They walked for the rest of the afternoon. Several times they stopped; Kyle looked up at the cameras while Faith watched their trail. Every time the creature appeared somewhere behind them, never close, never speeding up, but never disappearing. As Faith turned away from the last observation, Kyle pointed. "They've changed direction."

"What?" Faith looked at the cameras. "What do you mean?"

"They're not all pointing south any more. They're pointing-" Kyle looked over at the lowering sun "-kinda southwest."

Faith nodded. "Okay, let me think." She looked back along their trail; nothing was there, but she knew that if they waited, Evilupagus would show. "Change of plans. We've walked all day and the cameras just now changed direction. It was just now, right?"

Kyle scowled as he studied the trees; leaves rustled in the slight breeze and the chill of evening closed in. "I know they changed since our last stop."

"Then this area is big, really big. A full day of walking and we're probably halfway across."

"Why do you think… Oh." Kyle nodded. "Pointing toward the center."

"Uh-huh." Faith pushed her hair back. "And we're gonna follow them. We're gonna walk until it's dark, then we're gonna find a place to hole up. Tomorrow, we get to the middle of this place and see what's supposed to happen."

"And…?" Kyle pointed back along the trail.

"Can't worry about that. Maybe it'll stop in the dark, maybe it'll just slow down." She shrugged. "Hell, it might just keep coming, but we've got to sleep."

"Yeah, you're right. Might as well be rested, we'll still be starving." Kyle kicked at a rock. It rolled away, a glassy black oval spackled with dirt and mud. "At least being afraid for my life keeps me from thinking about being hungry."

"You fucker, why did you mention that?" Faith rubbed a hand across her stomach. "And quit kicking stuff. It might track us by sound."

Kyle shook his head. "I've thought about that, and I don't think it does."

Faith cocked her head and stared at him. "You've thought about it?"

"Nothing else to do while we're hiking." Kyle made a face. "But did you notice its ears?"

"Yeah, they were little, so what?" Faith turned slightly sideways as she skirted down a slope.

"Well, usually in nature, the organs an animal uses the most are pretty well-developed, like, an animal that can hear has larger or more well-developed ears."

Faith skidded to a stop and looked back up the hill at Kyle. "Is there a point to this, or are you just channeling Mr. Wizard?"

Kyle bent over, hands on knees, breathing heavily. "I'm saying that any animal with ears that small probably has lousy hearing."

"Okay."

"Did you see its eyes?"

Faith thought. "No, it's got, like, eyebrows like a Neanderthal."

"Yeah, which means it can't see that well either… probably."

"Oh, its…" Faith tilted her head back. "The nose… or whatever that was."

Kyle nodded. "I'm wondering if it tracks by smell. It manages to keep following us when we're out of sight and way farther ahead than sound would carry. Animals that can track by smell, well, I mean, bloodhounds."

Faith looked down at the leaves beneath her feet. "Okay," she said, raising her head to look at Kyle. "Let's say it does track by smell. Does that mean it can track us in the dark?"

"Theoretically, yes?" Kyle raised his hands. "I'm just spitballing here."

"We're gonna stick with your theory." Faith turned in a full circle, looking deep into the forest shadows that were merging into true darkness. "If it's following us by smell, it could keep going through the night, but does it need to? It's not like our smell's going away." The idea that kept knocking at the door of her consciousness would not relent: that this was not an animal of any sort native to this forest or maybe even to this world. She resumed scuffling down the slope.

"That's a good point." Kyle started late and hurried to catch up. "If it can pick up our scent in the morning, why go through the dark?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying." Faith reached the bottom of the gully. It was almost full dark down in the hollow, and she realized that she could not see the cameras. "Okay," she said, "we're not going to stumble around and get lost or hurt. If that thing keeps coming, it keeps coming, we can't do anything about that, right?"

Kyle's features blurred in the growing gloom. "Uh-huh."

"So, we're going to find a tree that we can climb, get ourselves set up so we don't fall out, and get some rest. Agreed?" The tone of the last word made it clear that only a fool would disagree with this plan. Faith walked along the sides of the gully and stopped at an oak tree. "This one. We can get up pretty high."

"What if it can climb?"

Faith looked at him, her eyes sparking in the dimming light. "Then we'll run along the branches and jump to another tree, I guess."

"Sorry, I'm just… I don't know what I'm doing." Kyle laid his hands on the tree.

