At the settlement. After the stranger left, none of us slept that day.
His warning stayed in my head all night. Take Derek and leave. He had said it like there was no time to argue.
But morning came, and we were still there.
Lydia wanted us to leave immediately. “I don’t like this place anymore,” she said while tying a small bag of food. “That man knows too much.”
Mara nodded. “He does. And I don’t think he was lying.”
I looked at Derek, who was sleeping against my chest.
“We cannot run every time someone scares us,” I said.
Lydia stared at me. “Malia, he told us something is beneath this particular part of the forest.”
“I know but he did not tell us exactly what it is.”
“That is enough for me.”
“We'll stay for now,” I said.
Lydia sighed. “You are stubborn.”
“I'm sorry but if w
