Lahat ng Kabanata ng Moonbound: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

The forest was never truly silent.Even on the stillest nights, when the wind refused to move the towering pines and the stars hid behind thick clouds, there was always something watching.Emily Carter knew that.Growing up in the tiny mountain town of Black Hollow, she'd heard every story the old-timers told. Tales of missing hunters. Strange howls echoing through the valleys. Massive paw prints that disappeared into solid rock.She never believed any of them.Until tonight.Rain soaked through her jacket as she hurried along the old logging road, her flashlight barely cutting through the darkness."Seriously?" she muttered. "This is exactly how horror movies start."Her SUV had broken down nearly five miles back. No cell service. No passing cars.The nearest town was another two miles ahead.A twig snapped.Emily froze.The beam from her flashlight swept across the trees.Nothing.Probably a deer.Another crack.Closer.Then...A low growl.Not a dog.Not a bear.Something... bigger

Emily Grace Carter had always believed she was ordinary.She had been born on a crisp October morning in Boston, Massachusetts—or so her birth certificate said. Her parents, Michael and Sarah Carter, often joked that she'd arrived screaming loud enough for the entire maternity ward to hear. They told the story every birthday, laughing about how the nurses had predicted she'd either become a lawyer or a singer because she refused to stop making noise.Emily loved hearing the story.She never questioned it.Why would she?Her childhood was exactly what anyone would call normal.Every Sunday morning, her family attended St. Michael's Catholic Church, where Father Donnelly greeted every child by name and always carried peppermints in the pockets of his black robe. Emily attended St. Michael's Academy from kindergarten through eighth grade, wearing the same navy-blue plaid skirt, white blouse, and knee-high socks every day.She hated the uniform.Her mother insisted it was adorable.Emily

Emily had never packed for a trip that would last six months.Her apartment looked like a sporting goods store had exploded.Hiking boots sat beside business clothes.Field notebooks were stacked next to hiking socks.Bear spray.Rain gear.Binoculars.GPS equipment.Jessica leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping coffee while watching the chaos unfold."You know," she laughed, "most people make lists."Emily held up two completely different hiking jackets."I did."Jess looked around the apartment."You clearly ignored it."Emily threw one of the jackets into her suitcase."I've never been this far from home.""You'll love it.""I hope so."Jess smiled."You've always wanted to work somewhere untouched."Emily nodded."There's something about forests.""What?""I don't know."She paused."They've always felt...""Like home?"Emily frowned."Yeah."Jess grinned."You're weird.""I know."Three days before her flight, Emily's parents invited her home for dinner.It wasn't unusual.

Emily had always loved flying.As a little girl, she pressed her face against airplane windows, convinced that if she looked hard enough she might see the curve of the Earth.At twenty-four, not much had changed.She sat by the window as the plane crossed over the Rocky Mountains, headphones resting around her neck while soft piano music played.The flight attendant's voice crackled over the intercom."Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be beginning our descent into Bozeman in approximately twenty minutes. Current weather is sixty-four degrees with clear skies."Emily smiled to herself.She looked out the window.The view stole her breath.Towering snow-capped mountains stretched farther than she could see. Thick evergreen forests blanketed the valleys, broken only by sparkling rivers that wound through the landscape like ribbons of silver.Nothing looked familiar.Everything looked beautiful.She reached for her phone, already knowing there was no service, and snapped a dozen pictures anywa

The sun had nearly disappeared behind the mountains by the time Emily and Noah made their way back into town.The streets glowed beneath strings of warm white lights stretched between the old brick buildings. Music drifted from somewhere down Main Street, and the smell of barbecue and fresh-baked bread floated through the cool evening air.Emily smiled."I don't think I've seen anyone in a hurry since I got here."Noah laughed."That's because no one is.""Seriously?""Seriously. Around here, if you're five minutes late, people assume you stopped to help somebody fix a fence or pull a truck out of a ditch."Emily shook her head."Boston would never survive.""Neither would Black Hollow."They both laughed.As they reached the center of town, Noah stopped."You hungry?""I could eat.""Good."He pointed across the street toward a large log building with wide front porches and flower boxes overflowing with bright red geraniums.A wooden sign hung above the entrance.The Timberline Grill