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	"How curious," Stella said as she approached the stones.      "What is it?" Kate asked her sister.      Stella knelt down besides the stones. "I think it is a cairn, I read about them in a Nancy Drew book. Something is buried beneath these stones," she answered. She started pushing the stones aside; digging through the pile to reveal what was underneath.      "No Stella, don't do that, let's go...it's getting dark." Kate glanced up at the last lingering ray of sunlight casting dappled shadows on the autumn leaves. She tugged her sweater closer as a chilling wind flitted through the clearing.      "You're such a chicken, always have been. Aren't you curious to see what is buried?" Stella scoffed. She and Kate jumped back quickly when the final stones revealed a human skeleton.      "Who's chicken now," Kate asked as her sister grabbed her arm. "I'm not scared, I was just startled," Stella offered. "I dare you to touch it," she taunted Kate.      Kate thought about being called chicken and knew that she really wasn't, she just wasn't as adventurous as her older sister. Now was the chance to prove to Stella that she could be brave. Kate hesitantly moved towards the skeleton.      "Go on." Stella gave her a little shove. Kate squatted and felt the cold smooth surface of the shoulder bone. Running her fingers along the clavicle she felt a crack in the bone. She turned towards her sister and cried, "come touch it Stella, it's not..." she stopped mid-sentence by the look of horror on Stella's		face. Stella was pointing at the skeleton. As Kate turned back to the skeleton, a bony hand reached up and grabbed her wrist. Kate let out a scream that caused birds to alight from the surrounding trees.      Stella rushed forward and grasped Kate's free arm. The Scottie dog fell to the earth when she yanked Kate free of the skeleton's clutches. An old woman's voice seemed to swirl around them "Thank you my dearies for freeing me. I've been waiting for years and years. Now one of you will take my place."      Both girls screamed and darted back to the main trail fighting their way through the undergrowth, which was meshing together, sealing them off and pricking their face with its brambles. Tumbling through the tangle they reached the main trail. Kate wailed, "McTeague! I dropped McTeague!"      Stella pulled her in the direction of their house. "We're not going back, c'mon, keep moving." They ran into the house, slamming the door behind them.      "Mom, there's something in the woods that…" Stella shouted, only to be interrupted by her mother.      "Where have you girls been? You know we have to meet your aunt tonight. Now get upstairs and change your clothes, you are both filthy," their mom ordered.      "But mom, the woods…" Stella whined.      "Do not argue with me, you can tell me about your adventures on our way to the airport. Now get upstairs," she said pushing her daughters up the stairs.