But now he's reluctant to turn his back on her. Summoning up his courage, he turns, glances over his shoulder one last time for good measure, and finally squeaks at the rock.

He's not sure what he's expecting to hear -- echoes like shouting into a canyon, perhaps. What comes back is nothing he could describe in human terms, but now that he's really paying attention and listening, he finds that she was right about it forming an image in his mind. "Shit," he breathes.