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in chill bumps. “If this is your idea of a joke, I'm not amused,” she yelled.
    She listened for any sound, when none came, she turned and walked back to the cabin.
    As she made her way back inside, the stillness of the room engulfed her. Her confusion to his whereabouts gave way to fear. Where was he? Why wasn't he back yet?
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Chapter 5
    Devin opened his eyes, blinking into the blackness of the forest. His head was throbbing and the smell of dirt surrounded him. Hearing a sound off to his right, he turned his head to the noise and smiled as he recognized Holly's voice.
    She was calling for him.
    Sitting up, his head began to swim. His vision blurred, the entire right side of his head throbbing with every beat of his pulse. He raised his hand to where the pain seemed to be concentrated.
    Wet, sticky blood coated his fingers and he growled in frustration as he slowly remembered falling. “Stupid fucking animals,” he mumbled, remembering the brown furry creature that had darted out into the path. He had screamed like a girl and he hoped Holly hadn't heard him. Seeing how it was dark, he assumed she hadn't.
    Scratching the side of his neck, Devin slowly picked himself up off the ground and tried to steady himself. The shooting pain that radiated from his ankle brought him to his knees.
    "Fuck,” he hissed as he tried to look at his ankle. It was so dark he could barely see his hand in front of his face. Taking a deep breath he let it out slowly and closed his eyes as the pain from his injuries left him suddenly dizzy.
    He tried to focus his eyes on anything but the longer he tried, the more his vision blurred. He wondered if something bigger than a squirrel would eat him if he lay there all night, and mumbled Holly's name before he blacked out.
    * * * *
    Devin was dreaming. Warmth engulfed him and soft hands roamed his body. The scent of jasmine surrounded him and he smiled, his aching muscles relaxing with every second that passed.
    Soft music played somewhere in the distance and an angel hovered above him. He heard his name, whispered on a breath, and the fluttering of butterfly wings skated across his cheek.
    "Devin, can you hear me? Come on, wake up."
    He blinked. His eyes felt like they had steel weights on them and he tried with every bit of energy he had to open them.
    A slight move of his legs caused pain to radiate through his body and he opened his eyes a second later. A pained groan crawled up his throat and he turned his head, looking to the right.
    Holly was there, concern etched across her face.
    "Devin?"
    Focusing his eyes on her face, he smiled. It was an angel. “Hey."
    "Hey. Are you okay?"
    "Define okay?"
    She smiled. “You have a nasty cut on your head. It looks pretty bad. I don't think it needs stitches though."
    "Hmm...” Devin mumbled as his eyes closed again. “What happened?"
    "I don't know,” she said. “It got dark, and when you never came back from the pool, I got worried. I called your name and when you didn't answer, I went looking for you. I found you on the path, face down in the dirt."
    Devin sighed lightly as the details came back to him. No way was he going to tell her a damn squirrel was the cause of this. “How'd I get back here?"
    Holly snorted a laugh. “I dragged you back."
    "Dragged me?” Devin said with widened eyes. “Literally?"
    "Yes,” she grinned. “And it wasn't easy. It took me twenty minutes to get your ass back up here."
    He stared at her, watching her rewet a towel in the bowl of water sitting on the coffee table before turning back to him. When she locked eyes with him, her cheeks reddened.
    "Thank you,” he said.
    She blushed brighter. “You're welcome,” she said. “Are you hurt anywhere else?"
    Devin looked down over his body and remembered his foot. “Twisted my ankle."
    "Which one?” Holly asked, looking toward his bare feet.
    "Right."
    Holly scooted to the foot of the couch and lifted the bottom of his pants leg.