom to relay to her.

That Victoria or Jonathan would not come and shoot the wolf with their bows and arrow.

And that Kenee would not stand at her side, or rescue her.

They all lay behind her---probably dead---and she alone faced the wolf.

Now is the time to pray (she could hear her Father say).

Now is the time to seek the Lord, when chance is bleak, and hope no-more.

And so, she prayed. And her arm was raised. And she threw the spear with a mighty thrust: into the mouth, and down the throat, of the leaping wolf.

And as she did—she screamed in her sleep—and awoke.

The family came running.

But it was Katelyn who sat up at her side. “Bad dreams,” Katelyn asked? “I hate those.”

She had too many of them herself, lately. She put her arm around her little sister as Jessica sat up, wiping tears from her eyes.

Now other, sympathetic family faces, surrounding her.

“You, okay?” Dad asked.

Mom knelt beside her and hugged her. “Its Gonna be okay. We’re Gonna make it, you know.”

Jessica said: “I know! I killed the wolf. God is with us.”

Dad said: “Good! Cause I’m hungry. Let’s have breakfast. We should get going soon.”

Mom was worried, when they had laid down last night to sleep.

She wondered what Kenee had meant by –Delayed!

And how they could stop.

How they could rest…

How ‘delayed’, were they?

Kenee had reassured her: “They are not dead, Mom; but they will not continue their pursuit.”

Never-the-less, Mom rested uneasily. And the pilot looked like he had not slept at all.

Jonathan observed this. And he took his bowl of granola, and he sat down beside him, and he said:

“So…any more fables you want to share?”

“Okay,” said the pilot; “I know who they are.”

“Not friends, I presume.”

“No.”

“And do you think they’ll---send replacements---for these, whom my sister disposed?”

“I don’t know.”

“—Well, now; Honesty, at long last.”

“What? –You’re saying you’ve never been dishonest?”

“Sure, I have… Mostly to myself…! It’s probably why--I’m not married—”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. –So: who are they? These men who are following us?”

The pilot was finished his breakfast, and he put his bowl down on the grass where they were sitting.

He turned and looked straight at Jonathan. But in his mind his thoughts were mixed. He said: “They were Mercenaries.”

“Were---Jonathan asked?”

“Yes. They’re probably dead. Isn’t that what your little sister does?”

“No.” “Jonathan said: “Kenee told Mom, that they were not dead. Just delayed!”

“She told your mother, that they were permanently delayed. –Haven’t you asked her, what she meant by that?”

“Jonathan said: “No. I have not!”

The pilot cleared his throat. “Okay. Suppose… they’re able to return from whence they came. –The answer to your inquiry – is Yes! They will send others. But by then, we should be in the valley. And hopefully in a town, where we can hide ourselves among many people.”

“So, why are they after us?” Jonathan asked.

The pilot dropped his eyes, before he spoke:

“They’re not after us! –They’re after me!

--I’m one of them. A deserter; from their wicked little society.

I thought I’d lost them. But I guess they’ve been tracking me. I don’t know how!”

Jonathan suggested: “Perhaps, a tracker in your clothing? Or on your plane? Or…--Hypodermal?”

“Hypodermal?” asked the pilot.

“Beneath your skin.

Do you have any little bumps, or scars you can’t explain?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t checked my backside. –But I have this little pimple at the nap of my neck!”

“Well…” Jonathan laughed…” Kenee has her knife!”

“Thanks.” Said the pilot. “But I think it’s the plane. I think they—went to the plane, and then followed us from there: tracking us down along the mountain.”

“Yeah. That makes sense,” Jonathan said. “That’s why they approach us from behind, and not from the front.”

“Yes. That’s what I mean.”

“Hmm.” Thought Jonathan. Mostly to himself. “Perhaps I should talk to my sister.”

Chapter 56

Despite all these concerns, the family reached the valley floor by three p.m.

The pilot led now. Followed by Dad.

The three girls were bunched together with Mom behind them, and Jonathan behind her; and Kenee kept the rear guard.

Jonathan backed up and walked beside Kenee to speak to her.

“We don’t have anything to fear, now, from the men:” he asked her? “You choosing to walk back here, I mean?”

“There is always something to fear.” Kenee said.

“FEAR NOT!” Mom smiled back at Kenee.

Mom was clearly feeling better, now that they were in the valley.

But they were in a valley filled with trees! Still twenty kilometres from the nearest town.

Jonathan smiled also. He was glad his stepmother was cheerful. But he understood Kenee’s point-of-view.

Of course, his fears and Kenee’s, were not for themselves.

“I won’t feel at ease,” he told his sister; “until I have you all home, sitting around a Christmas table of turkey and mashed potatoes.”

“Turkey is good,” said Kenee.

“—You bet it is!” Said Jonathan, with a smile. “Between you and me; let’s make sure we get everyone there safely.”

“Whatever it is…I will save them!” Assured Kenee.

Hearing this, her mom looked back. “I thought we’d already had this talk, oldest daughter.

You place to much on your young shoulders. It’s not your job to be our saviour. That’s God’s job.”

“Not in any way, wanting to step in here, and open my mouth where it doesn’t belong,” Jonathan said. “But remember: David had his sling and a stone from the brook; and Kenee has her knife and her bow and arrows; her wit, her speed and her strength. God uses people. He uses Kenee.”

Mom squinted her eyes, like she thought he was right; He shouldn’t open his mouth where it didn’t belong. But she kept her eyes on Kenee.

Kenee turned and looked at her brother, and then she quickened her pace and walked alongside Mom.

Jonathan smiled and shrugged. He banished his bow, and took up Kenee’s surveillance.

They came to a river, that the Pilot didn’t know the name of. It was both wide and deep.

“Can’t wade through,” he said. “Might be a bridge, somewhere; up stream or down. Who knows how far.”

Victoria said: “Maybe we could build a raft.”

“Yes, said Dad: We could build a raft!”

The pilot had his hatchet; and they had some rope. But he questioned if they could build a raft large enough to accommodate everybody, and their packs.

Kenee said: “I will swim.”

Victoria and Katelyn said the same thing.

Dad thought he could make it. And Jonathan agreed.

The pilot said to Dad: “Yeah. Sure. I can swim it myself. We’ll put your wife and your youngest daughter, and our stuff on the raft. And between us we can push and pulled it along as we swim along beside it.”

This seemed agreeable to everybody, so they set to work building the raft.

But Kenee said to Jonathan: “Ducks in a pond.”

“Ho. What’s that? Ducks in a pond!”

“Something I heard someone say,” Kenee said. “I think it means: vulnerable.”

“Oh. Yeah. That’s what it means. –Oh, I see what you’re getting at. You’re wondering if there will be more men? If they will pick this spot to make a go at us?”

“Yes.” Said Kenee.

“Hmm.” Said Jonathan. “Aw—give me a minute.” And he went over and squatted down beside the pilot who was working on some logs with his hatchet.

“Hey there! Got a minute?”

“I guess.” Said the pilot.

“You recall our previous conversation, about the guys who were following us?”

“Yes, I recall.”

“So, umm; perhaps they have a radio; and called ahead?”

“Yes. Likely.”

“Then…more guys could have been sent out already?”

“Yeah. I was thinking that.”

“Well, Kenee brings up a good point: that this is kind of a vulnerable area, crossing the river. –we’re kind-of-like- --sitting ducks—Do you see what I’m getting at?”

The pilot looked up from his work. “Already thought about that.”

“Oh. You did! And do you mind sharing those thoughts with me!?”

“Okay. Yes. This would be a good spot to attack us. We’re in the water. Can’t defend ourselves. Can’t really turn back. Just wait on the shore for us to climb out.”

“Sure.” Said Jonathan. “Or just pick us off with rifles—if you don’t want to leave witnesses.

I’ve been meaning to ask you anyway about this… You knew Amero quite well. He said he knew you.”

“Yes, I know him.”

“So… you’ve been up around the Keturah area?”

“Yes. My family and I don’t live far from there.”

“And they’ve never come for you. All that time—or—how long has it been?”

“It’s been three years, since I left the organization. –But this is not their jurisdiction.”

“Jurisdiction? Oh!”

“Yes. Like you suggested. They must have been tracking your plane.”

“Aw. Let me understand. –so, they must have come to where you live –where your plane was—and put the tracker in the plane but they, didn’t attack you, or try to take you?”

“Yes. Something like that. They wouldn’t try to take me on that side of the border.”

“Oh.” Said Jonathan. “I see. –After we crossed the gulf, we crossed in…right!”

“That’s right! Now we’re in their country.”

“Aw. So, you’re like me! You were living away from home. Away from your own country.”

“That’s right,” said the pilot. “I’m home now. And now, --they come to get me.

They must have been waiting for me to make a flight across the border. They must have inside information. Were alerted to my flight plan. And coordinated their attack accordingly.”

“So, this is why you want to get into a town with a lot of people.

But I’m betting you’re not really feeling safe--either way?”

“No. I’m not feeling safe either way.”

“Oh boy,” said Jonathan. “This river crossing is sounding like –a potentially bad idea.”

“It could be! –for all I know, their—hiding—right there—in the forest; on the other side of the river.”

“Listen, Augh. I need to bring Mom and Dad in on this.”

“Do as you like!”

So, Jonathan got up, and he went and he sat down beside Mom and Dad, and he told them everything he knew.

Understandably, Mom was very concerned.

Dad appeared to be calm. He said: “We could ask Kenee to scout around on the other side!”

Jonathan agreed: “That’s a good idea. They would never know she was there, from what I’ve learned about her, so far.”

So, they consulted with Kenee. Told her what they knew. Made their suggestion. And without hesitation, --Kenee agreed.

“I will swim over now. I will find out if there are any men there.”

And Mom said: “And what will you do, dear; if you find them?” Kenee, looked at Mom. Then she looked over at Jessica, Katelyn and Victoria, and she looked back.

Mom understood her meaning. But Kenee said: “Mom. What do you want me to do?”

“Honey. What I want most, is for you to be like God. But I love our family. I don’t want them to come to harm.

I know what you’re capable of, dear.

You said you didn’t kill the three men that were following us before. And yet they stopped following us. Whatever you did.

Could you do something like that again?”

Kenee looked at Mom in the eyes and then, she put her arms around Mom’s neck and she kissed her on the side of her face.

She had never done this before.

Mom was most evidently moved. And she had a difficult time containing her feeling.

Kenee saw, and felt all this.

She spoke softly in her mother’s ear: “These men, are strong. And they are wise in the way of battle. This time, they will expect me to be there. They will…” and Kenee hesitated; searching for the right word. “—Anticipate me.” She finished.

Mom asked: “Does this happen in the wild, Kenee? Do animals anticipate one-another?”

“Wolves.” Said Kenee. “The wolves… ---feign.”

“They feign?” Mom asked.

“Yes. It is a thing that Katelyn does. When she is trying to redirect you, from what she is really up to.”

“Oh. I see. –But how do wolves do this,” Mom asked, curiously?

Kenee explained: “When wolves are in battle, they will feign their shoulder. Perhaps their neck. Pretending to be vulnerable. But it is just a ruse. When the second wolf takes the bait, and comes in; the first then spins suddenly and strikes.”

“A ploy!” Said Dad. Who’d been listening, knelt down, and working on the raft a few feet away.

“You can run fast, Kenee. And you can run far without resting.

A short way behind us we passed a grove of bamboo. Often you can find hollow ones.

I know the darkness is not a problem for you.

Victoria and I are good enough archers, that we can shoot our arrows across this river to the bank on the other side.

We might not be able to hit anything, but we can make the distance.

If you had—aw—a breathing apparatus. A tube. That you could stick up above the water and breathe through. You could swim under the water from this shore to the other.

If we wrap our arrows in cloth and light them up with fire, it might make a good distraction.

There’s about an hour of daylight left.

To swim noiselessly it would take about twenty minutes to swim this river.

Let us make the preparations—and then—head out—coming up, out onto the other bank about dark.

Victoria and I will light up the beach, and you can get into the woods undetected.

Then run a wide circle.

Come up behind them.

…They won’t anticipate that!”

Chapter 57

When everything was ready, Kenee put her arrows into her makeshift quiver; and hung the quiver and her bow over her head and shoulder: under her armpit and behind her back.

She turned.

She smiled at everyone.

She lifted the bamboo tube to her mouth and tested a quantity of air.

Without a word, she turned; and sank into the water and disappeared beneath: all but for the breathing tube, which was virtually undetectable except under the closest of scrutiny.

Everyone else stayed back in the trees; not to expose themselves; and Dad and Victoria readied their bows.

With his binoculars the pilot watched Kenee’s progress.

The minutes ticked by. Very slowly it seemed.

Then, the pilot said—in almost a whisper— “Almost there—”

Dad and Victoria lit the ends of their arrows.

“Okay. Now!” Said the pilot.

And Dad and Victoria stepped out and launched!

--Up! And out! They flew across the river; and embedded in the sand, ten feet from the shoreline.

Kenee waited until a cloud had covered the moon; and lifted her eyes and nose up out of the water. Surveying the shadows and scenting the air.

She crawled out like a wary gopher, expecting to be eaten.

The flaming arrows were well oiled and continued to burn; sending up both fire and smoke.

The river beach was a mile in both directions. And the treeline---twenty-five feet away.

Under the cover of the night, in the distraction from the smoke, Kenee drew herself along like a snake, toward the concealment of the trees.

The pilot’s binoculars were night-vision; but they were exceeding their range.

“I think she’s made it into the trees,” he said. “Hard to tell.”

Kenee removed her Tee-shirt and squeezed out the river water, and hung it over a branch; She was shoeless. Dressed now only in her jean-shorts. Her bow and arrows over her shoulder, and her knife strapped to her hip and tied to her leg. Her Mother had secured her long, black-hair behind her back with bands.

She began her silent trek. At first at a walk; angling to the west, away from her entry point.

When she believed it was safe to do so, she began her run.

As Dad had prognosed, she ran far and fast: circling back, one hundred yards east of her target.

All that time she had looked, she had listened, and she had scented. And what she smelled brought an unbidden growl to her throat.

A man. A hundred yards away.

She slowed and approached cautiously.

The man’s position didn’t change. So, Kenee concluded that he watched the family, unaware of her presence.

She could tell by the strength of the scent, that he was a large man, who sweated easily.

She left her bow on her back.

Her knife slid from its sheath.

Kenee’s convictions and Mom’s, were synchronized… --Protect the family.

Too late, Kenee realized her mistake; as the rope tightened around her ankle.

The willow snapped. And she was rapidly drawn into the air and left dangling by one leg, with her head hanging six feet from the ground.

She immediately bent her body up to cut the rope. But with the accuracy of a cowboy, her right wrist was encircled in a loop, and her body was drawn sideways and tied off to a tree.

A large hand reached out and yanked away her knife.

Kenee turned to see him.

He was dressed in a strange garment: covered head-to-toe in a transparent covering. …His smell was faint.

But at the sound of a second voice, Kenee spun back to look upon the large man, with the strong scent.

This one spoke:

“Know your enemy.”

The first man looped a new rope over Kenee’s second leg and tossed it up over the willow and drew it taut.

The big man continued talking…

“When your pilot posted his flight plan, --at first—you were just irrelevant passengers. But after my men reported that they were taken out by a teenage girl, further investigation was due. So, we researched you. –A very amazing story.

If possible: You would be worth salvaging…

I’m afraid, however; the others need to be disposed with. Except, the pilot, of course. HE NEEDS TO RETURN, and face the consequences of his desertion.”

He reached up and grabbed her left arm.

Kenee resisted.

“Wow. You are very strong.”

He looped a rope around that arm as well and tied it off on the other side from the first.

“I also was raised in the forest.” He continued. “But my training was…somewhat different than yours.

From our research, we discovered: You can actually—scent your prey.

Impressive. A very useful skill—that backfired on you this time.

You see, my friend’s protective clothing masks his odour; whereas, mine, I allowed free.

There is so much I could teach you, if you would submit to my will, and to our training. He laughed… from that ferocious look in your eyes, I imagine that would be difficult at first.

Perhaps, I will keep the littlest one alive; and hold her over you. Use her security, as an option you could win—for compliance.

I could raise you—into a great soldier.”

During all this talk; the wolf was silent. Her eyes burned with desire, to seize the throat of her opponent, --her torturer—and to watch him, bleed out upon the ground.

