"She was trying to warn me. There are monsters in Greenfield."
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Thicket Grove stinks. The rain masks much of the smell with a fresh musk of cedarwood and winter wind. But I smell the stagnant water and decaying plants with every step deeper into the wetland. It smells like a musty old fish tank.
My heart thumps slowly against my chest as I walk behind Mallory. Am I following a dead girl to her body? Why was she in these woods anyway? I know some kids sneak out here to drink, smoke, and lose their virginity. But I've heard the strange howls and coos that come out of these woods. Alligators aren't the only predators out here.
I watch her nearly invisible legs take step after step without ever disturbing the ground beneath her. Meanwhile, mud covers the edges of my checkered shoes as every step presses into the soft ground.
Shadows leap between the trees as the sunlight begins to die. Their pale gray bark obscures Mallory's silhouette. Keeping track of her takes effort, partly because I can't stop checking my back. I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched.
Fortunately, I don't see any wildlife, but I feel like I can hear their whispers in the trees. The hair on my skin rises. Maybe those whispers aren't in my head.
I freeze for a moment and try to listen. Suddenly, I hear a footstep behind me stumble as if I caught someone off guard. I quickly hide behind a tree and look for the source. Someone is definitely following me.
I can feel my racing heartbeat in my throat. Slowly, I pull my backpack off my shoulder. I carefully unzip the top and grab my flashlight. It isn't exactly a weapon, but it's heavy and bright as hell. I flick the light on and shine it into the bushes.
"Who's there?"
Nothing responds.
"I know you're following me."
Suddenly, two hands extend from behind the bush. Then, two more.
"Alright, alright. You don't need to blind us." Hannah steps into view, shielding her eyes, with JJ in tow.
What the hell?
"Are you following me?" I ask. All of my anxiety and fear fall away, leaving only frustration.
"Not originally," JJ says.
"I just wanted to talk to you," Hannah explains. "Then you walked off like you were following something." She steps forward. "It's a spirit, isn't it? That's what you're following?"
I huff, but I don't have the energy to deny her or think up a lie. Hannah is clever. I look behind me to search for Mallory, but she's gone. Damnit. "Not anymore. Looks like I lost her."
"Where did you see the spirit last?" JJ steps forward and pulls out a small black device. It beeps. Then, a row of green and red LEDs light up. It's an EMF detector. I've heard of them but never considered using one. I've never needed help finding ghosts. "This will light up when an electromagnetic field is close." The first two green lights glow as he steps forward.
"She was right over there," I say, pointing between two trees.
A third LED flickers as JJ passes me, and he stops. He looks at me curiously and pushes the device closer to me. The third LED glows bright, lighting my face.
JJ retracts the device. "Autumn, do you have any magnets in your pockets?"
"No..."
"Hmm." Two lines form between his eyebrows, as if I just solved a riddle for him. "Well, could you stand back, please?"
I oblige and stand back beside Hannah. JJ walks ahead toward the two trees, then a bit further. He turns to the right and stops. "This way," he says.
Am I really including these two in this? Hannah walks ahead and doesn't even look back to check if I'm following. This is now their hunt, whether I'm involved or not. I follow Hannah and stop at a small clearing in the trees.
"You see anything?" Hannah asks.
Mallory's empty black eye sockets stare at me from the center of the clearing. She stands behind a small bush. Water rushes through a narrow creek beside it. I step toward her. She doesn't move. She only looks down at her feet.
"I'll take that as a yes," Hannah grumbles.
I hold my breath, fearing what I might find behind the bush. Mallory's somber face doesn't help. A spot of dark red graces the edge of my vision as I pass the bush.
I look down and find a damp red blanket about to wash away in the running water. A picnic blanket. Actually, this little clearing would make for a pretty spot in the daylight. They were on a date.
But a heavy weight suddenly presses on my chest. The same weight I felt at the Davidson house. It feels like a blanket of sheer panic.
