“Do you want to know what it said?” I read it to him, then held up the rocks. “Got any ideas for these?” I’m talking to a dog.

He yawned.

“Yeah, well, you’re not exactly a sparkling conversationalist yourself. Come to think of it, your previous owner was Shadow Woman. Probably not much for rousing debate. Am I a step up or a step down?” Not only am I talking to the dog, I’m waiting for an answer.

The chamomile tea didn’t make me sleepy. Or maybe the thought of another visit from my nightmare kept me on edge. Whatever the case, I was restlessly awake.

What now? Art class wouldn’t start for several more hours. Darkness lurked outside. No internet to surf or television to watch. But I was alone . . . wasn’t that something I sought?

I casually looked at the paperwork Roy had sent to Clan Firinn, focusing on the employee information. As I’d already figured out, Wyatt had been in prison on an assault charge, but that was when he was much younger. Cookie’s real name was Irma Dankworth. No wonder she didn’t mind Cookie.

I checked out several magazines on the end table. Outdoor Idaho had an interesting story on livestock guardian dogs. Pictured were Great Pyrenees, Akbash, and an Anatolian Shepherd. I folded a corner down and left the magazine on the top of the stack. I didn’t feel like reading.

The fire was burning down. I pulled out another small log and added it, stirring the coals to freshen the blaze. A small door behind the stacked logs allowed someone to restock the fuel from outside without hauling the logs through the cabin. They’d thought of every detail.

I slipped out of my iWALK, curled up, and watched the fire.

Barking jerked me awake. Maverick was on his feet and Holly had leaped off the bed. I didn’t have to wait long for the earthquake. This one was short, almost an earth shiver.

What had Grace, the retired teacher, said about the number of earthquakes? One possible sign that the volcano is waking up is an increase in seismic activity. More earthquakes.

After tugging on my iWALK, I slowly stood. Was God really going to take me out with a supervolcano? He could have simply let me die.

But I didn’t believe in God.

“Stop it!” I said out loud. Both dogs gave me a questioning look. The light seeping in around the curtains told me it was daybreak. Finally. I opened the door and let the dogs out for their run.