"Wait, before you climb up," Faith said. "My dad had a buddy in western Mass used to deer hunt. He'd go out to the spot where he wanted to hunt and pee all over everything. Apparently it brought the deer."

"What does that have to do with us?"

Faith pointed. "You go that way, I'll go this way. Stop every few yards and whiz. If that thing does keep coming, maybe… maybe that'll confuse it."

"Okay." Kyle sounded doubtful. "I'm not sure I need to go-"

"Then dream about Niagara Falls," Faith snapped. "Meet you back here." She stomped off into the woods some thirty feet, unzipped, lowered her jeans and squatted, then counted to ten and clenched in mid-stream. Hiking up her pants without fastening them, she clambered another thirty steps or so up the incline and repeated the process, then did it four more times. Finished, she pulled up her pants and retraced her steps to the tree. Kyle appeared out of the brush on the other side.

"I, uh, I managed," he announced.

"We'll get you a gold star." Faith shivered and hugged herself. "Things aren't bad enough, I may have frostbite on my cooch."

Kyle coughed. "Well, yeah, it is a… little… chilly. So, to the loft?" He climbed up first, then motioned for Faith to come up. She jumped and grabbed the branches, then ascended, the knife poking into her back. She reached Kyle's level and found a branch about a foot in diameter. Kyle was wedged against the at the junction of two branches, one the same size as the one Faith had found and one slightly smaller. "I don't think I'll fall if I'm like this."

Faith slung a leg over so she straddled the limb, facing outward. "You rest, I'll keep an eye out. I'll wake you in three hours and we'll switch."

There was a pause, then Kyle said, "I think those cameras have infrared capability."

"So?" Faith shifted her weight, trying to find a comfortable position.

"They might have been watching us this whole time. They could be watching us right now."

Faith considered this, then sighed. "I really don't give a shit. It doesn't make any difference." She looked up through the branches of the tree at the twinkling stars, terribly bright in the cold, clear air. "If they were, I hope they got a great look at my ass as I mooned them."

Kyle snorted. "Jesus, how can you make a joke?'

"Sometimes jokes are all we got." Faith raised one arm high and extended a defiant middle finger. She heard Kyle's intake of breath as though he was about to speak, but he said nothing. His breathing grew more regular and she peeked around the trunk; he didn't look like he was in any danger of falling. She returned to watching: she had no intention of waking him up. She was so hungry her stomach was past growling; she just felt lighter than air as she peered into the darkness and only saw trees. The knife was an uncomfortable knot between her spine and the tree trunk, but on the bright side maybe it would help her stay awake.

The temperature declined steadily through the night. Faith watched the stars through the clouds of mist formed when she exhaled. Her back hurt, her hips began to ache, and she was so tired. She finally leaned forward and laid her cheek against the rough bark of the branch, trusting that if she started to roll off her reflexes would save her. She dozed fitfully, eyes fluttering, the texture of the tree branch scratching at her face keeping her from falling fully asleep. False dawn colored the sky when she lifted her head. Something had changed; she did not know if she heard something or smelled something, maybe even felt something, but her senses came to high alert as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. As her vision cleared, she could see Evilupagus approaching. She kept her breathing shallow as she watched it come closer: the lumbering, almost pigeon-toed gait; the wiry, matted fur, the head shifting from side to side, and the thick, ridged trunk extended and snuffling along the ground. It drew to within a few yards of the tree and stopped. Faith held her breath and watched. The trunk crawled over the ground, first one way, then the other. The action was repeated twice, then the beast pivoted and scuffled in the direction Faith had taken the previous night. She bared her teeth in triumph and crept around the trunk of the tree. Kyle was still asleep as she situated herself on the limb, checked for stability, then reached over and clapped a hand over his mouth. His head jerked as his eyes shot open and rolled wildly as Faith held up a finger in front of her mouth and screamed Quiet! with her eyes. The branches trembled, but she had him pinned so he would not fall. She tapped the finger to her lips again and Kyle nodded. Faith removed her hand, then pointed to herself, then down, then pointed at him and raised her hand in a 'stay' motion. He nodded and she turned and began shimmying down the tree. As she reached the last branch, about six feet off the ground, Faith reached to her waistband and drew the knife, then grasped the branch with her left hand and swung down. She dangled for a moment, then dropped to the forest floor, dry leaves crunching under her boots.

