The late afternoon sun threshed on Moon High’s football field, its rays reflecting off the freshly painted yard lines. Jessica felt a bead of sweat trickle down her spine as she struck her final pose, arms thrust skyward in a perfect V. She held it for a beat, then two, before Tiffany Barns’ voice cut through the humid air.

“And down! Great job, ladies. Take five.”

Jessica relaxed her stance, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her muscles ached, a testament to the grueling two-hour practice they’d just endured. But it was worth it. Every sore muscle, every drop of sweat brought her closer to perfection–and in the cutthroat world of high school cheerleading, perfection was everything.

“Water break!” Amber Hearts chirped, already bounding towards the cooler at the edge of the field.

Jessica followed at a more measured pace, careful to maintain her poise even when no one was watching. Well, almost no one. She could feel eyes on her from across the field, a prickle at the back of her neck that she’d learned to recognize over the past year.

Kevin and Salina.

She didn’t need to look to know they were there, probably sitting on the bleachers where they always hung out after school. A twinge of something–guilt? regret?–tugged at her, but Jessica pushed it aside. That part of her life was over.

“Here,” Camella Yawda said, pressing a cold water bottle into Jessica’s hand. “You looked like you were gonna melt out there.”

Jessica managed a smile, grateful for the distraction. “Thanks. I swear, if it gets any hotter, we’re going to have to start practicing in bikinis.”

Mia Roberto snorted, nearly choking on her own water. “Don’t let Coach Harris hear you say that. He’d probably have a heart attack.”

The girls dissolved into giggles, and Jessica felt herself relax. This was where she belonged now–with the popular crowd, the girls everyone wanted to be. Not off in the shadows with the weirdos and outcasts.

But even as she laughed along with her squad mates, Jessica couldn’t help but steal a glance across the field. Kevin and Salina were there, just as she’d known they would be. Kevin, his dark skin a stark contrast to the crisp white shirt he always wore, had his nose buried in some thick, probably incomprehensible book. And Salina, pale and draped in black despite the heat, was gesticulating wildly as she talked, no doubt spinning some crazy supernatural theory.

For a moment, Jessica allowed herself to remember. The hours spent in the school library, poring over dusty tomes about local legends. The late-night stake-outs in the cemetery, more giggling than ghost hunting. The feeling of belonging, of being part of something special, even if it was just the three of them against the world.

But that was then. This was now.

“Earth to Jessica!” Tiffany’s voice yanked her back to the present. “You with us?”

Jessica blinked, realizing she’d been staring. She turned back to her squad, plastering on her brightest smile. “Sorry, just zoned out for a sec. This heat is totally a killer.”

Tiffany’s eyes narrowed slightly, following Jessica’s previous line of sight. When she spotted Kevin and Salina, her lip curled in distaste. “Ugh, are the freak squad still hanging around? You’d think they’d have better things to do than creep on our practice.”

“Maybe they’re hoping to catch some of our talent through osmosis,” Amber quipped, tossing her empty water bottle into the nearby recycling bin with perfect aim.

Jessica forced a laugh, ignoring the way her stomach twisted. “As if. They’re probably planning their next bigfoot hunt or whatever.”

The words felt ashy in her mouth, but she pushed on. This was who she was now. Popular. Admired. Normal.

“Alright, ladies, break’s over!” Tiffany clapped her hands, all business once more. “Let’s run through the new routine one more time. Jessica, you’re front and center for this one.”

Jessica nodded, squaring her shoulders as she took her position. As the music started up again, she threw herself into the routine, each move precise and powerful. She pushed herself harder, determined to be flawless, to prove to herself and everyone watching that she’d made the right choice.

But even as she smiled and twirled, a small part of her couldn’t help but wonder what Kevin and Salina were talking about on the bleachers. What new mystery they unraveled while she was out here, under the unforgiving sun, trying to be perfect.

The routine ended with Jessica in a split, arms raised triumphantly. As her squad mates cheered and high-five around her, she allowed herself one last glance across the field. But the spot on the bleachers was empty now, Kevin and Salina long gone.

Jessica told herself she was relieved. After all, this was what she’d wanted–to leave that part of her life behind. To be normal, popular, admired. But as she rose to her feet, brushing grass from her legs, she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that she’d lost something irreplaceable.

“Great job, everyone!” Tiffany’s voice cut through Jessica’s thoughts. “Same time next week. And remember, we’ve got the big game at the end of this month. I want us looking sharp!”

As the squad dispersed, chattering excitedly about post-practice plans and weekend parties, Jessica lingered behind. She stared at the empty spot under the oak tree, remembering countless afternoons spent there, lost in fantastical discussions and outlandish theories.

“You coming, Jessica?” Camella called, already halfway to the parking lot.