"Someone died here," I say as Hannah and JJ catch up. They both kneel and investigate the area.
"Autumn," Hannah says, holding the blanket up. A dark brown stain is splattered across it. Blood.
"Trevor," Mallory whispers in my head. I quickly look at her.
"Where is he?" I ask.
"Who are you talking to?" JJ asks.
"Is it the victim?" Hannah asks immediately after.
"No. It's Mallory."
"The missing girl?!" Hannah's eyes open wide with shock.
"Yeah." My voice breaks as I stare at Mallory's sad expression. I reach my hand out to touch her arm. I can feel her soft, cold skin. Her pain radiates in my mind—utter sorrow. Mallory's soft breath catches with a whimpered cry. "She saw Trevor die."
"Oh my god." Hannah covers her mouth.
"Mallory, where is he?" I ask again.
"Eaten."
A shudder crawls down my spine.
"No. Where is his spirit?"
"...Eaten."
What the hell can eat a spirit? Can a poltergeist do that? My mind swirls with dozens of questions. None of which I want answers to.
"Hey guys," JJ shouts. "I found something."
I step away from Mallory to join JJ on the other side of the creek. He walks beside a shallow divot in the ground. Tall leaves of grass lie flat as if something heavy was dragged over them. The divot creates a path that snakes deeper into the woods.
"We should stop," I say. "It's getting dark, and we don't know what's out here."
"Are you kidding?" Hannah replies as JJ tosses her a flashlight. "Forget ghost hunting. Let's solve a murder." She and JJ both turn on their flashlights and follow the path.
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Finally, the rain relents after a few minutes of walking through the tall grass. My hoodie is drenched. I pull down the hood and shake out my hair. The silence is suddenly overwhelming. No crickets, nor locusts, nor any creature for that matter makes a sound. Only the brush of grass as we walk through the night.
"Is Mallory still here?" Hannah asks, sweeping her flashlight across the trees.
"Yeah." Mallory grips my arm as we walk.
"Ask her how she died."
I look at Mallory. The fear in her eyes tells me I shouldn't expect to get much out of her.
"A cannibal," I reply.
"What?" Hannah stops and turns to face me.
"That's all she told me."
"Fucking awesome." Hannah laughs and turns back around.
"But I don't think it was human," I admit.
"Why not?"
Why did I even say that? I just read an old bestiary on creepy monsters that may or may not actually fucking exist, and now a spirit just told me her boyfriend's soul was eaten. So, suddenly, monsters don't seem so far-fetched.
Before I can answer, a searing hot pain wraps around my ankle. I shriek and kneel down.
"Autumn?" Hannah shouts. The two of them run back to me.
"I'm fine." I pull my pant leg up. "Some thorns grabbed my leg." Warm blood drips down into my socks. Then I spot something near my foot. A bone.
I pull the bone out of the ground to examine it. It's a piece of a jawbone—deer, maybe. Whatever killed it snapped its jaw into pieces.
"Hannah, please," JJ begs.
"Okay, okay." Hannah drops her shoulders. "We can go home. I lost the trail a few feet back anyway." She covers her nose with her arm. "God, this place reeks. Next time, we're bringing masks."
The smell has gotten much worse since the rain died down. The putrid smell makes me wonder if the swamp is filled with vomit.
"He's coming," Mallory whimpers. Her panic floods my emotions. A shiver spider-crawls down my back.
"Hide," I say, grabbing Hannah's arm. "Someone is coming. Hurry."
The four of us bolt through the tall grass. We weave between the trees and crouch behind a thick patch of bushes. My heart pounds against my chest. We switch our flashlights off and lay on our stomachs. I don't even want to breathe. Whoever—whatever is coming killed Mallory and Trevor. Silence washes over us. Then, footsteps approach.
Quietly, I pry through the bushes. The moonlight casts a blanket of dim white light over everything. It's just enough light to make out rough silhouettes, painting everything in shades of gray.
