“Watch.” He pointed in the distance.
Kaitlyn turned to face where he was pointing. The sounds were getting louder. Squinting, she tried to see what was coming. What she saw drew the breath from her lungs. Emerging from the bushes were men, but deformed into something else. Their bodies were hunched over on all fours and elongated beyond what could be possible. Ashen colored skin covered their body, and they ran like animals.
She wanted to believe she was still dreaming, but the man next to her made that fantasy impossible. His body heat was very real, which meant those creatures were just as real.
“What—” She bit her lip as she looked more closely at one of the creatures. Red eyes stared in her direction from shallow eye sockets. It was not a human face, but more of a shimmering of bone and flesh that flickered from within. Kaitlyn’s stomach twisted as they passed. She wasn’t about to let the creatures know where she was. Not after what she’d seen. As the things continued on, a whisper began to form inside her head, calling to her to stand up and show herself.
“Don’t listen to them,” Jack said. “They will try and call you out. You have to ignore them.”
Kaitlyn did her best to ignore the sense of being summoned, but the compulsion was strong. Her mind was happy Jack was keeping her down, but her body wanted to listen to the whispers. She closed her eyes and tried to allow other thoughts to move through her mind. She needed some kind of distraction to get through this. Soon, the whispers eased and the tightness left her chest. Opening her eyes, she found Jack staring at her again.
“Where did you come from?”
His question startled her back into reality. “What do you mean? I was leaving a store and now I’m here. Speaking of, where am I?”
He eyed her cautiously. “That’s a complicated answer. How long have you been running around out here?”
“I… I don’t know.”
Standing up, he reached down and offered his hand to her, and she took it. “You are in the Forest of Shadows. It’s not safe here. You’re lucky the scouts didn’t find you.”
Scouts? Forest of Shadows? Am I dreaming? The calls she had heard had been too real. “This isn’t right. I shouldn’t be here.” Kaitlyn wanted to run, but where would she go? Nothing was as it seemed in this place.
Jack’s hand held her arm as she rose. “No one should be here. That’s the problem. Yet here we are.”
Kaitlyn stood to regain her balance but found her footing was off. “What do you mean? I don’t understand.” A sound in the distance drew their attention. The branches and bushes began to move with the wind. Even the air around them began to thicken.
“I need to go.” She felt the need to run but his arm tightened around her waist, his free hand lifting her chin to face him. Deep blue eyes stared at her in question. “Please let me go.” She knew she was begging but fear ran through her veins.
“Where will you go? The forest isn’t safe. Nowhere near here is,” Jack explained. “If you want to survive, come with me. I won’t harm you.”
“I want to go home.”
“There is no safety, only death.” A voice from the darkness echoed around them.
She turned to find the source but only red eyes peered from the darkness. “We go…now.” Jack grabbed Kaitlyn’s arm. She wanted to protest but a creature unlike anything she had seen before emerged from the shadows. Suddenly Jack’s grab wasn’t as bad as the thing that had found them. She didn’t care what the creature was; she only wanted to be as far away from it as possible. Running through the forest, Kaitlyn finally released the scream she’d held deep inside.
Chapter Two:
They ran for what felt like an hour before Jack finally stopped. Kaitlyn dropped to her knees and tried to calm her breathing. Her hands were shaking and her chest burned as she breathed. Looking around, she had no idea where she was.
“Okay, so, what is this place?” Kaitlyn finally asked.
Jack knelt near her. “That’s a bit complicated to explain.”
His reply didn’t make sense. Kaitlyn looked around her and found nothing but dark forest. No birds, no animals, nothing. She’d hiked in many forests before and the vibe was always the same. This place was completely different. It felt off. Getting back to her feet, she moved close to one of the trees and ran her fingers across the bark. It was real. Nevertheless, this place didn’t feel right.
Kaitlyn turned around to find Jack staring at her.
“We can’t hang around here,” he said.
“Why not? What’s going on with this place?”
“I’ll tell you once we are somewhere safe.”
