Two Days Before Announcement

"You're sure they're going to accept me?" I asked for the thirtieth time since passing the 'Welcome to the town of Pine Plains."

I had yet to see a single building, house, or spec of life since passing that sign. There seemed to be nothing but unending forest, caps of juniper and pine that inched higher and higher as they veered up the slopes of the mountainous terrain.

The scent of sap and earth permeated the air, mixing with the richness of