Hannah's face scrunches. The acrid smell suddenly floods my senses. There must be a dead animal nearby. A raccoon died under our house once. Our house smelled for a week, even after Dad got rid of it. This, however, smells like a family of raccoons died.
"Hey!" A raspy raven-like voice echoes in the distance. My heart feels like it stops for two beats.
I peer through the bush, angling my head to see anything. Then, I spot the silhouette of a doe. The moonlight reflects off the damp fur on its back. Her eyes glisten in the light as they stare in our direction.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
"PFFF!" The doe snorts, filling the air with white vapor. It will give away our position to whoever else is out here.
"It sees us," JJ whispers. "Be still, and maybe it will go away."
The doe stomps the ground and snorts again. Then, something else catches its attention. It leaps into the air and disappears from view. Each of us let out a small sigh of relief.
Then, a guttural squeal pierces the air. The shriek of pain echoes through the woods. A split second later, it's silenced by bone snapping.
I squeeze my face through the bushes, trying to find the doe again. I see nothing. Then, a towering figure lumbers into view. Bones protrude from its silhouette. Its long, skinny fingers drag the doe across the grass. Icy fear overtakes my body, and a cold void fills my chest.
This isn't some bear. It isn't an animal at all. Is it some kind of poltergeist? Demon? My eyes widen. Somehow, I have to explain this to Hannah and JJ. I doubt they can even see this... thing.
It stops in the center of the clearing and hunches over the limp carcass. It pulls at the doe's leg. The entire leg rips off with a wet shluck. I quickly look away before the image sears into my mind.
"Don't move," I whisper to Hannah and JJ. "There's a—"
"I can see it," Hannah breathes—her eyes wide with terror. Wait. They can see it. JJ's face turns pale. If they can see it, it can see them. It can touch them.
Reapers... That passage replays in my mind. Their presence is an omen of death.
"We need to get out of here," I whisper.
"Hello?" That raven-like voice speaks again. All of us freeze in place.
"This way," Mallory whispers in my head. She crouches low and moves deeper into the woods with unnatural grace. Slowly, I follow her, leading the others.
We don't say a word. I can barely see the surface below my feet in the cold dark. Every step is a slow and methodical prayer. Mallory leads us to a small cliff that leads into a shallow creek bed. Rainwater rushes over fallen branches and large stones.
The edge of the cliff is wet with mud. I sit on my butt and drop my legs over. Slowly, I step down onto the first stone I can feel. I test my weight on it, and it holds. I lower myself further onto the muddy surface and drop. I slide down onto a large rock and catch myself. I can only hope the sound of the water masks my footfalls.
JJ comes down next. He finds a similar path. I grab his hand to help him down, and he reaches the bottom safely. Then, we move to help Hannah. But her foot slips on the mud. Her body slides off the edge. She lets out a short scream, and her body smacks the wet ground.
"Hey!" That raspy voice barks in the distance.
"Run," Mallory whispers.
"Run!" I repeat.
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I pull Hannah to her feet. We charge down the creek bed. Every step splashes muddy water into the air. Cold air scratches at my lungs as I race through the mud.
"Hello?" The voice is closer. I hear its footfalls approaching. Branches snap behind us. We race through the creekbed until it opens up to a large clearing.
The giant orange moon shines down like a spotlight. A small, dilapidated shack sits at the center of the clearing. Beside it, light reflects off murky swamp water dotted with water lilies. A still gray mist floats just above the swamp.
"Come." Mallory beckons.
We quietly run across the grassy field toward the shack. It isn't large enough to live in. Storage maybe. The simple structure is built from old planks of wood, clearly worn from the elements. A dock wraps around it. Planks are splintered or missing, and a small metal boat softly knocks against the wood.
We circle the shack to find the only door. But I stop. A pier extends out into the swamp. At the end, five feet from the edge, is a thin translucent thread hovering above the water—a portal.
