Page 11 of Hunted By Them

My breath quickened, the fear of the unknown and the mystery of the what-if swirled in my gut, driving me to continue.

By the time I reached the clearing, my lungs burned, but I wasn’t sure if it was from the hike or the anticipation clawing me apart from the inside. The cabin hunched where I left it, crooked and waiting.

I stood there, chest heaving, rain dripping from my lashes, staring at the shabby door like it was a passage that could open to either safety or into something else entirely.

Just go inside. Just…spend one more night and prove that you’re either crazy or not.

“Yeah, but what the hell happens if they are real?”

My eyes darted around, searching the dark forest. I took one step forward. The thick, damp air pressed in on me. And then…

“Sweet Daisy…”

It wasn’t loud, but the hair stood on the back of my neck. Freezing in place, I strained to see.

“Who are you?” I yelled.

“Sage,” the voice spoke my name, and the air stopped moving in my lungs.

How do they know my name?

I turned in a circle, and my blood turned to ice.

Another whisper, from the trees. “Sage…Sage…Sage…our Sweet Daisy.”

My knees weakened with a desire so strong that it felt like a punch, while fear gripped me by the throat. What if they really were monsters, and I had just run right back to them? I jogged the rest of the way up to the cabin door. My hand rested on the doorframe like it was the only thing keeping me upright.

Footsteps…I heard them. The mist was thickening by the second. Squish, squish, squish, the sound of mud reached my ears.

“Who are you? Tell me.”

“You know who we are,” the sultry voice answered, like he was whispering in my ear. The sound traveled down my spine like a hand touching me.

There was a chuckle, then silence. Whipping around, I gripped the latch with my shaking hand. I’d been reduced to a bundle of nerves, and every breath came out shallow. My mind screamed to run. My blood screamed to stay. And me…fuck it.

I opened the door.

SAGE

The cabin door groaned like it was telling me off when I shoved it open.

The rumble in the distance said that round two of the rain was well on its way. A thrill raced through my body. Looking around, I froze as I spotted a few pieces of wood, some kindling, and flint. All I could do was stare in disbelief. My muddy boots left tracks across the warped floorboards as I stepped closer.

Dropping my pack on the floor, I crouched and looked inside the small fireplace to make sure that the chimney was clear.

This is insane. How did they know I would be back?

It felt like I’d been lured in by unseen forces. I braced my hands against the wall, my pulse hammering out of control. My skin felt too tight.

Why did I come back? I had lost my mind. That was all there was to it.

Sitting down, I stared out the window at the gray sky. The steady rain sounded like pebbles hitting the roof. I pulled out my flashlight, but when I turned it on, it flickered and died.

Dammit.

I had it on all night last night and wore out the batteries.

With a sigh, I gave up and decided to start the fire. It wasn’t terribly cold, but my skin and clothes were damp. It took a few tries, but I managed to get it going. The glow threw shadows that stretched across the walls.