Dingos Surrounded the Baby, but Something Older Watched From the Ridge

A Quiet Expectation

Miriam left in early spring. Before driving off, she handed Clara a thin journal filled with old chants, ridge markings, and hand-scrawled notes. It wasn’t an answer, as she put it, but it was somewhere to start from if something like this ever happens again. Clara hugged her tightly. “Do you think they’ll come back?”

Miriam paused. “If they do, it’ll be for a reason.” As the Subaru disappeared over the rise, Clara looked toward the gully. She felt the quiet differently now. Less like stillness. More like breath being held. Not fearful. Not final. She turned and walked inside, letting the screen door swing shut behind her.

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