About the story: The Changing is meant to have some thriller elements without the nonsense that usually permeates “spooky” stories. That said, there are some elements that readers may find scary. Also, this story is not intended to have any specific spiritual elements. I’ve always liked scary tales, but more like Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark and I think you can expect the “scare factor” to be similar to those stories.
The swirling orange leaves danced across the windshield, pulling Benny’s attention from the road to the scenery. When he’d first turned onto the dirt road thirty miles back, he was sitting rigidly with both hands on the wheel, anxiously watching the road, but after miles of seeing nothing but trees and dirt kicking up behind the all-wheel-drive, he’d finally relaxed a little and allowed himself to enjoy the scenery. Literally overnight, he’d driven through a season change where green leaves had turned to hues of orange, and warm nights would inevitably give way to a crisp fall evening.
“In one mile, you’ve reached your destination,” the female GPS voice alerted.
“Hey, Iris, do you know why I like you?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m having trouble playing the song, Why I Like You, by the Flowers.”
“Never mind,” Benny huffed and turned his attention back to the road.
“Arrived,” the female voice chirped.
Benny rolled to a stop and looked around. If he had arrived there certainly weren’t any obvious signs like trail markers, a paved lot, or even a dirt lot for that matter. The only indication this could be the place was a twenty-foot stretch of grass off to the left. Suddenly, an intrusive thought entered his mind: What if this was nothing more than some elaborate prank or worse? He answered the question. Then I’d be… He tried to imagine how he’d feel if he’d rented a car, driven through the night, and spent money for gas and food just to find out the Changers were nothing more than some pranksters. He wasn’t sure. He wished he could speak to his therapist. She always had a way of helping him understand emotions.
Putting the car into park, he hopped out and took a moment to stretch and enjoy a breath of cool mountain air. When he opened the back door to grab his bag, a can fell out, which he reflexively tried to kick—he missed. Grabbing the can, he tossed it with the other cans piled on the rubber mat in a small pool of colorful liquid. Momentarily, he wondered how much the rental agency would charge in cleaning fees. Probably not as much as the overdue return fee when the car didn’t make it back to Dallas. Stop that! He chastised himself again, like numerous other times during the fifteen-hour drive.
The Changers weren’t a cult, he assured himself. At least not a cult that a quick internet search had identified. Maybe a fanatical religious group, a group of alien watching hopefuls, possibly the Occult, he couldn’t rule out those possibilities. Regardless, so what if they were a cult or some other group? In the end, he’d decided, it really didn’t matter. Not really. Life had become…mundane. It was the same daily 9-5 grind for little pay in a land where the cost of living was outrageous. No girlfriend. No family to speak of other than an alcoholic father living his best life and squandering every dime he made at casinos. As for Benny, he was just another face in the crowd. Nothing more than a yellow-faced Lego figure. Nothing extraordinary. Just a guy who’d happened upon an online group promising the adventure of a lifetime.
Shaking his head, he grabbed his pack and rummaged through the front pocket until he touched something about the size of a travel bottle of hand sanitizer (which he’d forgotten to bring). Pulling out the GPS he’d received in the mail, he punched in the coordinates from the group chat. To his relief, the device beeped once, then displayed a tiny arrow that pointed toward the capitalized “W” on the screen. He would have expected more information but would have to settle for a direction.
Setting the pack on the ground, he double-checked to see if he had everything he’d need for two nights in the woods. Not that it mattered now since the only town was thirty miles away. Suddenly, Benny felt awfully isolated from the world. What was he thinking? It was crazy to be out here. At least, that’s what his friends would say. Well, he was sure they would say that if he had any. Friends and Benny were like oil and water. He’d come close a few times to having one, but it’d never worked out. That’s it, he thought. It was now or never. He could return to the city and sit around his tiny apartment, dreaming of a better life or make something happen.
After all, the prospect of winning thirty thousand dollars was pretty enticing. It wasn’t life-changing money, but it would cover travel costs. Who knows, he might even have enough to buy his own car. It’d be nice to drive to work for a change during the sweltering Dallas summers, but did he really want that extra responsibility? Cars were expensive and needed gas, oil, and other maintenance, all of which cost money. Not that he had anything else to spend his money on, but a car seemed like a waste. Okay, the car was a no-go, but he might buy a few new outfits and try the dating scene. Well, the online dating scene. That had to be easier than trying to meet someone out in public. Did people meet that way anymore? It felt oddly primitive.
Taking a deep breath, he struck out westward. It wasn’t a quarter mile before he felt the overwhelming desire to look back and see if the car was still in sight. It wasn’t. He panicked. Yanking off the bag, he dropped it harshly on the ground and ripped everything out of the front pocket, searching for his inhaler. Come on! Where are you? Tossing the bag aside, he frantically scanned the little pile of stuff. There! Snatching up the puffer, he inhaled two puffs and rocked back and forth. Slowly, he regained control. Although his doctor had said he didn’t have asthma, his therapist suggested he keep the inhaler. It was a pacifier. A safety blanket. Without it, Benny was lost.
Once he felt in control again, he gathered the scattered supplies, dumped them into his backpack, and pocketed the inhaler. Gathering whatever courage or craziness he possessed that had brought him here, he shouldered his bag and headed a little deeper into the woods with a fresh wave of determination. The brief episode told him he would have to discover a way to keep going instead of stopping and looking back for the car every few minutes. Once, his therapist suggested he count to one hundred when anxious. Afterward, he was free to readdress whatever fear he was facing. So that’s what he’d do now. He’d count a hundred steps before stopping again. If he could manage that, then he’d do it again. After two hundred steps, the plan was working, that was, until something rustled the leaves to his left. Jumping right, he tripped over his feet but caught himself against a tree. Scanning frantically, he finally spotted the culprit…a chipmunk.
A brief laugh escaped, followed by another strange emotion. Sliding down the tree, Benny hugged his knees. The feeling of a wet drop sliding down his cheek caused him to look up. It wasn’t raining, and nothing appeared to be falling from above. Confused, he touched the drop. Another soon replaced it. Was he crying? At first he was ashamed of the emotions, then he remembered what Doc Tilly had said in their last session. “Learn to embrace healthy emotions.” Was that what was happening to him? Was it healthy to be alone in the woods crying? He wasn’t so sure.
“Are you okay?”
Benny tried to spin, stand, and jump simultaneously, which resulted in him falling over and crawling away on his hands and knees.
“Hey.”
Suddenly, Benny stopped and dropped his forehead onto the ground. He wished he was an ostrich and could bury his head.
“Excuse me,” she said, sounding closer than before.
He couldn’t pretend she wasn’t there, so he sat up, retrieved a tissue from his pocket, and cleaned up as best as possible. Then, slowly, he turned to find a rather attractive female with jet-black hair in a ponytail, glasses, a long-sleeved olive green shirt, dark brown pants, and black boots. Benny looked down at his worn Converse, jeans and a long-sleeved tee shirt with the faded words, I love 8-bits and sighed.
“Hi,” he said, trying to hide his…annoyance? Embarrassment?
“Did I scare you?”
Fear? That seemed more appropriate. He felt ashamed of the emotion. It made him feel weak.
“What? No. Of course not,” he said. “I…okay, yeah, you startled me a little.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, hurrying over and extending her hand.
“I can manage, thanks,” he said, ignoring the offer and getting to his feet.
Brushing off his knees helped him avoid eye contact for a moment. “Where did you come from?”
“Back there,” she pointed toward the east where Benny had parked. “We must have just missed each other. I’m Cindy, by the way,” she said, smiling and extending her hand again.
Pushing aside his wounded pride, Benny took her hand. “That’s a firm handshake,” he said, trying to return the squeeze but failing miserably.
“My pops taught me to shake hands. He was a Marine…I mean, he’s a Marine,” she said, blushing. “Once a Marine, always a Marine, am I right?”
“I don’t really know much about the military.”
“Right,” she said. “So, this is crazy, right?”
“What?” Benny asked, adjusting his pack and desperately hoping she couldn’t tell he’d been crying.
