Author's Note: Sorry for the less ghost fighty chapter. I've been missing my family up on the farm and wrote this based on them. I made sure to add plenty of foreshadowing though. ;)

Mason's POV

"Danny?" Mason called.

No answer.

Mason surveyed the ground, Danny was nowhere to be seen. Great. Mason thought. I knew he didn't like me. He crept to the tip of the branch, where it was most bendable and let go. As long as he shifted his weight correctly this would give him smooth passage to the ground, similar to sliding down a muddy hill. Around five feet from the ground, he lost control and hit the dirt with a loud thump.

"Goddammit." He moaned, grateful he hadn't landed on his back. He pushed himself to his feet and dusted off the front of his bibs. "Now which way was home again?"

He started off Westward. Or was it East? Usually, he could intuitively tell which way was he was going, but tonight he was rather disoriented. For all he knew he was headed away from home, but it looked like this was his only option. He sighed and kept going. Luckily for him, around the time the sun was winking around the horizon the forest was finally looking familiar to him. Now he was left to worry if Danny had gotten home safe last night. Whatever. He had barely slept in two days, needless to say, he was spent.

He awoke to Jasper shaking him.

"C'mon Mason, you overslept!"

"What?"

"Remember, you promised to help with the animals today, I've already fed the sheep. I'm not doin' anymore of your chores."

"Alright. I'm up." Mason rolled onto his back and winced. He had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out in pain. "Just give me a minute."

"S'already quarter past 8, ya better hurry up." With that Jasper walked down the stairs, leaving a trail of muddy boot prints in his wake.

Mason rolled out of bed, grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and flew down the stairs to tend to his burns. They were worse than last night, giant yellow blisters freckled a gaping red sore. He sighed and pulled some Neosporin and gauze from the medicine counter. When he was satisfied with his handiwork he threw on his clothes and slapped on a hat.

The day was hotter than a frying pan, and the shade from his baseball cap wasn't helping. The barn cats who usually came right up to him darted away as soon as he got close. Whenever he did manage to get a hold on one it would squirm like a worm on a hook. It only got worse when Eli would stab it in the scruff of the neck to deliver the shot. By the time all of the cats were vaccinated Mason's arms were covered in jagged scratches.

"Little devils." Eli spat. "I need a smoke."

"Me too." Mason joked.

Eli gave him a stone-cold stare and dryly responded, "It'll be a cold day in hell when you get a cigarette."

Mason rolled his eyes. His eldest cousin wasn't the best at reading subtext. "Only kidding. What's next?"

"You gotta go help Jasper with that dog house."

"Alrighty then." Mason trotted off, the sooner he got this done, the sooner he could take a nap.

Jasper had driven a rectangle of planks into the ground and was placing brick to fill the area.

"Thank god! Thought I'd have to build it myself."

Mason grinned, he knew Jasper loved building things and would've gladly constructed a million doghouses. He had even helped build their house. "Where do you need me?"

Two hours later they had built, in Jasper's words, "the finest dog house this side of the Mississippi."

"Good timing too," Jasper remarked as they were inspecting their work, "Its officially noon. How does leftover deer stew sound?"

Mason's stomach grumbled. "Great!"

After a hearty lunch and a quick shower, Mason was left to his own devices. Even though he was expected to pull his own on the farm, his cousins definitely went easy on him. He rewrapped up his burns and ventured back upstairs.

The afternoon quiet gave him a chance to review yesterday's events. Things weren't adding up.