he would ask a random question that he hadn't gotten to in the past two days of interrogation. He asked about my birthdays, my grade school teachers, my sexual fantasies, my favorite condiments, my favorite plants, my preferred cable provider, my favorite branch of the United States Army, my middle name, my favorite kind of cooking oil, my childhood pets—and I had to admit that after killing three fish in a row, I'd given up on the whole institution of pettery. He laughed at that, louder than I thought was humanly possible—bell-like, echoes bounding back to us from those empty woods.
The hike took me most of the morning and afternoon, but Fredward never showed any sign of impatience. The forest spread out around us in an eternal labyrinth of ancient trees, and I began to get nervous that we would never find our way out again. He was perfect(ly at ease), comfortable in the green maze, never seeming to feel any doubt about our direction.
After seven hours, the light that filtered through the canopy transformed, the murky olive tone shifting to a brighter grayish jade. The day had turned sunny, just as he'd foretold. For the first time since we'd entered the woods, I felt a thrill of excitement—which quickly turned to impatience.
"Are we there yet?" I teased, pretending to scowl.
"No."
A few minutes passed.
"Are we there yet?" I scowled, pretending to tease.
"Nearly." He smiled at the change in my mood. "You see the brightness ahead?"
"Um, should I?"
He smirked. "Maybe it's a bit too soon for your eyes."
"Time to visit the optometrist," I teased myself. His smirk grew more pronounced.
But then, after another ten feet, I could definitely see a lightening in the trees ahead, a glow that was yellow instead of green. I picked up the pace, my

259

Chapter 12

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