The night air outside was sweet and crisp, a welcome contrast to the musty stench of the underground chamber. Relief washed over me, but it was short-lived. I heard a car approaching. It was a black sedan, like the one that had taken Krabat away earlier.

"We gotta move," I said, grabbing Charlaine's arm. "They’re coming back." I pushed her towards the clearing, my eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. I could make out the shapes of trees, their branches twisting and turning in the wind. The underbrush, that's where we needed to go!

The sedan pulled up beside an old oak, its headlights cutting through the darkness. Several figures emerged from the vehicle. One of them was a familiar face, one of the twins, the ones that had been guarding the entrance. The other figure was still in shadow, but I suspected the face would be the same.

"Shit," I muttered. "One of them got away during the fight. Must've called for reinforcements."

Charlaine shifted nervously. "They’re here for me?"

"Not just for you, kiddo," I said, my voice gruff.

The black sedan idled, its engine humming like a caged beast. Two of the murder twins stood silhouetted against the headlights, waiting. The tension was mounting, a silent pressure building in the air. My hand went to my pistol, the familiar weight of metal reassuring.

"We have to leave. And we have to make sure they don't follow."

I grabbed Charlaine's arm, pulling her towards the path I came from earlier. The woods were dark and dense, offering some cover. We pushed through bushes, adrenaline pumping. There were voices behind us. Our pursuers. They were relentless, like dogs on the hunt, making noise to flush out their prey. Meaning, us.

The sound of their pursuers grew closer. Charlaine stumbled in the dark, her legs still shaky from confinement. "Keep moving," I growled, urging her on. Still, I knew we couldn't outrun them for long. We dodged between the trees, the twins hot on our heels. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the woods, a relentless drumbeat.

A slight rise in the ground appeared ahead, and I spotted a large, fallen log lying half-submerged in the foilage. It looked like a good hiding spot. I pulled Charlaine behind the log, our bodies pressed tight against the damp wood. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth.

"What now?" Charlaine whispered.

"We gotta split up," I said, my voice low and urgent. "I'll create a distraction, you keep going. Head south, follow the path, it'll lead you to my car."

Charlaine's eyes widened. "No. I'm not leaving you."

"You gotta," I said, shoving the car keys into her hand. "You can escape."

She looked at me, her eyes filled with concern. "But what if they catch you?"

"I'll be fine," I said, my voice a little strained. "It's night, and the woods are cool and damp. They can't hurt me unless they brought a flamethrower along"

"Or the right kind of magic, Jam. You're not immune to that."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

I grabbed her arm, pulling her close. "No time for that now. You gotta go."

With a swift motion, I grabbed a rock and threw it into the darkness. The sound of the rock hitting the ground echoed across the clearing. It was a gamble, but it was my best bet.

I closed my eyes and listened. The voices were getting louder; they were coming. With a surge of adrenaline, I took a few steps back, my hand resting on the gun in my pocket.

Then, I felt it.

A sudden heat in my pocket. My hand reached in to find the source. The compass, the one with the little "Charlaine" doll attached, was emitting a faint glow. I'd never seen it do that before.

Charlaine’s voice cut through the air, a little panicked. "What’s wrong, Jam?"

I was too stunned to answer. I just held the petri dish up in front of me. The doll was no longer a simple wooden carving. The small figure was illuminated by a soft, ethereal glow. A strange inscription in a language unknown to me, was now etched onto the doll's tiny chest. Also, its legs seemed to be wiggling. What the hell was this?

Charlaine’s face was a mask of fear and surprise. "Where did you get this?" she asked, her voice shaky. Before I could answer, she snatched the doll out of my hand, throwing it away from us. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the glow from the doll turned into a blinding light. I shielded my eyes, the heat of the light scorching my clay skin.

When I looked back at the spot where the doll had landed, my jaw dropped. There, standing in the light, was Charlaine. A perfect, life-sized copy of her. The same dirt stains on her jeans. The same bruises on her arm. The real Charlaine was staring at her copy, her face a mix of horror and disbelief. The copy just stood, silent and motionless, a perfect replica in every way, but with the same lifeless eyes as a wax figure. This was the kind of mess that only happened in Shadow Falls. This was the kind of mess that only happened with me.

The doll, the copy, it smiled. A real smile, not the creepy, frozen grimace of a wax figure. Then it waved at me, a quick little gesture that somehow was too familiar. It started running. Not a normal run, either. Clumsy, awkward. Like it was trying to make noise.

"Charlaine, stay here. Stay hidden." I didn't need to tell her twice. She was frozen, eyes wide. Like a deer in headlights. Or a bunny caught in a snare.

The doll ran through the underbrush, creating a rustling, cracking symphony. A diversion. A cheap one, but a diversion nonetheless.

I had planned on setting this whole thing off myself. Get a few of the guards chasing after me, give Charlaine time to escape. But that plan went south faster than a greased pig.

The guards were shouting in the distance. They were buying it. The doll was making a hell of a racket.

"Let's go." I motioned to Charlaine. She was still frozen, so I grabbed her arm and pulled her along. We crept back through the woods, the darkness a welcome shroud. I didn't dare turn on a flashlight. Not with those guards out there. Not with the Murder Twins on our trail.

The forest was thick with shadows, the air thick with the scent of pine needles and damp earth. I was aware of every rustle, every creak, every snapping twig. Paranoia was a familiar companion. I was always on edge, always looking over my shoulder. How I missed the city noises of Shadow Falls.

We reached the edge of the forest. The open field stretched before us, bathed in the pale light of the moon. My car was parked at the far end, a dark silhouette against the silver sky. We made a run for it.

I threw the car door open, a sigh escaping my lips. I was glad to be out of that forest. Glad to be back in the familiar confines of my car. Glad to be getting the hell out of there.

"Jam?" Charlaine's voice was shaky. "What was that? What was that doll?"

"It was a tool. A way to locate you when I had no other clue to go by," I muttered, starting the car. "And apparently also a way to buy us some time."

"But... why?"

"Why did the chicken cross the road, Charlaine?" I shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm sure it had a good reason. We should stop by your grandma's place, she can probably help make sense of this."

I gunned the engine, tires spitting gravel as I pulled onto the road. We sped down the empty highway, the dark forest shrinking in the rearview mirror. I glanced at Charlaine. Her face was pale, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and confusion.

"This was a bad day, Jam," she whispered.

"It could have been worse," I said, turning the corner onto Maple Lane. "At least, we're out of the woods now."