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Show 23. IV "Let's go over it again," JD moved to make room for Stephanie on the log where he sat to rest. He lowered his head between his hands, pressing hard on his temples. The explosions of pain were hitting him rapid-fire now, but he hated to give in to it, just as he'd hated to give in to the vomiting that sent him into the brush after the Morrises left. "Okay, JD," Stephanie sat down beside him. "We've covered every inch of ground eight times, but we'll do it again. Where should I start?" "You know it couldn't disappear. All by itself, a camera doesn't just disappear." "Maybe somebody took it. They took it. You know it's possible." JD looked sideways at his sister. "You mean Clarence and Ruth?" "No, I mean they. Whoever was in that UFO." She was serious, JD decided, not admitting he'd thought of it hours earlier. "Oh, hell!" he swore and got to his feet. "Start here at camp. Go over the lean-to again, everything. Work your way out to me." Stephanie walked toward the car with JD, her hands shoved in her pockets, scowling at the clearing and the trees beyond. "JD, how can this be happening to us?" She squinted up at him through the noon sunlight. "Can you believe what we saw last night. Really?" "Of course I believe it. Don't you?" "Yes, but it's so crazy! I don't understand it. I feel like somebody played a joke on us . . . a miserable, sick joke!" "Stephanie, we both saw it. We couldn't be seeing identical illusions. Now could we?" His voice was impatient. "No, but where'd it come from? What was that thing doing here? JD, it scares me. I'm afraid of what will happen to us." "You mean," JD stopped, "maybe we saw something we shouldn't have-" "Yes, and what if-" "Steph, it's gone. You're not afraid right now, this minute, are you?" She shook her head no, but her face continued to worry. |