“Promise?” Kaitlyn didn’t like the idea of waiting, but she also didn’t want to face those creatures again.
“Promise.”
Kaitlyn followed Jack for another half a mile at least. Just when she thought the forest was not going to end, it did. As they exited from the thick underbrush, Kaitlyn found herself in the middle of a makeshift camp surrounded by tall trees. It was still part of the forest, but some of the area looked to have been cleared. As soon as they got close enough to see Kaitlyn, the people stopped and stared.
“Who… who is with you?” A small young woman asked Jack.
“This is Kaitlyn.”
The woman looked terrified. Something had them scared. If what Kaitlyn had seen was any indication of what roamed this place, she couldn’t blame her. Still, there were shelters here. Could they have found a way to avoid detection? Deep inside she had a strong feeling it was false sense of security.
“What is this place?”
“Home,” one of the strangers replied.
Jack shook hands with the man. “Well, as close to home as we have, for now.”
More people emerged from the houses. Women, men and even a few children. There were so many people out here, but how had they remained safe? Then again, how much time had passed? From where Kaitlyn stood she counted at least twenty other people. Did they all live here? Did they abandon their lives to move here? She found it hard to believe that was the case. One of the children got closer, her disheveled hair pulled back into a braid.
“They got you too, huh?”
“They?”
One of the men circled Kaitlyn. “She’s got no idea what’s going on.”
Jack dropped a bag onto the ground. “No, not yet.”
Kaitlyn sighed. “Will someone please tell me what is going on?”
Jack led her to one of the few chairs that littered the area. “Sit.” Kaitlyn wanted to stand but gave in. Her legs were killing her. Sitting on one of the wooden chairs, she waited.
“Now, some of this is going to sound strange, but trust me when I tell you it’s the truth,” Jack began
“Isn’t that the truth,” another man said.
“Dan, enough.” Jack turned his gaze back to her. “This place can’t be found on any map. It does not exist in the mortal plane. It is part of a world, a reality so to speak, that mirrors our own. Only here, there are very bad creatures roaming about.”
Kaitlyn shook her head. “I don’t understand. How did we get here?”
“That can be different for everyone. For me, I was renovating an old home and came across a full length mirror. Beverly over there was cleaning the windows and little Evie; well, she was getting ready to take a bath.”
“Water,” Kaitlyn whispered. She looked up and found the others staring. “Last thing I remember, I was reaching into a fountain for something I had dropped. Next thing I know, here I am.”
“Sounds about right. However we all got here, we do know that dark and sinister creatures rule this world. Somehow, they are able to pull us into it.”
“But why? Why do they want us here?”
“The Hunt.”
“What’s the Hunt?”
A man from the shadows moved forward. “It is a game these creatures play. They pull us here and give us time to adjust. Then they come. At first it’s the scouts. They search for o
ur scent.” He drew closer, his stubbled chin and cold stare sending goose bumps across Kaitlyn’s skin. “Once the scouts catch your scent, the others come. If they catch you, they devour your soul. It is what fuels them.”
“Ed, enough.”
She shivered at Ed’s words. “So, these things will be hunting us? Why?” Kaitlyn felt her throat close up at the thought. “How do we get out of here?”
“We don’t.” Ed’s reply was as cold as his eyes. “Once you are pulled into this place, you either find a way to survive or you die. No one ever gets out.”
Kaitlyn stood and faced Ed. “I don’t believe you. If there is a way in, then there has to be a way out. I don’t care what these things are, I refuse to die here. I will find a way—- with, or without, your help.” Kaitlyn walked to the far end of the encampment. “I can’t die here,” she whispered, both for herself and to those who had kidnapped her from her world.
“It’s not that easy, you know.” Jack said. His words made her jump. He moved around to face her. “Don’t you think others have tried?”
“What happened to them?”
Jack’s frown increased. “Some came back, changed. Most were never seen again.”
“I can’t just give in.” She moved closer to Jack, her hand touching his shoulder. “Don’t you understand? If they can bring us here, there has to be a way back. We just need to find it.”