“—Hmm!” He saw this. “…Not much dog—left in you!”

Chapter 58

The first soldier had removed his transparent protective covering and the leader removed the arrows and other content from Kenee’s quiver.

“This is interesting,” he said, holding up a radio in a plastic bag. The button had been modified so the receiver remained on. Understanding this, the leader spoke into it. “I presume you can hear me,” he said in a contemptuous, self-assured voice. “You don’t need to acknowledge, Jacob. I know you can hear me. My proposal is simple: one mercenary in trade for another. Give yourself up, and I’ll let the girl go. I’ll let them all go. All I want is you.”

Jonathan stepped close to the pilot’s face and said, “Sounds like an opportunity for self-sacrifice to me.”

“Wouldn’t do any good,” said the pilot; with so much conviction that it unnerved everyone who heard. The pilot turned and looked at Jonathan squarely--to add emphasis to what he was about to say. “He’s a liar. He means to kill you all.”

“Noted,” said Jonathan.

“How did he capture our girl?” Dad sputtered, with a gasp, that brought Mom’s arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.

The pilot answered, “It’s the boss, not just one of his men who came. He is a crafty character; and he has his ways. Kenee would have had no defence against such a twisted mind.”

The boss allowed time for Jacob’s consideration and he turned back to his captive. He ran a rugged finger admiringly across the scars on Kenee’s bare chest. “I would love to hear your story, child; over a couple of stiff drinks.

You and I are so much alike. I too grew up under adverse circumstances; and I also have training. We are very much the same in who we are, and what we believe about life and survival. We were both sent out alone into the world, and we have lived our life alone. And no one comes to our rescue, except ourselves. We are apart. Separate. Together, we could do great things.”

The soldier beside him leered, but he kept his voice contained.

They loosened one rope at a time and secured Kenee’s arms tightly around her body. And then they lowered her to the ground and the boss picked her up like a sack of potatoes and threw her up over his shoulder. And together they advanced towards the beach.

He knew that Jacob would have binoculars; so, he stood the wolf upon her feet, and he spoke into the radio: “Jacob! Here is the prize! Come and get her from me.”

There had been no rifle shells found in the plane; so, the boss presumed at best Jacob might have a handgun, which would be useless at the distance across the river. And he had noticed the makeshift nature of the bows and arrows, obviously rendered from whatever material had been at hand. So, he left Kenee standing beside his first officer and he stepped further--out onto the beach; exposing himself in mockery; supposedly in a gesture of good faith.

At a noise behind him, the boss turned to see Kenee removing the remainder of the ropes from her arms. Beside her, gurgling into the sand, the other soldier lay bleeding out.

“Aw: too bad,” said the boss; pulling his revolver from his holster.

“Now look what you’ve done.”

And he raised the handgun, levelling his aim at Kenee’s forehead.

But Kenee was not looking into the face of her own death…

She was looking into the eyes of her sister; and the tears that would soon be flooding down her face.

The soldier fell to his knees in the sand and looked in astonishment at the arrow protruding from his chest. Kenee’s own eyes filled with tears. “No…...,” she mourned. On the other side of the river, Jonathan had snatched the binoculars from the pilot’s hands and was watching the drama unfold on the opposite beach. And in a voice that only he heard, he reiterated, “Whatever it takes.”

Kenee approached the dying soldier. “No--,” she said. “I am not like you…

--And I am—not alone.”

Chapter 59

Mom, was definitely on the side of calling the authorities.

Dad wasn’t sure if that was the first order of business.

He was thinking, for Victoria’s sake, they should call the family lawyer.

Jacob was definitely against involving the police. And after expressing his reasons, he drew Jonathan over to his side of the argument.

Jacob said: “We are just over the border. And these men: Their organization: is connected on both sides.”

He looked at Mom and Dad and he said: “This is not a matter of propriety, or honesty. It’s a matter of self-preservation.

The best thing we can do here—He continued—is to bury these men, and then—go to the nearest city, where we can rent a chopper. I’ll fly us back to the plane and we can all get our stuff. Take the chopper back. You can rent a car. I’m heading home to Keturah. And you guys should go north.

Don’t look back; and don’t tell anybody about this—ever!”

And when Mom still seemed doubtful, the pilot added very seriously: “If you care about your children’s lives, and your own… --Do as I say.”

Jonathan pitched in at this point. “Mom. Dad. The police here along the border, are not like our Rangers back home. A significant portion of their income comes from bribes. The Drug Cartels, Human Trafficking, and the import and export of a thousand kinds of illegal products. They shoot you first here. They may, or they may not, ask you any questions.

Let’s take Jacob’s advice. Let’s just go home.”

The pilot and Jonathan dug the first hole. And with Dad’s help, they dug the second.

Kenee did not help.

Kenee understood about burying now. But her single-minded concern was for Victoria.

She sat with her on the sand near the edge of the water, with her arms around her.

Mom sat some distance apart with Jessica and Katelyn. She watched her two oldest daughters; but she didn’t know what to do. And she didn’t know what to say.

She reasoned to herself that Kenee understood, better than she ever could, what someone should feel; what someone should say, after something like this.

But Kenee said nothing. There was nothing--to say.

Nothing could fix this.

The best comfort was in her closeness; and she held Victoria tight; and she cried with her.

When the soldiers were buried, Jonathan took branches and brushed over the site.

Dad and Jacob threw grass and leaves and small twigs on top, and around the site, as naturally looking as possible.

Kenee reached underneath Victoria’s legs and picked her up easily and carried her to Mom; and the five of them held each other, and cried again.

The pilot had removed the arrow from the chest of his old boss.

“Don’t want to leave any tell-tale signs, in case this ever is discovered and investigated.

Jonathan took the arrow from him; put it in his bow, and shot it out into the deepest part of the river.

Kenee said: “We too, should go into the river. We should walk through the water in case they try to track us.”

So, the eight of them waded into the river until the water was up to about Mom’s knees.

They walked along the soft river floor for about three kilometres until the beach was replaced by a rocky shoreline; and rocks began to jut out of the river, with water-sodden tree-limbs caught between them.

Jonathan said: “Kenee: what is that rushing sound, I’m hearing up ahead?”

“Waterfall.” Kenee answered. “We should get out of the water now.”

They all clambered out over the rocks, and up a hill to a flatter terrain among the trees.

They continued west, until the forest fell-off suddenly, like a cliff; and the waterfall was a roar now, as the river water tumbled over the falls—into the lake below.

It sent up a mist all around, that wet their hair and their clothes.

“It’ll be hard getting down from here,” Dad said.

“If we could; It’d be an easy walk along the lake,” Jonathan noted.

“It would be a good time to have a long rope.” The pilot stated.

He and Jonathan were excluded from the nostalgic reminiscence this situation evoked, in the other members of the family.

Kenee went back along the trail and returned with a large rock.

She hefted it up and she threw it in an arch over the falls, and into the water below. It sunk immediately and deeply without any interference.

Dad looked at her: “Its deep than?”

“Yes. We can jump with our feet first,” Kenee said. “I will carry Jessica.”

“What!?” exclaimed Jessica.

“Penguins off the iceberg,” Katelyn said: relishing the drama of the moment; although terrified, never-the-less.

“It’s not that tall.” Mom intended to say as a comfort; though she spoke it with minimal conviction.

Before anyone could say anything further, Victoria ran past them all—leaping from the cliff—into the mist…until the splash below brought them to a realization, of the state-of-mind she was actually in.

When she had safely swam to shore, the pilot said: “Hmm.” And then he turned, and jumped himself.

Jonathan turned to Katelyn. “Hey, little Sis. Do you want to jump together?”

Katelyn nodded, and took his hand, and looked out over the edge of the cliff; “Okay.” And then they jumped.

Mom said: “I love you Hon; but I think I’ll jump by myself. I wouldn’t want you to land on top of me.”

Dad said: “You first then.”

And Mom did.

And then Dad lifted Jasper into his arms and turned and looked at Kenee: “Take care of the little one.”

Kenee nodded.

And Dad followed his wife, over the cliff and down into the water.

Jessica said: “Kenee: You are so good at climbing. If I were to climb on your back; maybe you could climb down?”

“Or, I could just—throw you over the cliff,” Kenee smiled.

Jessica said: “No.” And she held her arms out to Kenee.

And Kenee picked her up and held her tight; and without hesitation—leapt over the edge, and launched them into the mist.

Chapter 60

The family rented a van; and it took three days to get home.

They took the advice of the pilot. But in their minds, they did plenty of “looking back.”

A seven-seater van is not actually spacious for seven people, with their luggage and a dog.

Dad, Mom, and Jonathan took turns driving.

When Dad and Mom were in the front seat, Jonathan and Kenee were in the middle. And the younger three girls were in the back.

Jasper ran between them: sat, or lay on the floor.

It was an opportunity for Jonathan to get to know Kenee better.

He asked her questions about her life as a child in the park. Although he realized, by age, she was--very much--still a child, and innocent in many ways; but by character, and abilities, she had advanced development. Due—he presumed—from the many hardships she had gone through.

“The Park is big, Kenee.” Jonathan said. “Even at your pace, it must take five or six days to cross, from the east side to the ocean in the west. And it’s pretty much square.

I understand there are seven sets of Rangers that watch over it.

You must have encountered some of there officers in the five or almost six years that you were there?”

“Yes.” Said Kenee. “I encountered some of them.”

“I take it from your tone; you didn’t find the experiences rewarding.”

“The experiences, were mostly dangerous, Jonathan.

At first, I wanted to be found. But I had gone the wrong way. When our cabin had burnt, I went north-west toward the hot-springs.

Many different animals chased me. Hunted me. It was months before I was able to return to where my cabin had been.

The cabin is not too far from the East Gate. Mostly that’s where people come to camp. About a third of the Rangers focus their efforts in that area; to watch over them and to supervise them.

Sometimes hunters came into the park. And they brought their dogs.

Sometimes, the dogs would hunt me!

And there was one…who shot from far away. And that time I was hit in the shoulder. Here—” And Kenee pulled down her shirt off her shoulder to show Jonathan the scar where the bullet had gone through.

“I was running along a cliff in the late evening when I was shot; and I fell down into a ravine, through the trees growing along its side wall.

I awoke, partially submerged in the water of the river that runs through that ravine.

Broken branches from my fall partially concealed me.

I do not know how long I was laying there, but the evening shadows were darker, then when I fell.

I was badly hurt and bleeding a lot and I crawled out-of-sight when I heard the voices of two men and a dog coming near the cliff edge.

I crawled closer to the cliff wall and hid in a crevice.

The dog could not find any way down into the ravine to search for me.

At that time, I could still understand some of our language; and I remember the men saying, they didn’t know where I had gone to; but they thought they had hit me.

I found my caves early on, in the first month; and I stayed there the most.

It was the spring of the year when the cabin burnt down.

That first month was cold; and few things were growing yet. But I had my Mother’s Book, about things you could eat in the park: Roots, and nuts; dried fruit—still on the trees and frozen; and vegetation in the streams. And I caught some small fish with my hands.

As the birds began to lay eggs, I would take the eggs and eat them.

Sometimes I ate the birds too.

The wolves would track me. They would chase me up a tree. Or into a cavern in the side of a cliff; and then they would try to dig me out. But eventually, one of them, would catch the scent of a dear, or some other prey, and off they would all go.

But the cats were the worst.

They were patient. And they could climb trees. Only to the highest branches they couldn’t climb; and I was small. And when I hid in the cliff of a rock; or even in a cave; they would wait for me. Sometimes above, or to the side. Sometimes for days.

One time I thought I would starve, or die from thirst. The cat that was after me—it would not go away. Finally, a bear came and chased it off. It was good, that after the bear smelled me, it took no interest in me.”

“Did nothing befriend you, in all that time,” Jonathan asked. “Didn’t you make—like—a pet—or something.”

“No. No pets…

But: --A friend; perhaps.

Blankie.”

“What!? You said: Blankie?”

“Yes. That’s what I called him.

His Mother had been a hunting dog. She was brought into the park with hunters, who were hunting illegally.”

“Oh.” Jonathan said. “Poachers!”

“Yes.” Said Kenee. “They sent her out, but she got lost. She came as far as the mountains. And there the wolves found her.

Wolves hate dogs. And it would be there way to kill this one. But she was in the way of a female.”

“Sorry. Pardon. –What do you mean: the way of a female?”

“The way that females are different than males.

“Um. Okay! How’s that?”

“She wanted to have puppies.”

“Oh! She was in heat!”

“Yes. She came into heat, while she was in the forest.

So, the wolves did not kill her. But they kept her.

They were –with her.

And she was useful to them.

A wolf has a keen sense of smell; but this dog—she was much better! She could track a scent far more than they.

They let her do this for them. Then they would go in for the kill. But she died one day, on the antlers of a large moose.

She was a great hunter. But she was not fast.”

“And did she have puppies… from this encounter with the wolves,” Jonathan asked?

“Yes!” Said Kenee. “She had one puppy. A male.

The father was, a large grey wolf. And the pup came out—similar to him. He was strong and fast. He was smart. But he had his mother’s ability to follow a scent. This pleased the other wolves.

But he was a male. And he was half dog. And as often as they would let him join them for the hunt; they would reject him afterwards. So Blankie often ranged alone…

Much like Kenee.”

Chapter 61

As they drove in the driveway, Jonathan got out first. And Jasper followed him.

Then Kenee, and the other girls; Mom and Dad; all looking around forlornly.

“Mom said: “It seems like we’ve been away for a long time.”

The house sitter; a girl from the Bible college, came out of the house in a cheerful mood.

“I’m glad to see you!

When you quit calling and emailing me, just after boarding that airplane; I didn’t know what had happened to you.

I told my mother; I was afraid you had died!”

Mom went up and gave her a hug. “Thank you for watching over our home, while we were away. Please, tell your mother, that we are fine. Dad will drive you home; if you want to get your things. He has to drop off this van at the rental agency.”

Victoria, Katelyn and Jasper went into the house. But Jessica stayed outside with Kenee.

She looked up at her oldest sister’s face.

“I can see what you’re thinking, on your face Kenee.”

“Oh. Can you now, little sister.” Kenee smiled; looking down upon her sister’s remarkably beautiful countenance.

“You’re wondering about the park. I heard you talking with Jonathan on the way home.

You miss the Park!”

“Of course, I do,” said Kenee. “But now I’ve seen many parks—other forests; and a jungle.”

“Does that mean you’re not going to run off there tonight?”

“That’s right, little one; I’m not going to run off there tonight.”

Mom came up and put an arm around Kenee. “That’s good to hear, daughter. Perhaps the Park seems a little smaller than it did before?”

“The Park, is the same, as it has always been, Mom. But I think that it is Kenee, that is different.”

“I think; we’re all a little different, after the things we’ve been through lately,” Mom said. “Let’s go in the house.”

---Killing a human being, is different than killing an animal.

Although, many animal advocates would argue this point.

But even, well trained soldiers find it difficult. And the effect of such an action upon the life of a child can be ruinous. Even in the defence of another. Even when—inaction—would have unthinkable consequences.

The loss of human life, for a normal person, is instinctually abhorrent.

We struggle to justify concepts like: necessary or deserved. And though the person we love, is safe in our arms, as a result of our heroism; --guilt, renders it an impotent glory. Unworthy of praise; or reward.

Into such; Victoria immersed; covering herself, in secret despair.

It is most difficult for God to help us, when we wallow in self-loathing; and shut out His light, and refuse to except His forgiveness. And see only what we have done. Refusing to accept, what He is trying to do within us.

That self-injurious behaviour, is very hard to repair.

And so, Victoria, put on a good face; especially toward her own heart. And found herself—wandering afar, from those who most loved her; and who would have been the most able to restore her.

Mom came out of the house and into the back yard, where three of her daughters were sitting around, a late November afternoon/pre-evening campfire.

They were pouring over a star chart that Katelyn had downloaded from the Space Agency.

They had their telescope set up.

Katelyn had fixed it to the right angle and position.

Now there was a three hour wait till 6:05 pm.; when they hoped to witness a two-comet interaction: predicted to collide in a spectacular viewing for amateur astronomers.

“Have any of you seen Victoria,” Mom asked? “I thought she would be with you. We have to leave for gymnastics—in half an hour.”