I look at Mallory. "This is why you brought me here."
"I'm scared," she says.
"Dammit!" Hannah grunts. "The door is locked."
A bright silver padlock adorns the door. Hannah slams her shoulder into the door, but the lock holds.
"Keep trying," I say. "I need to help Mallory." I set my backpack down against the wall of the shack.
"What are you talking about?" Hannah asks.
"What if that thing is hunting her? If I help her cross over, maybe it will leave us alone."
"What are you going to do, read her last rites?" she huffs.
"Just trust me."
I grab Mallory's hand and quickly walk down the pier. Wooden panels in the center of the walkway have broken away, splitting it in two. We have to jump a three-foot gap to continue. God, I hope the wood doesn't snap when I land on it. The water is cloudy, green, and reeks of decay. The smell has almost burned away my senses. I take a calculated leap. The wood snaps, and my heart drops. But it holds.
"Come on," I wave Mallory over. "Can't you float or something?"
"How do I float?"
Fair enough. I can't expect someone to float after a life of walking. I guess some myths aren't true.
"Just jump. I'll catch you."
"Hey!" That scratchy voice shouts in the distance. The trees at the border of the clearing shake. Hannah still struggles to open the door as JJ keeps lookout.
"Come on, hurry," I plead.
She leaps over the gap. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. Her cold skin chills my body. She doesn't have eyes, but I can imagine them—frightened. There's panic on her face. She's been alone out here for a month.
We reach the end of the pier, but the portal is too far out to reach. I can't throw her that far. Despite her state, she does have weight.
"You're going to have to swim."
"N—no. No. NO!" She shakes her head in a fit. But this isn't a fit of disgust, which I wouldn't blame her for. She's terrified. Maybe she can't swim. Shit.
"I'll go with you."
I pull my hoodie off, slip out of my shoes and socks, and then toss them in a pile behind me. I sit down and drop my legs over the edge. The cold water feels like an ice bath. And it's slimy. So slimy.
I cringe, working up the courage, then shove myself into the water. Strings of soggy grass creep up my pant legs. The water is much deeper than I expected. My face barely sits above the water as I bounce my toes on the milky mud below.
"Come on." I reach my hand up. "I'll hold you the whole way."
Reluctantly, she sits and grabs my hand, then drops into the water. The water doesn't even ripple. She flails her arms in a panic, searching for me.
"It's okay." I wrap my arm around her waist, struggling to calm her. "Just breathe. You can't drown, remember? You're already dead." Her flailing starts to slow. Her face bobs above the water with me, and she cracks a smile at the corner of her mouth. "See?" I smile. "Let's get you home."
I hold her with one arm and swim with the other. Sludge, vines, and unknown muck squeeze through my toes as I swim. Luckily, the portal isn't too far. The thin thread of light dimly flickers as I approach.
"Okay," I look at her face, barely breaking the surface of the black water. The moonlight dances on ripples around us. "All you, Mallory."
She looks up at the thread for a moment, then at me. "Thank you. Please help the others."
The others? My heart shudders as a new emotion rushes in. Hope. Mallory reaches her arm up to touch the thread. Then, she vanishes. The weight on my arm instantly lifts. Goodbye, Mallory.
I look up at where the portal once was. A tiny cloud of glittering dust begins to fall over me. I reach my hand up to touch it. Like a magnet, the dust flows into my hand. Warmth fills my arm and rushes through my body. Then, it dissipates, and I'm left alone in the darkness.
I swim back to the pier and peek my head up. Hannah and JJ are gone. The door is still closed. Then, I spot them on the left side of the shack. They press their backs against the wall. Hannah holds her palm out, urging me to stop, then points to the other side of the shack.
"Hello?" That voice echoes over the swamp. The dark creature stands in the shadow on the other side. It stands taller than the shack, even hunched over in its unnatural stance. Its long face scans the water, revealing two jagged antlers protruding from its skull.
