Chapter Nine

A few moments before Cameron spoke

Hannah had peeked out from behind Lindsay's shoulder and took
a hard look at the man standing before her.

He didn't look dangerous.   In fact to her twelve year old eyes
he looked sort of  enticing in a fun sort of way.

She didn't know where these thoughts were coming from.  She
hurriedly rid her mind of these thoughts and chastised herself for
thinking like this. This was not a game.  This wasn't one of her fantasy
adventures where she retired from life and played some part in some
sort of  magical adventure that she concocted in her mind.

No, this was real life.  But yet there was something about this
bold young man standing in front of her holding out his badge to
show Lindsay that perked Hannah's attention.  Brought out the
boldness in her.

She gave the young man the once over.  He seemed very sure of
himself.  He positioned himself on his two legs like he was bolted
into the floor and he wasn't moving.  His denim jeans revealed
full flowing legs and his torso as seen through his white tailored
shirt revealed a well built male of between 20 and 25..

Something stirred in Hannah.  Something she remembered from
long ago.

Lindsay also had been studying Cameron her blue eyes scanning
his tanning squared face to see if she could sense any kind of
unusual emotion.  On instinct she stuck out her hand.

Cameron was caught off guard and he had taken Lindsay's hand
when offered to him.

He had surmised she was signaling for them to lead the way out of the
cabin but then he too remembered something.

Lindsay felt the warmth of Cameron's hand as he clapsed her hand.
She was searching for something anything that would give her a heads' up
as to Cameron's state of mind.

She found it in the warmth of his outstretched hand.  There was no shakiness
only the strength of his hand as he wrapped his hand around hers..
She felt determination and sureness as he clutched her hand.

She didn't know who this Cameron was.   One thing she did know he
meant them no harm.

Lindsay turned toward Hannah and nodded her head up and down.

Hannah  had been watching the two of them and when Lindsay and Cameron's
hand had locked Hannah had felt a surge of warmness and tingling spread
through her own body as Hannah's hand rested on Lindsay's shoulder.
It was as if the three of them shared a secret that at this time they each
didn't understand only that somehow their lives were going to be connected
by a sense of emotion and strength that was going to lead them on a path of
unsureness and at times pain and sorrow but laced with adventure, wholeness,
spirit and love.

It was a path strewn with uncertainty/   Hannah knew this and when Cameron
spoke she knew she would follow him.

Cameron had felt the surge of warmth run through his body when Lindsay
touched him.  Lindsay had felt it also.  She also realized that Hannah was
included in this circle because she felt the warmth travel through the tips of
her finger to Hannah when the young girl squeezed her hand.

A quiet surrounded the trio as they bonded in this moment of tranquil silence.

Cameron was the first to speak.

"Okay, I don't know what just happened, but we have to go."


The two girls nodded their assent and followed Cameron out the cabin door.