Chapter 93

Putting my hands on the ground, I start to push myself out of the water. Right before I get out, I hear a sharp intake of breath, and I fall back into the pond. 

Suddenly shivering, I watch with alarm as Caleb jumps out of the trees, heading for some unknown location. He seems to circle some random area near the edge of the clearing, as if eyeing his prey, and pounces.

A squeal erupts as Caleb grasps at air, almost as if locking it into an embrace. 

"Caleb, that hurts!" The air gasps. I think I'm about to have a heart attack.

"You can stop now," Caleb growls, now putting the air into a headlock. "And no excuses."

Suddenly a man starts to materialize, a wide grin on his face. As his face appears, I realize that the intruder is Lee. My eyes narrow into slits. 

"It was a joke," Lee says laughingly, "I was just passing by."

Caleb says nothing, glaring at him with seemingly laser vision. 

"Okay," Lee continues, "maybe a bad joke."