“You know, coming out into the woods on a wild adventure because some mysterious stranger promised the chance of making some cash.”
“Oh, yeah, that, well, yes, I suppose this is a little crazy if you’re not used to this type of adventure.”
“Soooo, you’re into this type of thing?”
“Oh, yeah, of course. I do this stuff all the time. Isn’t it obvious?”
“Was that a joke?”
“Yeah, I guess it was,” Benny said, feeling as shocked as Cindy seemed. Was that another breakthrough? If he had to guess, Doc Tilly would say yes.
“Hey! You have a GPS!” Cindy said, grabbing the little orange box hanging from Benny’s bag.
“Hey,” he said, pulling back.
“I’m sorry,” Cindy said, her pale cheeks blushing. “It’s just that I’m excited to see you have one, too. Part of me thought this might be a big joke or something worse.”
“Worse?”
“You know, like a serial killer arranged this whole thing to get some unsuspecting victims into the woods. That sounds plausible, doesn’t it, or have I watched too many crime shows?”
“Umm.”
“Never mind, don’t answer that.”
“Here,” he said, unclipping the device and handing it to her. “I’ve had the same thoughts, if it’s any consolation.”
“I know it’s crazy to join a random internet group for the chance to “have a life-altering experience,” and the shot at thirty grand, but that’s a lot of money,” she said, taking his GPS for a closer look.
“What are you doing?” Benny asked apprehensively as she scrolled through the tiny handheld, selecting various options.
“There,” she said, seemingly self-satisfied.
“What’d you do?” Benny asked, taking the device back and giving it a look.
“Just changed some settings. Now you can see how far we have to go.”
“Ten miles!” Benny exclaimed. “How long will that take?”
“Depends on how fast you hike, but I’d guess anywhere between 20-30 minutes a mile, depending on the terrain.”
“Three hours, twenty minutes!”
“Yeah, if we hustle, but if we stand around chatting much longer, it could take upwards of five.”
“Right,” Benny said. “Do you hike a lot?”
“I’ve been on a few trips here or there, plus Dad was—”
“A Marine. Got it,” Benny interrupted. “Okay, according to this little arrow,” he said, pointing to the screen, “We need to head west.”
“Yep, that checks out, and I really think we should get moving. I don’t think we have five hours of daylight left, and I’d like to set up camp in the light.”
“Why?” Benny gulped.
“Because it sucks to set up in the dark,” she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Oh,” Benny said. “I thought you might have meant something else.”
“Like some silly myth about Bigfoot or something?” she said.
“Bigfoot?” Benny said, laughing awkwardly. “That’s just silly.”
No, it wasn’t Bigfoot he was worried about. If that creature was out in the woods, it didn’t want to be found and, as some had humorously quipped, ‘Bigfoot was the hide-n-seek champion.’
“You’re the one with hiking experience, so you wanna lead?”
“I can, although you’ll probably want to keep an eye on the GPS. Without blazes to mark the trail, getting off track won’t be too hard if there are many turns or obstacles.”
“Blazes, right, yeah, those would help,” he said, trying to not to sound like he’d never heard the word before.
She eyed him momentarily before shrugging and striking out toward the west. For a while, they hiked in silence. Maybe uncomfortable, possibly appropriate silence. He really wasn’t sure. Should he say something? Perhaps he could ask some questions about hiking or the woods or something? Finally, after everything he rehearsed sounded lame, he decided to appreciate the silence and let Cindy break it if she had something worth saying.
How far had they gone? Ugh, only a mile, and it’d taken about 20 minutes, right on the lower edge of Cindy’s estimate. That was good, he guessed. So, at this pace, they’d make it…wherever they were supposed to be in the next three hours if they hiked without stopping. If he could hike that long without stopping. Sure, he did a lot of walking in the city, to and from work, but he’d never come close to a three-hour walk.
Slowly, an hour passed along with one of the three bottles of water he’d brought. Suddenly, the math wasn’t working in his favor. Three bottles of water for 3-5 hours of hiking, two nights camping, and then another 3-5 hours hiking back to the car. He’d have to find a place to fill up, and so far, every stream was dry. Had Cindy taken a drink? If she had, he’d missed it. It seemed more likely she hadn’t. His parched throat screamed for more water, and against his better judgment, he surrendered to the desire and finished another bottle.
Another hour passed in silence, and Cindy kept the same brisk pace. Her slender body moved deftly through the woods like she was born in the wild. Benny watched as she approached a waist-high downed tree. Without slowing, she planted a hand onto the rough pine bark, sprang over, and landed softly on the other side with hardly a sound. He entertained the idea of trying the move for a moment and quickly decided to crawl under. By the time he was back on his feet, he had to jog to catch up.
It was another hour of speedy hiking and another empty water bottle before they finally reached a trickling brook pooled near some rocks. Rushing over, he knelt, dropped his pack, and grabbed one of the empty bottles. If he hurried, he could fill them and catch up with Cindy without asking her to stop. He twisted the top and was about to dip the bottle beneath the shallow pool when something moved in his peripherals. He froze like a prey animal, slanted his eyes hard to his left, and spotted something peek from behind a tree.
Benny dropped his bottle and turned his attention toward the tree. Something was back there. He could hear the leaves crunching, and then, without warning, a haggard-looking man with tangled gray hair and a scraggly beard jumped out and ran at Benny, causing him to fall back against the rocks. He winced. In an instant, the wild man was standing over him with a crazed look in his eyes and the smell of blood on his baggy clothes. Benny gagged. Then, if matters couldn’t get any worse, the man put his dirty, shoeless foot right in the middle of Benny’s chest and pressed down. Benny cried out as his spine was pressed against a sharp point. Then, like some deranged animal, the man licked his lips and growled.
He’s crazy. He’s genuinely nuts. Reaching up, Benny grasped the man’s leg and tried with all his might to push it aside, but it didn’t budge…not even a little. For someone who appeared so frail, the man was strong…really strong. Raising both hands like a grizzly bear, he seemed prepared to attack. Benny winced and turned away, but the attack didn’t come. He peeked. In Benny’s 28 years, he hadn’t seen many scared people, and never anyone truly terrified. Still, somehow, he immediately recognized the look in the man’s eyes.
“Wh…wha…what is it?” Benny managed to ask.
Without a word, the man turned, sprinted away, and disappeared into the woods.
Benny suddenly understood the feeling the man had displayed on his face. The fear of the unknown had him frozen in place. What had he seen that caused such terror? A bear? A wolf? Something worse? Was there anything worse? He sat frozen, ears picking up every little noise, heart pounding so hard he wondered if this was what a heart attack felt like.
Suddenly, a hand clasped him on the shoulder. He unfroze. Jumped up, turned, and swung with all his might. Unfortunately, he whiffed, and like something from a cartoon, he spun a full circle to find Cindy staring in disbelief.
“Benny?”
“Cindy!” he exclaimed, rushing forward and hugging her.
She didn’t return his embrace. Suddenly, he came to his senses, released her, and took a few steps back. He could feel his face blush and could only imagine what she was thinking.
“I’m sorry,” he said embarrassedly.
“Who were you talking to?”
“You saw him?”
“Yes, I saw him. He looked like he was about to attack you.”
“I think he was, but then…”
“Then what?” she asked impatiently.
“Did you see any large animals when you came up?”
“What?”
“The man seemed terrified like he’d seen something dangerous.”
“Nonsense,” she said. “He clearly saw me coming and realized he was outnumbered. You’re lucky. He could have hurt you or worse.”
“Well, he seemed terrified by whatever he saw.”
“Really, Benny? Are you sure you’re okay? A crazy mountain man attacks you in the woods, and you’re more concerned with whatever crazy expression he had on his face?”
Benny blushed. He hadn’t seen things that way, but it was strange. What would Doc Tilly say? Probably, that he was in shock and not processing his emotions correctly. That’s it, he concluded. His emotions were simply out of whack again, and he hadn’t properly perceived the danger the deranged man posed.
“I suppose you’re right,” Benny said. “It did happen kinda fast.”
