Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

EVER

I lied to my mother, but if I hadn't, she would have tried to stop me.

It certainly wasn't the first time I'd kept the truth from her, but I felt bad about it anyway as I drove across town. If she found out what I was up to, that I went straight home to pack a bag and grab my shotgun before heading for the other side of town, she'd worry herself sick. That wasn't something I wanted on my conscience, especially not when she had so many other things to worry about.

After hearing the townspeople gossiping about the incident, I was even more inclined to investigate, every sinew of my being burning to find out the truth. I needed to know what kind of beast was lurking in those woods, what creature had Marion Forge in a chokehold.

If I found it, I'd be a legend.

If I killed it, I'd be a hero.

Either way, I would answer a question that had plagued this town for decades, and everyone would sleep a bit easier.

I'd driven by the woods enough times to know exactly where the path was that led to the mansion. Unfortunately, the dirt road that disappeared deep into the trees was completely overgrown after years of disuse, and there was no way to get the truck through there, even with four-wheel drive.

I parked near the road, killed the engine, and shouldered a backpack full of emergency supplies and ammo. It was probably overkill, but I didn't feel right leaving it behind; I'd been hunting enough times over the years to know how important supplies could be, even in the span of a few hours. Emergencies happened, and I didn't want to be unprepared.

That was probably what happened to the teenagers.

I grabbed the shotgun out of the bed of the truck and loaded it, listening carefully for movement in the woods. Not to my surprise, it was nearly silent, the only sounds being a few cars in the distance and a bird chirping overhead.

Whatever attacked the teenagers was probably nocturnal, but it didn't hurt to poke around in the daylight.

Besides, my anxiety wouldn't let me sit at home for hours waiting for sunset. I'd pace a hole through the floor if I had to wait until then; I was too eager, too determined to find answers.

Arming myself and trekking into the woods was a far better option than sitting around.

I pulled on a neon orange hunting beanie, just in case someone else got the same idea from the gossip this morning, and headed into the trees.

The branches clawed haphazardly at my clothes as I wove through the knotted underbrush, thorns and burrs clinging to them. Once I made it through the initial cluster of low-growing plants, the space opened up, the trees growing farther apart, and it wasn't nearly as difficult to maneuver.

The dirt road was barely visible through the greenery, but it wove an ancient trail into the trees that I intended to follow. Even if I didn't find the beast that attacked the teens, I'd get a glimpse of the once grandiose mansion I'd only ever seen in black and white photos.

I paused, listening for movement again, my eyes scanning the area around me. The bird had stopped chirping, and I could no longer hear cars driving in the distance, but I couldn't hear any movement either. No frogs, no crickets. The woods were suffocated by an unnatural silence I hadn't heard before, but at least I was alone.

That had to be a good sign. Right?

Adjusting my backpack and clutching my shotgun tighter, I stepped forward, the crunch of the ground beneath my foot nearly making me jump. My movements were far too loud in the silence. I felt like I was in a library, about to be scolded by an angry librarian. Taking another step, I paused to listen.

Still, there was no movement. There were no sounds, no signs of a predator.

Odd. It was the only thing that stuck out in my mind as I followed the overgrown path. I'd been hunting a lot over the years. I might not have been the most observant at times, but I knew one thing: The woods weren't normally this silent.

This type of silence was reserved for graveyards, for the dead.

A twig snapped behind me and I wheeled around, raising my shotgun, prepared to shoot. I froze, hair standing on end, as I searched for the source of the noise.

I was sure I'd heard it.

Wasn't I?

Maybe the silence and adrenaline were playing tricks on me, messing with my mind. I took a deep breath and lowered the gun before turning to follow the path again. The farther I ventured into the woods, my hairs began to stand on end, a chill clinging to my spine despite the warm air wrapped around me.

Nerves mixed with anxiety, twisting my gut, making me uneasy as I delved deeper into the trees.

I walked.

And walked.

I went slow, listening for movement.

The only sound was the steady throb of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

As minutes turned into hours, I began to worry I was lost. It didn't make sense, because I hadn't strayed from the dirt path, but I should have made it to the manor by now. I should have come across something, anything, other than the monotonous forest around me, but there was nothing. Nothing but trees.

Grumbling, I checked the time on my phone. Four o'clock.

How the fuck had I already been in the woods for two hours? How had I not found the manor yet?

I didn't have any missed messages or calls, which didn't surprise me considering I didn't have service this far out. Slightly annoyed, I tucked the phone into my back pocket and kept walking, hoping I'd find something soon. Worst case scenario, I'd turn around and follow the path back to my truck, but I didn't want to admit defeat.

I wouldn't settle until I at least had a glimpse of the old manor. At least that way, my trip wouldn't be for nothing.

I was debating stopping to dig through my backpack for the bottle of water I knew was at the bottom when I heard it, a twig snap somewhere nearby. Immediately, my senses went on high alert and I froze, raising the shotgun and scanning the area for any sign of life.

Last time, I might have been unsure, but this time the sound was too clear to ignore. Something was lurking nearby.

Come out you fuck , I thought, like the thing would be able to read my mind.

I slowly pivoted, staring down the barrel of my shotgun, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The longer I stood there, the more I began to think I'd imagined the noise like the first one, but then something dark shifted in the distance, moving behind a tree trunk.

My heart skipped a beat, leaping into my throat, and my eyes burned a hole in the tree the shadow had hidden behind. Was it a person? An animal? My throat tightened at the thought of accidentally shooting a nomad living in the woods.

"I'm armed," I called out, my gaze still laser-focused. "I mean no harm, but I will shoot."

There was no reply and no movement.

I shifted on the spot, adjusting the shotgun. My finger twitched on the trigger. If I gave a warning shot, it might scare off whatever was lurking in the distance, but it might also get my point across. After a moment of indecision, I decided against it. I had plenty of ammo to waste a round, but I hadn't trekked for hours just to scare off the first sign of life I saw.

So, I waited another minute, adrenaline burning through my veins, until I saw movement again. This time, it was about twenty feet to the right, behind another tree.

My stomach plummeted. How?

I took a shaky breath.

There was no way it was the same thing I saw the first time. I'd barely blinked over the last few minutes. It hadn't moved.

Did that mean…there were two ?

"Show yourself," I called, knowing that it was probably in vain. I waited with baited breath, finger on the trigger of my shotgun, scouring the trees for more movement.

When the third shadow shifted in the distance, stepping out from behind a tree trunk, I fired. It hit the figure square in the chest, and before I had a second to contemplate the tall, slender form that clearly walked on two feet, the first two shadows leaped out of their hiding spots and rushed forward with impossible speed.

No, they weren't shadows. They were people draped in dark robes that reached the ground. The fabric flapped behind them as they darted forward, their faces obscured by dark hoods,

I barely had time to cock the shotgun and line up my aim again before one of the figures lunged, flying at me through the air. Reflexively, I stepped back and shot. It crumpled to the ground at my feet, and I stared down in horror. Pale human fingers stuck out from beneath the fabric, turning my stomach, but I didn't have time to dwell on it because the last shadow slammed into me, knocking me backwards.

I hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me, and the shotgun was wrenched out of my hand. The last thing I saw was the butt of the gun flying toward my head, cracking me in the temple.

Then, everything went dark.