Upon entering the wooded area Simon shoved the Link into his jacket pocket and pulled something from his other pocket, he stopped running and grabbed Michael with his right hand, then said, “don’t make any noise, don’t talk, don’t move,” holding the new device in his left hand he pushed a button.

Michael was trying to control his breathing so he wouldn’t make so much noise but it was very difficult. He was still gasping for air when what he saw almost made him forget to breath. He couldn’t believe his eyes! He could see strange looking people walking all around them, they had appeared out of nowhere, but they didn’t seem to be able to see Simon or him.

These people were very pale, all of them had pale blonde hair, and they were all wearing long green robes that looked like they were made out of silk. These strange pale people didn’t speak they just moved around looking at the ground and at the trees, and then they all stopped moving and in less than a second they disappeared.

Michael looked at Simon who put his fore finger to his lips to remind him to be silent. As they stood there in complete silence Michael heard a sound it was a very quiet sound coming from behind him, the sound was like hearing your hands rub against each other. Simon shook his head ever so slightly with a pleading look warning him not to turn around. So he stood there wondering what was coming toward him from behind…

He was glad when it passed that he hadn’t looked, it was a very large animal one like he had never seen before. It sort of looked like a very large lion with wings.

Michael’s mind had always been his best asset but now it was failing him, how could this be, how could all of this be?!?

The large lion-bird-thingy walked on through the woods while Michael and Simon stood there in silence for a long time until the device Simon was holding changed from a flashing red light to a flashing green light.

Simon pressed a button and the device and took a deep breath, “Well that was close, let’s go.”

“Go where and why couldn’t they see us? What is that thing?” asked Michael pointing to Simon’s pocket.

“Somewhere safe,” then tapping the pocket he had put the device in he said “it’s a sort of multipurpose device and one of the things it can do is cloak us from those Guardian people” said Simon.

“I should call my parents and…” started Michael.

“No!” broke in Simon, “they will be safe as long as you don’t contact them.”

“But they will be really worried about me,” said Michael almost pleading.

“Better to be worried than dead or…, well let’s just leave it there,” said Simon.

Michael followed Simon in silence, he did trusted the strange old man now he didn’t really know why he just did. They quickly walked back to the parking lot and got into Simon’s car which was an old 50’s model Chevy. Simon drove out of the parking lot and took the first interstate on ramp he found.

“Do you have your license yet?” asked Simon.

“Yes,” replied Michael numbly.

“Good, it’s a long drive back so maybe you can do some of the diving.”

“Sure,” Michael mumbled and then still trying to make sense out of what had happened he asked, “So those pale blonde people were the Guardians? What the heck was that lion-bird-thingy?”

“Yes the people are the Guardians that I have been telling you about, and I have no idea what that lion-bird-thingy was, oh it was horrid!” Simon shivered and seemed to be just as freaked out about it as Michael was.