“Are you willing to risk your life to find out?”
Kaitlyn glanced behind her at the gathered people. They’d spent time here and survived, but at what cost? She could see that they were tired, their eyes shadowed. If those things were hunting them, how could any of them ever rest? Even the dull eyes of the children made them look as though they had lost all sense of youth and wonder. Turning back to face Jack, Kaitlyn found him staring at her.
“Look at these people, Jack. They have no hope, no will to fight. How can you consider this living?” She moved closer to the edge of the encampment and the shadows of the forest. “I would rather die trying to find a way out than wither away.”
Jack’s smile returned. “You would go at it alone? Not having a clue what direction to go, so long as there was a chance to get out?”
Kaitlyn sighed. “Wouldn’t you?”
“Yes, I guess I would,” he admitted. “But for tonight, at least, rest and eat. We can formulate something later.”
“Promise? I am not going to change my mind.”
“No, somehow I can’t imagine you will.”
Jack led her back to the middle of the camp and the rest of the group. Her eyes came to rest on one of the small children who had come to greet her. The girl looked to be no more than maybe seven years old, yet her eyes had seen more than any child should have. That tore at Kaitlyn more than anything else.
* * *
Kaitlyn woke with a start. Something loud had broken through her restless sleep. She barely remembered lying down, let alone actually sleeping. Sitting up, she looked around. Somehow she’d found her way into one of the makeshift houses. It was sparsely furnished, but at least it kept the elements out. Glancing through one of the windows, Kaitlyn found it was still dark. How long had she slept? She stretched. Every muscle in her body ached. Still, she didn’t have the luxury of wandering around to ease her tight muscles. Not after what she’d seen yesterday. Kaitlyn got to her feet and moved quietly to the exit. Peeking out, she caught sight of a few of the men seated by the fire.
“I don’t like it, Jack. She’s not one of us.”
“I know that, but it doesn’t matter. She’s still human. That makes her one of us.”
“But she’s going to get us noticed.” Kaitlyn could not miss the fear in Ed’s voice. No wonder he had been so defensive. “If she is determined to find a way out, make sure you take far from here and leave her to it. We’ve been safe for a while now. I don’t want to lose that.”
“Do you really think this is safe? Any day now we could be found. With, or without her presence, that is a possibility. Don’t lay blame simply because she is convenient.”
Kaitlyn didn’t like being talked about behind her back. Jack continued to defend her, but it didn’t matter. Their voices were getting louder and that wasn’t good. Even if they’d been here for a long time, raised voices could garner something’s attention. She trusted their abilities since they were still alive, but her internal warning system had already started to go off. Moving out from the house, she found both men were too deep in discussion to notice her.
As she moved closer she felt something pull at her shirt. Turning around, Kaitlyn found a small girl staring up at her. Kaitlyn knelt next to the girl. “And who might you be?”
“I’m Jessica.”
“Well, nice to meet you Jessica. How long have you been here?”
At first she didn’t answer, but looked around as if searching for something. “I don’t know, but I miss my momma.” Turning to face Kaitlyn, tears shimmered in her eyes. “Can you take me to her? Mommy and Daddy always take me to the pizza place. I miss it. I miss them.”
Kaitlyn just smiled. The path she was embarking on was going to be dangerous. Could she chance taking a child with her? Still, what else could she do? Telling Jessica no meant leaving her in this place where she would likely end up dead. Yet taking a child along would certainly put them both in harm’s way. Neither option was optimal. Kaitlyn glanced over at Jack and then back at Jessica.
“Look…” Kaitlyn stopped as a movement within the forest caught her attention. “What is that?” Every time Kaitlyn caught sight of something, it vanished. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Grabbing Jessica’s hand, Kaitlyn pulled her towards some large tree stumps at the edge of camp. She knelt back down and waited. Perhaps fate had decided for her.
“What…” Jessica started to ask, but Kaitlyn placed her hand over the child’s mouth.
