A metallic snap. The trap closed with a vicious clang, and a searing pain shot through Nathan’s leg.

“AAHH!” he screamed, thrashing desperately. The cold steel bit deeper into his flesh, and blood began pooling on the dirt below him.

From the shadows, Jersey emerged, his crimson eyes glinting with cruel delight. The creature stood motionless, watching, as if savoring Nathan’s agony. Its thick, scaly tail brushed against Nathan’s face, a mocking caress that sent a chill down his spine.

“Get away from me!” Nathan yelled, grabbing a nearby stick and swinging it with all his might at the beast’s torso.

The stick snapped in two on impact. Jersey didn’t flinch. Tilting his grotesque head, the creature let out a low growl, a sound almost like laughter, before lunging at him. The force of the blow knocked Nathan onto his back, and claws like daggers tore into his chest, wringing a piercing cry from his throat.

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“Ahh!” he gasped, punching at the beast with his free hand. It was useless—hitting it was like striking a wall.

The creature leaned in, its grotesque face inches from Nathan’s own. He could feel its foul, hot breath against his skin, thick with the stench of death.

“Why…?” Nathan whispered, his voice barely audible. The icy bite of the trap and the warm trickle of his own blood blurred the world around him, dragging him toward the abyss. “No… I don’t want to die!”

Jersey raised one massive claw, poised for the final strike. Nathan shut his eyes, bracing for the end.

And then, through the haze of pain and despair, a faint murmur pierced his thoughts.

“Son…”

Nathan’s eyes flew open, though his vision swam with tears and blood. Everything around him was a blur.

Jersey paused, staring at him one last time, as if the fight had lost its thrill. With a sharp flick of his tail, the beast released him, letting his battered body slump to the ground. Without a sound, it retreated into the shadows, vanishing as abruptly as it had appeared.

Nathan lay there, gasping for breath, broken and bleeding into the earth.

The world around him began to dissolve, his consciousness slipping away. The faint words echoed in his mind, impossibly distant, yet unmistakable:

“Not going to school today either?”

“No, Mom… this time… this time, I want to go…”