Katelyn didn’t look up; but she said: “Nope!”

Kenee looked up, but she shook her head, “No.”

Jessica, who was sitting on Kenee’s knee, looked at her mother and said: “I saw her; with her bow and arrows. She went that way—into the woods!”

“What!” said her mother! With such disconcertion that it startled Kenee; who leapt to her feet, sending Jessica flying.

--It broke Katelyn’s concentration, and she said: “What is the problem?”

“Your sister has gone into the woods by herself, with her bow and her arrows.”

“Oh!” said Katelyn: “I hope she brings us back a deer!”

Looking up from where she was now sitting, on the cold, damp, ground; Jessica said: “I hope she doesn’t shoot any people!”

Mom looked at Jessica, like she might send her to her room for a time out, for the rest of the night!

Katelyn saw this, and she looked at Jessica with a ghastly look of pretended foreboding.

Kenee moved quickly past Mom, toward the house.

Mom called after her: “Kenee…Where are you going?”

Kenee spun—walking backward—with no lessening of intention: “To get my bow and arrows.

She backed up to the steps, while she said: “Victoria, is not herself. Some part of her, did not return with us. She left it on that beach.”

“I know.” Said Mom. Emotions welling up in her eyes, and choking her breath.

“—Go! Find her. –I will call Dad; and the Rangers.”

Mom was on her phone when Kenee came out of the house, looking like her old self. Her knife strapped to her hip. Her bow over her shoulder. Her long, black hair, hanging down behind her. But she was dressed warmly; even wearing shoes.

Katelyn and Jessica were on their feet as she passed them.

Jessica reached out her hand and grabbed her.

Kenee stopped and turned and hugged her littlest sister.; and looked at Katelyn, who’s face was now full of worry.

Kenee didn’t speak out loud; but she conveyed her assurances to Katelyn with a nod.

Disentangling herself from Jessica, Kenee took off at a run.

Chapter 62

Kenee wore a thin fibered waterproof jacket, and matching pants. Her shoes were similarly constructed. The jacket came with a hood, hanging down her back. But her hair flowed over it.

It would turn out to be a bad night for viewing the stars; As snow began to fall and blow about, in a chilly flurry.

Victoria’s tracks were soon covered; and the increasing winds disseminated her scent. Within twenty minutes, Kenee was only guessing the direction Victoria had taken.

Within and hour, she was certain she had totally lost her.

Kenee had lost a trail before; but never one so vital.

She stopped, and smelled—testing the wind: hoping for some small indication of the direction, Victoria had gone.

She spoke out loud; longing for Victoria to hear the thoughts of her heart.

“You were right about me, Sister: I still have some fears.”

At the end of the second hour, Kenee knew, Victoria would be very cold; frightened, and fervently praying.

Kenee could hear those long, passionate prayers; that she had listened to so many times, outside the girl’s window.

When she knew, nothing else to do. And she knew Victoria’s time was growing short. She fell to her knees and she called out to the Only One she believed could help her.

“Oh, God! Who Loves Kenee. Help me to find my sister. Do not let her be killed.”

Kenee heard a sound.

She rose and spun in a single motion. And there. Twenty feet away, observing her curiously, sat the wolf-dog, Blankie.

The eyes of the two wild creatures met; in mutual acceptance, and reacquaintance.

Kenee drew from her pocket, Victoria’s mittens, which she had brought with her in case Victoria was cold when she found her.

She tossed one now toward Blankie; and it fell at his feet.

He sniffed it, as if it might be food; for in the past, Kenee had shared food with him, in like manner.

He looked up at Kenee and turned his great white head to the side in a questioning manner—like Jasper would have done.

Kenee’s eyes were pleading, that he would understand.

He turned, as if to leave. She had seen him detach himself from the pack when the hunt was done, and he was no longer useful. But in her desperation—a weakness—the wolf-dog had never observed in the solitary one, she spoke to him: “Please, Blankie. Help me. Help me find my sister.”

The wolf was unmoved.

But something in the dog heard the heart of the human. –A bond that had formed many years ago, between the two outcasts. A call from the soul of his mother; to join in the task; to understand the need. To belong.

Before him stood the only creature, who had ever seen past its use for him. And Blankie turned back, and he went to the mitten and smelled it again.

He looked up at Kenee; and he whined.

When he turned this time, she understood. As he leapt away, she was immediately in his wake.

The two ran side-by-side. Kenee could feel the wolf-dog tremble at her closeness.

They came to a meadow where two great-green-pines stood side-by-side.

The two rescuers faced the wind. And unilaterally breathed in the mixture of breezes.

Kenee had it now. The scent of Victoria. But also—the pack.

The dog whined for the threatened child. But the wolf did not whine.

The wolf growled. And Kenee understood, that this time Blankie would not be turned away from the pack. And he would not shrink from the challenger.

He had brought the solitary one to the child. And the solitary one would stand at his side.

They raced ahead, together; into the extended meadow where the cliffs towered.

The wolves surrounded a barrier of rock, that separated the trees from the lake.

And through these trees, Kenee saw Victoria, standing on a ledge, her bow in her hand; three wolves laying dead at its base.

But there were many more. And their leader was resolved. He was not so young as he had been.

He was the son of the Great Black. But other younger wolves occasionally challenged him now.

He needed a win, to refortify his claim to the throne.

Kenee reached back—drew up her own bow—as she ran.

The wolves turned from their prey at the advance of the outcasted ones.

There were ferocious snarls among them at the sight of Kenee.

The great white wolf at her side ran forward faster than she.

He launched--fully intent—to life—or death.

His rejection from the pack had ended.

The growl of his challenge hurled ahead of him; and the black leader met him; while the other wolves stepped aside, without interference, to await the outcome.

But Kenee, was another matter.

They would not stand down to her.

To much bitterness existed between them.

None among them, had escaped loss at her account.

So, she shot her arrows as she closed on them; and from above the ridge, Victoria did the same.

And then Kenee was in their midst.

Her bow back over her shoulder, and her knife was drawn.

Left and right she slashed as they leapt at her; snarling and snapping, and reaching for her throat.

Blood abounded: spraying into the air, and saturating the ground.

And then, in a great rush, they overcame her; and she went down.

Chapter 63

The Son of the Great Black had been in many battles, contending for his leadership.

Rapidly closing the gap between them, was the only creature he had ever feared.

How many times he had used his half-brother’s gift for tracking, --and then—when they had pulled down the prey; allowed the pack to chase him away.

How many times he had observed, the smooth rippling muscles beneath the silver fur of the hated wolf-dog.

Despised and out-casted as a puppy. Reintroduced into the pack, at times of scarcity. His unique ability to follow the trail. To detect the faintest wisp of a scent.

He had inherited the strength and swiftness of his father; but there was a way about him, that differed from the thinking of the wolves, that unsettled the pack whenever he was among them.

The Black-One leapt forward. And an instant later—they clashed.

From her ridge, Victoria continued to shoot arrows into the wolves that were joining the fight against Kenee.

She could no longer see Kenee; there were so many wolves swarming over her.

She wondered if they could even find her in that mass.

Completely occupied with her concern for Kenee, Victoria hadn’t given a minute of her mind to the other battle that was raging; now, --two hundred feet to her west.

In all his life, the great silver wolf-dog had never barked.

He had heard his mother bark. He knew the other wolves hated the sound of it.

But now he stepped away, from the dead carcass beneath his feet; and in the direction of the battle against Kenee—he roared! A strange and fearsome, barking-growl. It startled the wolves around him; and those who were fighting against Kenee…, stopped! Adhering to his command. And backed away.

The Forest Child lay still. Her knife fallen from her unconscious fingers.

Blankie pushed forward between the shoulders of his new subjects, until he came to Kenee.

He smelled her. He listened to her faint heartbeat, and her irregular breathing.

The prey, climbed down from the cliff. And the wolves moved toward her. But they broke off their advance at a warning growl from Blankie.

Seeing she’d been given a pass; Victoria went straight to Kenee and knelt down beside her.

Kenee’s breathing was shallow. Victoria put her ear to her chest.

There was a dead wolf across Kenee’s legs, and on both sides of her.

As Victoria dragged off the one, half covering her sister’s body, --Kenee awoke for a moment.

Her eyes opened, and she saw Victoria standing over her.

Kenee’s voice, as she spoke, was softer than Victoria had ever heard it; and frightened her, in its weakness.

Kenee said: “God answered my prayer; My Sister. You did not die.”

As Victoria knelt back down beside her; Kenee fell back into unconsciousness.

The great wolf-dog came closer. But something in its manner reassured Victoria that she was safe.

There were many slashes through Kenee’s clothing, and blood oozed from some.

With such blood-loss, Victoria didn’t want to remove Kenee’s clothing and expose her to more--cold. So, she removed her own coat. And then her blouse. And picking up Kenee’s knife, she made cuts in the material and tore strips for bandages.

She put her coat back on her naked torso, and went to work bandaging Kenee’s cuts, over top of her clothing.

Kenee was so cold. And Victoria wished she had paid more attention to Kenee’s fire-making classes.

The wolf-dog came so close, Victoria could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck.

He pushed in beside her, to smell Kenee again.

This time, he whined with worry. He lay down with his head on Kenee’s bandaged shoulder, and closed his eyes.

Victoria hadn’t realized from Kenee’s stories, the depth of connection this animal had with her. But she saw in his action, a way to raise Kenee’s body temperature.

Opening the front of her coat, she lay down on Kenee, and wrapped it around them both.

The wolf-dog moved out of the way for this, but then lay his head down again; this time on top of Victoria.

The wolves could not bear any longer the strange behaviour of their new leader. And one-by-one they rose from where they sat or lay. And like the cold wind blowing through the park, displacing Autumn with winter, --so the wolves—took their cold, black-hearts, and dispersed among the trees; and disappeared amidst the shadows of the night.

Chapter 64

When the bleeding had mostly stopped and Kenee’s body temperature had risen. Victoria left her in Blankie’s care; and took Kenee’s knife and her own, and went to the trees and wore out the edge of both, sawing away at saplings.

Victoria kept a larger inventory than Kenee would have considered necessary.

When Victoria returned with a large portion of long poles, she saw that Kenee had stirred. Her arm was around Blankie, and her fingers were embedded in his collar fur.

Victoria had brought with her, both food and water and a rope in her backpack.

She realized, that these small quantities wouldn’t have sustained her for ever. But she had believed that the wolves couldn’t reach her on the ledge she had fled to.

Kenee had told her, that the pack can be very patient once they have their prey at bay.

Eventually, her family would have found her, dead on the ridge; if Kenee had not come to rescue her.

But now: She needed to rescue Kenee.

Kenee could not take food. But a couple of times she came to consciousness, and Victoria was able to get water into her.

She needed this most; from the loss of volume from her bleeding.

As precious as her supply was; she poured some into the cup-of-her-hand and offered it to Blankie.

He had been with them all night.

He had not left Kenee’s side.

Blankie smelled the water and licked it from her hands. And then went to work licking his own wounds that he had sustained in his fight with the black leader.

Victoria marvelled, at his beautiful silver coat.

He was huge. Even among the wolves.

He was taller than most.

He was solid built; and Victoria knew he must be very strong.

--And yet—Kenee had referred to him as being fast and agile.

Victoria had to re-sharpen her blades, on rocks, as Kenee had taught her to do. Then she un-braided her rope into thinner strands, and fashioned the saplings into a platform, with the poles jutting out past the ends.

In soft tones she spoke to Blankie. “I know that you are a wolf in at least half of your heart. But if we are to save Kenee, I must take her home.

You are strong. And there is as much good in you as in my dog Jasper. If he were here, I know that he would help me.”

Blankie did not shy away when Victoria reached out toward him.

Something inside his half-dog heart, yearned for the touch of a human.

The girl stroked his head and down his back. There was a warm sensation that came over him. And he felt feelings he had never known before.

Pleasurable, was the touch of this girl’s hand. She was not like the solitary one.

Her eyes were soft. Her demeanour was gentle. Her voice, --soothing.

And the strokes of her hand, drew out-of-him years of loneliness and isolation.

In a matter of minutes, he had sold his heart; and knew that he belonged to her.

For the dog, in him; desired this, above all things.

Blankie stood for her, as she lay her platform on his back.

From one side of the platform, Victoria ran a rope around the front of Blankie’s chest, and a second rope, over his back, to meet the first behind his front legs.

On top she made a thick bed of leaves, long grass, and moss; and lifted Kenee and lay her gently down, and secured her on it. And then from behind, she lifted the second set of legs and held the bed level.

Victoria had no idea if Blankie could even guess what way to go. But she knew, with his immense size and power; had he refused to help her: he would have been an unmovable anchor if placed in the back. And if he now chose to abandon them; he could effortlessly have dragged both her and Kenee away to anywhere he wanted to go.

So, Victoria bowed her head. And she said to God: “I have few choices here, Father. I need to get my sister home. But I cannot control the wolf, inside this dog. Kenee has come so far, in our family and with You. Help us to make these next steps, that she might live, and continue these relationships.”

Chapter 65

William Calvert; Head Ranger; returned Mom’s call, just as Dad and Jonathan were returning from town.

“I got your message,” Bill said. “You sounded urgent! What’s the problem?”

As Mother was explaining the predicament to the Ranger, Dad and Jonathan got out of the car and hurried toward her. She’d called them with the news and they had come directly home.

“Bill Calvert’s on the way,” She informed them.

Dad immediately went into the house and changed into rugged clothing.

To some degree, everyone had adopted Kenee’s ways. And dad strapped on his knife and put his own bow over his shoulder. He had a rope tied around his belt; and his flashlight. And Mom handed him a small pack with food and water and a medical and survival kit.

Jonathan did not immediately consent to this intended action.

“Dad! What do you think you’re going to do? You’re just going to go out there and get lost!

Kenee is trailing her. She will find Victoria and bring her home.”

Dad shook his head and pushed past him.

“It’s a premonition,” Mom said. “Something is wrong. It’s not working out the way you expect.”

Jonathan had reached out and taken the back of Dad’s coat, in order to forestall him; but with Mom’s words, --he released him.

“Okay,” he said: “Wait! Give me a minute.

Let me grab some gear and I’ll come with you.”

It took Jonathan ten minutes to get himself ready; but Dad had waited, and they went out the door together; down the steps and out across the yard. Toward the woods. With Katelyn and Jessica walking along at their side and, Mom trailing them.

Twenty-five yards from the edge of the forest they stopped, and stared in shocked surprise.

Out through the trees came a great silver wolf.

Jasper bristled. A deep-throated growl rumbled out of him.

The wolf stopped.

Dad could see; there was something attached to him.

And then Victoria, glided up beside him, and lay a hand on his head.

“This is Blankie,” she said. “Kenee is on this stretcher. She needs immediate help.”

----When Kenee’s eyes opened, she blinked in the overhead florescent lighting.

The smells and sounds of the hospital alarmed her senses.

She tried to sit up on the bed, but Victoria was sitting on the bed beside her. And a gentle hand pressed her back down.

One of Victoria’s comforting smiles reassured Kenee and calmed her.

“It’s okay, Kenee; You’re in the hospital. I’m here with you. You’re going to be fine.”

Kenee looked past Victoria at the faces of Mom and Dad, Katelyn and Jessica, and William Calvert.

Bill spoke first. “Hey. Wild one. –I’m going to have to write a book about all these adventures of yours.”

Mom came forward and leaned over and hugged Kenee. And Dad took her by the hand.

Katelyn sat on the bed beside Victoria; but Jessica climbed up onto the bed and lay down beside Kenee.

She buried her face in Kenee’s long, black, hair and began to sob.

Jonathan came in with coffee in both hands. “Hey, Sis. Jasper and that wolf-dog of yours wanted to come and visit…, but there are rules, you know.”

This joke, made Kenee smile; thinking of Blankie eating up the nurses.

Kenee turned to Victoria: “Blankie!” She asked?

“Yes.” Said Victoria. “He helped me pull you out of the woods on a stretcher. –He’s my dog now! Huh!” Victoria laughed.

Kenee’s face reflected her struggle to comprehend what possible events must have occurred, to transform Blankie, and retract him from the park.

Dad said: “Jasper’s a little afraid of him. But you know Jasper! He’s putting a lot of effort into being friendly.”

Kenee said: “Blankie has no friends.”