Jessica shook herself, pushing the memories away. “Yeah, right behind you!”

She jogged to catch up with her squad mates, falling easily into step with them as they discussed their plans for the evening. As they walked, Jessica snuck one last look over her shoulder at the bleachers. For a moment, she could almost see herself there–the old Jessica, laughing with Kevin and Salina, carefree and unworried about fitting in.

But that Jessica was gone now, replaced by this new version–popular, admired, and completely, utterly normal. And if sometimes, in quiet moments like these, she missed the girl she used to be... well, that was a small price to pay for belonging.

Jessica turned away from the field, forcing a bright smile as she rejoined the conversation. She was a cheerleader now, part of the in-crowd. And she’d do whatever it took to stay there, even if it meant leaving her old self–and her old friends–behind.

As they reached the parking lot, the girls’ chatter faded into background noise. Jessica found her thoughts drifting once again to Kevin and Salina. What were they up to now? Had they given up on their supernatural investigations, or were they still out there, searching for answers to impossible questions?

Part of her wanted to know, to reach out and bridge the gap that had grown between them. But she knew she couldn’t. That world–their world–was closed to her now. She’d made her choice, and there was no going back.

“Hey, Jessica, you want a ride?” Mia called, dangling her keys in her car. “We’re thinking of hitting up the mall before dinner. Wanna come?”

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Jessica hesitated, then shook her head. “Thanks, but I think I’ll walk. Clear my head a bit.”

Mia shrugged. “Suit yourself. See you next week!”

As the car disappeared around the corner, Jessica let out a long breath. The thought of spending another hour surrounded by forced cheer and shallow conversation made her skin crawl. She needed... something else. Something real.

Without really deciding to, Jessica strolled towards the woods that bordered the school grounds. The same woods she, Kevin, and Salina had explored countless times in their quest for the supernatural. Now, the path was overgrown and barely visible in the fading light, but Jessica’s feet remembered the way. It goes across Blackwood Park and toward the suburban area where she lived.

The trees closed in around her, muffling the sounds of the town. Jessica felt some of the tension leave her shoulders as she breathed in the earthy scent of decaying leaves and damp soil. This felt more like home than the sterile hallways of Moon High or the fluorescent-lit mall ever had.

As she walked, memories flooded back. The time they’d stayed out past midnight convinced they’d spotted a ghostly apparition (it turned out to be an oddly shaped tree stump). The afternoon they’d spent building a “fairy house” out of twigs and moss, certain it would attract magical creatures (it had only attracted ants). The countless hours spent talking, laughing, dreaming of a world beyond the mundane confines of their small town.

Jessica’s steps slowed as she reached a familiar clearing. This had been their favorite spot, a natural amphitheater formed by a circle of ancient oaks. How many summer evenings had they spent here, spinning wild tales and making grand plans for the future?

She sank down onto a fallen log, suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of longing for the girl she used to be. The girl who believed in magic and monsters, who valued friendship and adventure over popularity and appearances.

The snap of a twig jerked Jessica out of her reverie. She looked up, realizing with a start that night had fallen while she’d been lost in thought. The woods were pitch black now; the trees looming ominously in the darkness.

Jessica fumbled for her cellphone, heart racing as she turned on the flashlight from her backpack. The beam cut through the gloom, casting eerie shadows that seemed to move and shift at the edges of her vision.

“Hello?” she called out, her voice sounding small and scared in the vast silence of the forest. “Is someone there?”

No answer came, but Jessica could have sworn she heard something moving in the underbrush. She stood up, suddenly acutely aware of how alone she was.

“Kevin? Salina?” she tried again, clinging to the hope that her old friends might still haunt these woods. “This isn’t funny, guys.”

A low growl froze the blood in her veins. Jessica whirled around, the beam of her flashlight dancing wildly across the trees. For a split second, she glimpsed gleaming yellow eyes and bared teeth before something huge and furry burst from the shadows.

Jessica screamed, stumbling backward as the creature lunged at her. Sharp fangs raked across her arm, tearing through her cheerleading uniform and into the flesh. She fell hard, her head cracking against a rock as she hit the ground.

Stars exploded behind her eyes as pain lanced through her skull. Through the haze of agony and terror, Jessica was dimly aware of a hot breath on her face, of a weight pressing down on her chest.

Then, miraculously, she grabbed a rock and swung it into the creature’s face. The pressure vanished, and then the creature yelped before it vanished into the bushes.

She lay there, gasping for air, her entire body trembling.

It took several long moments before Jessica could gather the strength to move. She pushed herself up on shaky arms, wincing at the sharp pain in her left biceps. Her fingers came away sticky with blood when she touched the wound.

“Oh god,” she whispered, the reality of what had just happened crashing over her. “Oh god, oh god, oh god.”