I dip my head down. My muscles tighten. My stomach convulses. I can feel my blood vessels throb in my neck. Slowly, I slide to the left, hiding behind the pier. If I use the dock as cover, I can swim back to shore.
My hands grip the wooden planks. Little by little, I pull myself along the edge of the pier.
"Help!" The creature bellows a cry in a thorny voice. It sounds human but distorted. Like an old record.
I freeze for a moment. I peek just over the wood. The beast sniffs the air. It releases a frustrated grunt, then looks away. I need my shoes. I reach my arm over the top, feeling around for anything. I find nothing.
"Somebody!" It shrills.
Come on. Where are they? I keep my eyes on the beast and wave my hand over the top of the dock. Then, I feel the cloth. I just need the shoes. Sorry hoodie. I grab them and duck out of view.
I reach the gap in the pier. I wait until the creature looks away, then glide to the other side. I reach out to grab the edge, and my heart stops. A face stares at me from under the dock. A dead, decayed human face.
It takes everything in me to keep from vomiting. Bile climbs up my throat and my mind splinters. The bloated face bobs in the water with a wax-like sheen. A pink butterfly clip hangs from her hair.
Hannah's muffled squeal echoes to my left. When I look, the beast is standing directly beside the shack. Its long neck peaks over the roof. Its long fingers pick at the splintered wood.
If I get any closer, it will see me. It's only a matter of time before it sees Hannah and JJ.
"Hello?" It asks. Though I doubt it expects an answer, twisting its neck around the corner of the shack. It stoops low and steps in front of the door. The moonlight reflects off its blood-red eyes. Hannah presses her hand against her mouth. It's going to kill them.
"I'm so sorry, Mallory," I mutter, then kick her corpse hard. The soft skin breaks under my weight, and her body rockets out from under the pier. With a loud splash, her bloated body parts float just above the surface of the water.
The beast jerks its head toward her. It squawks like a vulture and charges into the water. I hoist my body up onto the pier. I don't dare look back. I just run. I charge across the dock. Fear burns in my blood. I barrel into Hannah and JJ and fall to the ground.
"We need to go," I whimper. I don't even want to think about what the fuck I just did. But the sound of crunching and chewing behind me confirms it. I spot a large tree near the edge of the woods. It's the only cover between the shack and the woods.
"Wait here," I whisper. "Wait for my signal, then run to me." I quickly slip on my shoes. No socks.
I peek my face around the corner. The beast splashes in the water, already headed back to shore. I turn and quickly walk toward the tree. I reach the tree, press my back against it, and hide in the shadow.
"Hello?" The beast stretches its neck over the top of the cabin. I pull back behind the tree. That voice—it sounded like—was that Mallory?
I wait a moment, then peek my face over. It steps beside the shack, sniffing the air. I hold my palm out, telling them to wait. Then, it twists its neck away, distracted by a howl in the distance.
"Come on," I mouth without a sound and wave my hand.
Hannah leaves first, with JJ close behind. They quietly bolt through the tall grass. They reach the halfway point and JJ squeals. His foot plunges deep into loose mud. His body slams into the ground with a loud smack.
The beast squawks and twists its head. Hannah pulls JJ to his feet, but they're too slow. It already sees them. They have no time. They're going to die, and it's my fault.
Its long legs bound over the grass. It shrieks like a giddy dog after a toy. Hannah looks at me. Terror in her eyes. She screams. But my body is moving before I can stop it. I will not be an omen of death.
I charge across the grass. My heart slams against my chest.
"RUN!" My voice cracks as I scream.
I reach the space between the beast and my new friends, then extend my arms. The beast opens its jaw wide. Hundreds of jagged teeth line its mouth. Maybe my death will give them enough time to escape. But they will not die because of me. I close my eyes.
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WHAM!