Katelyn answered: “—The wolf—no… But the dog in him. Yes! I think so. He wants to have a friend.”

Kenee said: “Be careful of the cats.

Blankie had a hard go against a lynx when he was a puppy.”

---The Doctor came in and looked at Kenee’s chart.

He carried it with him to the front of the bed; and he nodded acknowledgement to Mom and Dad.

And then he Addressed Kenee.

“Young lady…! I have practiced medicine for many years. But you have the strongest constitution I have ever seen.

We tested you for rabies. We sewed you up! And gave you a tetanus shot.

It’s only been a week. But your wounds are already showing signs of healing.

I’ve never seen the like of it.

They say you were in a fight for your life…with a pack of wolves?”

Until this, Kenee had said nothing. But now, she spoke in correction,

“They were in a fight for their lives. I have killed many of them.

God is strong, --inside Kenee.”

Victoria glanced up at the Doctor’s reflective expression; and smiled.

The Doctor dissolved his contemplative state; and looked seriously at Kenee and asked her: “From the look of the many scars on your body…, this is not your first encounter with wild animals.” --And he looked sternly toward Mom and Dad.

Intuitive Katelyn, could see clearly where his mind was heading.

From behind Victoria, she said to him: “If you’re making a report…, I can give you the names of her Social Workers!”

Mom turned to Katelyn; intending to refrain her. But then thought better of it, and took up the matter herself. But before she let loose on the poor doctor: Bill Calvert took the stage.

“Doctor! –My name is William Calvert. I’m Head Ranger in these parts.”

“I see,” said the doctor. “You’re visiting. You know all about this matter.”

“Doctor!” Bill continued. “Do you not read the papers, or watch T.V.? Do you not know who this girl is?”

“Yes. I know who she is--, she’s, my patient!

And no. I don’t get a lot of time to involve myself with media.”

Bill said: “Can you give me a minute!? Let’s step out into the foyer.

I have a bit-of-a story to-tell-ya.”

Chapter 66

This was the first Christmas, that Kenee or Blankie had known.

When the family went looking for their Christmas tree, they took their saw, and rope--to tie it to the top of the van.

This was the first time that Kenee had been back to the woods since the rescue of Victoria.

Victoria stood in an ancient sector, where the huge oaks and maples towered high into the sky.

It was an area of the Keneetian Park—unspoiled by the ravages of man.

She turned into the sun. She let its winter rays shine upon her face.

She smelled the sweet scent of the great green pines.

When she’d leave from home…, Blankie would sit in the driveway and wait for her.

When she returned; he was still there.

She wondered if he sat waiting for her the entire time.

She planned to elicit Katelyn’s help to test this.

He was probably sitting there now. Jasper trying to engage him in play.

She couldn’t determine which part of him was more loyal: The wolf; or the dog.

Kenee, had appeared oddly uninterested at their return to the forest.

Victoria watched her as she walked about gathering pinecones in a basket with Jessica.

Mom and Katelyn selected the tree. And Jonathan took the saw and soon had it on the ground.

The two men lifted the tree up on top of the van, and together they tied it down tight.

When they were done, Kenee climbed into the van with Jessica; talking about some point of interest; like they just spent the day at the mall.

Jonathan sat on the left in the back seat, with Jessica on the right and Kenee between them.

Victoria and Katelyn sat in the middle, and Jasper lay down in the isle.

---The rough measurements proved inaccurate; and the tree had to be trimmed to fit between the floor and the ceiling.

And Mom stood impatient for the second trimming, so the star could be placed on the top.

That done, Mom suggested Dad get some water to put in the basin beneath the tree base. And then she encouraged Jonathan to make some hot chocolate for everyone; partly to get the two men out of the way; so that she and the girls could decorate the tree properly.

Jonathan was actually pretty good at decorating; but maybe not, --working with Dad: who had the tendency to stand back and throw the tinsel at the tree randomly.

Kenee had seen birthday presents; and had presumed that these many were for Jesus.

When the decorating of the tree was completed and the lights turned on; Kenee stood back, --mesmerized, by the beauty of it. And Jessica began to take the presents out of the boxes and hand them to Mom to put beneath the tree; reading the labels as she went.

Kenee became aware, when she heard her name called out: “To Kenee. From Mom and Dad.”

She looked surprised; and she said: “It is not my birthday.”

Mom told her: “Do you remember when Dad had his birthday? The first time you ever went to the movies! And afterwards, he took us out for supper, and gave each of us a little gift to celebrate his day.”

“Yes… And we gave him gifts as well.

Victoria helped me to buy one for him.”

“That’s right!” Said Mom.

“God loves to give gifts. And He teaches us to give gifts to one-another, to celebrate His day.”

Kenee said: “I have some money I earned from the Rangers. When my birthday comes, I will buy each of you a gift.”

Mom gave her daughter a hug. “Whatever you wish.

Whenever you give a gift; it should come from the love of your heart.”

“I love you, in my heart.” Kenee said.

“I know you do… As we all love you.

This year is going to be an especially thankful Christmas.”

The family actually had two Christmas celebrations.

One at home, and one with the grandparents.

Kenee had many. As she was shared around among the homes of her relatives.

Kenee was in a solemn state of mind, after she’d come home from the hospital. No one had given it much concern. She had been through a hard ordeal. She had put on a happy Christmas face. But by the time she’d returned from all her family festivals, and the family sat down to their New Years meal, Kenee’s soul was like a ship amidst a great storm; trying to ride-out the waves; hoping her anchor would hold.

Everyone sat down and held hands, and Dad said the prayer of thanks, hope, and faith for the year past and the year to come.

And with the unilateral Amen--! –Jessica threw up her hands and shouted gleefully: “It’s Thanksgiving Again!” and everyone laughed.

It really was a great looking culinary display.

Mom was an amazing cook.

And Jonathan and the girls had baked about half of the dessert items.

Dad was not good at cooking.

But he was good at serving. And he cut up the turkey. And everyone, --including Jasper and Blankie and the two cats, --ate considerably more than they should have.

As they sat back, laughing and talking, and waiting for room for dessert; Jonathan spoke across the table to Kenee.

“Well Sister. Now that we’ve got our family safe and sound at home! What is the next great adventure on the agenda--in the life of Kenee?”

All eyes turned in Kenee’s direction, smiling in expectancy.

Kenee’s countenance and tone were resolved, as she spoke slowly and calmly.

“No,” she said. “–Not Kenee. –-Jennifer!

Blankie and Jennifer are home.

Kenee died in the woods…

Beneath a pile of wolves.”

Chapter 67

With Christmas and New Years and Victoria’s eleventh year birthday all completed, Jessica was looking for new adventures of her own!

She convinced her parents to allow her to join the local Rock-climbing club.

Mom agreed, after the administrator told her, that the little ones never climbed anything bigger than a boulder. Most of their climbing was done on the walls inside the gym.

While Victoria continued to be concerned about Kenee’s commitment—not to be Kenee; Jessica was happy to have a full-time sister, who spent so much time committed to her.

Not like Katelyn, who wouldn’t let Jessica play First-Player in their video games. And all of the activities they did together were orchestrated by Katelyn.

Kenee, on the other hand, went along with Jessica’s interests, and let her take the lead.

Victoria, of course, with the holidays over, had returned to gymnastics.

Dad had returned to work.

And Mom was busy with the hundred things she always had on the go!

Katelyn, Kenee, and Jessica had returned to school.

Kenee had not resumed her work with the Rangers, to their disappointment.

Everyone else in the family. Even Mom. Had attempted to coach her to do so. But she would not.

Nobody really understood why.

They understood her words. And they sympathized with her feelings. But they didn’t really understand what had happened.

Even Victoria, who had been right there…, couldn’t assemble a working theory. She couldn’t believe it was simply the fight with the wolves!

She told this to Bill, the Head Ranger.

“I saw what happened to her, Mr. Calvert!

But Kenee’s been in many battles. How is this one any different?”

“I agree,” said Bill, at the conclusion of their conversation. “Something more has happened than just the battle with the wolves.

--Well, if you learn anything more, let me know, Victoria.”

“I well, Sir.” Victoria promised.

--So, Jessica began rock climbing three nights a week.

The club was reasonably close to the gymnastics gym; so, Mom dropped both girls off at the same time; but it meant she had to return to the city an hour earlier than for Victoria alone. And it meant they had to wait around for an hour afterwards, because Jessica’s club ran three hours and Victoria’s gymnastics ran four.

The area around gymnastics was brightly lit. Having been refurbished out of a retired hockey rink, which was right next door to the high school. But the Rock-climbing club was more isolated. Down a less populous side street.

The owner of the climbing club arrived exactly on time. And he left exactly on time.

Locking the door. And anyone not picked up at closing time was abandoned to their own resources.

When it was time to go…he locked the door, got in his car, and went home.

--By nature, Mom, was always early for everything.

No one at gymnastics, --even at their inconvenience, would have left a child unattended if their parents had not yet shown up!

And Mom sat impatiently in a line of traffic, waiting for the construction flag-girl to let them through.

“How long is it going to take them to finish this road?” Mom said to Jasper. The only other occupant in the vehicle.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been late for anything.

She was already five minutes late today.

She fretted over the last six kilometres; until Jasper felt her worry and began to whine.

--The street was dark.

The lights were off in the club.

Jessica was nowhere to be found.

A teenager with a backpack coming home from school, up that long stretch, was just about to her house; turning into the driveway of her home when Mom rolled down her window of the van and called out to her.

“Have you seen a young girl! She attends this club! She was supposed to be waiting for me.”

The teenager turned and put down her backpack and came back down the street.

“Yes! I saw her. –She was asleep! Her uncle came and got her.

It seemed a little off to me. Him and his white van.

I didn’t say anything to him. But he said to me: ‘Poor little thing—she’s asleep!’

I don’t know why he told me that! –Was he not her uncle?”

Mom was having a hard time answering. Her heart was pounding so fast.

The teen could see the terrifying worry on Mom’s face; and she said: “Did he take her?”

Mom was phoning Dad. And she began trying to extract more information from the teen at the same time.

Dad couldn’t understand what had happened at first!

The teen said: “It was like a white work van.

It went down the street and turned right.”

“Did you see the licence plate,” Mom asked, hysterically?

“No…,” said the girl. “I didn’t.

But it smelt funny.”

“What!” said Mom?

“It smelled funny; like something was rotten in it.”

Dad and the Rangers arrived almost simultaneously.

The Rangers busied themselves quizzing the girl and looking for tire tracks.

Independently Bill Calvert arrived.

He’d heard on the Ranger’s radio.

He came directly to Mom and Dad.

“Are you guys, okay?

Listen, --we’re right on this. I’m calling out everybody. Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”

But Mom called home to Jonathan.

“Listen Son,” she said; “we need Kenee. Can you bring her?”

Jonathan couldn’t remember Mom ever calling him ‘Son’ before; —but of course…, “we’ll be right there.” And they must have driven quickly in Jonathan’s new Jeep, because they got there pretty fast.

Jonathan. Kenee. Katelyn. And to everyone’s surprise…, Blankie!

Dad had left in his work car and returned with Victoria.

And now that everyone was there, Mom asked Kenee: “Can you find her, daughter? Can you find your sister?”

Kenee looked stressed. She didn’t know what to say. She wanted to help desperately. But what she said to Mom was: “I can not track a van, like it was a deer in the forest. It has no hoof prints. And it has no scent.”

Considerably more police had arrived. The search party was expanding.

They brought with them some modern technology, and some dogs.

Victoria looked at these dogs; and then she turned to Mom and she said:

“Perhaps Kenee cannot! But maybe Blankie can.”

And Kenee turned to her; and her eyes brightened with hope.

“Yes!

Blankie, can!”

Chapter 68

Blankie was, in fact; already looking for Jessica.

He was a pack animal, and he recognized that she was missing.

Yet, her scent was in the air. But where was she…

He had moved away from the family. And Jasper had gone with him.

He had gone to the door of the club where Jessica’s scent was the strongest; sniffing the ground and the air as he went.

Jasper tried to emulate him. Sniffing the air! But he didn’t know what was on the ground.

Blankie found many scents. People from the club, going in and coming out through the door.

But every scent that went in, came back out; including Jessica’s.

He whined, when he’d isolated Jessica’s scent, standing alone. And Jasper whined too.

Everyone had left the club, walking along the sidewalk.

And starting at the door, Blankie began to trail down it.

But halfway down, Blankie stopped. He growled. The deep throated growl of a northern wolf.

This frightened poor little Jasper, and the hackles rose on the back of his neck. And he too growled.

Kenee heard this and she came toward them.

Blankie saw it before his eyes, scent-by-scent. Disseminating the intermingling persons into his conscious mind, where he interpreted their actions like the unfolding scenes of a movie.

The man had come out of the dark from the side, around the corner of the building.

Blankie saw where the scuffle began. Where Jessica ceased her struggle and fell to the ground. Where the man had picked her up and carried her.

Moving down the sidewalk, Blankie saw where the van had been parked. Its wheels in the mud.

Blankie sniffed the mud. He saw where the tires trailed out onto the road. And he began to follow them. Tracking them.

The teenage girl had been correct.

Something like rotten meat had been in that van. And the oil had not been changed in a while, and the exhaust from the tailpipes was a strong fume.

The three police dogs had been let loose. And they found Blankie’s presence to be very disturbing.

Clearly a wolf in their midst.

They were well trained, and they obeyed their masters; who called them back when Bill warned them to do so.

Bill told them: “They wouldn’t last long in a fight against Blankie. Just put them back on the leash. Let the wolf work.”

So, Blankie, and Kenee; followed by Jasper and Victoria, trailed down to the end of the street, and turned right onto the road that headed out of the city.

Blankie began to trot; with Kenee at his side.

As the houses fell away.

With only the moon to light their way.

Kenee now recognized the scent that Blankie was following.

The road became a hard-pressed gravel. And Blankie took up the long tireless loop of the hunting wolf.

Behind the four, came Mom and Dad, Jonathan and Katelyn in the van.

And behind them, a long trail of the Rangers.

At the end of five miles, Jasper’s feet were sore, and his breath was short.

So, Jonathan opened the van side-door and pulled him in.

But Victoria continued. Trailing along behind Blankie and Kenee.

--Jessica stirred.

Her eyes opened, and she looked around.

The smells were putrid.

The lighting was low.

She had been confined to some hard, cold, table.

Ahead of her was another table; beneath bright, overhead lights.

There were muffled noises behind her.

She turned as best she could in her restraints, to see what appeared to be cages. Or the bars of prison cells.

She heard a man’s voice as he stepped out of the darkness.

“—So: You’re awake!

I had hoped to perform the first cuts while you were still unconscious.

But that is all the same to me.”

“Who are you!” Jessica demanded? “What do you want from me?”

“—From you…! I want you to do what you’re told! And the first thing I want you to do, is to remove your clothing. – All of it.”

“I will not do that.”

The man came closer into the light, so Jessica could see him.

His face was gruff; like a few days unshaven.

His eyes were cold; but not unintelligent.

His voice was rasp; as he continued.

“I can remove the restraints. And you can take off your own clothes. Or I can leave them in place, and I will strip you myself.”

Jessica heard cries behind her.

The voices of young girls.

Whimpers of fear; mingled with the tone of hopelessness.

Jessica had turned her head half around at that; but she turned back and faced the man now.

The man spoke again. He said: “You have more spirit than the others. I will enjoy this more because of that.

Fight all you want. –I like a fight.”

Jessica looked him in the eyes. Though she felt fear, she refused to show it.

“You want me to be afraid! But I won’t give you that satisfaction.

--But you will be afraid!

Soon, my sister will come. And you will die. But before you die; I will punish you for what you have done to these girls.”

The man laughed. A mirthless, ridiculous laugh. As one, not entirely connected to reality.

“Another girl! Good! Let her come.

No one will find you here. But I will lay a trap for your sister.

And as for these…! You don’t know what I’ve done.”

And he turned up the house lights to let her see.

Jessica blinked in the bright light, and looked toward the cages.

Some of the girls came up to the bar. And Jessica could not restrain a gasp at what she saw.

“Make up your mind about the clothes. I need some tools. I’ll be back…”

When he had gone, Jessica called out to the girls.

“What has he done to you?”

There were seven cages.

Four of the girls stayed back against the wall; but three had come forward.

