Chapter 101

At 1:00 am sharp, Madison opened her eyes. She got up, freshened up briefly, and sat in front of her streaming equipment. As soon as she opened the software, a request to join her live chat popped up. Madison clicked to accept. Moments later, Vander Wills appeared on the screen. "We're at the base of the mountain you mentioned, but the weather's bad. The local search and rescue teams have already gone in." The rescue team, along with the police, had set up floodlights at the base. Some concerned villagers joined the search upon hearing the news. They were more familiar with the mountain than the rescuers. A villager holding a flashlight approached and said in a thick local accent, "We've been coming to this mountain for years. If anyone were really up there, we would've found them by now." Vander quickly thanked the villager, and his children followed suit. They even offered money as a token of appreciation. The villager waved it off, saying, "I'm not doing this for your money.