A sharp force slams into my chest, but it doesn't kill me. Wait. I'm still standing. I open my eyes. A cloud of glittering light separates me from the creature whimpering on the ground. Gold and white dust swirls around me. That warmth. The same warmth I felt when Mallory left cascades through my body.
"Autumn," Hannah mutters. I turn to look back at them. They're alive. They didn't die.
"Your eyes," JJ says, dumbfounded. I can feel the blood vessels on my cheeks pulse. My eyes must be black.
"Run!" I shout. I don't know how I did this, but I doubt I can hold it long. I can feel the warmth subsiding. "Go!"
The two of them stumble to their feet and bolt into the woods. I watch them disappear into the darkness. They're safe. I didn't kill them.
I turn back to face the beast. Iridescent glitter swirls in a semi-circle in front of me. The light shines across the creature's decrepit face. Its lips have been ripped away, revealing black and yellow teeth. Rotten skin is pulled tight against its bones.
It reaches up its arm and slams it into the barrier of light. Again, I feel the jolt of force slam against my chest. Sharp pain crawls up my spine. This shield is about to break. I have to think of something. I have nothing. I left my backpack on the dock. If I can get to my flashlight—
CRRRACK!
Long fingers tear through the barrier. Searing pain explodes down my arm as two claws rip into my skin. I fall to the ground and scream. No time to think. Just go.
I stand and bolt around the shack. The beast slams into the wall, chasing me around the corner. The dock shifts and snaps under its weight. I grab my backpack and swing around the corner.
A loud shrill fills the air. I can hear the footfalls slam into the ground behind me. I dig into my backpack mid-run. I'm near the edge of the woods. The creature is close. I feel my flashlight, grab it, and turn.
Blinding white light slams into those red eyes. The beast yelps and ducks its head. I turn off the light and dip into the woods.
My lungs heave as I duck between trees. Pain stabs at my heels with every step. Warm blood drips down my arm. I feel my energy waning. I have to keep running. I will not die tonight.
Suddenly, pain rips across my leg. My shoulder slams into the mud. A vine of thorns wraps around my ankle, piercing my skin.
"Help!" That raven-like voice shouts in the distance.
A shallow pool of swamp water sits beside me. Tall grass protrudes from the water. I roll my body into the swamp. The ice-cold water shocks my senses. I wiggle my back, pushing myself deeper into the mud, and use the tall grass as cover.
I can't control my breathing. My chest contorts with short, useless breaths. My heartbeat races. I can't slow it down. I have to be quiet.
"Hello?" That voice. I know that voice. Was that Dad's voice?
Heavy footsteps land nearby. I pinch my nose and dunk my face under the shallow water.
"Hey!" I hear the muffled voice from under the water. I can make out the distorted silhouette of the creature standing beside me. Pain stretches against my lungs. My body shakes, begging for air. The creature sniffs the air. Leave. Please leave. Please.
Something else distracts it, and it leaps away. I pull my head out of the water and gasp for air. My head throbs. Short breaths stab my rib cage. I heave and heave, then vomit into the grass. I can't stop shaking. Tears pool at the corners of my eyes.
I don't want to do this. I don't want this life. I don't want to be me anymore. Please. Take it all away.
"Daddy," I sob. "Come back."
My fingertips begin to tingle like little ants crawling inside them. Pain pulses in my arm with every heartbeat, and blood pools around it. I lie in the mud until the shivers begin to slow. I feel the blood drain from my face. An hour passes. Or is it two? Did I fall asleep? I don't think so.
"Autumn?" Hannah's voice jolts my body.
Is that really her? What if it isn't? Did the beast get Hannah? The thought is maddening. Then, a figure comes into view, obscured by the tears in my eyes.
"Autumn!" Hannah runs to me. "She's over here!" She kneels beside me and lifts my head. My body shakes uncontrollably. "It's okay, we brought help."
I look up at a familiar face. A black raincoat covers his broad shoulders.
"Doc—tor Ward?"