June 8
A storm rushed down from Canada, crossed over the lake, and nailed Templeton and Penichowaba State Forest. Winds and rain smacked against the cabin, and the temperature dropped to fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Josh stayed inside, reading an apocalyptic novel about a virus. The author lived in Pittsburgh and was well-known, having a variety of bestsellers.
When he wasn’t reading, he planned a long walk around the lake for the following day, creating a list of things that he needed for the afternoon trip: granola bar, compass, matches, Swiss Army knife, traveling medical kit, fishing line and hooks in case he wanted to fish, and the Ruger LC9 for protection from the pack of coyotes that Zeth mentioned. During the creation of his list, he heard three light taps—
tap…tap…tap
—on th