Jack must have heard them because he began to head their way. The movement in the forest hadn’t stopped. It was getting closer to the shelters. Jack had a questioning look on his face, but Kaitlyn wasn’t about to give away her position. Pointing towards the trees, she tried to get him to understand. After a few seconds he looked where she was pointing. The moment he turned, the trees were pushed aside and a black mist emerged.
“Cover, now!” Ed shouted.
Kaitlyn held Jessica close. As soon as the dark mist entered the camp, more of the scouts formed, and then something else came through the dark veil. Tall, dark creatures followed the scouts. Could they be the creatures that did the hunting? She tried to get a better look, but with Jessica squirming in her arms she had to hold back. She wasn’t about to let the creatures see either her or the child. They must have been followed. The rest of the camp was rushing out of their shelters; women, children and men running everywhere, trying to escape.
“Oh God,” Kaitlyn whispered. One of Hunters had caught up to a man. He had turned around to face the shadow, and froze in his spot. The creature’s hand covered the man’s face, and he screamed. Kaitlyn wanted to turn away, but she refused to. She needed to know what she was up against. The creature screeched as he held the man, his body beginning to shake. A thin line of energy moved from the man’s mouth and into the wraith’s palm. His skin and bones cracked as the energy was drained. Everything that made them human was sucked out by the Hunters. Within minutes the man’s body, or what was left of it, dropped to the ground.
“We need to go,” Jack whispered as he grabbed Kaitlyn’s hand. “Come on.”
“What about the others?” Kaitlyn asked.
Jack turned her to face him. “We can’t help them. We stay, we die. Now, come on.”
Kaitlyn pulled Jessica into her arms and followed Jack out from their hiding spot and into the forest. She could hear some of the others following their lead.
Good, she thought. At least some of them had been smart and not waited.
Jack set a fast pace. They ran through the woods without stopping. Tree branches and bu
shes reached out to stop them, the limbs scratching and cutting into their skin. None of that mattered as screams still echoed behind them. But it was more than that. A dark coldness had blanketed the area. Could they be running into a trap?
“Jack…”
“I know. Follow me.” He made a sharp turn to the left and kept running.
Kaitlyn didn’t miss a beat. Holding Jessica tight, she followed him to the edge of a hill and into a small alcove and ducked under an overhang.
“Here, we can rest for a few minutes,” he said. “I want to see which way they go.”
Kaitlyn allowed Jessica to drop to the ground. “Stay down and quiet, sweetie, and whatever you do, look away if they appear. Promise me?”
Jessica nodded but remained silent. Kaitlyn held the child’s hand but looked back to Jack. “How did they find us?”
“Shh, wait. I hear something.”
Kaitlyn moved closer to Jack and followed his line of sight. One of the women she’d seen back at the campsite had tried to follow them and broken through one of the bushes not far from where they were hidden. Kaitlyn held her breath and waited. As tempting as it was to call out, she also knew it would bring unwanted attention to them all. The woman was searching for them, but the spot must have been camouflaged just enough. Just as she began to turn toward the alcove, a loud screech rang out. From the other side of the clearing, one of the creatures leapt from the shadows.
“Oh no.” Kaitlyn held Jessica close, covering her eyes. “Jack, can’t we do something?”
He shook his head. “No. We go out there, we’re dead.” His hand gripped hers. “I’m sorry.”
The woman sprinted away, but the creature was too fast. Its fingers wrapped around her neck, pulling her up into the air. As soon as the woman’s feet left the ground, the creature’s mouth opened. From where she hid, Katelyn caught glimpses of the Hunter. Its body was scaled from head to toe. The hands had only four fingers, but the nails were long and razor sharp. The wraith extended its arm toward the woman’s face, exposing small circular indentions on its palms. Watching, she noticed the woman’s body had gone still, and an aura emanated around her. The nimbus went from bright yellow to orange, and then it flickered. It was as if a hole had been opened in her, taking her life-force away. As her life trickled out, her skin took on an ashen color.