Hannah shakes her head, her blonde hair catching the light.“He said there was ice around them.Like frost, but thick.And it’s not even that cold yet.”She leans forward, lowering her voice.“And that’s not all.Julie’s dog went missing two days ago.Just vanished from her yard.And remember the elk John shot last week?He found it this morning.Or what was left of it.”
“What do you mean, what was left of it?”
“He said it looked like somethingfrozeit from the inside out.The whole thing was encased in ice, right down to the bones.”
I set down the napkins, my hands suddenly unsteady.“That doesn’t make sense.”
“No,” Hannah agrees, her eyes serious.“It doesn’t.But there’s something wrong in the woods, Tessa.People are talking about it.Some of the old-timers are saying there’s a wrongness in the air, like the forest has gone quiet.No birds.No squirrels.Only...silence.”
The bell chimes, and I look up automatically, relieved for the distraction.But it’s just a stranger, a man I’ve never seen before, with a weathered face and nervous eyes.He orders a coffee to go, and when I hand it to him, he holds onto the cup for a moment too long.
“Do you ever feel like something’s watching this town?”he asks suddenly.
My mouth goes dry.“What?”
He shakes his head, already backing toward the door.“Nothing.Forget it.Just...be careful out there.”
Then he’s gone, and I’m left standing at the counter with Hannah’s words ringing in my ears and Vex’s warning echoing through my mind.
Stay close to town.Don’t go walking alone after dark.
What does he know that I don’t?
By the time I closeup at nine, the snow is falling harder, and Main Street is deserted.I lock the door and stand for a moment on the sidewalk, my breath pluming in the cold air.The streetlights cast long shadows across the snow, and somewhere in the distance, I can hear the rumble of motorcycle engines.
The Kings.
I should get in my car and drive straight home.Lock the doors, turn on all the lights, maybe call Hannah to come over.But something makes me hesitate, some stubborn part of me that refuses to be afraid of shadows and strange tracks and men who tell me to be careful.
I start walking.
My little rental house is only four blocks away, an easy walk I’ve made a thousand times.The street is quiet, the only sound is the crunch of snow under my boots.I can see my breath in the cold air, and I pull my coat tighter, trying to ignore the prickling sensation at the back of my neck.
You’re being paranoid,I tell myself.There’s nothing out here.
But then the world goes quiet.
Not peaceful quiet.Not the gentle hush of falling snow.This is something else, something wrong.The kind of silence that makes your ears ring and your skin crawl.I stop walking, my heart suddenly hammering against my ribs.
The streetlight ahead of me flickers.Once.Twice.Then goes out completely, plunging the street into darkness.
“Okay,” I whisper to myself.“Time to not be stupid.”
I turn around, ready to run back to the café, back to lights and locks and safety.But the streetlight behind me is out too.And the one after that.Darkness spreading down the street like a wave, swallowing the light one lamp at a time.
My breath comes faster now, clouds of white in the freezing air.Except...the clouds are thicker than they should be.Heavier.The fog is rolling in from nowhere, wrapping around my ankles like icy fingers.
I run.
My boots slip on the icy sidewalk, and I nearly fall, catching myself on a fence post.The wood is covered in frost, so cold it burns my palm even through my glove.I yank my hand back and keep running, my breath harsh in my throat, my heart pounding so hard I can feel it in my ears.
Almost there.Just one more block.Almost—
I see my house ahead, the little blue rental with the porch light burning like a beacon.Relief floods through me, and I sprint the last few yards, my keys already in my hand.I take the porch steps two at a time, fumbling with the lock, my fingers numb and shaking.
The key turns.The door opens.I practically fall inside, slamming it behind me and throwing the deadbolt.For a moment, I stand there, my back against the door, trying to catch my breath.
You’re fine.You’re safe.Nothing happened.
