Chapter One

Jean

If I wasn't in such a rush to get to my friends and paid more attention to my surroundings, then I would have noticed I was playing right into the scenes out of a slasher film. The kind of film where the stereotypical dumb blond girl doesn't make it out alive and, in this case, I'm the dumb blond. The signs were everywhere, I just didn't pay attention to them.

The first sign is of course the agent in rainbow suspenders called Steve who seems a little too eager to rent me the white Toyota Corolla that looks as old as the town itself. Perhaps even older.

"I'm telling you the truth, Miss Watson. Most tourists prefer to rent this car if they're planning a long trip into the countryside. It is comfortable and reliable."

I want to argue and point out to him that this car doesn't seem like it would take me anywhere, much less the countryside but I bite back my retort. One peek around is enough to tell me I don't have many other options anyway.

"Fine, I'll take it," I say, fishing out my credit card and driver's license from my bag.

"Fantastic," he says, way too excited for a car rental. "You've made a great choice. I just need you to fill out a few forms."

I nod and follow him to the counter where he hands me a sheet of paper to fill in my details. I sit down on the leather chair when Steve starts chatting me up again.

"Now, do you have any destination in mind?"

I figure this is something he should have asked me before he tried to sell me on the car, but I don't voice that thought. Something tells me he hasn't been working here for long and I don't want to make it harder for the guy than it needs to be, so I simply nod. "Yeah, just a little trip with my friends."

"That sounds amazing. There are several resorts around here with the most picturesque views you will ever see."

I smile at his words, almost wishing I was indeed headed to a resort but one of my friends had the genius idea to go camping instead and when I tell Steve that, he suddenly goes quiet.

"What?" I ask, looking up to find his eyes wide with horror.

"Y-you're not going up the mountain, are you?"

"Well, yes." His face goes ashen at my words and I am taken aback by his reaction. "What?" I ask again, completely ignoring the document I need to fill out.

"I'm not supposed to say," he quickly says when I raise a brow at him. "My boss warned me not to say anything."

Oh, now I am intrigued. "Tell me, Steve."

Steve looks around to make sure no one is listening before leaning down to whisper. "We haven't had anyone go camping on the mountain for so long. There is… a monster that lives in the mountains. He's lived up there for twelve years terrorizing people–"

"You mean like a bear?"

"No, worse. A man," he whispers. "They say he's lived in the mountains for so long that he's practically become a savage. He has beastly features and terrorizes anyone who enters the forest. I have seen grown men leave the mountains in tears, there's no telling what he'll do to a pretty girl such as yourself if you run into him."

I chuckle at his words, dismissing them and turning back to the papers at hand. I know a folk tale when I hear one. Every small town has one they use to scare tourists away and I can tell that this is one of them. I can't believe he expects me to believe that there is a man who has lived alone in the forest for twelve years, really?

That's impossible. I'm sure there's a law somewhere that says someone cannot simply move into the mountains. Even so, I don't let Steve know how crazy I think his little story sounds in hopes of getting out of here as quickly as possible, and soon, I am driving away from the rental agency.

The second clue that I am stuck in some kind of horror film is when I pass the rundown sign warning visitors of bears. Luckily, I did a little research before this trip and brought bear spray in the unlikely chance that I run into one.

The third clue, and the one I can't solve with bear spray, is when my car starts making low whining noises twenty minutes into the drive. It's just old , I convince myself that the whining noise is nothing I need to worry about. So, instead of doing the smart thing and turning around to return the clearly defective car, I drive up the mountain so I can catch up with my friends at the campsite.

Half an hour into the drive the low whining turns into sputtering noises and I watch with horror as a thick black smoke climbs out from the front hood of the car. The engine roars beneath the hood, propelling me forward. A loud clunk echoes through the car and the engine sputters to a halt.

"No, no, no!" I cry out, staring wide-eyed at the smoking hood of the car. I don't know much about cars, clearly, but even I know that this is not good. I should have fought rainbow suspenders Steve when he convinced me to take this car, but my mind was set on getting to my friends fast.

"Well, you're not getting to anyone now," I scold myself as I drop my forehead against the steering wheel. The steering wheel of a car that won't move. The same car that sent warning signs to me earlier, but I chalked it up to being old.

With trembling hands, I reach for my phone to dial the number Steve gave me, unsurprised when I see the empty bars at the top of the screen. Just my luck that there would be no signal. Now I'm stuck on a mountain with a broken car and no signal to call for help. Yep, this is definitely becoming a horror film.

My only other option is to get out of the car and take a look under the hood, but I don't know anything about cars and also… bears. Despite my earlier conviction of thinking I could deal with a bear if I ran into one, I am hesitant to step out of the car. Even so, I know I can't stay here forever, I need to get out and look for a phone signal or try to find help.