“He cuts us!” One spoke. “He takes our parts; and organs. He sells them!”

Jessica knew her face had to show, how deeply horrified she was.

“And when you have nothing else… He finally takes your heart?” She guessed.

“Yes.” Said the girl.

“And what does he do with the bodies…?”

“He takes it out! –But I don’t know where.”

Chapter 69

After ten miles of the steady trek, even Victoria was winded; and now also rode in the van.

The two wolves, up ahead, continued their pace; effortlessly, and tirelessly.

The moon had risen to its full height; lighting their way.

Now they had turned down a dirt road; slacking their pace, avoiding the potholes.

Bill had given Dad a radio. And the Rangers were also communicating among themselves.

They had put out an endangered person’s report, and two helicopters had joined in the search.

Blankie and Kenee continued to follow the trail; Now on a muddy roadway: the extension of a long driveway; leading to a remote, uncultivated farmstead.

Blankie whined as they drew close to the dilapidated buildings.

Kenee knew why: for she now had the scent of Jessica in her nostrils. And the scent of a man, and the smell of the dead.

She too growled: deep in her throat. The Kenee of old, --revived. Her hands went to her knife. Her feet--in sync—with Blankie’s paws. Silent. Careful. But intentional.

Kenee saw the traps; recognizing the hand-of-man and directed Blankie away.

They stopped and Kenee looked back; indicating down-to-the-ground; circling her arm around.

Only Jonathan understood, and he explained the message to the others: “Traps” —he said: “Dad, --you’d better alert the Rangers.”

Kenee now took the lead. Blankie behind. Weaving through between the traps.

They came to an outside cellar-door. This information was relayed to Bill, who told Dad: “Have Kenee wait. Don’t go in! Wait for us.”

But Kenee did not wait.

Perhaps Jennifer would have. But Jennifer was not here now.

Gently Kenee opened the door. Swinging it wide…, and softly laying it on the frozen, January grass.

There was a staircase with a moderate slope, leading down into the basement below.

Before the Rangers could exit their vehicles and arrest her actions; Kenee had descended into the darkness; and her companion followed.

---Disrobed, and disconcerted; Jessica was more transparent beneath the heartless stare of evil that held the knife above her abdomen.

With a mirthless laugh, he stated coldly: “This will hurt—”

There was the sound of creaking door.

Of rushing steps.

Of silent leap.

Of slashing fangs.

And the penetration of Kenee’s blade. And the screaming curse, as they pressed him to the cage.

But even in his final breath…, --No remorse—at all—displayed.

Soon the basement was filled with Rangers. Mom and Dad in their midst.

Jessica was transferred from Kenee’s arms into Mom’s.

Blankie stood back against the bars of the cage.

Youthful hands reaching through, and stirring his fur.

The dog in him tried very hard to wag its tail. But the wolf would not relent.

The body of the evil one was bagged, and removed…

The cages were opened and the girls were covered and handed over to female Rangers.

“They do not cry;” Kenee noted to Victoria. “Yet, even now, they are afraid.”

“Yes.” Said Victoria. “They will be afraid for a long time yet.”

Katelyn had not been allowed to come down. Mom feared, --if the worst had happened…

A Ranger stood by her, waiting alongside the van.

Katelyn expelled a breath of relief as Mom and Dad climbed out of the cellar with Jessica in their arms. And then Victoria; Blankie; and Kenee; followed by Bill. And seven scantily clad—dishevelled young girls appeared behind them, secured by their accompanying female Rangers.

“Can’t adopt all those,” Katelyn said, as Dad drew close to thank her for her trust and patience.

“No.” Said Dad: “That will have to be left to others.”

The helicopters had set down in the field, and without delay the girls were loaded and transported to the local hospital.

The specifically trained investigators began their work. And the majority of the Rangers; unessential to that task began to depart.

The family climbed into the van; but Jasper had to go to the back seat with the three girls, because Blankie took up most of the space between the two middle seats occupied by Jonathan and Kenee.

In the back. Squeezed between Victoria and Katelyn, Jessica said: “I didn’t think that Boulder-climbing thing was going to work.

Next time, we should let Kenee train me on a real mountain.”

Mom turned and looked at her in amazement at her calm composure. “Next time,” Mom confronted?

“Yes.” Jessica countered. “He wouldn’t have got me if Kenee had been there.”

Mom could not counter that.

But now she turned her eyes onto her oldest daughter.

She whispered a belated: “Thank you, sweetheart. –Are you okay now? Are you yourself, again?”

Kenee said: “I am always myself. But I do not know if I am okay!”

Jonathan turned to Kenee and said: “You’re, okay; Kenee. --I know the struggle with the past. --Between the person that we are--- and the one we hope to be.

The secret, my sister; is not to try to go back; but to go forward: amalgamating the two lives into one, single stronger person.

Sometimes it’s a struggle.

Sometimes it’s a fight--

But you are good at that!”

Chapter 70

Four O’clock in the morning comes early for most people. Even for those who start work at five.

But for Katelyn: Amateur Astronomer enthusiast, and young scientist; calculating the trajectories of asteroids and meteors before the day had dawned, was a joyful routine.

Adjusting her glasses and drinking her chocolate milk, Katelyn observed a meteor enter the atmosphere on a projection—Katelyn estimated—of collision with the Southern Basin in the Keneetian Park.

The impact registered on Katelyn’s Home-made Seismograph.

Mom was busy making breakfast. She saw Katelyn outside through the kitchen window; dressed appropriately of course, for a cold February day; standing beside her telescope looking toward the south.

The sliding door to the back yard was encrusted with ice.

Mom pushed hard to slide it halfway open. And she called to Katelyn, to come in for some eggs and toast. And then added: “Katelyn; do you want some juice?”

Katelyn turned and nodded. Then turned back to her scholarly observations.

Dad came into the kitchen with his work case.

“The girls are awake upstairs. Katelyn--? Not here!?”

“She’s outside,” Mother said: “looking toward the sky!”

“Oh! –Is she expecting the Lord’s return?”

Mom turned and smiled…, “Perhaps.

But she has her telescope!

Perhaps to see Him better when He comes.

--Perhaps you can get her in for breakfast. I couldn’t entice her with the smell of it from this distance.”

Kenee and Jessica came down the stairs together, dressed in their uniforms, ready for school.

Dad managed to slide the back door open its full width; and he called to Katelyn: “Hey, Sweetheart; you’d better come in! Have your breakfast. You’re gonna be late for school!”

Katelyn came in then, and said to Mom: “I’ll take that to go!”

“Well, we don’t have to go quite yet!” Mom said. “We don’t have to leave for school for twenty minutes!”

“That’s not where I’m going,” Katelyn said. “–I’m going to the Southern Basin, in Keneetian Park. –A meteor has just impacted there; and I’m going to go and get a piece of it.”

“A meteor,” said Jessica. “–I’m going too!”

“No! –You’re both going to school!” Mom corrected.

“I have never seen a meteor.” Kenee stated quietly.

“Oh, goodness, Katelyn;” Mom added. Concerned if her daughter’s scientific passions were becoming an obsession.

Dad scratched his head as he said: “How were you thinking of getting there, sweetheart? I’m heading to work, and Mom’s driving the girls to school?”

“She’ll be back. She has to drive Victoria to gymnastics.

She can drop me off at the Ranger’s Station on the way.

I can borrow a horse, or hitch a ride with one of the Rangers, going into the park.”

“And they’re going to let a child, on her own, just head off into the park toward…, --where? Where were you going? Where did you say the meteor landed?”

“It landed in the Southern Basin, according to my calculations.

It’s about a day’s ride by horseback.”

“And you know this how?” –Asked Victoria—coming into the kitchen, just then, with snow on her head!

“Victoria! Why are you covered in snow?” Mom asked: “Where you outside looking at the meteor too?”

“No! I was out on the roof taking down the Christmas lights.”

“What!?” Said Mom and Dad.

“Do you know how slippery that roof is,” Dad asked?

“Yes. I was just on it.” Victoria answered. “Its very slippery. I had to be careful.

I’m always careful.”

“It’s a two-story house!” Mom exclaimed.

“I wasn’t on the top roof.

I was on the lower roof, outside Katelyn’s window. The one Kenee used to climb up onto. When she used to come from the forest and spy on us in the evenings.”

Kenee proffered an embarrassed reply. “I wasn’t ‘spying’ on you—”

Dad interjected: “Girls…,” and he held up his hands for peace.

And he turned to Mom, and he proposed: “I could take the day off.”

“No.” Mom said. “The girls have to go to school!”

Dad breathed in. And everybody else breathed in.

Except for Jessica; who breathed out; because she’d been holding her breath, at this critical juncture in the debate.

Everyone was looking at Mom; to see if she was resolved.

But Dad broke the tension with a compromise:

“Perhaps we could view it as an educational adventure.

Why don’t we all go and see this meteor.”

“Back to the Park!” Mom asked? Totally exhausted by the thought of another unharnessed venture.

The look of excitement and anticipation on her daughter’s faces; and her husband’s ridiculous coordinating smile; brought back to her mind something that someone had told her long ago: that some of the most valuable things that a child can learn, are not discoverable in a book.

So, once again, the family packed up a lunch; and Kenee and Victoria took their bows; and Dad and Jessica took their knives; and Katelyn took her charts and her binoculars.

And Mom took little consolation from not having been completely out-voted! Since Jonathan wasn’t here to give his opinion. Having taken their four pets to the vet, for their annual inoculations.

Mom said: “Okay! Fine!” –Throwing up her hands into the air, in a mixed expression—disclosing her despair…; or surrender.

Chapter 71

Officially, the Park was closed in the winter.

So, they parked outside the gate, and they each shouldered a small pack with the family’s goods distributed between them.

They headed south-west on a ten-kilometre hike to the calculated coordinates of the meteor’s landing spot.

The snow wasn’t deep. Having experienced a mid-winter thaw.

Kenee had learned to read Mom’s face, and reassured her: “The bears are asleep.”

“I know, dear;” Mom acknowledged…, “but are the wolves?”

“The wolves will most likely be in the Basin!” Jessica joked.

“Will they!” Mom asked?

“Perhaps.” Kenee admitted. “The deer go south in the winter to shelter from the cold; and the wolves follow.”

“Don’t worry, Mom;” Victoria encouraged. “We have our bows!”

“You had your bows before---and remember how that turned out.”

“I can tell when the wolves are near,” Kenee assured. “But the wolves will not come near a large group of humans.

Victoria was alone when she came that time into the park. And the Black Wolf that Blankie fought---His leadership was on insecure footing.

He was trying to prove something to the pack.

Something that I began, in my contention with them.”

Mom looked puzzled, at the distant stare her oldest daughter took on; and she thought to ask about this at a later time.

“Two miles to go,” Katelyn called back, from her position at the head of the group.

She enthusiastically crunched forward through the crusty snow, unmindful that Kenee cringed at every reckless step she took.

It was a cloudless day. And the sun warmed the Basin, until a moisture formed on top of the snow—packing beneath their feet.

And a former ice—encasing the branches of the trees sparkled in the sunlight.

They arrived at the large, charred-hole in the ground.

The snow was melted all around…

A dark coloured steam rose out of the hole, some height into the air.

Katelyn was busy, down on the ground, opening her pack, and taking out a stone chisel: built conveniently in the shape of a hammer. And a large pair of heat-resistant gloves that she’d purchased on the internet, that were too big for her hands.

Mom positioned Dad about five feet back from the chasm, and lined the girls up in single file holding hands.

Kenee was behind Dad, and Victoria after her, then Jessica, and Katelyn begrudgingly held on at the end.

When everyone was tightly aligned, Mom leaned over the chasm; to see what was in there.

Dad said: “You’re getting brave, Dear.”

“Oh, it’s not that,” said Mom; “I just want to see what it is.”

Katelyn spoke up: “It’s a meteor.” And then she got out-of-line with her chisel and her oversized heat-resistant gloves.

From her position—forth-in-line—Victoria tried to see too.

When she couldn’t, she said: “Mom! --What do you see--? Tell me what you see!”

“I see—smoke.”

“We all see the smoke, Mom—what else?”

“Something like…the dying embers of a campfire,” Mom said. “But there’s also a greenish-blue colour…”

“Hmm!” Said Katelyn. “A crystalline substance.”

Mom pulled back. And she stood thinking; and she said to Dad: “Should we even be here? I mean the Park is closed. And. Who does this belong to now, anyway?”

“You mean the–-meteor? Who does the meteor, belong to?”

Katelyn said: “It belongs to me! I saw it first.”

Dad said with a laugh: “I don’t know if you saw it first!

You saw it!

Someone else could have seen it.”

“Well—I named it first. K-71.”

“Why: K-71,” Victoria asked?

“Because,” said Katelyn: “I named seventy other K’s before it. Seventy other meteors I saw. But they each burned up in the atmosphere; or else they fell somewhere too far away.

But this one fell, right here in the park; so, it’s mine!”

Dad laughed: “Well, you did get here first!”

“And now, I’m going to go down and get a piece of it,” Katelyn said, with a stubborn defiance.

Kenee presumed this would happen, so she started to take the ropes out of Dad’s pack.

“Just wait a minute,” said Mom. “You’re not going to go down into that hole!”

“Yes, I am,” said Katelyn; “unless you can think of some way to pull it out of there! It must weigh a ton.”

Jessica said: “Are you sure its that heavy? We haven’t even seen it yet!”

“Well. The biggest one in the world is sixty-six tons.”

“Oh,” said Jessica, clearly disappointed. “Because I thought we were just going to—take-it-home?”

The smoke was starting to clear. And each member of the family took turns moving to the end of the chain to look down.

Dad had brought with him, a large, bright flashlight; and now at his turn he shone it down into the hole.

“Can you see it,” Victoria said?

“Hmm.” Said Dad. “Yes! It’s not too big!”

Katelyn said doubtfully: “It registered on my seismograph. It must have been when it hit! How small can it be?”

“Well…,” said Dad: “They come down pretty fast; and they hit pretty hard…

But this one, I estimate…to be…about---a foot-and-a-half across. More-or-less oval in shape.”

Kenee suggested—she wear the gloves, and they let her down the rope.

“Maybe I can tie-it-off. And then I’ll come back up and we can pull it out-of-there.”

Although this sounded like a practical plan, Mom resisted letting her daughter go down into the chasm.

“If it’s still very hot, the rope may just burn.” Dad said.

“That would make our efforts futile,” Jessica concluded.

Katelyn voiced her idea next.

“In the Basin there is a lot of flat stone. Slate, I think.

Why don’t we throw some down? And then lever them underneath the meteor and run the ropes around the slate. The heat will be absorbed by the slate and we can pull it up.”

Mom said: “You’re presuming it’s not made of solid iron. Aren’t some meteors composed of that?”

“Yes.” Dad said. “That would make it considerably heavier.”

“Well, it’s not completely iron.” Katelyn countered. “We saw there must be crystal in it. What other would explain the colours?”

So, they looked and found some slate and threw a portion into the hole.

In the end it took two. So, Katelyn went down in after all and worked with Kenee getting the ropes secured. And when they’d climbed back out, the family grabbed hold of the rope; and Jessica said: “It’s just like the Tug-of-war game at school.” And they hauled it up and out.

It was heavy.

And they gathered around to examine it on the Basin floor.

Dad said: “It’s some kind of a metal. And those minerals—they’ve been fused into it. –Probably because of the heat.”

“That’s a strange colour of metal.” Mom noted.

“Yes, it is.” Agreed Katelyn. Very fascinated.

Kenee came back from the creek with the sandwich container full of water, and poured it on the meteor; and vapour-like smoke rolled off of it again.

When it was cool to the touch, Dad took pictures.

Mom asked: “If we’re going to take it; how are we going to carry it, ten kilometres back to the car.”

“The same way I dragged Kenee out of the woods.” Victoria said.

Agreeing on this, they set out to do it right away.

They’d arrived about eleven a.m., and now it was about two in the afternoon.

“It was eight o’clock this morning when we left the car,” Jessica said.

“And it took us three hours to get here,” Mom collaborated. “Even if we left now, we’d walk the last mile in the dark.”

“By then, we’ll be in the camper’s area of the Park,” Dad said. “We’ll be fine.”

Dad guessed the meteor was about three hundred pounds. And when they had secured it on the stretcher and hefted it together; it wasn’t too bad a lift.

