Literature
Chapter Eight: Detours
After leaving the girl on the edge to find her own way into town, the wagon driver continued along the path as night began in earnest. Hunched over his seat, eyes peering from side to side above his scarf, he held his body in still readiness. Oblivious to the driver’s wariness, the mule plodded along. But its ears flicked around as if it too were waiting for something. In the shadows, the canopy turned the trees black as remaining light brought bark textures into eerie relief. On either side of the road, crickets and tree frogs begin their nocturnal serenade. Above, the moon rose as a pale eye, winking through translucent clouds.
As
![Sagemound [front] by sirinkman](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/b4b868d6-b2d6-4489-9781-a2612af4fb5c/d8yaevo-5e42394e-4f36-4fb4-b014-1c6cb1b4d687.jpg/v1/crop/w_184,h_184,x_0,y_18,scl_0.115,q_70,strp/sagemound__front__by_sirinkman_by_sirinkman_d8yaevo-92s-2x.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTQxOSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2I0Yjg2OGQ2LWIyZDYtNDQ4OS05NzgxLWEyNjEyYWY0ZmI1Y1wvZDh5YWV2by01ZTQyMzk0ZS00ZjM2LTRmYjQtYjAxNC0xYzZjYjFiNGQ2ODcuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.9QldFS94gSf-as1oAndbDhsmRIFPrOxPT1KVH3XvxgQ)
![Sagemound [front] by sirinkman](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/b4b868d6-b2d6-4489-9781-a2612af4fb5c/d8yaevo-5e42394e-4f36-4fb4-b014-1c6cb1b4d687.jpg/v1/crop/w_92,h_92,x_0,y_9,scl_0.0575,q_70,strp/sagemound__front__by_sirinkman_by_sirinkman_d8yaevo-92s.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTQxOSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2I0Yjg2OGQ2LWIyZDYtNDQ4OS05NzgxLWEyNjEyYWY0ZmI1Y1wvZDh5YWV2by01ZTQyMzk0ZS00ZjM2LTRmYjQtYjAxNC0xYzZjYjFiNGQ2ODcuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.9QldFS94gSf-as1oAndbDhsmRIFPrOxPT1KVH3XvxgQ)