“Of course it did,” Cindy agreed. “Poor thing, you’re probably traumatized. Now, come on and stay close. We need to get to camp before nightfall.”
“I need water,” he said, pointing at the small pool of water. “That’s what I was doing before the attack.”
“Okay. Just hurry. Daylights burning.”
Grabbing the bottle he’d dropped and the other two from his bag, Benny hurriedly filled all three.
“Here,” Cindy said, snatching up his pack and helping him put it over his shoulders. Then, cinching the straps, she said, “That’ll keep the pack close to your body and keep it from bouncing.”
“Thanks,” Benny said, bouncing the pack around until it felt right and then hurried to catch up.
For a while, Benny alternated between guessing how far they were from the brook without looking at the GPS and keeping track of the number of times he’d checked over his shoulder for the crazy man. Unless the man was an expert tracker—which was possible out here—he probably wouldn’t be able to find them, assuming he was looking for them. Finally, tired of the guessing game, he reached for the GPS, which wasn’t there. Stopping, he pulled off his pack and rummaged through it.
“Hey, why’d you stop?” Cindy asked sharply.
“My GPS.”
“What about it?” she asked impatiently, facing him with her hands on her hips.
“I don’t have it anymore,” he said, looking up at her.
“You probably dropped it when that crazed man attacked you, but it doesn’t matter because I still have mine, and we’ll stick together,” she said.
“Yeah, okay, but I’d still feel better if I had mine. You know, in case something happens to yours.”
“Well, you don’t have it and we don’t have the daylight to go back and search for it,” she said bluntly and started hiking again before he could protest.
Over the next twenty minutes, he finally pushed aside the uncomfortable feeling of being in the middle of the woods with no GPS. It’s okay, he assured himself. Cindy has the coordinates, and I’m with her. As she pressed ahead, the sparse woods grew more densely packed together. Bushes now blocked much of their straight shot westward, and more than once, he found himself facedown, thanks to thick green vines that seemed to spring up out of nowhere. After the third of such falls, he finally lost sight of Cindy. Jumping up, he scrambled ahead, pushing aside the brush while trying to pick his feet up high enough with each step to keep from getting tangled. He wanted to call out for Cindy. He should have called to her, but something kept him from speaking. Pride? Fear? Embarrassment? Likely a combination of the three if he had to guess, but he’d have to run the feelings by Doc Tilly later. Pressing ahead in the general direction he’d last seen Cindy, he decided to give it a few minutes to see if he could catch up. She was already frustrated, and he didn’t want to make matters worse by looking like a big baby and yelling for help. Perhaps she’d slow down if she noticed he’d fallen behind. After all, she’d come back for him at the brook.
After a few minutes, Benny suddenly realized he was losing daylight, or maybe the denser brush just made it feel darker. How long had they been hiking? Three hours? Four? Five? Were they getting close? Pressing forward, determined to catch up, he shoved aside bushes with reckless abandon, which quickly resulted in his feet tangled in a knot of thick vines. He yanked and pulled, to no avail. He should have brought a knife. This was bad. Real bad. Cindy was probably getting further and further every second. Would she hear him if he yelled?
“Oooowoooo,” the howl came from somewhere off to the right side. Panic set in faster than a dog scarfing down a treat. Benny yanked and pulled against the vines with all his might, which wasn’t saying much. Suddenly, the bush to his right rustled.
“Help!” Benny screamed as he fell forward, groping at the ground, trying to grab anything that might help him pull himself free. “Oh dear God, help me!”
Another rustle, this time much closer.
“No! Please, no!”
No attack came, but there was some noise. It sounded like someone trying to keep from laughing. It took a moment to process, but when it did, Benny’s blood pressure rose to near-fatal levels.
“Who’s there?” he growled with a ferocity that shocked himself. Who’s voice was that? His, of course, but it sounded different…almost other-worldly…no, not other-worldly, deep, manly.
“I’m sorry,” a high-pitched voice squeaked. “I—,” he began, but his voice squeaked again. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “I thought it’d be funny to scare whoever was next to camp.”
Benny rolled over and pried his shoes off to free his feet from the vines. He sat alone in the bush, unsure what to say. Was this what people did when they hung out together? Was it normal to scare a complete stranger? He probably needed to figure that out before he reacted.
“Right, well, no harm, I suppose. Who are you anyway?”
“Name’s, William Thomas Thurman Junior the third. I’m sticking my hand out, but I’m not sure why.”
“Yeah, maybe we save the handshake for when we’re out of the bushes, and I hope you don’t expect me to say your full name every time?”
“Nah, you can just call me Will or Wild Will.”
Silence.
“Or not, you know, cause we just met. Will’s fine. Just plain ol’ Will.”
Was it possible this kid was even more socially awkward than Benny? So far, it seemed that way, but who was Benny to define what a social norm should be?
“Will works,” Benny said, rolling over and putting on his shoes. “I’m Benny. Hey, you didn’t happen to see a female with black hair pulled back in a ponytail, did you?”
“Yeah, I did. She’s in the clearing, setting up her tent. Didn’t waste any time getting to work either. Just shot out of the woods, said ‘another guy was pulling up the rear,’ and got to work.”
“Yeah, that checks out. She does seem like the ‘make it happen’ kind of person. So, Will, how about I get out of this mess, and we can meet up in the clearing?”
“Yeah, okay, sure,” he said tentatively. “You’re sure we’re cool. You know. After the joke and all?”
“I would prefer it if you didn’t do that again, at least not to me, but yeah, we’re cool.”
“Awesome,” Will said excitedly. “Need help getting out of there?”
“Nah, I’m good.” In reality, Benny wasn’t sure if he needed help or not since it was hard to see. He probably needed to find his headlamp before he knew for sure, but the conversation was starting to feel awkward, and he wasn’t sure what to say next.
“Okay, sure, sounds good. I’ll get back to the clearing and see you when you get out.”
Benny rifled through his bag and found his headlamp. His situation wasn’t as bad as he’d feared. There were some vines to crawl under or over, but he could probably make it out without calling for reinforcements if he was careful. Twenty minutes later, he’d slowly navigated the vines and brush and popped out into a clearing, which his headlight illuminated about half of. The edge of the light was probably around forty feet. At least it looked like one end of his apartment to the other. A quick sweep of his head showed several tents west at the edge of his light. Someone was kneeling toward the north of the clearing and appeared to be swinging something. He couldn’t be sure, but it looked like Cindy’s shirt. Maybe he should go over and tell her he’d made it? Would she care? She had said they’d stick together, but maybe she’d only meant until they’d reached the clearing. He’d deal with that later.
“Hey, Benny,” a young redheaded guy, probably around twenty, with Will’s voice, said as he came up and grabbed Benny by the hand. His palm was oddly sweaty despite the cool weather. Benny suddenly regretted not bringing hand sanitizer. “It’s good to meet you in person. Hey, ya mind tilting that headlamp away a little.”
“Oh, yeah, right,” Benny said. Guess I need to watch where I’m pointing this thing.”
“If you don’t want to blind someone, I’d say you do,” Will said, reaching up toward Benny’s lamp.
“Umm…” Benny said, taking a step backward. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, right, haha,” Will laughed awkwardly. “I can be overly helpful. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. I was just gonna adjust your light to the dim setting.”
“I’ll handle it,” Benny said. Truthfully, he hadn’t known the lamp had different settings. “So, has anyone said who’s in charge?”
“Well, you see, that’s the thing…there are no others.”
“What?” Benny asked.
“Yeah, I’ve been here alone for hours.”
“But the tents,” Benny said, pointing to the west.
“I know it’s odd, right? Those tents are old and ragged. They looked like they were slashed down the side or something.”
“Weren’t there twelve of us in that group?”
Will lifted his hands and ticked off some fingers before finally saying, “Yep.”
“And that doesn’t concern you?”
“Well, I haven’t really thought much about it. Besides, you two just showed up. Maybe they’re just running behind or got lost. Who knows? But, hey, we don’t really have time to stand around talking. We need to get your tent set up. You do have a tent, right?”
