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I peered at the same spot, seeing nothing. What was out there?

Mom: Do you see what I’m talking about?

Me: Refractions from the firelight. There’s nothing out there.

I turned on the flashlight app, illuminating the now uninhabited spot. Then I grabbed the defense baton from my pack, extended it as far as it would go, and jogged to the space in the picture. Nothing sat there, so I took a picture to send to my mom as proof. No need to worry her. What could she do from Willow Creek anyway? No way I could calm her down and figure out how to avoid a mountain lion at the same time.

I added the new image to our text conversation.

Me: See?

Mom: I’m allowed to worry.

Me: I know.

Mom: Love you!

Me: Love you, too.

All lies!How could I tell my mother some creature had been staring at me? It had been too dark to make out what it was in the first image, yet I knew, based on the way the foliage had been laid over, somethinghadbeen there. Even with the moon, what chance did I have in the dark against a mountain lion?

Even though I had texted each reassurance to my mother, I didn’t truly believe I was alone in the woods, so I crouched down. Carefully, with shaking hands, I stirred the dew-soaked grass, moving it aside.

Dammit.I needed the mace.

Four large feline paw prints rested in the dirt, like the ones I’d found on Redbud Trail. Why hadn’t it attacked me? Was it toying with me? It had to be, or I would have already been devoured.

Gingerly, I straightened and backed away, holding up the only defense I had now. Each step came slowly. I didn’t want to risk triggering the big cat’s pounce response. When I reached the log, I eased down onto the crumbling trunk.

Groping in the dark until my hand closed around my pack, I pulled it onto my lap. The mace was in the easy-access side pocket. That should be enough to deter asemi-curious, maybe a little snack-ish mountain lion, right?

But my fingers found nothing except an empty canvas pocket.

My heart clenched and then raced. The mace wasn’t where it should be. Had it fallen out in the car when I had loaded the back? Jumped out on Redbud Trail? Had I gone the whole way without it? Adrenaline coursed through my body as my blood surged through my veins. I had to check the car.

When I stood, my knees shook, threatening to send me back to the ground. The snap of a twig made me flinch, but nothing registered in my vision. A big cat wouldn’t make that mistake. I told myself it was an opossum or an armadillo.

Ten more halting steps brought me to the edge of parking pad. Cold sweat slicked my skin, and I wiped my palms on the thighs of my cargo pants.

Had the rangers already made their rounds? I hadn’t gotten back until after dark, and I hadn’t seen them at all. Had they even bothered to check Site 52 after I had promised I had mace?

Mentally, I kicked myself over and over. What a rookie mistake! As a loner, pack-checks were as important as water. The hell had I done?

With a muted click, I opened the rear hatch of my crossover. The dome light came on, blinding me from seeing anything beyond the car.

There!

The can of mace had rolled across the back until it had stopped in the groove between the folded-down rear seats and the back of the car. My defense baton wouldn’t work to get the smooth cylinder out of the groove. It had to be me.

My grip tightened on the defense baton, but it was longer than the width of the rear of my car, and it made it distractingly awkward to climb in. Another scan of the surroundings didn’t reveal my stalker, so I lifted my knee to climb into the back of my car, hoping the mountain lion had already moved on.

That was when the mountain lion charged.

A huge paw hooked my leg and drew it out from beneath me, knocking me down to the pavement. The massive claws sliced through my skin, and I cried out. My defense baton shot from my hand and rolled beneath the car while I scrambled to all fours, expecting the final moment any moment.

But it didn’t pounce on me yet.

Instead, it came around for another run, and I couldn’t scramble away. The predator was toying with me, and I was no match for the beast.