“I think we can do this,” said Dad; “but we’ll have to take a few rests along the way.”

Jessica got tired more easily than the others, so they had to stop and rest more frequently than intended.

Every time they’d stop to rest, Katelyn would examine the meteor again; tapping on it with her hammer, and listening to the strange ringing sound that it gave back. “Definitely, some kind of metal,” she would say to herself.

“And I haven’t seen crystals like these.”

Chapter 72

The family was about ten minutes from the parking lot, where they’d left their van, when the first helicopters flew overhead.

“Military grade,” Dad noted. “Unusual for them to fly over the Park.”

“I guess we know where they’re going,” Jessica said.

Totally out of character, Mom urged everyone: “We’d better hurry!”

“Yes.” Said Dad. “Let’s get this thing home.”

“If we load it into the trunk…,” Victoria asked, “—Well we be able to get it back out?”

“Hmm.” Said Dad. “Not easily.”

So, they stored away one of the middle seats, and set down one end of the meteor inside and slid the remainder of it onto the van floor.

Jonathan wasn’t with them, so they didn’t need that seat.

Thinking of this, Dad asked: “Did we leave a note for Jon?”

“Yes.” Said Mom. “I left a note for him. Telling we’d gone to the park, and we’d be back by nightfall.”

“Okay. Let’s go! Before the Rangers; or someone we don’t like, shows up.”

“This is all very covert,” Victoria laughed.

“I hope it’s honest,” Mom said.

“Oh, it’s not the first rock someone took out of the Park,” Dad claimed.

“We even took Kenee out of the Park,” Jessica concurred.

“And Blankie!” Said Victoria.

“Yes…., We’re quite the robbers,” Dad laughed.

At home, with Jonathan’s help, they pushed the meteor out of the van and into a wheelbarrow and rolled it into the garage.

Over the next week they thoroughly examined it.

They couldn’t knock pieces off of it, except for bits of the crystal.

These, Katelyn examined, under her microscope.

Dad tried to carve it open with his torches, but to no avail.

Victoria lost her necklace, and found it later attached to the meteor.

“It must contain nickel,” Dad concluded. But he wasn’t sure if that was sufficient explanation to explain its magnetism.

When Dad heated the meteor with the torches, the crystals lit up with the same colours Mom had observed when she had first looked over into the chasm.

Dad rented a press. But the maximum force it was able to generate had no noticeable effect on the meteor.

Victoria suggested: “What if we dropped it from the treehouse down onto some rocks? Maybe that would smash it?”

“I don’t think so,” laughed Dad. “After all, it fell from space.”

So, by the end of the week they were no further ahead.

The only thing they’d discovered, was what they couldn’t use, to discover anything.

Finally, Dad took a piece of the crystal into work with him.

And when he had a secure opportunity, he examined the crystal under an electronic microscope. And what he saw startled and greatly disturbed him.

Next, he took it down to the crystallography lab; and the x-rays revealed that the crystals had been electronically enhanced.

At supper that night, Jonathan asked Dad: “What did you find out at the lab?”

“Well! It’s not alien origin.

And it’s not from outer space.”

Katelyn said— “But I’ve been tracking it!”

“How long have you been tracking it?”

“I first observed it about a week ago. It just appeared. I didn’t have any data on its origin.”

Dad said: “That’s because, its origin is here—on the Earth.

It’s Man-made.

The alloys. The virtually impenetrable casing. And the-crystals…, they have inside of them, some very refined micro-technology.

--It’s a spy satellite: meant to look like a rock.”

“From Earth?” Jonathan asked. “Well then! The big question is…, from which country? Has it fallen back home?”

And Mom added, almost in a whisper; “and who’s going to come looking for it?”

“Sorry K,” Jonathan said: “I guess you’re not going to get to name it, after all.”

Dad lay down a plastic zip-bag on the table. “Here are the crystal pieces I broke off of it. I’d better call the Rangers in the morning.”

Chapter 73

In the morning, the Rangers came to the house, and Bill Culvert was with them. And a man from the government.

Dad opened up the garage and showed them the rock.

Without ceremony, two of the Rangers hefted the meteor; which Jonathan noticed as an impressive display of physical exertion; and they lowered it with a grunt into the trunk of the government man’s car: who drove away with it immediately afterwards.

Bill climbed into the Ranger’s vehicle with his two men, and he rolled down the window and he said to Dad: “Some days you guys make me laugh. But I’m not sure if today is one of them.” And then he rolled his window back up and the Rangers drove away.

“What do you think he meant by that,” Jonathan asked?

“I don’t know,” said Dad. “I never heard him talk that way before.”

Jonathan looked at his father, and he said: “Maybe we should sell the house?”

Dad smiled. “That’s a little premature…. They took the rock! That’s probably the end of it.”

--Mom picked up the girls at 3pm from school.

Kenee was volunteering at the church. So, Mom dropped her off there, took Jessica home, and heard the latest news about the meteor.

The secretary of the church had assigned Kenee some simple tasks; and Kenee went about doing them quietly. And when she was done, she headed back toward the administration offices. And she saw a light shining out beneath the Pastor’s door. But the door was not shut tight. And when Kenee knocked, it slid open on oiled hinges.

“—Oh! –Kenee!” Said, Pastor Rob. “Did you wish to speak to me? Come in! Sit down. How have you been? Are your mom and dad—and family—well?”

Kenee agreed to all these things. She slunk in the seat that the Pastor had offered.

Kenee began slowly; relaying the story of her attempted rescue of her sister Victoria from the wolves.

She explained how it began: The man at the beach, intending to put a bullet through her head; But Victoria put an arrow through his chest. But the regret of this action did not leave her sister’s heart readily. There was a darkness that came upon her; and she tried to alleviate the pain in the solitude of the forest.

That Kenee had gone after her; but could not find her.

That Kenee had called out to the Lord; and the Lord sent Blankie.

Then Blankie and Kenee had found Victoria on a ledge above the wolf pack.

That Blankie had left her, on her own against the pack; and had gone to challenge their leader. –That she had shot arrows. And Victoria shot arrows.

But then the wolves were upon Kenee.

She had drawn her knife. –Her blade against their fangs. And she cut and slashed; to take as many of them with her, as she could, before she died.

…She could not save Victoria.

…When they were finished with her, they would return to their first prey. Only Victoria’s arrows had kept them at bay. When the arrows were gone, they would mount the ledge; and Victoria’s life would be taken.

Blood from the many slashes—poured from her flesh.

Kenee’s eyes closed. As the light from her soul began to fade.

Falling into unconsciousness, the last she heard was Blankie’s victory cries; followed by his commanding barks: His commands to the pack.

Her last thoughts were for Victoria.

Her last prayer: That God would somehow save her.

The Pastor’s face was wet with tears.

He listened to this heart-wrenching story unfold. The depth of regret and futility in Kenee’s voice. Her last desperate prayers in the midst of a hopeless outcome.

When Kenee was finished she bowed her head. She had no more words to say.

The secretary reached out and put her arms around Kenee and held her tightly. She also cried, and she said: “Poor, Dear. You have gone through so much in your life.”

The Pastor composed himself. Moved his chair around so he could face Kenee better. “You have shared this story with us Kenee; but I believe that the telling of it, is not the full reason you came into my office today.

You are safe with us.

Tell us--, what’s on your heart.”

Kenee looked up into Pastor Rob’s eyes; and her voice trembled as she said: “Much harm has come to my family since I came into their lives.

I was at peace at the end; while I was dying beneath the wolves.”

“You mean: You thought, they would be better off without you,” Pastor Rob said.

“Yes.” Said Kenee. “–better off without Kenee!”

“You mother has been in this office recently.

She shared with me, what you proclaimed over Christmas dinner: that you were no longer Kenee; --but Jennifer—the name given to you when you were born. –What did you mean by that?”

“—It is like Jesus said.

Kenee died to herself, beneath the wolves.

She had nothing left to give. No strength left to fight.

She could not save Victoria.

She gave it all to God. …He was her only hope.

--Like Mom said, --about the bear! We all have a Kenee –with a knife, that we cannot defeat.

But I defeated—my—Kenee. –I let her die…”

The Pastor sat back in his chair.

Thoughtfully he said: “We die to ourselves—yes. And we live in Christ.

But you are alive now, Kenee—or Jennifer…

Our lives are precious to the Lord. Whatever we call ourselves.

He calls us…—His own.

--You are His own, --Kenee. God’s own precious daughter.

And I think you need to go forward in your life. Not back.

If you have died to yourself; then let yourself go.

Live for Him. For the future He has for you.

All these things that you’ve gone through. Don’t be afraid to let Him use these experiences, for His Glory; and for your good.

And for the good of others.

As your mom tells me: ‘You are really good at saving others.’ Even when you couldn’t, you turned to God.

And He saved –both—Victoria—and you.”

Chapter 74

Kenee sat on the living-room floor assembling her gear.

In the days following her talk with Pastor Rob; the forest had begun to call to her again.

On her behalf, Dad had agreed to contact Bill Culvert; and Kenee had agreed to return to the Junior Rangers on a part-time basis. But she wouldn’t bring Victoria with her; no matter how much she was urged to do so. The stubbornness of the old Kenee had also returned.

She had been volunteering almost every day, throughout the week, at the church; and she went to services both on Sunday, and on Wednesday evening.

Mom would drop her off after school. And when she had completed her assignments there, she would quickly run the five miles from the church to the gym, and join Victoria in her workouts until Mom came and picked them up.

--Jessica began to complain—that she wouldn’t see her oldest sister any more if they didn’t attend school together.

--Katelyn had been very disappointed about her meteor.

And Mom and Dad didn’t realize that she had called the Ranger Station three different times—asking them why they had taken it, and where it had gone.

--The fact was, the Rangers didn’t really know where it had ended up. And when this answer didn’t satisfy Katelyn; and they were anticipating a fourth call, any day now… Bill Calvert called, and talked to Dad.

“Hi Bill!” Dad said. “–I was just going to call you. –interesting development has happened here at home. Apparently Kenee would like to re-join the Junior Rangers. –On a—part-time basis, to start.”

“Oh!” Said Bill. “Aw…I was calling you on a totally different matter.

I’m glad to hear that—. Everything’s…--resolved now?

--She was feeling, really out-of-sorts!”

“Yes.” Dad said. “We know! –But I think that’s been wrapped up for the time being, anyway… But aw—Bill! —you called me! What’s on your mind? What can I do for you?”

“It’s about your other daughter. The inquisitive one.”

“Aw… --You mean—Katelyn!”

“That’s right! The astronomer.”

“Is this about the meteor?”

“It’s about her inquisitions!”

“Sorry, Bill; I’m not following you.”

“—Well, they started out as inquiries—

We tried to explain to her that we didn’t have any more facts to give her.”

“Aw—Bill—you’re saying: you’ve been talking to Katelyn?”

“Yes. –She’s been talking to us! –She’s been calling us! Three times now!”

Dad said: “I—we didn’t know.”

“I figured as much. That’s why I was giving you a call. Giving you the heads-up!

Thought, maybe; you could have a little chat with her about it.”

“Yes. Of course—we’ll, aw...We’ll have her—We’ll--tell her to stop!”

“It’s not that we mind talking with her. She’s a very intelligent young girl.

Our receptionist… finds her fascinating.

But she’s also preoccupying. …And, demanding!”

“Yes.” Said Dad. “That does sound like Katelyn.

We’re sorry about that, Bill!

--Aw—while I have you on the phone….

Every thing is okay, I presume… about us going into the park and dragging out that meteor?”

“Well…,” said Bill. “–I guess so. I haven’t heard anything. They just wanted it back.

Whatever—aw—aw possessed you,” --he laughed— “to go in there and get it?”

“Well.” Said Dad. “That was—of course—Katelyn!

I guess we all, just, followed along…”

Bill said: “She’s quite the young lady.”

“That she is,” agreed Dad.

“—If Kenee is at hand—I’ll have a little chat with her!”

“Yeah!” Said Dad. “Just give me a second; and I’ll go get her.”

--A short time after Kenee returned to the Junior Rangers, she put in a request, that came across Bill Calvert’s desk; That she be allowed to spend some time in the restored Ranger house.

Bill talked to the young Ranger who was in charge of that sector.

June Havard, sat across the desk from Bill.

“I hear I’m getting a house guest.”

“Yes. You remember—Kenee!”

“Sure do! She’s hard to forget!

We wouldn’t have saved that lost boy without her help—

I didn’t know her parents. But I had great respect for who they were.

I understand that you knew them personally.”

“That’s right,” said Bill. “I knew them very well. And I’ve considered it—an honour—to look out for their daughter.”

“So, --she wants to come and live in the Park-house?”

“No,” said Bill. “–She doesn’t want to live there.

I think she just wants to ‘be’ there. I think some of her past—lost—memories are starting to come back to her. She may be remembering who she was, during the first five years of her life, living with her parents.”

“Do you think she’d mind my talking with her? I have—questions!”

“No. –Of course not,” said Bill. “But, use some reasonable caution. It’s probably a pretty sensitive issue.”

“Yes. I’ll be very discreet, Sir.

…Is it true, that she used to live in caves, on the First Range?”

“Yes. –There. –And a lot of other places.

She knows the whole Park, June. Better than any of us. You could learn a lot yourself, talking to her.”

“Yes, Sir; I’ll look forward to that.”

Chapter 75

February, is a difficult month, in the park, for every creature who lives there.

As well as for the Rangers and their horses.

And for the wild animals. The hunters, and the hunted.

The ice. The snow. The cold winds. Food can be hard to find. And the month goes by slowly. And all the creatures in the forest, in the mountains, and on the plains wonder, if spring will come again.

There were lessons to be taught, that Kenee could only teach in the winter—in those blistering winds—so cold they felt like fire; with heavy snow underfoot.

The recruits were exhausted by the end of each day.

Kenee pushed them hard. Some of her lessons were painful, but necessary for survival.

They set up their winter tents on the compound, sheltered as best they could against the buildings.

Kenee had spent three days with them; but tonight, she slept in the house.

She and June, sat by the fire, drinking hot chocolate.

June—did have many questions.

She tried to be sensitive, to the feelings, the surroundings might be evoking.

She could see it on Kenee’s face.

“Bill tells me—you’re beginning to remember some of your childhood.”

“Pieces.” Kenee said. “–They’re like—dreams…

I am not always sure what is real! What is the dream. What is the memory. --A puzzle, laid-out upon the table. I try to construct it. Matching the pieces. But so many are missing.”

“Memories are tricky.” June said.

“When I was a child, I was involved in a car accident. I had a serious head injury; and I had memory loss.

I tried so hard to remember; but it was like—the harder I tried, the more they evaded me. Submerging themselves into my subconscious.

There was a point where I gave up; never hoping to know those lost moments of my life again: People and places—I just relaxed, finally; in exasperation; letting them go. –And then, they suddenly started to come back!

It’s like they resurfaced on their own, when I was at peace. When I wasn’t trying to force them. They just came up by themselves.”

Kenee listened to her, watching her face. And she said: “You finally remembered?”

“Yes, I did,” said June. “Eventually I remembered everything.”

“Will I remember everything?”

“I don’t know,” said June. “But that’s the best advice I can give you.”

“Thank you,” said Kenee. And she sat back in her chair, like she was trying to relax; drinking her cocoa.

June saw this, and she smiled.

“Please, tell me, Kenee: Is it true? Can you really ‘scent’ -a-trail, like they say you can do?”

Kenee answered: “Everyone can scent. We can all smell.

I had to learn to survive. To distinguish between the scents. To listen, and to understand the differences between the animals.

It was—life-and-death.”

“I can’t imagine.” Said June.

“I’ve been at this post, for the better part-of-a-year now.

I trained, originally, in another park. But my family lives near here. This is the Park, where we came for our vacations. This is where I wanted to be a Ranger.

But as much as I love this park. I can’t imagine how ‘you’ feel about it.

--How do you feel?”

“Mostly, I felt—alone!

But this is my home!

Until I met Mom and Dad, and my sisters; I had no other.”

“Do you remember, —if you don’t mind my asking… anything about the night of the fire. How it got started?”

“You mean the fire that burnt down our home?

I am beginning to remember,” Kenee said.

“…My parents built my bed out of an old icebox. That’s why I survived.

I woke up to the sound of the crackling, and I was coughing.

