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	Amber instantly felt bad that through her lie she had invoked such troubled in Jack. He must have had a good heart, if nothing else, despite his eccentric tendencies. At the same time, she couldn’t now tell him the truth. She wanted to, but she just couldn’t. She felt like if she did tell him now he would be become angry and never trust her again. And besides, in some weird way, she was enjoying the sympathy. 

‘No, it’s fine,’ said Amber, ‘I hardly think about it anymore. Really. It’s fine.’ 

Jack obviously didn’t agree. The swelling anger inside him was become vividly clear in the reddening of his face and the grinding of his teeth, while the grip on his mug was starting to turn his fingers white. 

She was starting to feel concerned, that maybe she should actually tell him the truth before he exploded and killed someone – but just before she opened her mouth to do so, he opening his instead, changing the subject as it were, by asking: ‘You said this land was haunted, Amber. What did you mean by that?’ 

She relaxed, resting forward with elbows on the table. ‘I think I’ll have that drink after all’ she said and gave Jarlin a little wave to call him to the table. Settling her eyes back on Jack, she faintly smile. ‘Yeah, so, um. Yeah. The forest around Greenfalls, the land itself actually, is said to be haunted. Most people believe it.’

‘Haunted how?’ He asked, ‘By what?’