Chapter Two_ It wasn't finished yet

I made it back to my house, breathless, every nerve in my body buzzing.

My legs felt weak as I slammed the door shut behind me, leaning heavily against it. My hands were trembling, and my heart refused to slow its rapid pace.

What the hell had I just seen?

The growl, the marks, and that..thing that was more than just an animal. The way it stood, the way its eyes gleamed with an unnatural intelligence, was something far worse.

Frank’s voice echoed in my head. “Get out of there now. There’s something dangerous in those woods…”

Yeah, no kidding, Frank.

I stumbled over to the kitchen table and collapsed into a chair, my body finally catching up to my brain. Sweat clung to my skin, and despite the cold air outside, I felt like I was burning up. The reality of what had just happened finally sinking in.

That thing could have killed me.

I could have still been there, torn to shreds, if it wasn’t for what had scared it off.

What was that howl? Like something out of a nightmare, both terrifying and oddly protective? It was strange, but when I heard it, I felt a sliver of hope, like I wasn’t alone out there.

No, that didn’t make sense.

This wasn’t some fairytale where a mysterious stranger comes to rescue some lost idiot in the woods. I had just been lucky, plain and simple.

But to write that article, I needed to figure out what that creature was… and fast. I just had to call Frank first.

My fingers fumbled as I grabbed my phone off the table and dialed his number. It rang twice before he picked up.

“Harper?” Frank’s voice was sharp, more serious than usual. “Please tell me you’re out of those woods.”

“I’m back home,” I said, my voice shaky despite my efforts to sound calm. “What the hell is going on, Frank? What is in there?”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, the kind of silence that tells you the other person is trying to figure out what to say without giving too much away.

“Listen, I don’t have all the details yet,” Frank finally said, his tone low. “But I’ve been hearing things from a few sources. Weird sightings in the woods, tracks that don’t belong to any animal we know of, and then there’s the claw marks. People are scared, Harper. This is more than just some wild animal wandering into town. It’s something else.”

My stomach twisted at his words. “What do you mean ‘something else’? Like… supernatural?”

Frank hesitated, and that pause was enough to confirm my worst fears. “I’m not saying it is. But I’m not saying it isn’t either. Whatever it is, it’s not normal. And it’s dangerous.”

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to process this. “So, what now? Do I keep digging, or do I let this go?”

“You need to be careful, Elliot,” Frank said, his voice firm. “I know this is your kind of story, but don’t get yourself killed over it. Look into it, but don’t do anything reckless. I need you alive to write the damn article.”

“Gee, thanks for the concern,” I muttered, but I couldn’t deny the excitement bubbling beneath my fear. This was the first real story I’d had in years, something that wasn’t just roadwork or town meetings.

A mystery.

A real mystery, and I was in the middle of it.

But that excitement was quickly tempered by the memory of the creature’s glowing eyes and the sheer terror I’d felt in its presence.

Whatever that was, it was no joke.

“I’ll be careful,” I said, though I wasn't even sure how much I meant it. “I’ll call you if I find anything.”

“Good. Keep me posted.” Frank’s voice softened a little. “And Harper… seriously, watch yourself. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

The line went dead, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

The sun was already starting to set, casting long shadows across the yard. The woods loomed like a dark barrier, hiding whatever secrets they held. For the first time in years, I felt alive, my blood pumping with adrenaline instead of numbness.

Why couldn’t I shake the dread that clung to me like a second skin then?

I needed more information.

I needed to talk to someone who might know more about what was happening in those woods, and I knew the perfect candidate to talk to. If anyone knew anything, it would be her.

Grabbing my jacket, I headed out the door, my breath fogging in the cold air. The walk to the diner was short, and when I arrived, the place was still quiet, the lunch crowd long gone. Mrs. Pritchard stood behind the counter, wiping down the tables with a dishcloth.

She looked up when I walked in, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. “Elliot? Twice in one day? You must really like my coffee.”

I managed a weak smile as I approached the counter. “It’s not the coffee, Mrs. Pritchard. I need to ask you something about those claw marks you mentioned earlier.”

Her expression darkened immediately, and she set the cloth down, folding her arms across her chest. “I figured you’d be curious about that. It’s not the first time we’ve seen marks like those around here, you know.”

I raised an eyebrow. “It’s not?”

She shook her head. “Nope. About twenty years ago, we had a similar situation. Deep claw marks on trees, strange animal sightings, pets disappearing. Folks were spooked back then too. But it all stopped after a while, like whatever it was just… left.”

My mind raced. This wasn’t a new phenomenon. It had happened before. “Do you remember what people thought it was? Did anyone ever figure it out?”

Mrs. Pritchard hesitated, her eyes darting around the empty diner as if she was afraid someone might overhear. “There were rumors. People talked about wolves, but not the kind you see on those nature documentaries. These were bigger, smarter. Some folks said it was a curse, others thought it was a government experiment gone wrong. But no one ever found any real proof.”

I frowned. “And now it’s happening again?”

She nodded. “Looks that way. But this time, it feels different. People are more on edge, and the animals… Well, they’re acting stranger than usual.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just last week, someone found a deer carcass near the ridge. Thing was torn apart like it had been attacked by something big. But no bear or mountain lion does that kind of damage, at least not around here.”

I swallowed hard, my mind flashing back to the creature I’d seen in the woods. “Did anyone see anything?”

I wouldn’t be surprised if it was responsible for that.

Mrs. Pritchard leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “There’s been talk of something… large, moving through the woods at night. Some say it walks on two legs, others say it’s a giant wolf. But whatever it is, it’s fast. And it doesn’t leave any tracks.”

A chill ran down my spine. “Do you believe it?”

She studied me for a long moment, her eyes hard and unreadable. “I’ve lived here long enough to know when something’s off. I don’t know what’s out there, but I do know one thing… it’s not natural. And it’s dangerous.”

I nodded slowly, the weight of her words sinking in. This wasn’t just some local legend or overactive imaginations. Something real was out there, and it was big.

“I’ll be careful,” I said again, though this time, I wasn’t sure how careful I could be when the pull to uncover the truth was so strong.

Mrs. Pritchard gave me a tight-lipped smile. “You do that, Elliot. And if you find yourself out in those woods again, keep your eyes open and your head on straight.”

I thanked her and made my way out of the diner, the evening air biting at my skin. The sun had set, and the sky was a deep, inky blue, the first stars just beginning to twinkle. The woods loomed even darker now, an ominous presence on the horizon.

As I walked back toward my house, my mind churned with everything I’d learned. This wasn’t just some wild animal on the loose.

And I had a feeling that whatever it was, it wasn’t finished yet.