“Of course I have a tent,” Benny said, feeling slightly insulted. What was Will insinuating? That Benny was too poor to afford a tent? Or perhaps too stupid to bring one along? ‘Relax,’ Dr. Tilly’s words suddenly rang out in his mind. ‘Instead of assuming the worst about what someone has said, simply ask them what they meant. I think you’ll find that a simple question does wonders for clearing up confusion.’ “Perhaps I misunderstood what you meant by the question.”
“Oh, well, you see, I was in the Royal Rangers, and you would not believe the newbies who show up unprepared for a camp-out. You’d think their parents would help them out or something.”
So much for a misunderstanding.
“Not everyone has parents to help them,” Benny said sharply.
“Right, sorry about that. Sometimes, I speak without thinking. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. So…your tent?”
“It’s in my bag.”
“Great,” Will said. “Want me to help you set—” The sudden bright light over his shoulder apparently distracted him because he stopped midsentence and turned.
“Hello,” Benny called, shielding his eyes against the light with one hand.
“Hey,” Cindy called back, sounding much more relaxed than she had earlier. “So, you planning to sleep under the stars tonight?”
“Huh?” Benny asked.
Cindy pointed at the ground, indicating the obvious lack of a tent.
“Right, the tent. We, Will and I—”
“We met,” Cindy interjected.
“We were about to set it up,” Benny said. “Speaking of tents, Will mentioned the others over there are raggedy, and no one else has been here.”
“That’s right,” Will said. “Not another soul in sight for hours. Just me and my thoughts.”
“I’m sure that’s been entertaining,” she said snidely.
Will seemed like he was about to reply but merely shrugged.
“That’s odd about the tents, but I wouldn’t concern myself with any of that tonight,” Cindy said. “It’s getting late, and we need to get your tent set up.”
“But what about the other nine of us supposed to be here?”
“What about them?”
“You’re not even a little concerned that no one else has come?”
“No,” she said flatly, “and you shouldn’t be either. If there’s only three of us, that’s a 1 out of 3 chance to win that money.”
“That’s the other thing,” Benny said. “Nobody’s here to tell us what to do or let us know who’s in charge of this whole thing. Without guidelines, how are we supposed to know who wins or what to do to win?”
“What can we do about that now? Besides, the rules were clear. ‘Go to the coordinates…’
“Which we’ve done,” Will chipped in.
“I don’t need your help,” Cindy said rudely. “How about you go gather some firewood while I help Benny.”
“Umm, okay, sure, I guess,” Will said, sounding less than enthused about being dismissed. Perhaps he didn’t care for Cindy’s take-charge attitude, or maybe he didn’t want to be alone in the glade after dark. It’d be the latter for Benny.
Cindy watched as Will headed off toward the west side of camp before resuming, “As I was saying, we’ve arrived at the coordinates. The next instructions were clear: ‘ Spend two nights in the woods, have a life-changing experience, and possibly win thirty grand.’”
“And the other nine?”
“Who knows, maybe they chickened out. Who cares. We’re here now, and I’m not standing around all night talking about this. If you don’t need help with your tent, I’m getting a fire going and hitting the sack.”
“Okay, sure, we can talk tomorrow and I do need help,” he said, reaching into the pack and pulling out the small two-person tent he’d picked up from the big box sports store before leaving Dallas. Suddenly, he hoped it was a decent brand. Clearly, Cindy had done the camping thing a few times. He didn’t really want to look like a newb any more than he already did. From the look on her face, he’d succeeded in picking out the cheapest or worst quality tent available. Regardless of her opinion, the tent should get the job done. At least, it should get the job done if the weather app was accurate. Partly cloudy skies in the 50s weren’t exactly harsh conditions.
Laying out the tent, he stared at the poles, ropes, and short metal rods as if they were some alien design. Apparently, Cindy noticed because she got to work arranging poles and orienting the tent. No more than five minutes later, she had it set up. How long would it have taken him to read the instructions and figure out what went where? An hour? More?
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” Cindy said. “Hey, I spotted a fire ring not far from my campsite. We need to gather some wood. I’ll check the area near my tent, and you can check down here. Meet us over there when you’re done,” she said, pointing to a spot sixty feet north of the raggedy tents.
“Umm, right…about that.”
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark?”
Benny stared at her momentarily, trying to decide how to respond. Afraid was a strong word, but was it the right one? Doc Tilley would probably say he needed to face irrational fears, but was it unreasonable not to want to be alone in the middle of the woods? He wanted to suggest they stick together, but if Cindy wasn’t afraid of being alone, then perhaps he shouldn’t be either.
“Afraid? Me? No. I have a healthy respect for unfamiliar things, and it’s not cold enough for a fire, is it?”
“It’s not about being cold,” she said matter-of-factly. “The fire keeps predators at a respectful distance.”
“Predators,” he gulped. “What sort of predators?”
“All of them,” she said, and if she was trying to scare him, it was working. “Grab some wood and meet me by the fire ring when you’re done.”
Reaching up, he flipped the headlamp to its brightest setting and scanned the wood line twenty feet away. Why had he chosen this place for his tent? Hindsight being what it was, he should have set up closer to Cindy or found Will’s tent. Hesitantly, he started toward the edge, carefully scanning left to right. He’d made it nearly halfway when a strong howling wind whipped through the camp, driving him backward several feet, shaking the trees and bushes, and sending a whirlwind of leaves swirling around his head. Standing perfectly still like a prey animal, his eyes darted back and forth, trying to spot whatever ungodly creature had caused the sudden stirring. After several minutes, the wind finally died, leaving the glade silent. Cautiously, he moved his hand to his pocket, retrieved his inhaler, took two quick puffs, and allowed the comfort of the medicine to wash over him. The howling wind had brought a chill that now hovered over the glade. He crossed his arms—so much for not being cold. Perhaps a fire wasn’t the worst idea.
Turning his attention back to the woods, he decided to rip it off like a band aid and get it over. On the count of three, he told himself. One. Two. Three. Several long strides carried him to the edge. Unfortunately, the branches hanging over the glade were stingy, and there wasn’t a piece of wood in sight. If he wanted firewood, he would have to venture into the woods to retrieve it and there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in New Mexico of that happening. He’d just have to find Cindy and hope she had gathered enough. With his new plan came fearful thoughts of what Cindy would say or imply when he showed up empty-handed, but maybe he didn’t have to. Perhaps there’d be some wood near the old tents.
Two minutes later, Benny stood in the middle of five tents, facing inward toward an old fire ring. Thankfully, whoever the tents belonged to had left a stack of firewood. As Benny knelt beside the pile, the wind whipped through the glade, shaking the tents and causing the flap of one to open momentarily. In the brief moment the tent flap had moved, Benny’s light illuminated the bottom of a boot. Dropping the logs, he stared in horror as the gentle breeze moved the flap back and forth across the boot. What if? Nonsense. There’d be a smell. Unless it’d been so long that all was left… Should he peek or grab the wood and leave? He’d never stop thinking about what lay behind the flap if he didn’t look. Cautiously, he moved to the edge of the tent. The wind whipped. Benny reacted, grabbing the flap’s edge before it flipped up and revealed the tent’s contents before he was mentally prepared. Again, deciding the band aid approach seemed best, he prepared to count, and the thought of what horrors lay behind the flap caused him to freak. Never-mind. I can’t do this. Turning away, he covered his face in his hands. Panic was setting in. He needed his inhaler.
“Benny?” someone said as a hand clasped his shoulder.
Benny screamed and tried to run, but he tripped over the log pile and stumbled headlong into another tent, crashing onto a pile of hard…
“Hey man, are you okay?” Will called, but his words barely registered.
Oh God, please tell me this isn’t what it feels like because it feels like I’m lying on a skeleton. Almost unwillingly, he got to his knees and shined his light and, with sudden panic like he’d never felt, he tore his way out of the tent, smashing into Will, sending them both into the tent with the boot. Rolling over, Benny jumped up and sprinted for the edge of the woods. He’d nearly made it when something grabbed his foot.
