They don’t listen. The vines grow, wrap around my wrist.

I always keep my hunting knife close, and it’s as good to gut fish as it is to cut down strangler figs. I attack without hesitation, cutting through the buds before they can find permanent traction. The plants slide free, dropping back to the ground, and rapidly retreat until they are gone from view.

Breathing hard, I stare at the nearby balete. “’Wag,” I say softly, though I’m not sure they’ll listen.

I enter the cabin to find Chase awake in the living room. His back is turned to me, and he’s hopping about, trying to put on his shoes. His phone is on the counter, the screen lit up with Rory’s face.

“I’m feeling secondhand embarrassment for you, man,” he says. “You got Riley to agree to date you after twenty minutes of knowing you. And that’s all you could manage? An offer for a tapdancing lesson?”

“It’s not like I’ve had much dating practice in the last three years,” Chase grumbles as I freeze by the door, trying to inch out of the room without him knowing. “And it’s different now. It’s not some cheerleader looking to snag a football jock.”

“So you’re trying the sensitive approach? Now I gotta see that. How sure are you about starting a relationship, though? And with someone across the world, to boot? You’ve never been one for the short term. And what if the guide’s a plant? Like I know your dad’s done some illegal stuff for other shows, but do you really think they’re gonna manufacture a haunting of this scale like—”

“Well, of course, they’re not going to get one of the old rich guys into an accident to boost ratings for the show. They’d hire a stunt double for that. It really was Steve Galant we pulled out of that pit. The tree went wild on him, and I know it can’t be real! Someone must have tried to prank someone else, and it backfired when Galant fell in. Dad’s gonna kill me if I post pictures, so I can’t show you anything yet. Look, the guide’s hot, but it almost feels like it’s some tourist scam arranged by the locals. Like they’re working with the crew so they can rake in money for—”

He turns and breaks off, spotting me. “I have to go,” he says hurriedly, and ends the call. “Hey, Alon—I wasn’t expecting you here this early—”

“I’m sure you didn’t,” I say—coolly. “Your father wants you to know that lunch is ready.”

“H-hey! Wait!”

I ignore him and return to the sinkhole.

Chase catches up a few minutes later. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. The guys have been coming up with the weirdest shit, trying to explain what happened last night. They wondered if it was some kind of scam to get Hemslock and those studio execs to cough up more money, but I didn’t mean that you had anything to do with—”