"Many years ago," Jason said, "a young man hiked around the woods enjoying nature. He heard a low moan. At first he ignored it, but the sound grew louder. He searched above and below for an animal, but something in the moan suggested it wasn't an animal.
"With each step, the noise grew louder. The ground moved under his feet like a heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump."
"Hello, we're back," Brett shouted, standing in the doorway looking like a drowned rat. Faith stood beside him, shivering and exhausted.
Tears spilled onto Megan's cheeks. When her heart resumed beating, she moved towards the door. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" she asked.
"A hot shower, dry clothes, hot coffee, and a sandwich," Brett said. Faith nodded, while the door's framework kept her from collapsing.
"Come with me." Megan took Faith by the arm and led her upstairs. "Will you be okay to take a hot bath?"
"More water?" Faith sank deeper into Megan's arms. "I only want a towel and dry clothes." After changing, Faith plopped onto the bed and curled into a ball.
"Have good dreams," Megan said, covering her with a blanket. She picked up the wet clothes and took them to the bathroom, hanging them over the shower doors.
"How else do I avoid Brett?" No answers moved to the forefront, so she trudged downstairs, taking a deep breath with each step. Despite the kids' protests to hear his story, Brett was half-asleep. "Okay troops," Megan said. "Time for bed."
"We want to hear Mr. Brett's story. Please."
"After I eat," he said, devouring his sandwich in a few bites and gulping his coffee. He relaxed against the couch. "Faith and I took a picnic lunch to the lake. The distant thunder didn't bother us. Storms like that can take hours to reach here. Loud cracks jolted the earth. We knew it was lightning and fires were bound to spark, but where? Years of experience taught us to stay close to the water.
"We watched and looked around, never venturing far from the lake. I knew you were in good hands here, so I didn't worry. Faith and I grew tired of waiting, but it's a good thing we did."
Brett stretched his arms overhead and repositioned his feet on the coffee table. Wide-eyed kids stared at him like he was their hero. Megan listened to Brett, but tuned out most of what he said.