“Help! Someone help!” he screamed, rolling onto his back and kicking at his assailant with all his might but connecting with nothing but air. Rolling back onto his stomach, he scrambled to his feet and tried to run, but something was wrong. His body felt like one of those horrifying dreams where you’re running for your life but not getting anywhere.
“Head’s dizzy…chest tight…blacking…ou…”
Benny awoke with a start and sat up abruptly.
“Hey man, you’re awake!” Will said from his seat on a log beside the roaring campfire.
“Awake?”
“Yeah, man, you scared us…well, scared me.”
“Give me a minute,” Benny said, trying to shake off the fuzzy-minded feeling and remember. “I couldn’t find wood but thought the old campsite might have some. I went over there and—”
“Looks like great minds think alike,” Will interrupted.
“What?” Benny asked.
“I couldn’t find wood either and thought about looking near the old tents. That’s when I spotted your light. I guess I kinda may have—”
“He startled you. You tripped, fell headlong into a tent, panicked, knocked Will over, and then high-tailed it for the woods. Does that just about sum it up?” Cindy asked impatiently.
“Yeah, I guess,” Will said, sounding like a pouting child whose parents corrected them.
“The bodies!” Benny said. “There were bodies or skeletons in those tents…wasn’t there?”
“Umm,” Will said.
“Look, that’s none of our concern.” Cindy chipped in.
“None of our concern!” Benny exclaimed. “There are dead bodies in at least two of those tents, and that’s none of our concern?”
“What do you propose we do about them?” Cindy snapped.
“I…umm—” Benny said, trying to think of something to counter Cindy.
“Exactly,” Cindy said. “Your only plan is to panic and run for your life. Now, listen, we have a real chance here at making some serious money—”
“Money!” Benny exclaimed. “Money? You’re thinking about money, and there are dead people not sixty feet behind us down the hill? We need to get out of here. Find the cops or the National Guard or the Sheriff.”
“You’re suggesting we hike ten miles through the woods in the dark with that thing—”
“Thing?” Benny interrupted.
“Not thing, that’s not what I meant. I meant the man that attacked you, or have you forgotten he’s still out there? He’s probably the one who killed these people, and we have to walk right past that brook to get back to the car.”
“Well, you didn’t say man; you said thing, and I want to know what you meant.”
Cindy was silent, but Will stirred uncomfortably in this seat.
“Okay, Will, spill it,” Benny said.
“I don’t know, man,” Will said.
“You owe me that much for scaring me earlier,” Benny said, not really sure that’s how it worked with friends but hoping Will would see it that way.
“There are rumors,” Will said.
“Will!” Cindy exclaimed.
“Cindy, he has a right to know,” Will said.
Was it a figment of his imagination or did Will and Cindy seem more familiar with each other than they should for people who’d supposedly met only hours ago?
“Well, when he needs someone to cuddle with, I’m not volunteering,” Cindy said.
“Listen, Benny, we don’t really know a whole lot more than you, but there are tales—”
“What tales?” Benny interrupted, “And how do you two know about them and I don’t?”
“I’m getting to the tales, but I guess there are stories you hear growing up about Wolfsbane Hollow.”
“Wolfsbane Hollow?” Benny asked cautiously, no longer sure he wanted to know his question’s answer.
“Yes, Wolfsbane Hollow,” Cindy said, glaring at Will.
“Okay, before I hear anymore, what’s the deal with you two? There’s no way you’ve just met today.”
“Astute observation,” Will said. “You’re right, Cindy’s brother and I ran track together. We…well, I live a few counties to the north of here. Cindy’s family moved away, I think, around seventh grade?” he said, looking at Cindy, who was seemingly intent on ignoring him. “Anyway, where I’m from, we always hear tales of the beast of Wolfsbane Hollow around this time of year.”
“What beast?”
“No beast, that’s what,” Cindy chipped in. “It’s nothing more than stories to frighten children.”
“And it worked—” Will said.
“Like I said, ‘to frighten children.’”
“Right,” Will said, clearly wounded by the comment. “Anyway, there are local legends about a beast who roams these woods once a year.”
“Let me guess, this time of year?”
“You guessed it,” Will said.
“That’s probably why the Changers invited me and Will to the group. They wanted someone familiar with the legend who could scare the others. If there was only one of us, there wouldn’t be anyone to corroborate the story,” Cindy chipped in.
“Where does that leave me?” Benny asked.
“Good question,” Will said. “At first, I thought you might be the mysterious benefactor. You know, coming in undercover to protect your investment or something.”
“Well, I’m not some mysterious anything, and all I care about at this point is getting back to my car and getting to the local police to report this.”
“And miss out on the chance to win thirty grand?” Cindy asked.
“The money! Who cares about money, Cindy!” Benny said incredulously. “Folklore or not, one thing is certain, those skeletons back there are real. Those tents are shredded on the sides, and some lunatic has lured us into the woods to be their next victim. I don’t believe in beasts designed to scare kids, but I do believe in psychopaths luring unsuspecting victims into the woods to kill them. I don’t intend to be their next victim.”
“What’s your plan?” Will asked.
“As I see it, we only have two choices—”
“One,” Cindy said, standing.
“What?” Benny asked, hoping she wasn’t implying what he thought she was.
“For me, there’s only one option, Benny. If there’s a chance that money’s real, I want a shot at it. Who knows if those skeletons are even real. None of us have gotten a good look at them. Whoever set this up likely staged them there to scare us off. It’s all part of their scheme. I’m guessing the last one standing gets the money, and I’m not missing out.”
“Even if it means your life?” Will asked.
“I’m not discussing this any longer.”
“Where are you going?” Will asked.
“To bed, and I suggest you two do the same. We have one more day and night here, and I don’t intend to be miserable all day tomorrow due to lack of sleep. Goodnight.”
“Cindy,” Benny called.
“Goodnight,” she said emphatically.
“What should we do?” Will asked.
“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s smart to try hiking at night. Especially since I’ve lost my GPS. Also, I’m not sleeping down the hill by myself. Where’s your tent?”
“Hey, man, look, you’re cool and all, but I ain’t—”
“I just mean we should move our tents closer to the fire. Aren’t predators usually afraid of fire?”
“Sure, if we’re talking about wolves or bears, but who knows what we’re dealing with out here.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that, but still, we’d be closer together, and if it’s only some wild animal that attacked those people, perhaps the fire will keep it at bay. Regardless, I don’t think we should split up. I’ll help you grab your stuff, and then you help me. Deal?”
“Deal,” Will said.
An hour later, both tents were set up near the fire, with plenty of logs to burn through the night and a small pile of extra wood. Cindy was snoring loudly, but at least they’d know she was safe. Will had helped Benny set up his tent, and as soon as they were finished, he’d hit the sack, leaving Benny alone to watch the wind whip the flames back and forth. He wasn’t sure how windy it’d get overnight and had probably set his tent up a little close to the fire. Still, it was worth the extra safety in his mind. Climbing inside, he zipped the flap, pulled the sleeping bag on himself, and listened…
The sound of footsteps crunching leaves woke Benny. His heart raced as he strained to hear the direction of the sound. He lay perfectly still with bated breath, hoping it was nothing more than the little chipmunk he’d seen earlier, but he knew better. Whatever those steps belonged to was crunching leaves and not merely scurrying through them. Finally, he decided the sound was coming from the direction of Cindy’s tent. Could Will be awake checking on her? Crunch. More leaves. Definitely north.
Rolling onto his right side, he found the zipper and slowly pulled. It sounded horribly loud to his ears but was likely drowned out by the crunching leaves. Once he had it unzipped about an inch, he pressed his eye to the slit and peeked. The fire had died down, which, as it turned out, worked in his favor since he could see clear across to Will’s tent. Unfortunately, the tent flap was closed and appeared to be zipped, which didn’t mean he wasn’t up and about. He probably would have zipped it to keep any bugs out, not that there were many this time of year, but Benny decided that’s what he’d done. Now for the bigger question, should he lay here and hope the crunching really did belong to Will or Cindy, or get up and see for himself? The thought of getting up was momentarily overwhelming. Benny reached for his jacket pocket, where his hand found the security of the puffer. He pulled it from his jacket, pressed it to his lips, and, to his surprise, paused without taking a puff. What would Doc Tilly say? Probably that he’d had a breakthrough. Hopefully, he’d survive long enough to tell her about it.
