Kenneth barely got any sleep that night. His mind kept replaying the moment on the street—the rustling in the bushes, the eerie sensation that something was watching him. The shadows outside his window seemed darker than usual, stretching unnaturally as the wind whispered through the trees. He wasn't the type to get easily spooked, but something about last night had unsettled him. It wasn't just paranoia. He was sure of it.
By the time his alarm rang, he was already awake, staring at the ceiling. His phone vibrated on the bedside table. He reached over and picked it up, squinting against the dim morning light.
Frank: Meet me at the station after class. I found something.
Kenneth's stomach twisted with unease. What had Frank gotten himself into this time?
His classes dragged on painfully slow, each lecture feeling like a blur as his mind wandered. His professors' voices faded into white noise while he doodled absentmindedly in his notebook, all thoughts centered on Frank's message. Whatever Frank had discovered, it had to be big. He never sent vague texts like that unless it was serious. And if Frank thought it was worth investigating, Kenneth knew he had no choice but to follow along.
After his last class, Kenneth made his way to the bus stop, slipping his earphones in to drown out the surrounding chatter. The bus arrived with a loud screech, and he stepped inside, finding an empty seat near the back. The ride to the police station felt longer than usual. Each turn of the wheels echoed his growing anticipation.
Finally, he arrived. The small police station stood as it always had—a sturdy, unremarkable building in the heart of town. Kenneth spotted Frank waiting outside, leaning against a lamppost, his usual confident smirk in place. He was tapping his foot impatiently, hands shoved deep in his hoodie pockets.
"You're late," Frank teased the moment Kenneth stepped off the bus.
Kenneth rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap. What did you find?"
Frank glanced around as if making sure no one was listening. Then he jerked his head toward the alley beside the station. "Follow me."
Kenneth hesitated. "Can't we just talk here?"
Frank shook his head. "Too risky."
With a resigned sigh, Kenneth followed him down the narrow alley. The smell of damp concrete and trash filled the air. Once they were far enough from prying eyes, Frank turned to him, his expression more serious than before.
"I went through my dad's case files," he said in a hushed voice. "The animal attacks? There's a pattern."
Kenneth raised an eyebrow. "What kind of pattern?"
Frank pulled out his phone and opened an image—a map of the town with several red circles drawn across different locations. "Look at this. The attacks aren't random. They form a path, leading deeper into the woods."
Kenneth frowned. "So, what? Some animal just happens to be moving in a straight line?"
Frank shook his head. "No. It's too deliberate. My dad thinks it's just a coincidence, but I don't. I compared the reported attack dates. Each one happens within a five-day interval, almost like clockwork. And guess what? We're due for another one tonight."
Kenneth's breath hitched. "You're saying something—someone—is behind this?"
Frank nodded. "And I think we should find out what."
Kenneth groaned. "You want to go into the woods, don't you?"
Frank grinned. "Bingo."
Kenneth rubbed his temples. He should've known this was coming. "You're insane."
"Maybe," Frank admitted. "But aren't you curious? If we don't check it out, we might miss our chance to figure out what's really going on."
Kenneth sighed, debating his options. Every rational part of him screamed to leave this alone, to let the police handle it. But deep down, he knew Frank was right. Something about this didn't add up, and if they didn't investigate, no one else would.
"Fine," Kenneth relented. "But if we die, I'm haunting you in the afterlife."
Frank chuckled. "Deal."
They spent the next couple of hours preparing. Frank "borrowed" a few flashlights from his dad's supply room, along with a pair of binoculars. Kenneth brought a notebook to document anything unusual. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, they were ready.
The woods loomed ahead of them, a dark, twisting mass of trees and shadows. Crickets chirped in the distance, their rhythmic calls the only sign of life. The air was cooler now, carrying with it the faint, earthy scent of damp leaves and soil.
As they entered the tree line, the towering trunks swallowed the last bit of daylight. Their flashlights flickered to life, casting long, eerie shadows on the forest floor. Every step they took felt heavier, the silence thick around them.
"You sure about this?" Kenneth asked one last time, gripping his flashlight tightly.
Frank grinned. "Too late to back out now."
They trudged deeper into the woods, following the crude map Frank had drawn from the case files. The further they went, the more unnatural the forest felt. Kenneth couldn't shake the sensation that they weren't alone.
A branch snapped behind them. Kenneth spun around, heart hammering. "Did you hear that?"
Frank nodded, slowly reaching into his bag for the binoculars. "We're close," he whispered.
Another sound—low, guttural—echoed through the trees. It wasn't an animal Kenneth recognized. His grip on the flashlight tightened. The shadows seemed to move, shifting just beyond their beams of light.
Kenneth swallowed hard. "I think we just walked into something we're not ready for."
Frank's voice was unusually serious. "Stay close. And whatever happens, don't run."
A deep growl rumbled through the darkness. Suddenly, something lunged at them from the trees, knocking them apart. Kenneth hit the ground hard, the impact leaving him dazed. His flashlight rolled away, its beam flickering wildly.
"Frank!" he shouted.
He heard a grunt, then rustling. He turned, just in time to see Frank being dragged into the underbrush.
Kenneth scrambled to his feet, but before he could react, something sharp sank into his shoulder. A searing pain shot through his body. His vision blurred as he struggled against whatever had grabbed him.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. The creature vanished into the trees, leaving Kenneth gasping on the ground. His hand went to his shoulder, coming away wet and sticky with blood.
Voices. Flashlights. Footsteps approaching fast.
"Frank! Kenneth!"
Kenneth's vision darkened, and the last thing he saw was the outline of a figure standing over him before everything faded to black.
When he awoke, he was still in the woods. Frank was nowhere to be seen. Disoriented, he staggered to his feet and started running. Trees blurred past him. He barely noticed how fast he was moving—faster than he ever had before. Within minutes, he reached his house, chest heaving. He looked down at his hands, trembling. "The hell happened to me?" he whispered.
Meanwhile, at the police station, Frank sat across from his father. Jordan eyed him suspiciously. "You sure your partner in crime didn't come with you this time?"
Frank hesitated before answering, his voice steady. "I went alone." But his mind was racing.
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