By the door was a man.

I thought he was my dad; --Because he was dressed like my dad.”

“Dressed like—you mean …he was--dressed like a Ranger?”

“Yes. I realize that now. He was a Ranger!”

“In your house? The night of the fire?”

“Yes, he was there by the door. And he went out through the door. And he left the door open!

It was springtime. March, I think. The wind was cold, blowing in through the door. But the fire was hot all around me.

I knew the house was burning. I called out to my mom and dad but they didn’t answer.

On the table were the books my mother had. I picked them up, and beside them was my father’s knife.

I carried them outside.

On the hook beside the door was my father’s bow and arrows.”

June asked: “Why…did you take all those things?

Weren’t you just trying to get out of the house! –Because it was burning!”

“I took them. Because I needed them.

Because I knew that I was alone.

I knew my parents were dead. They would have come with me if they had been alive.

It was not so much that I thought it! But I knew it.”

“When you got outside; did you see the man—the Ranger?”

“No.

I went to get a horse; but the gate was open, and they were gone.

Like it is now; the buildings were close together; and the fire eventually burnt them all.

I came back before summer. Everything was buried beneath rubble and ash.

I knew my parents were under there. And I was afraid!

I returned to my caves; and to the forest.

It was almost a year later before I came the second time.

I circled around what was left.

I found the graves in the back of where the house had been. The crosses and the words. But I had mostly forgotten the meaning of words by then.”

“But you’ve read them since—the memorial dedication?”

“Yes. Bill Calvert told me, that after the investigation, the Rangers buried my parents there.”

“Your parents were highly respected Rangers.

Kenee: I think it’s important that if you remember anything more about the Ranger you saw that night, that you share this information with Bill!”

Chapter 76

Larry Getmore, sat in his office at the bank, in a comfortable leather recliner.

And seated in a chair across from him—sat a scoundrel.

--He was clean shaven. His hair styled. He was ruggedly built; with a handsome countenance.

He wore the uniform of a Ranger. But his eyes were narrow and sinister.

The two men eyed each other, and Larry spoke first.

“You’ve had six years. My people are tired of waiting.”

“I know how long it’s been,” said the scoundrel.”

“We worked hard to gain these mineral rights. The Alvarous blocked us at every turn. Keeping us out of the park.”

“You mean: Keeping you away from the gold!”

“You can have the gold. It’s the crystals we want. There’s nothing else like them in the world. Unique electronic properties. Programable.”

“Sure… --Pretty crystals.”

“Those—pretty crystals—are worth billions of dollars.”

“Well. I’ll take the gold.”

“No body will take anything, as long as that child lives. She saw you that night. She’s a witness. –If this comes out! We can’t be involved. The company would appear as –accomplishes—to the murders!”

“Who are you kidding! You’re up in this--to your necks!”

“Don’t push us, Knackman. Or we’ll send in others to clean this mess up.

And They’ll tie-up ‘all’ loose ends.”

“Is that a ‘threat’, Larry?”

“A threat!” Said Larry Getmore; as his eyes narrowed coldly.

“No… It’s a promise!

Get. This. done!”

Ronald Knackman stood to his feet. He put both his hands on the desk and looked straight ahead into Larry’s eyes, and he said: “The child had no memory. All those times we tried to get her. We should have just let the forest have her, and gone ahead with the mining.

There was no one left to block us after James and Jennette died.”

Larry also stood to his feet. He placed his hands on the table to; and looked back into Knackman’s eyes. But his tone softened. They’d known each other a long time; from Grade-school through college. And for that sake of that friendship, he now said: “She’s remembering now, Ron.”

“I know, Larry. June Havard told Calvert.”

“You have to end this.”

“Yes. I know.

And I will.

I’ll be with her next week.

We’re going out together with the Junior Rangers.

There’ll be…an accident.

I have it well planned.

Stop worrying, Larry. This will all be over soon.”

“It won’t be too soon for me.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--Katelyn…, had pictures. And she had Dad’s pieces of the crystals.

She also had Jessica; who was collaborating with her; on their own scientific investigation of the crystals.

The girls didn’t have an electronic microscope at their disposal, and the magnification of Katelyn’s personal microscope wasn’t strong enough to reveal more than the simple structure of the crystals.

Jessica suggested that they pool their money together and purchase a stronger microscope from the internet.

But Katelyn had a different idea. She hooked up the two ends of a crystal to a meter, and ran an electric current through it.

The girls tested various voltages; and were delighted with how much electricity the crystal piece could absorb. But to their surprise… it didn’t just absorb the power, --but retained it!

And retained it, in a specific manor, which Katelyn was able to calculate.

Because with each new portion of power they applied to it, the crystal changed its colour.

These colours represented frequency changes. And Katelyn suspected, there were many more changes than their human eyes could detect.

--Bill Calvert made the mistake of accepting a supper Invitation from the family. And when Mother had cleared away the dishes, Katelyn laid out her finding where Bill’s plate had been.

And she questioned—point blank— “How do you know—they were from the government?”

Bill didn’t immediately put the results of the research, and the query together, as a single suspicion the way that Katelyn had; but as she continued—pressing her points, --the Truth began to Dawn on him.

And Victoria said: “Dad. These colours, that Katelyn has prompted… Don’t they look familiar? Don’t they remind you of the same colours that we saw in the crystals in the cave during the storm? –Remember! Where we thought we saw the Fools-gold?”

“Fools-gold,” asked Bill?

“Oh. Yes.” Said Dad. “We found some fools-gold and some crystals in a cave; during a time, we were in the park. –Remember that big storm! And, aw—Kenee brought us into these caves to protect us from the lightning. And we went back into the caves, --Victoria and I—and we shone our light on the walls. And we saw these crystals.

--Here! I –I--have some pictures.” And Dad brought out his phone.

Before he showed them—he said— “Haugh! Yes! Funny I didn’t think of this before! These are—these look like the same crystals, that were in the meteor!”

He showed the pictures to Bill.

Bill examined the pictures carefully, and then he turned to Dad and he said: “You guys get me into so much trouble. But you couldn’t possibly guess what this is--most likely--all about.

Text those pictures to me, will you please!

And Kenee! Bill said; turning to her-- You are not to return to the park until I tell you it’s safe. Do you understand?”

Kenee looked like she did not understand.

In fact, --no one understood.

“I can see on your faces—that you don’t. But I’m telling you. –All of you. Stay away from the park until this is over.

You’re going to have to trust me on this. This must seem very peculiar and secretive; but you must keep yourselves and Kenee safe!

I will post Rangers at your house, if need be.”

“Bill.” Said Dad. “What is all this about?”

“I want to tell you. –And I will!

But I can’t—right now.

This is a very serious matter.

Don’t go to work.

Don’t take the kids to school.

Stay home.

If you need anything, we’ll get it for you.”

“Oh—You’re making it sound like –Witness Protection!”

“If that’s how you need to see it.

But please; abide by what I say.

It won’t be long—I hope.

We’ll have this cleared up as soon as we can.”

Chapter 77

Ronald Knackman strode into Bill’s office, in his typical arrogant manner.

Immediately he saw that the office held several Rangers. Including June Havard. And beside bill, stood the Forest Child—Kenee.

Knackman eyes shifted from side-to-side, like an animal seeking an avenue of escape.

Bill’s hand slid forward over the revolver that lay on top of his desk.

“Don’t run, Ron;” He said; in a cold, deliberate voice; “or I will shoot you down myself.

James and Jennette were my best friends. And you will pay for what you did to them.”

Knackman looked around at the faces he had served with.

He’d been to their homes and they’d been to his.

They had all risked their lives for each other.

And yet he knew, they wouldn’t hesitate, when it came to enforcing the law. And right now; --he was on the wrong side of the law.

He had been for quite a while.

Ron said. Looking straight into Kenee’s eyes: “Isn’t it funny, child. The biggest lies we tell, are often to ourselves.”

Jake Hubert came forward then, with handcuffs-in-hand.

“I’ll put these on you now, Ron.”

Ron turned to him. “Yes. Of course. You should.”

As Jake stepped forward, he said: “If you could put your hands behind your back, please.”

But then, suddenly; Knackman spun. He launched directly into Jake’s torso; like a football-fullback, knocking him off balance and rushing past him.

Bill had his gun up; but he hesitated to shoot.

Jake was too close. The other Rangers were closing in—he couldn’t get off a safe shot.

Knackman ran through the open door as the secretary was coming to her feet. Their shoulders collided. The secretary sprawled over her desk, knocking her computer screen onto the floor.

Exiting the building, Knackman got into his car. Drove toward the Keneetian Park. It was the only place he knew that he might find refuge.

The lawyers would take care of the Getmores.

The mining rights would be revoked.

The Rangers would take care of their own business.

The man-hunt was on.

Kenee was included in the hunt; because Bill knew that she couldn’t be prevented—this time. She had more right to this than any of them.

Or as Bill told her: “This has been your fight, Kenee; for a long time.

I won’t stop you. But I ask you—In the name of Law; and in the seeking of Justice; That Knackman will be taken alive. To face his accusers and pay for his crimes.”

Kenee didn’t answer. Her mind was filled with memories. They were all coming back now. Rushing in like a flood.

She could see it all before her.

The rage built; and she sought her own justice.

--At home, as Kenee prepared for the hunt; Mom sat down beside her, and she wrapped her arms around her daughter. She held her tightly; and neither of them spoke for more than five minutes.

And then mom said: “Vengeance is the Lord’s, Kenee.

You have come—so far. Now you will be tested.

Do you remember, I told you: The Black-smith hammers out the metal!

Forms it into the likeness of a sword. He heats it in the fire, and cures it in the water. Hammering it and folding it over-and-over. And he tests it; before he takes it into battle.”

Kenee looked up at Mom with love in her eyes.

In that instant, Mom realised that much of the old furiousness of Kenee had been replaced with something better.

Kenee said: “You are worried, Mom; that I will kill him. Because of what he did to my parents. And what he tried to do to me!

I will hunt him.

But I promise you… I will not kill him.”

Mom’s eyes filled with tears; and so-did Kenee’s. No more words were spoken.

Dad came into the room.

He waited. And then he said: “The Rangers are here, Kenee. It’s time to go!”

--Kenee walked down the driveway—her bow over her shoulder—her knife on her hip.

Jessica walked before her.

Katelyn and Victoria each held an arm, as they walked by her side.

Victoria said, “I should be going with you.” And Katelyn said: “Me too!”

As June Havard held open the Ranger vehicle door, Kenee drew her three sisters into her body.

“Not this time.” She softly whispered.

“I must go to end the past.

But I will return,

To love you again.”

Chapter 78

June Havard and Kenee, and the other two Rangers climbed out about two hundred feet from the Keneetian Park, East Entrance; leaving their car among the ten other Ranger vehicles; and walked toward the group standing around Bill Calvert’s portable headquarter setup.

Among this team, were familiar faces, who had flown in from other Parks to support the initiative.

A half dozen, June recognized, from the park she’d trained in before Keneetia.

Jake Hubert stood beside Bill. As usual, Jake—Bill’s right-hand-man was organizing the troops.

Bill saw June and motioned for them to come over.

June and Kenee stood beside him, and Bill said: “I half expected—the wolf--. He’d hunt this scoundrel down pretty quick.”

“No,” said Kenee. “He would kill Blankie.”

“Well, we have our own dogs. They’re already in the park!”

Senior Ranger Bart, said: “They’ve got Knackman’s scent! They’re already trailing him.”

“Call them back,” Said Kenee. “Or you will bury them before the sun sets.”

Bill looked questioning at Kenee: “Are you sure, Kenee? They have the trail! We’ll close in-in a couple of hours.

And we have the choppers.” And he pointed overhead, and June and Kenee looked up.

Kenee said; matter-of-factly: “The dogs will die. And the helicopters will not find Knackman.

Don’t you know your own Ranger;” Kenee continued.

“He hunted me for five years throughout the Keneetian Park.

He is skilled; and he is relentless.

Two times I was shot by him.

He is like my sister—Katelyn: He plans every step.

He has a telescope on his rifle; and his shots make no sound.”

“Yes; I know he’s skilled. He was a marksman in the military before he came to the Rangers.”

“Sir.” Kenee said, with the most respect she could muster: “He knows this park.

I understand, that next to you and Bart, Knackman has been a Ranger here the longest.”

“Yes. I would never have suspected Knackman, if you hadn’t recognized his scent outside my office that day.

We have decorated him for service—numerous times.”

Kenee continued: “He shot me from far away. I never heard the shot. The bullet went through my shoulder. It spun me, and I fell over the cliff and down into the ravine.

I fell through the trees and they broke my fall.

I lay in the cold waters of the river that runs through that ravine; which goes out under the dead-end-wall and follows a path into the underground caves beneath the surface of the green lake.

Submerged; the blood from my wound rose to the surface beside me; but I waited, as I heard the voices of two men above on the cliff.

I knew they searched for me. The broken branches partially concealed what the evening shadows did not.

The first man, I know now—was Knackman. His voice was angry. The Ravine is steep and there is only one way in—many miles away.”

Bill’s forehead furrowed; and his voice was stern.

He said: “Kenee---you didn’t say before, that there was another?”

Jake had come up, and for the last few minutes and been standing beside them listening. He said: “Knackman had an accomplice! Could it have been another Ranger?”

“Surely not,” said June.

All eyes turned to Kenee.

“I could not see them.” Kenee answered their querying eyes.

Bill turned to Jake. “Recall the dogs.”

“Why?” Said Jake. “They’re probably closing in by now. I have Thomas on the radio and—”

Bill interrupted him— “Jake. –Just do as I ask.”

“Okay.” Said Jake. And he left. And Bill turned back to June and Kenee, and he asked: “Kenee… you said he shot you twice. Was he with someone then?”

“You’re worried!” June said to her boss. “That we don’t know how deep this goes!”

Bill said: “I’m worried about Kenee and her family. –And us! And the other Rangers!

This other man, --he could know where we all live. Maybe take us out—one-by-one. I think it’s important that we discover who this accomplice is! Before that happens.”

And then, understanding the peril, June turned to Kenee herself and pressed the question: “Kenee. The other time you were shot. Tell us about that?”

Kenee said: “I was returning to my caves one evening. That same cave where I took Mom and Dad and the family during the lightning storm. But as I came near, I could smell the scent of man close by.

I entered the cave cautiously, listening for danger; and heard tapping sounds far back in the cavern. I turned to go just as a dog rushed me from the darkness; and I only had time to pull my knife and grab its throat as it leapt for mine.

We went down together.

I held it back from my face with the greatest of effort as I buried my knife behind its shoulder and into its heart.

I rose up quickly. I knew the men would come; and I ran for the entrance of the cave; but a bullet went through my leg.”

Kenee indicated her right thigh.

“Those caves are at ground level. I had to crawl away into the bushes to hide.

I could hear the man. He was very angry.

I recognized his voice, and the other man who came and stood beside him.

But I didn’t know what they were saying, because I had mostly forgotten human words by then.”

Bill said: “I remember that! What—Aw…, a year and a half ago. Knackman came into my office after a turn in the park and said his dog had been killed by a poacher.

I thought, at the time, it seemed odd that the dog hadn’t been shot, but had been killed with a knife. Knackman reported that the dog had attacked the poacher, and explained he couldn’t get to them before the dog had been killed.

I see now, --that was a lie. It was you! You killed that dog—”

Kenee didn’t say anything. She was concerned that Bill was upset with her. The dogs were technically Rangers themselves!

June saw this on her face. “No. No—Dear!

That’s not what Bill is saying. He’s just putting the pieces together.

He understands it was self-defence.

–Did you see the other man,” June asked?

Bill asked: “You heard him… But did you see him?

You said you were in the bushes.”

“I was in the bushes on the side of the cave. I could not see them.

…But--I smelt them.”

“You…

Oh!

--I see--!

--Yes!”

Chapter 79

Bill Calvert opened up the hatch of the back of his Ranger vehicle and sat to think, with a map of the park in his hands.

A half a dozen Rangers stood around him waiting for his decision.

“How do you want to proceed,” Jake asked?

“There’s only one way to proceed, and I don’t like it,” Bill said.

“No!” June blurted out in immediate response, like she was reading his mind.

“You’re not sending in this child in by herself—to apprehend a military trained Ranger who has almost killed her twice.”