Pulling his thoughts from the inhaler back to the present, he strained to hear, but the crunching had stopped, and silence again dominated the night. Suddenly, a scream broke into the silence, followed by thudding against the ground, moving in his direction. Leaves crunched, and the sound grew louder in the direction of Will’s tent, then it seemed to get further away until he could no longer hear the steps. Whatever it was, it appeared to have left in a hurry. What do I do? I could go out. I should go, but what if the beast… Nonsense, he chastised himself. There’s no such thing as monsters, but if someone was out there, maybe he could scare them away. Formulating a quick plan, he put on his shoes and headlamp and unzipped the flap. Outside, he scanned right and left. Nothing. Moving to the woodpile, he grabbed a piece of wood to use as a weapon and froze. Slowly, he lifted his eyes toward Will’s tent to find a red handprint. Oh dear God, help me. Grabbing the log, he slowly backed away and bumped into something. Spinning, he swung the log with all his might and connected with something.
“Benny,” Cindy said, holding the other end of the log.
“Cindy…how?” he said, looking at the log she’d caught. Then he saw it. Blood. On her hands and face.
“You’re hurt,” Benny said, taking a step forward. “Here, let me—”
“Benny, I couldn’t help myself. He makes me do it. He’s the one to blame. I’m sorry.”
“What happened! Who’s to blame. Was it Will? Did he hurt you?” Benny asked the rapid-fire questions while desperately trying to hold back the terror welling up inside him.
Crying out in anguish, Cindy fell onto her hands and knees. Her back arched unnaturally as horrible guttural sounds escaped her throat. Looking up from her anguish, Cindy cried out, “Run!” in a voice that didn’t seem to belong to her.
Scrambling away from the horrendous sight of her writhing body, Benny sprinted toward Will’s tent to find it much worse than he’d thought. Not only was there blood, but the opposite side, away from the fire, was shredded. Panicked, Benny turned away and sprinted east toward the woods.
“Run, Benny!” Cindy’s snarling voice called from the glade.
With reckless abandon, Benny sprinted toward the woods. Within twenty feet, he spotted an opening. A trail? The light from his headlamp bounced about as he entered the woods. Cindy’s horrible voice was screaming from the glade. “Run. Run. Run.”
Oh dear God, help me!
After ten minutes of hard running, Benny thought of slowing, and that’s when a howl pierced the night. Now, with a fresh surge of adrenaline, he surged forward, splashed in something wet, tripped, and stumbled forward. Rolling over, he shined his light on the glistening water—the brook! Jumping up, he came face to face with the haggard man from earlier. A scream caught in his throat. He froze.
“You need to come with me now!” the man insisted, grabbing Benny’s wrist and pulling him toward the south.
“Wait. What? No! Hold on a second.”
“No, time. We have to run. Gotta get back to my place and bar the door. The beast will have your scent.”
“Beast? No, that wasn’t a beast. Oh no, Will,” Benny said, bending over and retching. “I think he’s dead.”
“Of course, he’s dead, boy, and you’ll be just like him if you don’t come along! I can’t stay. I’ve already risked too much.”
“I need to get to the cops.”
“Cops? There ain’t no cops anywhere near this place,” he said, turning and heading south.
Follow or run? Another howl. Closer.
Follow.
“Turn off your light,” the man hissed over his shoulder.
“What? No way, man.”
“Do it!” he growled.
Reaching up, Benny switched off the light. His eyes strained to adjust to the shadowy form of the man moving through the woods. How could he see so easily? There wasn’t much light. Perhaps his eyes were already adjusted, but Benny’s weren’t, and he was having trouble not running into every little obstacle. He wasn’t prepared for this…this…this whole crazy thing. Why him? Why had he ever ventured outside Texas in the first place? He needed to get back to the car. To get home. Several times, he thought about turning east and running like crazy, but the increasing frequency of the howls drove him to follow the man. After all, the man seemed like he belonged out here. He’d obviously survived. Then again, he’d also tried to attack Benny earlier. Which was worse, staying in the woods where something was obviously dangerous or following the man who’d seemed so crazed earlier? Ultimately, there was no good choice, but at least the man appeared to be trying to help. So, he’d take a chance with the half-crazed man instead of the fully crazed beast Cindy was becoming.
After what felt like forever, they finally reached a small hill with a door in the side. There were no visible walls or house—just a door set into the side of a hill. Did the man live in a cave? Shoving the door aside, he motioned Benny inside.
“Quickly now. We gotta get this door secure before it gets here.”
Benny looked over his shoulder. Were his eyes playing tricks on him, or was something moving in the distance? A shadowy figure popped out from time to time to remind Benny who was the huntress and who was the prey. The shadowy movements felt mesmerizing. It moved swiftly through the darkness. Thankfully, the mountain man wasn’t nearly as distracted and pulled Benny inside by his shirt. Then, shoving Benny aside, he grabbed a large board from beside the door. He dropped it into the two vertical arms on both sides, leaving them in darkness and the door presumably secured.
“There,” he said, self-satisfied. “I’d like to see the beast get through there.”
The words had barely left his mouth when something slammed into the door. The wooden board rattled, and the door creaked. Again, it crashed. Benny stumbled back. A strong hand stopped him.
“Easy now,” the man said.
The sound of a match strike drove the darkness back. Benny turned to find a self-satisfied grin on the man’s wrinkled face.
Crash! Benny turned back and stared at the door. Fully expecting the bar to give way any second and the beast to come crashing in.
“Take it easy, young fella, or you’ll give yourself a heart attack. She ain’t getting through there without some help. We’re safe.”
He’s right. The door’s barred. She can’t…wait, did he say she? He hadn’t said anything about Cindy.
“You never said she did you,” the man said, sounding further away.
Slowly, Benny turned, and to his horror, the man was no longer in the room. Instead, he was behind bars, like the kind you’d find in jail, except the man wasn’t the prisoner. Benny rushed to the bars and tried to pull.
“You might wanna save your strength,” he said sadistically. “You’ll find a lantern over there, along with a box of matches,” he said, pointing to the left corner.
“What’s going on?” Benny demanded.
“I suggest you grab the lantern.”
Hesitantly, Benny crossed the twenty by twenty room…no, not a room—a cage.
“You know, she always was a wild one. Takes after her pops I s’pose.”
Benny felt around the dark corner and found the matches and the lantern.
“You’re telling me Cindy’s your daughter?”
“Bingo.”
“What now?”
“Well, I rarely see her in action, but if I were a betting man, I’d say tonight’s gonna be different.”
“So, those skeletons in the glade. That was Cindy’s doing?”
“Nah, those belong to me.”
“So, you’re like her…a beast or something.”
“A beast? Son, you wound me. A beast can’t think beyond its appetite, next meal, mating, or fleas. Who can really say what their thinking. We’re way more than a four-legged beast. We’re what’s next.”
“And the terror on your face when you saw her was just an act?”
“Oh, no, don’t ya go on belivn’ that for one second. That was gen-u-wine horror. Ya see the Changing is difficult to control. Takes time. Cindy—”
“The Changing?”
“I’m gettin’ there, boy, don’t interrupt,” he growled. “Ya see, Cindy’s still pretty new to the whole Change. Shoot, took me nearly ten years before I could control it, and sometimes, as you witnessed earlier, I still get a little out of control. Shoot, had she not come along, you and I likely wouldn’t be having this conversation. We become increasingly aggressive the closer we get to the full moon, especially at night. Sometimes, we can sleep it off until the morning, but on rare occasions, we lose control and change too soon. Anyway, the more primal side of me spotted her, and I guess it sort of freaked out, as you youngens say. Cindy hasn’t learned to control herself after the Change, at least not yet. She’s as dangerous to me in this form as she is for you.”
