Billy
-- continuation It was getting late in the day. Ted knew he would have to find the boy before darkness set in. He found himself almost running up the ridge before he realized this was not the thing to do. It would be easier to miss a sign. Ted forced himself to slow down and carefully study the surrounding ground looking for broken twigs, shale scattered in a pattern different than the texture of natural erosion, any clue to find Billy. He progressed up the ridge and realized how thirsty he was. Billy would have had the same experience. High on the ridge in the heat of the afternoon Ted realized how thirsty Billy must have been. By listening hard, a far off stream could be heard running down in the draw. Ted took out a water bottle and started to take a drink. He put the bottle back in the pack, if Billy didnt get a drink, Ted didnt need one either. He wouldnt drink while his boy was possibly suffering from thirst. Ted started down hill towards the sounds of water. The terrain soon became much steeper. Ted soon realized that if it wasnt so brushy he might be walking into dangerous country. When things became so bad that He couldnt be sure of his footing anymore he rigged a rope to a tree. That would give him a hundred feet of safety. About halfway down the rope, he saw one of Billys shoes and a drag path in the steep shale. Teds heart sank into his chest and he screamed BILLY, BILLY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? He scrambled on down the rope to the edge of the cliff barely catching the end of the rope. Down at the bottom of sixty feet drop in a tangle of brush was a little form. Ted screamed, NO OH GOD NO! No way he could reach him quickly without killing himself. He
tied off to his rope and took out his cell phone. With
trembling fingers he dialed Hanks number. Hank
picked up the phone and answered with the same US
Forest . . . Ted interrupted and said,
Ive found him. He is down. She
stopped and looked up at him. Ted felt a feeling of
overpowering sadness come over him. She proceeded on
towards the boy. Ted un-slung the rifle from his shoulder
and took aim, the Sasquatch hurried to Billy and stooped
down looking at him. She gently cradled the tiny boy in
her giant arms and stood up and focused her gaze on Ted.
He could almost hear her pleading in his subconscious.
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