As unimposing as she could, Kenee interrupted. “I was younger then. The dog surprised me. And the first time I did not know that he was hunting me. He shot me from a far distance.

But this time: I am the hunter. And he is the prey.”

“No. No,” said June. “We’re not doing this, Bill.”

And all the Rangers were unanimously in agreement with her assessment, of not sending in a child to arrest a killer.

Bill turned to Kenee.

Kenee said: “The more of us, the more the targets. He will shoot you from far away.”

“Okay.” Said Bill. “How would it be different for you, Kenee?”

“I will hunt him like the wolf. I will track his scent. I will trail him unseen. I will move through the forest—silent as the bear. I will come upon him suddenly, when he is unaware.”

“And then what?” Asked Jake. “What happens then?”

Kenee looked up, into that honest countenance, of a good Ranger.

She said: “I will not kill him.

I will…, --arrest him.” And that quirky smile of hers flickered across her face.

“I don’t know.” Said Jake. And he looked around at the other Rangers; who’s faces clearly showed their disapproval of this plan.

Jake turned back to Bill. “There must be a better way, Bill. Let’s think about this.” And then June said: “I have an idea.

Do we have any of those timers? The ones that attach to the flares?”

“Yes.” Said Bill. “I have some here. Why--? What good would they be—what are you thinking?”

June said: “Let’s teach Kenee to use them. Take them with her in a backpack. And when she’s closing on Knackman, she stops and sets a flare for ten minutes. And then she gets out of range and waits for us to come.

We go in with the chopper, locating the position through the light of the flair. And hold him at bay, while the other Rangers close in and take him.”

This plan seemed better; and it woke nods of approval form the others.

Bill ran his hand through his hair: up over his head and down behind his ear.

“Okay,” he said; “That could work.

Let’s work out the details.”

--They decided that Kenee would set several flares; all around Knackman. All set on timers, to go off unilaterally. It would set up a perimeter that would hem-him-in.

With the plan agreed upon, and when the training was completed; Kenee climbed into the car and came out dressed in her old forest clothes; with the exception of a T-shirt, for her mother’s sake.

Every Ranger took keen interest. Most having never seen the heroine in her natural-state attire. Her bow over her shoulder. Her arrows on her back. Her knife at her side.

Her feet were bare.

…She picked up the pack and glided toward the treeline with the smooth stride of a panther.

Every eye was upon her as she reached the edge of the compound and melted into the forest.

--The Keneetian Wolfpack had adopted a new leader, after Blankie had abandoned them.

A burly creature. Not specifically intelligent. But having a kind of old wisdom.

He ascended to the throne without contest.

No one wanted to fight the old one.

There were those among the pack who were younger and stronger, but lacked his experience.

His old grey hide was covered with scars. The honours of many hunts, and many battles.

He was not like the Black-One. He was not trying to prove anything.

The pack just wanted meat. And he was a well proven hunter.

The Bull-moose they were trailing had a large spray of antlers. He was in his prime. It was a risky business for the pack; to try to down such a dangerous prey.

Besides his full set of antlers, he was large and well-muscled. He was strong and arrogant in his full prowess.

The Bull ran toward the lake situated next to the cedar mountains.

Once in there he would be safe.

The old one knew this. So, he had the younger wolves circle through the trees and cut him off.

Realizing that his avenue of escape was lost, the bull turned toward the mountains themselves. An alternative choice of defence was to climb up to the caves and make the wolves come to him. He would back himself into a crevice. The wolves would have to attack him from the front. They couldn’t ham-string him that way. He could impale them on his antlers.

He raged in his fury. He did not like to be chased.

The wolves rushed him. Trying to reach him before he reached the cliffs.

Knackman had seen similar hunts like this before; and he watched this one from the ridge, where he was hiding.

It was a good vantage point. The ridge had plentiful growth, camouflaging his position.

He had water, and with his rifle he had provided meat for himself.

He knew the Rangers. How they thought.

They would come in together; in what would seem like a tactic of power.

He would take them out, one-by-one. And when he was finished, he would return to his house. He would collect his passport; and the money he had stashed there. Whatever else he needed.

And he would disappear. Somewhere in the world.

Only once, he compromised himself. Wanting to look over the ridge and see the outcome of the hunt.

He first scanned his perimeter. All around as far as the scope of his rifle could see.

He’d been listening. Waiting for the Rangers to send in the dogs.

His rifle was equipped with a silencer.

He would shoot the dogs first, as they emerged from the trees; but so far there had been no sound of them. He believed, Bill Calvert was still in the planning stage; and the hunt had not yet begun.

He was patient. And he had time.

So, to entertain himself, he looked out over the ridge to see the progression of the moose hunt.

--It wasn’t a sound. Just a feeling.

He withdrew from his observations back into his camouflage.

He turned around to see Kenee standing on the ridge ten feet from him, holding a lit flare.

Before he was able to bring up his rifle and level it, she tossed the flare into his lap; lighting up his jacket and unbalancing him; so that he tumbled backward, clawing at the undergrowth as he fell from the ridge.

The dropped rifle lay among the bushes. And Kenee glided forward. Picked it up by the barrow, and with one swift motion, smashed it against the rocks.

The glass from the scope sparkled in the sunlight at her feet.

She turned back and disappeared again, as silently as she had come.

Chapter 80

Kenee stepped out of the wardrobe in her pink and yellow Easter dress.

Her bonnet, with sewed-on flowers clutched in her hand.

“Don’t crush it, Dear,” Mom said.

Kenee looked up at Mom, and then at her hand, and relaxed her grip.

Mom smiled. “Don’t you girls look beautiful.”

They stood in a row, side-by-side now. Kenee had been the last to come out.

Three of the four posed, as Jonathan began snapping pictures of them.

Kenee stood solemnly. Uncomfortable. Trying to smile.

Jessica squeezed her sister’s hand. “You can take it off after the service.”

But Mom said: “No-No; –We’re going to Grandma’s for dinner. We want everyone to see how beautiful you are.”

Jessica shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, Kenee.”

Kenee said, softly: “That’s okay. It’s not too bad.”

--Katelyn was busy trying to pin up her bonnet, where it had fallen over her eyes.

Victoria was totally absorbed with her posing.

“You’re the perfect model, Victoria;” Jonathan said.

Dad came in and was delighted. “Wow…. You all look wonderful!

Mother, we have the most beautiful daughters.”

“Yes, we do.” Mom said.

--During any church service, Kenee worshipped with abandonment.

Her beautiful voice rang out as she praised God.

Although Mom was more conservative; she never tried to restrain Kenee. Listening to Dad who said: “Who cares if a few people look at us.

The freedom of her expressions is evidence of the joy in her heart.”

--Jonathan; who often sat beside her in the services, would join her with harmony.

He would say: “She reawakens something in me.”

--Afterwards in the lobby, the Pastor spoke to Kenee.

“You seem more at peace.”

“Yes.” Answered Kenee. “Old things have passed away.”

“…And all things become new,” the Pastor finished the Biblical quote.

Kenee said: “My brother says: it is an amalgamation.”

The Pastor said: “I suppose.

Kenee. Your mother tells me, your sisters are ready to be baptized.

I was wondering, if you might be ready for that step as well?”

Kenee looked a little uncertain. As she didn’t know all that this might entail.

Seeing this, the Pastor said: “there’s no pressure! Just thought you might want to all do it together, I was going to ask the Rangers—if this year—we could perform it in the park! –That lake you love. By the mountains!”

“I will ask Mom;” Kenee said.

“That’s a good idea.

I know you pretty well, by now, Kenee.

I think I know your heart.

But it’s your decision.

It will be my honour; whenever you’re ready.”

--The trial of Ronald Knackman began. And because he wouldn’t confess, it was necessary for Kenee to be a witness.

For the courts to allow the District Attorney, to submit into evidence—to identify the defendant by scent; required a satisfactory demonstration.

The Rangers brought in four boxes.

Sat them before the judge; the district attorney; and the Lawyer for the Defence.

Kenee stood at the wall—twenty paces back from the display.

It was a perfect time for the defence to argue the absurdity of this proposed evidence; but she didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.

She was as fascinated as anybody else. Simply watching with the rest to see what would happen.

Jake went to the first box. Lifted the lid from the top.

Kenee understood what was expected of her. And she said immediately: “A fox!”

Inside each box was a cloth, that had been thoroughly rubbed on the hide of an animal; a person; the dirt; and nothing-at-all.

Only the last box confused Kenee. But this was the best evidence, according to the Judge, to allow Kenee’s Unique ability to be accepted by the courts.

“I didn’t realize I smelled so bad,” He laughed later with the District Attorney; as it had been his scent he had-had Jake collect for the human sample.

“It’s amazing, with my sitting right there; that she could distinguish between Me-in-my-chair, and Me on the cloth.

As far as I’m concerned: It’s as good as forensic evidence.”

--Kenee wouldn’t consent to Witness Protection during the trial, as much as Bill pressed her to do so; and neither would the rest of the family.

So, Bill assigned two pairs of Rangers to watch over them.

Two during the day and two at night.

But to this, the family insisted, that they be allowed to stay with them in the house, and not sit out in their cars.

During the length of the trial, the young Rangers became so entwined in the day-to-day activities, that they virtually became family members.

--It was four O’clock in the afternoon, when Young Jeffery Hubert, --Jake Hubert’s son—sat on the couch that faced the back-yard window.

Jessica sat on his knee; and he was reading her a story.

Jonathan and Victoria were in the kitchen baking cookies.

Mom and Dad were upstairs.

Kenee was in the front-yard with Blankie, and young Ranger, Mary Winford.

Jasper wanted out to join them.

He wanted Jessica to let him out the back door.

He came over to the couch to nudge them with his nose; and young Ranger, Jeffery Hubert bent forward to pet him—dislodging Jessica onto the couch.

--The sound of broken glass came later; as the bullet—exceeding the speed of sound—passed through the air where Jeffery’s head had been, into the drywall behind him.

As soon as his startled senses would permit it, he yelled: “Sniper! –Get down—

Everyone, get down—”

As trained: everyone dropped to the floor.

--Ranger Winford didn’t hear the shout, from outside in the front yard.

But Kenee heard it. And she bolted forward for the porch steps. Taking them three-at-a-time: she burst into the house.

Jeffery heard her come in.

“Kenee! Stay there!

Stay behind the stairwell. There’s a sniper! Probably from the woods in the back yard.

Everyone’s okay. We’re down on the floor.”

--Kenee took her bow and arrows from the coat rack.

She turned and went back the way she’d come.

Having left the door open when she’d come in—Ranger Winford had heard Ranger Hubert’s commands; and realized the situation.

--As Kenee leapt off of the step—her bow in hand—Mary tried to stop her.

“Kenee! Stay here—”

“No.” Said Kenee. “–You stay here; and protect the family.

I will get the sniper.”

Mary had taken her by the arm: “If anything happens to you—while you are in my charge…”

Kenee pulled away.

“Let me go!”

Winford released her then.

Chapter 81

Blankie had run forward with Kenee.

At the edge of the woods, Kenee stopped and turned.

“No, Blankie: Go home.”

Blankie whined. But he would not go home.

Kenee did not persist.

She merged into the forest. The Great Grey Wolf at her side.

The two together made a wide circle around their enemy.

They knew where he was: behind the Big Rock. Beneath the Old Oak.

It was a strategic position. He could see several angles of the house.

The forest pressing against his back, protecting him from behind, gave him a sense of security that wasn’t merited.

It was a powerful rifle. And the bullets went through the walls as easily as they did the glass.

He saw that his targets had dropped to the floor; and he was aiming his shots now just above floor level.

--Mary had come into the house—staying low. She and Jeffery gathered the family together behind the coat rack. Again, on the floor; but behind three layers of wall.

Victoria said: “Where is Kenee.”

The shooter noted the Rangers hadn’t returned fire; and he wondered if he had gotten them. And how many others were down so far.

Eventually, he would move in, and finish those who were left.

His assignment was clear: No survivors. –No witnesses.

--The wolf came in so suddenly. Tearing into the back of his neck.

He had no chance to react in defence.

The weight of the huge beast pressed him to the ground.

His rifle fell from his hands as he clutched the back of his neck; screaming with terror like a child in the face of some dreadful night creature.

He rolled onto his back, only to have the monster attack him from the front.

His hands were flailing as he tried to protect his face and his throat.

His stricken eyes momentarily saw past his assailant; to the form of a girl.

A face of beauty.

Eyes ablaze.

She spoke to the wolf: in a language—only the wolf understood. And it ceased its attack and backed away.

He was bleeding profusely from many deep slashes.

He could feel his life flowing out of him.

He tried to speak: a gurgling plea.

The girl came forward then. And she knelt beside him.

With unmistakable clarity she proclaimed:

“You. Will not kill my family.”

--Jake looked proudly toward his son; where Jeffery was standing beside Mary; who was jaunting down points for the report, while they were still fresh in her mind.

Calvert, and two other Rangers stood beside Dad and Kenee; next to the ambulance—transporting the hired assassin to a medical facility.

The two Rangers climbed in for security.

And the ambulance backed down the driveway and out past the mailbox.

--Bill said to Kenee: “I was in church last Sunday. And I was talking to the Pastor.

And without betraying any confidence; he implied, that you had a worry; that coming into this family—your life brought upon them a lot of trouble.

But I’ve gotten to know them, pretty well, over the last year; and I’d like to reassure you, Kenee: That this family, is well able to get into trouble—all on their own.” And he laughed.

And Dad looked sheepish.

And Kenee smiled. And she said:

“They need saving, quite often.”

And as they stood in that cooling, evening breeze; the final snowflakes of the winter—falling on Kenee’s head; coating her long, black hair, like tiny stars from Heaven; Mom and the Girls came up and put their arms around her. Grateful once again.

And Jonathan said: “Yay—Kenee!”

But Kenee looked at them, with so much love in her eyes.

And she focused her gaze on her mom.

The sweetest smile creased her face, as she said:

“The Strength of God.

And His enduring purpose.”

Author’s Page

(About the Author)

This reference has been delayed multiple times.

I find it more difficult to talk about myself than to write an entire novel.

It has been my personal experience as a writer that God has put the content of my stories into my heart; and that I have been primarily a scribe: Just holding the pen.

I have started my life over several times, and no one-book adequately describes the adventure I have lived with God; although through each different character He has written, He has represented His work in me over my lifetime, interacting with those I’ve loved and the circumstances I’ve struggled with.

I have travelled extensively. Recently, I have been confined to North America, travelling by transport through-out all the local US States and the Provinces of Canada.

I grew up on an Ontario dairy farm which began as 200 acres granted by the Crown and ultimately grew into a 2,000-acre corporation.

I married and lost my first wife when our son was less than three years old.

While raising my son, I grew and sold perennials –and many varieties of lilies.

I attended both Queen’s university and Trent University and studied Mathematics and Physics, Computer Science and Psychology; and following that I owned and operated Computer Direct for seven years. I worked afterwards in Social Work for eighteen years, where I met and married my wife Shelly and together, we have three daughters whom I introduced in my book Ke’nee.

Retiring, I became a long-haul truck driver, getting paid to see the country and to gather experiences. I wrote Ke’nee in my second year while on the road.

I have taken a thousand pictures which I’ve posted on social media in the Christian community I belong to, and many there have shared my moments, my songs, my poems, and my family--as my girls have grown.

I have given a lot of my life to others, to the needs of my family and friends; and those I have encountered along my route. My heart’s purpose is to serve God. Jesus is my Saviour; but He is also my passion and true love. I am devoted to God’s Glory in whatever way He can use me; and to whatever cost that may entail.

If my books bring you joy and laughter, sadness and tears, and understanding of what love actually is in its sacrificial form; and if you come to know Jesus as Saviour, or just come to know Him better though my work: Than I have served Him well; and am pleased to have been a blessing to you.

Remember: If you know the Lord and belong to Him; then you are Forever. And if you and I don’t meet beyond my stories in this world, we will surely belong to each other in the life to come.

Yours Truly, David L. Matthie.

Correspondence can be forwarded to the Author at keneetia@outlook.com

Substack.com/@davidmatthie

Twitter X, i.e. David @Keneetia

If you have enjoyed Ke’nee, look for the Sequel:

Ke’nee Book Two: Warrior of the Heart.

D.L.M