After a little pep talk to curb my nerves, I reach into my bag for the bear spray and slowly step out of the car, whipping my head left and right to make sure there aren't any bears lurking behind the trees waiting to pounce.

I walk a few steps away from the smoking car, taking in the crisp autumn air. For a solid five seconds, I stop to take in the serene silence and fresh air, but I don't linger. With the bear spray clutched to my chest like a weapon, I lift my phone to the air desperately searching for a signal but nope, not even a single bar shows up.

I drop my hand with a frustrated sigh as I contemplate heading up the mountain to find a higher point. The thought of walking further from the sanctuary of my car – even a dead one – doesn't sit well with me but it's not like I have many choices. It's getting late and I would hate to be caught in this part of the mountains in the dark.

The thought alone is enough to propel me forward. I walk away from the car with my hand lifted in hopes of catching a signal… just a single bar so I can call my friends or even Steve. If I'm lucky, both.

"C'mon, please," I whisper as I trek up the mountain trail, swinging my hand around and begging the mountain gods for a single bar. "Please, please..."

My eyes widen and I shriek with excitement when a single bar pops up. I quickly dial one of my friend's numbers and it takes a full, tense moment before it starts ringing. The call connects immediately and I catch her broken voice before it drops and the line goes dead.

"No, no, no! Come back, please," I cry out, walking a bit further into the trees and begging for the signal to come back but after multiple attempts, I lose the little hope I had left. Now that I think about it, I would have had a better chance of sending a text to my friends instead of banking on the call. I quickly fire a text to them and hope I can catch a signal so it goes through.

I turn around to head back in the car when I realize that I've walked off the mountain trail. I whip my head around as panic sets in, but I don't locate my car. Christ, I must've wandered too far and now all I see are trees and more trees.

Panic sets in as I start walking around in hopes I can find the trail but I find nothing. It slowly dawns on me that I am lost.

Oh, God!

I walk around some more, but it feels like I'm going in circles. This is my worst nightmare. I should have stayed in the smoking car. At least then, I had a chance of survival and now I'm practically serving myself to the bears on a silver platter.

At least I'll have a beautiful view when the bears finally catch up with me.

I sniff back tears that clog my throat as the reality of my situation settles in. I listen for the sound of voices or cars but… nothing. The silence in the forest is broken only by the distant call of a bird and the rustling of leaves. I feel a mix of unease, realizing how small and vulnerable I am.

"All right, calm down," I whisper to myself, barely pushing back the panic attack that threatens to suffocate me. I force in deep breaths until my heart isn't hammering in my ears anymore and that's when I hear it…

A gentle murmur in the distance. Water!

I choke back a sob when I catch the sound. It's not much but it's something. If I find the river and follow it, there is a chance it'll lead me back to town or at the very least, some sort of civilization. Either way, I'll have a sense of direction as opposed to being stuck in the forest.

I follow the sound, pushing through the underbrush and stepping on tree branches, thankful that I had the foresight to wear hiking boots for this little adventure. The sound grows from a gentle murmur into a roar and I almost drop to my knees when I finally emerge into the clearing to be greeted by a river. Its crystal-clear waters cascade over the rocks and relief washes over me as I realize I have found a lifeline.

The relief is short-lived when I notice something huge immersed in the water and fresh panic surges through me as my mind registers the silhouette and for a split second, I mistake it for a bear.

I hug the bear spray tightly and back up a step, afraid to draw attention to the animal but I must make some sort of noise as the animal quickly whips its head around and I gasp when cold eyes settle on me, dark and threatening.

No, it's not a bear.

I stand frozen in fear as I take in what I am staring at. It's a man standing waist-deep in the rushing river. His broad shoulders taper down to his lean waist, while his muscular arms glisten with water droplets. The sunlight dances on his tanned skin, highlighting his chiseled features. Long midnight black hair, dampened by the river, falls in tousled waves around his face, framing piercing eyes that send a shiver through my entire body.

I realize why I mistook him for a bear. His body is covered in a layer of hair and a large scar marks the side of his face, giving him a rugged and almost primal aura, one that screams of danger and intrigue. I can feel my core warm at the sight of him, the thought of what he could do to me with that body overriding the common sense that I should run.

We lock eyes, his gaze slightly widening in surprise that I'm there and I feel my heartbeat thump wildly, like a rabbit stuck in a snare. He takes a cautious step towards me, his eyes unblinking, a predator that has locked onto his prey.

I guess rainbow suspenders Steve was right about one thing and it wasn't the car. There is indeed a beast in the forest, and he's coming right for me.