A young journalist major, Lou, finds herself scrambling to meet deadlines for her summer project. In the wake of the untimely death of journalist headliner and Fond Du Lac native Koko Ironbear, Lou reaches for an easy A on the nearby Reservation- only to dive down the rabbit hole of the reality of undercover journalism and a very tangible danger of a sex trafficking ring once forgotten by a pandemic stricken society.

Koko

Lou and Winona ate in silence other than the server, Clarence, making small talk with the both of them. Lou had hoped this lunch date would be more progressive, yet Winona hadn't done as much as look her way. She wondered how to properly bring up a conversation about her sister who was murdered. How did journalists get through interviews like this? The hell if Lou knew. She felt herself giving up on this lead to Koko's story. 


They finished, and Lou offered to pay, leaving a generous tip for old man Clarence who turned out to be better company than the company she came with. This, she hoped, could lessen the intense mood that Winona has been in. They got into Lou's car, and she decided now was a better time than never to interview Winona. 


She sneakily began recording on her phone. Winona glanced at her as Lou put her phone back into the cup holder. 


Winona cut her off. "You came to me asking to talk about Koko, but haven't brought it up since we left." 


The Forest Speaks