Their cabin was the last one in the line. As they rounded the edge of the structure, the clang of a bell made both girls jump.

“Meh-eh-eh.”

Jerry, the goat, was tied to a stake. The bell around his neck jingled again as he turned to watch them pass with his soulless eyes.

“Freaking goat,” said Channie.

Jerry chewed mindlessly on a clump of grass.

“Come on,” said Josie. “It will be fully dark soon. I don’t want to spend a minute longer out here than we need to.”

The forest remained silent as they reached the edge of the treeline. Channie’s flashlight flickered slightly and dimmed. She bashed it firmly against the palm of her hand, jarring the batteries around with a clunky rattle. “I swear….”

Josie pulled the belt knife out of her pocket and unsheathed it from its leather holster as they stepped into the woods. She held it down at her side, pointed away from her to avoid any accidents. After everything she had seen she wanted to be fully prepared for anything.

Channie wasn’t surprised by the blade, having watched Josie steal it that morning. Josie, on the other hand, was taken off guard when Channie pulled out a knife of her own—a butterfly knife with a black grip. Josie gawked at her as she flourished the blade into its ready position with a flick of her wrist.

“You should always be prepared when going into the woods,” said Channie.

Channie was a practical girl.

Once again starting from the spot where they’d seen the tall figure that morning, Josie led Channie roughly along the path she’d taken with Rebecca.

“Should we call out for her?” Channie whispered. “Or nah…?”

Josie contemplated the ramifications. It felt unwise. She shook her head. The shadows of the trees felt oppressive. Anything could be lurking behind any of the trunks. The beams of their flashlights made the shadows shift. The dark voids seemed dense until the light jumped across them as the girls scanned back and forth along the trail of prints. They could only see a dozen or so yards ahead through the brush.

Channie stopped beside one of the deeper footprint impressions in the soil. Her resolve to continue their search visibly waned as her face drooped. She placed her own foot, tiny in comparison, within the large footprint. “He’d need some massive sneakers,” she whispered.

Josie chose not to mention the nail grooves she’d taken note of earlier. She could tell Channie was already scared enough.

The last glimmers of daylight drained from the sky as they continued deeper into the woods. Josie had hoped to have more time before full dark. As they followed the footprints farther than Josie had traveled with Rebecca, Josie felt tension rising in her chest. She nearly plowed into the back of Channie as the girl made a sudden stop.

Before Josie could say anything, Channie aimed her flashlight on a divergent path, off to the left. A second trail of equally large footprints crossed the first. Either whatever-it-was was walking around all over the place, or there was more than one.

“Which way should we go?” asked Channie.

A male voice spoke out from behind Josie. “How about straight back where you came from.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Both girls spun around on the spot, their hearts jumping into their throats. They hadn’t noticed the older boy from the dock trailing after them.

Josie sprang at him with her knife held high.

“Ahh!” the boy shrieked as he stumbled backwards over a fallen log.

Josie jumped on top of him in an instant and held her knife up to his throat.

“Where’s Rebecca?” she demanded.

Channie stepped up beside them and posed threateningly with one hand on her hip.

The boy’s expression shifted from surprised to amused. A thin smile cracked his lips, which then quickly turned into a full on grin.

“What’s so funny?” Josie asked. She lifted herself up slightly and then slammed her butt back down hard into the boy’s stomach.

He grunted.

“I don’t know where your friend is!” he insisted.

Josie squeezed his ribs with her knees. “Why are you stalking me?”

He grunted again at the rib jab. “Oof! Quit that! I’m not stalking you, I’m just trying to keep you safe! There are things out here in the woods that you should do your best to avoid….”

Channie flourished her butterfly knife as she dropped down beside the boy’s head. She pressed her blade menacingly against the other side of his throat. “Like pervy boys?” she asked. “Are you a pervert??” She had a crazed look in her eyes.

The boy’s eyebrows drooped, worry returning to his face. “No! Of course not! My name is Lewis, and I was sent here to protect you, Josie.” Lewis’s cheeks went flush.

Josie felt her own face grow hot as well. She eased off, withdrawing her knife slightly. “Who sent you?” she asked.

A distant scream tore through the underbrush. The cry came from deeper in the forest. Something was unusual about the pitch of the scream…. It sounded slightly too high to be human. There was something animalistic about it.

“That wasn’t Rebecca…” said Channie.

That wasn’t human….

“We should go,” said Lewis.

Josie scrambled back up to her feet. She extended her hand to help Lewis up as well. He accepted it, but grabbed on awkwardly with his left hand instead of his right. Around his right wrist and forearm the strange silver bracelet-thingy Josie noticed earlier was spiraled around, looking like an odd piece of ancient Egyptian jewelry. Josie had never seen anything like it before. Lewis kept his arm held stiff with his hand closed, as if protecting it.

Channie’s face remained frozen in a frown as she stared off in the direction of the unnerving scream, eyes locked on the darkness. Josie pulled her along, following after Lewis as he retraced their steps.

Lewis didn’t have a flashlight with him. He must have been relying on their light the whole way in. He set a quick pace now, moving at a medium jog. They had to dodge trees and block branches with their arms to stop from being whipped in the face.

A cackling giggle that sounded like a ticklish young child rang out from somewhere behind and up above. It was as if something was trying to lure them back. The thought filled Josie with dread.

The edge of the forest came upon them suddenly. They burst through the treeline, but then Lewis stopped and put his arms out, ushering them back within the shadows.

“Turn off the lights!” he whispered harshly.

A blood-curdling scream pierced the night, coming from directly above them. A dark shape glided overhead in the clearing between them and the line of cabins. She could make out bat-like wings, the same as the creature that bumped their kayak. It was skinny with gangly limbs that looked almost reptilian in nature as they dangled beneath it. It was difficult to make out anything more in the dark, but one thing Josie knew for certain was that it was bigger than she was. It was not from this world.

She ducked behind the last row of trees with Lewis and Channie.

The creature swooped down, landing with a thud on top of Jerry the goat. His bell jingled as the creature slashed and bit at him viciously. There was no movement from the goat when the creature was finished with its attack. It snapped its jaws quickly like a bird, picking apart its tethered prey.

The terror emitted a series of low clicks that almost sounded like a growl as it looked around. “Ooow wooh waah!” it cried out, vocalizing a breathy sob in the voice of a young child.

A moment later, it launched itself back up into the air and disappeared from sight. The whole attack lasted less than twenty seconds start to finish.

That garbage bag full of ketchup and meat somehow did the trick! None of the kids were any the wiser. Now Jerry is a lot like Schrödinger’s cat, alive and dead at the same time, depending on your perspective! I love little tricks like this! It keeps so many fresh elements in play for us to use in the war against the Agares! They can’t keep track of all the shuffling pieces… but I can!

Keep vigilant,

-Mr. Gray