Page 58 of (Mostly) Human Resources

Journals of Warden Michael Keane

She was collecting regrets like ticks on a dog.

Everything around them blurred together into a curtain of browns and greens in the thickening dark. Her backpack repeatedly swung into her lower back, no doubt leaving a bruise, and her thighs still ached from fleeing an evil spirit the day before.

“This region is full of ash trees, you know. White ash, to be specific.” Nic had been rambling on for the better part of an hour. It was more painful than the chafing of her jeans, and at least those protected her from the thorns and brambles. “They’re very common in various religions and mythologies. Some say Yggdrasil, the sacred tree in Norse mythology, was an ash tree.”

“Your plant knowledge truly knows no bounds.” She trudged along behind him, eyes fixed to the yellow beam of her flashlight on the ground ahead to keep from tripping again.

Nic didn’t skip a beat, undeterred by her sarcasm, “I’m curious as to its importance to the witches in this area. I should ask Opal when we return.”

“Ifwe return,” Alexys grumbled.

“Must you always be such a grouch?”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s awfully presumptuous of you.”

Despite her near-constant protesting, itwasnice to have some company. Nic’s companionship, annoying as it may be, felt like a barrier between herself and the horrors lurking in the shadows. She just wished his repository for plant knowledge would soon empty.

She was about to suggest to Nic that Entity should begin installing tracking chips in their Wardens to avoid this type of situation ever happening again when Nic threw out an arm so quickly she ran into it. Alexys opened her mouth to complain, but Nic shushed her.

“Look,” he whispered, pointing out into the dense trees with his finger rather than his flashlight.

Alexys squinted into the darkness. She scanned the trees for something that might stand out.

Then she spotted it.

Creeping through the foliage, a dark shape leaped past, its steps eerily silent on the forest floor. Alexys watched as the Black Dog lifted its head and looked right at them, luminous blue eyes pinning them in place.

Nic’s breath audibly caught beside her.

The Black Dog shook itself, the way any other dog would shake off rain, slipped seamlessly into the shadows of the trees, and vanished.

Nic let out a soft, disbelieving laugh and looked at her. His eyes were bright with excitement. “Did you see that?”

“See what?” She shoved aside his arm and shook her head. “Of course I saw it! It was staringrightat us.”

“I’ve always wanted to see a Black Dog. They’re absolutely fascinating.” Nic stared off into the distance, smiling wistfully. “What a treat.”

Alexys regarded him with disbelief. Leave it to Nic to think a graveyard spirit was atreat.“Dyre, that thing could’ve killed us.”

He looked down at her, his excitement not dimming in the slightest. “But it didn’t,” he argued. Alexys rolled her eyes. “Lighten up, Keane. Notallmonsters want to eat you.”

She scoffed. “Sure. Just most of them.”

They continued bickering as they walked on, debating the likelihood of an unprovoked Black Dog attack when they were interrupted by the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance.

Nic frowned up at the sky. “Well, that doesn’t sound good.”

Alexys sighed. As if things could get any worse.

“I don’t suppose you thought to bring a raincoat,” Nic said. It wasn’t a question, but more of a stated observation on her lack of forethought.

“Of course not,” she answered, tone falsely chipper. “I didn’t think to pack anything useful, remember? I didn’t think to check the weather, I suck at packing, and I’m essentially the worst traveler you’ve ever met. Did I miss anything?”

“If it makes you feel any better, I hadn’t considered checking the weather either. I wasn’t actually expecting a multi-day camping trip.”

It didn’t help.