Prologue:
Jo's scanty, tender hands reached into the pocket of her ember cotton knit cardigan to retrieve her iPod. She rested it on her knee cap as she equipped her headphones in her ears and pressed play. Jo was immediately immersed in the music as she omitted herself from the outside world. She allowed her legs to dangle over the cold water of the pond but careful not to make any actual contact with the water.
Jo hadn't been paying attention that day. If she had she might have felt as if she was being watched. She might have noticed the mahogany eyes that constantly stared at her from a distance. She could have noticed the shadows lurking near her. If she had unplugged her music and stood in complete silence, she would have heard the creaking of footsteps from afar. And if she had gone to a separate location with people or even just brought the slightest company with her to the lake. Jo Masterson would not have been on the morning news the very next day filed as a missing person.