The monster paused, almost like it was thinking, then whirled back toward her. It wasn't graceful, but it certainly wasn't slow. The ground shook as it charged, its stride lengthening into a lopsided gallop. Faith's pulse accelerated, her breath came fast and shallow. Black splotches crawled at the edges of her vision, the result of hunger, hypothermia, and hyperventilation. The thumping sound of the beast's footfalls were the only sounds it made in the frosty morning air as its trunk flailed back and forth as it ran, flopping loosely from one shoulder to the other. Faith held the knife low, weight on the balls of her feet, the icy chill of sweat running down her back as she gauged speed and distance balanced against her lack of knowledge concerning her foe. It slowed and came to a skidding halt, settling back on its haunches. The trunk suddenly curled up as Faith flung herself forward to the right; it passed over her as she rolled and came up on one knee beside the monster. The knife was already in motion and she stabbed the creature cleanly just behind the left shoulder.

The knife penetrated and stopped, and Faith understood why the beast's fur was so thick and matted. The blade pierced cleanly but was stopped short of a vital strike by the dense pelt. Only the very tip struck anything substantial as wiry hair closed around the wound. Faith wrenched backward with all her strength and pulled the knife free; from the corner of her eye she saw the trunk arc toward her. She ducked and rolled away as it caught her a glancing blow on the shoulder. She came up in a crouch, left hand on the ground, knife held blade-up in her right, head spinning and shoulder aching from the beast's strike. She was facing the snout and a shock raced through her system. The opening at the end of the trunk was lined with teeth: sharp, tearing fangs that worked back and forth as the stalk writhed behind it. It withdrew slightly, then struck at her. Faith lunged to the left and brought the knife down in a tight arc as she fell back. The edge sliced the ridged, knobbed flesh, not a deep slash, but a definite cut. A green-tinged black bile oozed from the wound and immediately began to coagulate.

The monster recoiled, emitting a sound that was neither bellow nor scream reverberated in the air as Faith scrambled to her feet. The trunk swept through the air again and she threw herself backward, the hissing, gnashing teeth cutting the air just above her, close enough to smell the rank odor of it. She rolled and came to her feet, raked her hair back, then spun as something grabbed her shoulder. The knife was already moving. Kyle threw himself back as the blade cleaved the air in front of him, close enough to cut one end from the drawstring of his hoodie. He stared at her, eyes wide.

"What are you doing?" Faith screamed. "You were supposed to stay in the tree!"

Kyle's eyes shot past her for a heartbeat. "You want to argue now?"

Faith glanced over her shoulder; the monster shook its head and pawed at the rotted leaf mulch. The trunk hovered in the air like an aroused cobra. "Yeah," she said as she turned back to Kyle, "let's go." They ran, a dead sprint up the slope and down the other side. Kyle overbalanced halfway down and tumbled head over heels to the bottom of the gully. He pulled himself to his knees as Faith reached him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, gulping cool morning air. The sun was finally up and the golden light touched the tops of the trees above them. "Yeah, yeah, just kinda…" He struggled to his feet. "I'm good." They took off. Kyle struggled near the top of the hill and stopped, bent over with his hand on the trunk of a tree.

Faith crouched in front of him, sliding the knife back into its sheath as she did so. "Are you hurt?"

He shook his head. "No, just… just never ran… cross-country. Gimme… gimme a minute. He took a few more breaths, then stood up and threw back his head. Tears and snot glistened on his face as he gulped in as much air as possible. "Okay, Okay, maybe… maybe we don't go full speed, all right?"

Faith looked across to the top of the rise they had just crested; the cold wind bit into her face and caused her eyes to tear. "Okay," she said, "but we have to keep moving." They set off at a more sustainable pace. The air warmed as the sun rose higher and the breeze at their back lost most of its chill. When they finally stopped, Kyle dropped to all fours as Faith bent over, hands on knees. She was winded; he must have been near the end of the line. Faith stood up and leaned back, placing her hands in the small of her back, as Kyle rose to his knees.

"Okay," he wheezed between gasps for air. "The knife. Did you bring that with you?"

Faith shook her head. "Fuck no. Come on, don't you think you would have felt it?"

"I didn't feel it…" He closed his eyes and thought. "...night before last."

"No, you didn't, I put it in my boot."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to hear any 'is that a knife in your pocket or are you just glad to see me' cracks."