“She said you make her do this!”
“I do what’s best for my little girl, and I wouldn’t expect you to understand that.”
“And, this room, what, it’s like the cage you keep her locked up in?” Benny asked incredulously as he looked around at the empty wooden room.
“It’s more like the place where she has her meals.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“No sense in being insulting. Your fate is sealed. Ya might as well accept that. Heck, you should be happy. You’re gonna be part of what helps her kill her softer side and accept the Change. Soon, she’s gonna get through that door, and then…well, let’s just say I’ll probably have to turn my head.”
Suddenly, something within Benny snapped, and he started searching the room for anything that could help him escape, a weapon, hiding spot, anything, but there was nothing. Moving to the wall, he banged his head against it in frustration, but instead of hitting his forehead, he hit something else. Reaching up, his hand landed on the headlamp. Switching it to full brightness, he sat the lantern down and scanned the room again until his light illuminated the grizzly face of the man behind the bars.
“You’re wasting your time. There’s nothing in there that’s gonna help you.”
Ignoring the man, Benny swept the room once more. There was nothing besides the rickety end table in the corner where he’d gotten the lantern. Wait, was that what he thought it was? Surreptitiously, he shined his light across the corner. Sure enough, there was a glint. If he was blessed, it’d be oil for the lantern or perhaps some moonshine. In either case, a plan had just formed in his mind, and possibly, there was a way out of this mess. All he had to do was keep the man distracted until he could get what he hoped was a jar of flammable liquid.
“It’s nearly time,” the man said ominously. “She’ll be back any minute now.”
“Why’d she leave in the first place?” Benny asked.
“Don’t know. I reckon she’s out terrorizing the woods, but she’ll be back. She always comes back here.”
Right on cue, a terrible howl from outside penetrated the door, followed by something sniffing underneath.
“She smells you.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because that’s my little princess out there, and I’d do anything for her.”
“How’d she get like this?”
“Why I changed her, of course. I also tried to change the boy, but my bite only made Rusty sick. Course, he ain’t completely useless. I was able to find some other uses for him. On the other hand, Cindy showed good signs that she carried the gene, and when she turned 13, it finally happened. I’d been keeping a close watch and got the family out of town before anyone saw what happened. We all moved out here, and once a year, I bring the girl out here for a few-day camping trip.”
“So, the prize money and chance for a life-altering experience is just bait to get your victims here?”
“Well, you catch on pretty quick for a city-slicker. We can’t very well advertise the place for getaways now can we? And if folks start coming up missing around these parts…heck, even a county or two over, that’s gonna raise some serious red flags.”
“And Will?”
“I must admit that was just a bit of morbid curiosity on my part. Rusty used to bring that boy round from time to time, and he loved to terrorize Cindy. I reckon the boy liked her, but she didn’t see it that way. She despised him. On more than one occasion, she came home crying cause of him. I invited him along to see if she was up for a little revenge.”
Crash. The door and bar rattled.
“And the other nine?”
“Oh, those are just some fake numbers I kept around to make the ruse more believable, and from the looks of things, it worked. Oh, by the way, how’d ya like my glade?”
“Not bad, I suppose, for something belonging to a psychopath.”
“Psychopath? No, you have that all wrong. This is a food chain issue. Survival of the fittest. You’re nothing more to us than a cow is to you.”
“You’re sick.” Gotta keep him distracted long enough.
Crash. This time, the bar across the door cracked.
“I’ve gotta find a better method of letting her inside once I’ve caught some prey. I get tired of replacing that wooden beam. Oh well, no sense in worrying bout that now. I figure one more good hit’ll do it before she breaks through.”
Thanks for telling me. Now, here came the most terrifying part. Reaching up, Benny switched off the headlamp. After all, he couldn’t afford the man to see what he was up to.
“There ain’t no sense in hiding, boy. She’s got great night vision. I used to. Guess not even the Change can keep Father Time at bay. Oh well, that’s alright. All I gotta do is hang around until she can control the Change.”
Ignoring the man, Benny moved across the room, reached underneath the rickety table, and grabbed what felt like a large mason jar. Unfortunately, there was only one. It’d have to do. Tucking the bottle under his arm, he retrieved the lantern and moved to the center of the room, where he sat it down. Then, carefully keeping the jar in front of him, he unscrewed the cap and pried the lid off, tucking both into his pocket. Getting a firm grip on the jar with his left, he retrieved the lantern with his right.
Crash. This time the board gave way, and the door flew open, revealing the epitome of terror standing in the entryway. Glowing yellow eyes, razor-sharp blood-stained teeth, a body covered with hair, and a massive heaving chest filled the doorway.
“Well, boy, thanks for the chat,” the man said.
“You’re not welcome,” Benny said, flinging the fluid at the beast. The moment he flinched, she dove at him and got a face full of whatever was in the jar for her efforts. Dropping to the floor, Benny watched as she sailed over his head and crashed into the bars. Jumping up, he spun and threw the lantern with all his might. Unfortunately, he missed her completely, and the lantern smashed into the wall to her right. The beast watched as the fiery liquid streamed down the wall.
“Don’t just stand there, get ‘em,” the man screamed.
The beast turned from the fiery liquid and snarled.
I’m dead.
Crouching, it prepared to leap, and that’s when the fire reached its hind foot. It flailed about, howling in pain as the flames raced up its body. Benny didn’t wait to see what came next. Rushing to the entrance, he grabbed the broken board, slammed the door, and wedged the two pieces of wood against it. Hopefully, it’d last long enough for him to get to the car.
He couldn’t risk getting lost, so he sprinted back toward the brook before turning east. Every sound spiked his adrenaline and drove him forward until he was finally so exhausted that he couldn’t move another foot. Leaning against a tree, he slid down and tried to catch his breath while listening for any sign of Cindy or her deranged father. Finally, he recovered enough to entertain the idea of getting back up. Slowly, he managed to get to his feet and even talked himself into jogging. Finally, after what felt like an hour of running, he reached the edge of the woods. The car was about a hundred feet to the north. With one last supreme effort, he sprinted to it. Huffing, he fumbled the keys twice before managing to unlock the door, which unfortunately flashed the headlights and turned the dome light on. Frantically, he climbed inside and pushed every button until the overhead light was extinguished. He’d have to drive like a maniac and pray Cindy wasn’t fast enough to catch up. Pushing the button brought the engine to life. Benny cranked the wheel, pressed the gas and the vehicle moved like it had square wheels. Ignoring it, he pressed the gas harder, and the car sounded like it would fall apart.
“No!” he screamed, slamming his hands into the wheel as the car rolled to a stop. Harshly, he shifted the transmission to Park, got out, and his heart sank into his stomach. Hopeless. That was the only word to describe how he felt after seeing two flat tires on the driver’s side. He didn’t even bother checking the passenger side.
Getting back in, he leaned his head against the wheel and waited. Maybe she couldn’t break through the glass. Nonsense. He’d witnessed her break through a stout wooden bar, but that didn’t mean she was strong enough to rip through metal. With a fresh surge of hope, he killed the engine and peered through the window into the darkness of the woods. Nothing. At least nothing obvious. Scrambling over the console, he dove for the release, which would drop the rear seat and give him access to the trunk. Once his hand touched it, he pulled hard. Something clicked, and the seat fell forward. Perfect. Snatching his keys from the center console cupholder, he wiggled through the opening into the trunk and pulled the seat back into its locked position. Now warm and fairly sure the beast wouldn’t be able to break into the trunk, even if it were smart enough to check, he relaxed and became immediately aware of how physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted he was. The minutes seemed to drag on as he desperately tried to stay awake.
The crashing of glass woke Benny so abruptly that he sat up and smashed his head. Falling back, he clutched his throbbing forehead while his brain fought to figure out why there was something hard in his tent. No. Not in his tent. Where was he? He was in the…the…the trunk! Which meant she’d found him and broken into the car. Now instantly awake, he lay still and listened. Had she heard the thunk against the trunk? How could she have missed it?
