"Step away from that pool. This is a dangerous area. You shouldn't be here." The bearded man gestured with his hand for them to move away from the water. Gravel crunched under his boots as he agilely made his way over the smooth boulders and loose rock and stone. He stopped within five feet of the deep water hole, his feet spread apart in a shooting stance. The surface of the pool had stilled as if it was observing the situation.

Gemma and Creed raised their hands and took a step back and away from edge of the pool.

"You're holding us at gunpoint," Creed said. "I think you're a hell of a lot more threatening than that water hole." Anger rose in his chest and made him reckless. "You're not going to shoot us. You already would have done it."

Gemma's jaw dropped as she glanced at Creed. "What are you doing?" She saw his eyes harden.

For a full minute, it was a standoff as Creed and the stranger locked eyes. Finally, as if influenced by Creed's calm demeanor, the rugged man rubbed temple and exhaled. He took three steps forward When he got a closer look at them, he frowned uneasily. "I thought you were someone else." He coughed as if embarrassed.

"Who did you think we were, Bigfoot?" Gemma glared at the him.

"Do you mind easing up on that trigger?" Creed said in a conversational tone. He pointed at the rifle.

The bearded man blinked and slowly lowered his weapon. Creed's shoulders relaxed as he breathed a sigh of relief.

The man offered a brief smile, showing his teeth. "This was all a misunderstanding. I apologize. I'm Walter Sayers. I have to ask, what are you youngsters both doing up here? Shouldn't you two be in school?"

"Youngsters?" Gemma snorted and scowled at him.

"We're doing an extra curricular assignment for our science teacher. We didn't want to dissect a living frog," Creed said. "Our teacher offered us an optional assignment. He suggested coming here and doing some geophysical experiments to fulfill the assignment."

"Who's this teacher? They sound like a reckless idiot sending a bunch of kids out into the wilderness."

"No offense, Mr. Sayers, but this isn't the wilderness. She cocked her head in a fey manner. "We're familiar with the woods, probably more than you. Creed and I grew up in them. And another thing, Mr. Kinsey's not an idiot," she exclaimed. "He's extremely smart. And he's a sensitive, like us."

Creed shot her a warning look as Walter raised an eyebrow and looked at her in surprise. He quickly resumed a neutral demeanor.

"Listen, there's a force at work here." Creed rubbed his jaw as he watched the swirling green water. "People are chatting about it on the forums. Are you doing experiments to document it?"

"People are discussing the phenomenon online?" Sayers blinked in surprise. "Damn, that's not good—I thought it wasn't common knowledge." He looked up at the sky. "I stay off cyberspace. Bastards monitor everything." He leveled his gaze on Creed. "I'm doing my own experiments outside the government's authority."

Gemma nodded towards the river. "What did you do to that rabbit? Why were you drowning it?" She raised her chin and her eyes flashed. "Have you drowned anything else?" Her small hands balled into fists.

The man exhaled. He extended his hand. "I didn't hurt the animal. There's a layer of air underwater surrounding the force. An oxygen bubble. That's why it didn't drown. After I exposed the rabbit to the force in the pool, it was young and healthy. As you saw while you were spying on me, before my test subject ran off into the woods. I'm not a sadist. I have an enclosed wooden henhouse back at the cabin. I was going to house and study it. Now, why were you spying on me?"

"We weren't spying on you. We were doing experiments like you." Creed held the other man's gaze and crossed his arms. "You're trespassing on this property much as us."

Walter's shoulders relaxed as he observed the two teens. "I believe you, but we're not the only ones interested in this phenomenon. There's other people who are interested in this anomaly. I'm going to be honest with you. They're dangerous individuals who work for the government and they aren't afraid to kill in necessary."

"How do you know this?" Gemma crossed her arms.

Sayers tensed. "I used to work with these people." He hunched his shoulders. "They'll be here any day, if they haven't already arrived. They're part of an undisclosed research operation. They monitor everything."

"If these government operatives are so dangerous why are you still here?"Creed asked.

"They know I understand these anomalies more than they do. If they capture me, they'll throw me in a cell and interrogate me, but they won't kill me." He stared at the pool. "There's an amazing amount of power here and I want to tap into it." He looked at Creed and Gemma. "You should warn the people on those forums to shut their chatter down about this area. They'll become targets that need to be silenced. The FBI kills people in their homes."

Gemma laughed derisively. "They won't listen to anyone. Besides, this sounds like a bunch of bull. Who are these people who are on their way? You sound like you've watched one too many episodes of The X Files," Gemma said.

"These are special black op agents and they do exist young lady. They won't hesitate to kill a few young teens if you get in their way.

A few hawks sailed overhead. Creed noticed that they swerved at the last minute as if to avoid an invisible barrier. "I believe you, Walter. The government would be interested in this anomaly. What about healthy animals? Are they attracted to the force?"

The homesteader scratched his beard. "I haven't seen anything in good health drawn near to the underground force, but that's a good question and one of the parameters I've been observing. I'm trying to discern why only old and sick animals are attracted to the magnetic field. They plunge into it and emerge young or healed from their injuries."

"Have you seen this happen more than once?" Gemma asked.

The grizzled man nodded. "Yes. Four times in a week. It's not an illusion or a coincidence. It's a real phenomenon and it's growing stronger."

Creed and Gemma looked at each other. The slight girl stepped forward as her curiosity overrode her fear of the strange force. "I love animals. If anything can miraculously heal injured ones, then I'm all for it."

"No offense, Mr. Sayers, but if what you say is true, you're in more danger than us." Creed said. He scanned the road, just visible above the escarpment, but it was clear of traffic. "If anyone's observing us, they could easily be doing it with satellite imagery."

"You're right. That's my concern too. I came up here to study whatever's affecting the area." Sayers raised his chin. "I worked for a government paranormal research division until two years ago. The agency found another anomaly like this one, but it's at the bottom of an ocean crater in Mexico. They can't access it."

Creed relaxed a bit. "I'm Creed and this is Gemma. Sorry if we interrupted your work, Mr. Sayers. What happens to those mammals you've seen jump into the pool? Do they die and then genetically resuscitate?"

"Are they some sort of enhanced zombies?" Gemma shuddered.

"No, their life force is stronger once they emerge from the water, but they're not unnatural. As far as I can tell, they're normal, but enhanced. A perfect scenario to create a super soldier." Gemma shuddered.

"What do you mean enhanced?" Creed's onyx eyes were lit with interest. "A new species?"

"They're revitalized, more fit and healthy. I don't have the proper equipment to study them and I haven't been able to capture any of the ones that were affected. That's why I used the cage." He looked at Gemma. I didn't want to hurt the creature. It would have thrown itself into the vortex of its own accord. I caught it before that happened."

"Look, there's another one." He pointed to the cliff where wounded deer was limping to the edge of the pool's cliff. A hunting arrow protruded from its side. As they watched, the deer stumbled and toppled head over heels into the water with a loud splash.

The injured deer's bloodied muzzle broke the surface and then was swiftly pulled under the swirling water. "Shit!"

Gemma lunged forward, but Creed grabbed her arm. She tensed as he held her back. "We can't help it, Gemma. The current's too strong."

She didn't answer him. She had gone stock still, her eyes unfocused. I'm her mind's eye, she was one with the struggling deer. "Something's happening. She pressed her hands to her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She winced. "There's too much pressure—it's crushing my skull." Her eyes flung open. "I can feel it changing," she murmured. She closed her eyes and held her breath. Trembling, she dropped to her knees.