Read Into the Forest Shadows for Free Online Page B

falling in their normal disarray. The bunts calmed down,
settling down to munch on leaves, bushes, and short grasses.
    Kate let out a relieved breath.
    Ayden jumped on his feet. He climbed out from
under the tree, pushing the veil of leaves out of his way, dragging
his backpack along with him.
    "Should we leave? The fog could come back!"
Kate called after him.
    "The trees know. The flowers of the Red Tip
have closed up," Ayden called back to her as he walked quickly
towards the shuttle.
    Kate looked around, finding only one tree
with red tips at the ends of their purple leaves. The wide pink
blossoms that had waved in the fog were tightly closed and pulled
under the large leaves.
    She grabbed her basket and followed, finding
her legs shaky. She scanned the shadowed nooks and crannies around
the trees and forest plants. No white or sparkling wisps.
    Kate trotted to catch up with Ayden. "Are we
going to make an emergency call?"
    Ayden looked back at her, "I already told you
the electronics are fried."
    "Isn't there an emergency pack? Maybe
something in that might work." Kate sucked in her breath and patted
her pockets. She brought out her small mobile phone. Flipping up
the cover didn't do anything other than show the big words "No
signal" in the middle of the screen.
    If this were a normal human colony planet
there wouldn't be a problem with a signal. Ever. But thanks to the
Ancients, through the words of the Watcher, permanent human
satellites weren't allowed. The only concession had been a long
distance communication satellite orbiting the largest moon.
    She closed the cover and put it back in her
pocket. Ayden was shaking his head at her. Her anger flared, "Oh
sorry. Have I bothered you by trying to find a way to let people
know where we are? At least I'm trying!"
    "And I'm not? Fine. Just determined you know
better?" Ayden dropped his backpack next to the shuttle and walked
inside.
    She heard several loud clicks and something
slam. A bright orange small pack flew out of the shuttle. It
bounced and slid along the ground, coming to a stop at her
feet.
    Ayden climbed out of the shuttle, gesturing
towards it, "Go ahead, try it. Let me know if a miracle
happened."
    Kate reached down to pick up the bag, the
phrase "Emergency Pack" emblazoned in bright yellow letters on both
sides of it. Ayden stalked off to the rear of the shuttle and
climbed up on top of the one of the lower engines.
    She turned her full attention to the pack. It
contained the standard stuff she expected, like packs of dehydrated
food, a water purifier and a few space blankets. It was the small
red object she wanted.
    She pressed the large button on the top, but
the screen stayed dark. She pressed it again and then started
pressing the other buttons around the main screen. Still
nothing.
    "Dead, isn't it."
    Kate found Ayden kneeling on the top of the
curved shuttle hull looking down at her with an amused expression
on his face that was echoed by Bunbun.
    She frowned at them. "You don't have to be so
pleased about it. What are you doing up there, anyway?"
    "Checking the weather. With the break in the
canopy the shuttle crash caused I can see pretty far. The fog is
starting to build on the slopes of the mountains again. By tonight
it will envelop the entire forest."
    Kate looked back at the tree they'd taken
refuge under, "So we make camp under the tree until someone finds
us?"
    "No, that tree isn't big enough to protect us
from what is coming." Ayden walked to the end of the shuttle and
climbed down the way he'd come. "We have a little time to get
somewhere safer and I plan to use it."
    Kate dropped the dead emergency communication
device into the pack. "Just what are you suggesting?"
    Ayden jumped to the forest floor, pointing in
the direction of the shuttle nose, "Your grandmothers house. The
tree her house is in is more than powerful enough to protect
us."
    Kate eyed the wall of trees and shrubs in the
direction he pointed. The sunlight angled down in