Jessica staggered to her feet, nearly falling again as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She had to get out of here. Had to get home. Her dad would know what to do. Her dad would make everything okay.

The journey through the woods was a nightmare blur of shadows and pain. Jessica stumbled more than once, each fall sending fresh agony through her battered body. By the time she finally broke free of the treeline, emerging onto the quiet suburban street where she lived, she was barely conscious.

Jessica’s vision swam as she lurched up the driveway. She could see a light on in the living room–her dad was home. Just a few more steps...

Her fist connected weakly with the front door once, twice, before her strength gave out entirely. As darkness closed in around her, Jessica heard the door open and her father’s shocked voice calling her name.

“Jessica? My god, Jessica!”

Strong arms caught her as she fell forward. Through the fog descending over her mind, Jessica mumbled, “Dad... woods... something attacked me...”

Then the world went black.

*****

Sheriff Daniel Tumblerlee paced the sterile hospital hallway, his boots echoing off the linoleum floor. Every few seconds, his eyes darted to the closed door of his daughter’s room, willing it to open.

The doctor had assured him that Jessica’s injuries, while painful, weren’t life-threatening. A nasty gash on her arm that had required stitches, a mild concussion, various cuts and bruises. She’d be sore for a while, but she’d recover.

Physically, at least.

Daniel ran a hand through his short brown hair, frustration and fear warring inside him. What the hell had Jessica been thinking, wandering around those woods at night? Didn’t she know how dangerous it was out there?

Of course she didn’t. Because he’d never told her. Had always tried to shield her from the darker realities of their seemingly idyllic town.

Fat lot of good that had been done.

The door creaked open, and Daniel whirled around. The doctor emerged, looking tired but not overly concerned.

“She’s awake,” the doctor said. “A bit groggy from the pain medication, but coherent. You can see her now.”

Daniel nodded his thanks, taking a deep breath to steel himself before entering the room. Jessica lay in the hospital bed, looking small and fragile against the stark white sheets. Her left arm had a heavy bandage, and a butterfly closure adorned her temple where she had hit her head.

“Hey, kiddo,” Daniel said softly, moving to stand beside the bed. “How are you feeling?”

Jessica’s eyes fluttered open, glassy and unfocused. “Dad?” she mumbled. “What... where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital, sweetheart. Do you remember what happened?”

Jessica’s brow furrowed as she struggled to piece together her fractured memories. “I was... in the woods. Something attacked me. It was big, and fast, and...”

She trailed off, shaking her head slightly. “It doesn’t make sense. It looked like... like a wolf. But huge. Way bigger than any wolf should be.”

Daniel’s jaw clenched. He’d been afraid of this. “Jessica,” he said, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. “What were you doing in those woods at night? You know better than that. It’s not safe out there!”

Jessica flinched at his tone, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just... I needed to take a shortcut.”

“A shortcut?” Daniel’s voice rose. “Those woods are dangerous, Jessica! You could have been killed!”

“I know that now!” Jessica shot back, her own anger flaring. “But how was I supposed to know before? That trail had always been safe! And you never picked me up!”

Daniel recoiled as if she’d slapped him. For a moment, father and daughter stared at each other, the weight of years of unspoken resentments hanging heavily between them.

Finally, Daniel deflated, sinking into the chair beside the bed. “You’re right,” he whispered. “I haven’t... I haven’t always been there for you. Work kept me so busy, it became hard for me to remember to be there for you.”

Jessica’s anger faded, replaced by a glimmer of hope. “Okay, but do you believe what I saw in the woods?”

Daniel sighed heavily, suddenly looking at every one of his fifty-three years. “I do know people believe there are things in those woods that we don’t know. Things based on silly stories to scare children. But whatever attacked you, it was probably a dumb animal, and you are now safe.”

He leaned forward, taking Jessica’s uninjured hand in his. “So don’t worry anymore. After you recover, we will go back home and I promise I will try to come when you need me. And no more shortcuts, okay?”

Jessica nodded, a tentative smile tugging at her lips. “Okay,” she breathed.

As Jessica drifted off to sleep, the pain medication pulling her under once more, Daniel stood and moved to the window. He stared out at the dark line of trees in the distance, his expression grim.

Whatever had attacked his daughter was still out there. Maybe an animal, but nothing supernatural. He never believed in the strange stories the townsfolk kept telling. He only trusted facts and logical explanation. Fairy tales were nothing but warnings to control kids from breaking the rules.

Daniel’s hand moved unconsciously to the gun at his hip. He’d failed to protect Jessica once. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

No matter what it took, no matter what dark secrets might be out there, he would keep his daughter safe.

Even if it meant facing the creatures that lurked in the shadows of Moon Valley.