“Hey guys, I heard something back here,” a familiar voice said.
“Will!”
“Benny!”
Scrambling for the keys, Benny pressed the trunk release and was met with several bright flashlights. Tightly closing his eyes, he turned away.
“Easy, Sheriff,” Will said. “This is Benny; he’s the one I told you about.”
“Easy now, son. Just take it real slow,” the Sheriff said. “You’ve been through quite the ordeal from what William told us.”
“Will, I thought you were dead.”
“And I should be,” Will said. “How about we get you out of there and we’ll talk it over in the Sheriff’s truck. Honestly, I’m not very comfortable being out here.”
“Yeah, sure,” Benny said, climbing out of the trunk and stretching his aching legs. “Which one’s his truck?”
“Over here,” Will said, leading him to the four-wheel drive truck with big letters spelling out Sheriff across the side.
Once safely inside with the doors locked, Will began. “You see, I fell asleep pretty quickly after getting settled into my bag, but I had to relieve myself at some point. I was returning to the tent when I heard Cindy making all sorts of strange noises. She sounded like she was having a terrible nightmare, so I went over to check on her. I called her name, but she didn’t respond, so I unzipped her tent, and boy, was that a mistake. I reached inside to wake her, and that’s when she attacked me. I think she bit me or tore into my arm with her nails or something. Either way, I have some pretty nasty gashes in my arm. I hate to admit it, but I had to punch her a few times to get my arm free.”
“Trust me, you made the right decision.”
“I hope. Anyway, once I got my arm free, I saw the blood and panicked.”
“Like any of us would.”
“Yeah, but it’s worse than that,” he said, turning away and looking out the window.
“What?”
“Benny, I was terrified and ran for my life. I left the glade and only stopped when I got light-headed. I figured it was from blood loss, so I wrapped my shirt around my arm and kept running. I’m sorry, Benny, but I was so scared…I—”
“Don’t worry about it,” Benny cut him off. “Who knows what I would have done in your place and we don’t really know each other like that anyway. Besides, it looks like I fared better than you. That is, if you don’t count the mental scars and nightmares, I’ll likely have the rest of my life.”
“You’re sure we’re cool?”
“I’m sure,” Benny said. “Now tell me what happened next.”
“Like I said, I didn’t stop running until I reached my SUV. I hopped in, high-tailed it into town, woke the Sheriff, and told them what happened.”
“How’d you find me?”
“That was the Sheriff’s doing. Once I told him about the glade, and that you hadn’t parked where I did, he immediately knew where to look.”
“Okay, so now what? I mean, Will, if you’d seen what I saw…all I’m saying is that I’m not sure the Sheriff and Deputy with their rifles will be a match for her and her dad.”
“So the tales are true?”
“After what I saw, yeah, I’d have to say they’re true,” Benny said somberly.
Three taps on the glass made them both jump.
Will rolled down the window.
“Listen, guys, we’ve been talking, and there ain’t no sense in making matters worse by trying to get out there tonight. We’ve called the wrecker to bring your car into town. I’ll leave my deputy behind to wait for the wrecker while I take you boys to the motel. Of course, tomorrow, we’ll need a statement from both of you. Afterward, we’ll search the glade Will told us about and see what we can find.”
Benny and Will looked at each other and nodded.
The next morning, the sun had never looked so good as it peeked through the blinds of Benny’s motel window. The Sheriff didn’t waste any time calling them to his office. He interviewed them one at a time before letting them head over to the local cafe, where both men ordered a coffee. Benny told Will his side of the story, and they exchanged details about their interviews with the Sheriff despite being told not to.
“Why didn’t you tell the Sheriff that Cindy…you know, changed?” Will asked.
“And what? Look like I’m the crazy one? No thanks. Look, Will, if they find her dead in that hillside after we told them we were out in the glade, what conclusion do you think they’ll come to?”
“I imagine they’ll figure you killed her.”
“They’ll think one of us did, and they’d be right. Unless they find her still looking like that horrible beast, they’ll think one of us killed a young woman. We’ll never be able to prove we’re innocent. So, I’m sticking with the story that I’m just a city-slicker who got scared by some animal he was unfamiliar with.”
“And me?”
“They’ll write that off as the same thing. Might even think you’re on drugs. I mean, between a female biting your arm or some animal attacking you, which conclusion would you arrive at?”
“The latter, I suppose,” Will said reluctantly. “What time did the Sheriff want to see us again?”
“Right about now,” Benny said, checking his wristwatch.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the station. The bell hanging above the door rang as they stepped inside the room, which had two desks and two jail cells at the back.
“Gentlemen, have a seat,” the Sheriff said from the desk to their right.
“Thank you,” Benny said as he and Will sat at the Sheriff’s desk.
“I don’t see any point in wasting any of our time. We found the glade, but there were only two tents there.”
“What!” Benny exclaimed. “That can’t be. There were five old tents besides Cindy’s, Will’s, and mine.”
“Look, all I can tell you is there were only two tents, both near the fire, which hadn’t been properly extinguished. You know that’s a serious offense. I could write you boys a pretty serious ticket, but I’m feeling generous, and you can consider this your warning. Anyway, one of the tents did have some slashes, but we think we figured out what caused that.”
The bell above the door rang, and the Deputy stepped inside.
“Excuse me, Sheriff,” the young Deputy, probably no older than 18 or 20 at the most, said.
“What ya got for me, Rusty?”
“I brought back that carcass you asked for. It’s on the back of the truck.”
“I think you boys should have a look at this,” the Sheriff said, motioning for them to follow him outside. He led them to the Sheriff’s truck and flipped back a tarp.
“You killed a wolf?” Will asked.
“Rusty did. It was hanging around the glade. Here’s what I reckon happened. This here wolf attacked you, and somehow you got away. I can’t wrap my mind around how you confused this for a human female, but here’s my best guess. You two either have one serious imagination, or you’re on drugs, and here’s the truth, we don’t care which it is. What I want is for both of you to leave immediately and never return. Do I make myself clear?”
“But, sir—” Will started to say.
“Do…I…make…myself…clear?” the Sheriff said emphatically.
“Clear as crystal,” Benny said, grabbing Will by the arm. “We’ll be on our way.”
Neither man said a word, but Benny felt the Sheriff watching as they walked the half-mile back to the motel. Once they arrived, Will finally asked, “What got into you back there? Now they think we’re on drugs or that I just made the whole thing up.”
“Did you hear what the Sheriff called the Deputy?”
“Yeah, I think he called him Rusty, right?”
“Right.”
“Okay, so his parents named him after his hair color. What about it?”
“You said you ran track with Cindy’s brother, right?”
“Well, I’ll be…”
“Let me guess, his name was Rusty?”
“That was his nickname, but that’s probably him.”
“You don’t recognize him?”
“Honestly, we only hung out when we were younger, and back then, I was only trying to get close to Cindy. I had a serious crush on her. Even went to his house a few times, hoping I’d get a chance to talk to her, but she wouldn’t give me the time of day. Anyway, I figure he caught on that I had a thing for his sister ‘cause he didn’t invite me over anymore.”
“Looks like he did you a huge favor,” Benny said.
“Look like,” Will agreed. “Anyway, he started hanging with a different crowd around fifth grade, and from what I recall, they moved around seventh. How did you know her brother’s nickname was Rusty?”
“Cindy’s deranged father let it slip.”
“So, you think the Sheriff and Deputy…Rusty, are in on what’s happening out there?”
“How else can you explain the missing tents and the wolf carcass. Will, they didn’t even care to follow up. They immediately accused us of being the problem.”
“Small-town thinking at its finest,” Will said. “So now what?”
“Now, I’m getting my car from the shop and getting as far away from this place as possible, and I suggest you do the same thing.”
Twenty minutes later, Benny had paid the tire shop, said goodbye to Will and struck out for Dallas. Two miles later, he passed a green sign which read: Thanks for visiting Coyote Ravine. Y’all come back soon.
“Don’t hold your breath,” Benny said, pressing the accelerator to the floor and leaving the town in his dust.