Kyle shook his head. "Don't. Don't brush me off."

Faith swallowed, her throat dry and cracked. "I woke up before you. It was on a stump."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

She shrugged. "There was only one knife."

He nodded, leaves crunching under his knees as he shifted his weight. "And you decided to keep it."

The Slayer looked at him, arms crossed. "Dude, tell me you are not going to get all Al Bundy."

"Doesn't answer the question."

Faith unfolded her arms and stood tall. "I kept it because I know how to use a knife better than you."

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, that's pretty obvious. I guess what I'm wondering is… why?"

She shook her head. "We are not going to do this. Come on, let's keep moving. I'm betting that thing's already after us."

"Because you cut its nose?"

Faith looked over her shoulder as she started down the hill. "Hey, it's personal now." No further words were exchanged as they went down and up two more hills. Kyle broke the silence.

"Does it seem like we're going downhill?"

Faith did not bother to turn around. "At least half the time."

"No, I mean overall. I think somewhere back there was the highest spot and we're going down."

"Boy Scouts?"

"A little. And geography class."

Faith stopped and turned to face him. "And if we are, what's the diff?"

Kyle looked up. "The cameras are all still pointing the direction we're headed, and if we're going downhill, it's like, I don't know, we're going down a funnel or something."

"You mean, like, when we get to the bottom of whatever this is, that's where all the cameras are pointing?"

"Yeah, I think."

"Good." The Slayer set her jaw and stepped away. "Maybe we'll find their clubhouse."

"Wait, just wait."

Faith turned. He stood below her on the hill, hands raised.

"Who… who are you? You attacked that thing with a, with a knife and now… why aren't you scared?"

Her eyes went up like she was trying to examine her hairline. "What good would that do?"

Kyle nodded. "Okay, yeah, good point, but it would be normal."

Faith blinked; her eyes stung. "Is that what you want now, for me to be normal? Would normal have lasted this long?"

"No, but I… I…" His voice trailed away. He glanced up at the trees. Leaves rustled in the breeze.

She looked toward the top of the hill, then back at him. "Let's get out of this in one piece, then we can have a good long talk about… whatever this is."

"Whatever this is? This is, this is from a story I read in eighth grade, only there's some sort of monster that's not any animal I've even heard of which you stabbed because you're apparently Aeon Flux and I, I just… I think I'm going crazy."

"You're not crazy." Faith scowled. "But stop trying to make it make sense. It doesn't. This can't be explained. It can be survived." She took a step toward him. "Are you good to go? Because, if you're going to freeze up or freak out, tell me. We'll find a place to hide you and I'll come get you after it's over."

He shook his head. "That's… See, that's what I mean." He took two steps up until he was even with her. "No. I think you may be nuts, but I can't let you go on alone."

Faith closed her eyes. "I know you have to say that, but please, please just stay out of my way if that thing catches up to us."

Kyle exhaled and sagged like a deflating balloon. "Okay, sure whatever." They trudged up the incline, then let gravity set a faster pace on the downslope. The sun climbed toward mid-morning as Faith realized that Kyle was right: they were on an overall downward course. They topped the crest in another of what seemed like an interminable series of ridges and stopped. The ground fell away more sharply and was studded with prominent rock outcroppings. A larger stream ran along the bottom of the vale, twisting and turning around rugged arrays of rocks. Faith looked upstream. A sizable cluster of boulders thrust out of the earth a few yards up the hill from the rushing water. She leaned forward.

"Does that look like a cave or something? In the middle of those rocks?" She turned to look at Kyle, who pointed across the stream to the opposite ridge.

"Look."

Faith looked in the indicated direction and realized that she was staring into the lenses of the cameras across the way. She looked up at the cameras above her, then back. "I guess we got to the center of the Tootsie-pop." She turned toward the jumble of boulders.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Kyle's voice shot up into a higher register.

Faith pointed. "See, we wanted to find the middle. This is the middle. I think that's a cave up there, and if it is, I'm guessing it's important."

"So, you're just going to walk up to it?"

The Slayer shrugged. "Confirm, don't assume." She turned and took three steps before a rock turned beneath her foot. She slipped and went down on her ass. Kyle made a weird sound. She looked at him. "I just-" His eyes were wide and his hand shook as he pointed. Faith shook her head and turned back. "See, it's only-" She stopped her words jammed in her throat.

It wasn't a rock. It was a skull.