Before she could think of what to say, he wrenched open the rickety door, disappeared through it, and closed it after him.
And then Madeline was alone, standing in the center of the cold building, the wind whistling through the shattered windows. She was freezing. For a long moment she stood stiffly, listening until her head ached with tension, too afraid to move, wondering when Noah would be back, and if he was okay.
An image of the clawed hand on the log flashed in her mind, and Madeline moved toward one wall of the old hut so that her back wasn’t exposed. She longed to move around, to get her blood flowing, but she couldn’t risk the noise. She stuck her tongue between her chattering teeth to muffle the sound.
She waited silently, hugging herself.
And then she heard tree branches cracking outside. From where she was standing, she couldn’t see what might be out there and was afraid to look out anyway. She waited a moment longer.
The rustling drew closer. If it was Noah, he would probably say something to let her know it was him. Now the branches moved just outside the nearest window. Madeline braced herself to fight.
The door moved in the frame, and Noah appeared, replacing the door behind himself. It groaned on its single hinge. Instantly he saw her fighting posture and held his hands up to show her he meant no harm. “Didn’t mean to startle you.” Then he came toward her. “He’s following us, all right. But I think I managed to lead him away. He won’t stay confused for long, though. We should move now. My fleece looks good on you. Warm?”
He said the last bit in the same urgent tone of voice, and it took her a second to register the question.
“Yes, thanks,” she lied, eager to be on the move. “What are we going to do?”
“I’m not sure. Going to think of something now.”
The chill sank into Madeline’s brain. She couldn’t think of anything, her mind muddled. Hypothermia.
“You’ve get to get down the mountain. There’s a backcountry ranger station not far from here.” Picking the pack up from the ground he said, “Turn around.” She did so. “Just about everything you’ll need is in this pack … food, water … the map.” He slid it on her shoulders and turned her back around.
“But—”
“Don’t argue with me.” Working quickly, he buckled the straps at her hips and chest. “You’ve got to move fast. Don’t stop, no matter what you hear. Just keep moving. Agreed?”
Madeline didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even have time to think or begin to sort out what was happening.
“Agreed?” he repeated urgently.
Finally, Madeline nodded.
“Good. I’m going out there again. As soon as I’m out of sight, I want you to run as fast as you can. The trail is not far from here. Angle northwest. We’re only about a hundred yards—”
The sudden cacophony of splintering wood cut him off. In an instant the door splintered to nothing, and a dark figure filled the frame, a flash of teeth in utter blackness.
Noah turned and lunged toward the door, impacting violently with the creature, sending them both tumbling out into the forest.
“Run!” he screamed. “Run now!”
For a second Madeline couldn’t move, couldn’t bring herself to rush toward them. A gleeful howl pierced through her shock, and she came to life, rushing toward the door and out into the woods. The two struggling figures tangled several yards away, and after glancing at the moon’s position, she dashed toward the northwest.
Behind her she heard Noah scream, long agonized shrieks, and then he was silent. Panic and terror filled her as she ran, darting into the shadows of trees, praying the thing wasn’t loping after her in the dark.
Forty-five minutes later, having located the trail, she made her way through the forest. So far she’d heard no sounds behind her. The chill that had settled in earlier had fled with her panicked run. Though her hair was still damp, the fleece jacket and polypropylene shirt had trapped in the heat. Sweat trickled down her back.
The ground leveled out, sloping only slightly downward.
During the day, she would have passed someone on the trail and asked for help. At this hour, though, backcountry packers would be nestled warmly in their tents. She envied them and pushed on.
Without a flashlight, she continually tripped on large tree roots and rocks in the path, feeling grateful for having her boots instead of the sandals.
The ranger at the backcountry station could help her. In the summer, backcountry rangers usually patrolled the trails and manned the few stations scattered about in the wilderness. Hikers were required to sign up for passes before camping in the backcountry.
She’d signed up for a pass herself, though at a ranger station on the other side of the mountain. She’d written down four days from now as her expected return date. They wouldn’t be looking for her for quite a while yet. Madeline pictured dogs and helicopters sweeping the other side of the mountain, friendly light and sound breaking through the impenetrable darkness.
She let herself pretend that a search party really was looking for her, and the thought cheered her a little.
A sudden scuffling made her go still, as if a fatal crack had split open beneath her skating feet on a desolate, frozen pond. Barely daring to pant in the darkness, she listened, straining her ears.
She could hear something breathing to her left, just off the path. Her hair stood up. Quickly she moved to the cover of a nearby pine. Peering intently, she tried to make out shapes in the moonlight.
A dark, sinewy shape slunk from one tree to the next. Madeline wished it were a bear but knew it wasn’t. It moved upright, and though bears could walk on their hind legs, the movement was always cumbersome and lumbering. This creature was agile and quick as it moved, slipping from shadow to shadow. It was almost a shadow itself, with no features, just smooth, inky blackness.
As it moved onto the trail, Madeline caught sight of its face and bit back a scream.
The thing had turned to face the moon, and she saw its eyes: two huge, luminous red discs in an inky face, reflecting back the moonlight, flashing eerily. The mouth parted to reveal a row of hideous, sharp teeth, then turned up in an eager smile as the thing scanned the darkness.
It was hunting her, and it loved it.
5
QUICKLY Madeline left the trail, making her way through the underbrush and pines. Several times she glanced back toward the creature, hoping Noah was near it. But she didn’t see anyone. Had it killed him?
Panic crept into her belly. She struggled to keep it in check, her head whipping from side to side, trying to find a hiding place. For a moment she couldn’t catch her breath, felt her lungs constricting in terror.
To her left, a little bit ahead, Madeline saw a small clearing in the center of which stood three huge boulders very close together. Maybe she could hide behind one of those, wait till the thing had passed.
Briefly she wondered if she could outrun it, then quickly brushed away the image of it gaining on her in the darkness: she, slowed down by her wet boots and pack: the thing, preternaturally quick and relentless, tearing into her back and neck, opening ragged wounds—
Madeline steadied her mind. Glancing behind now, she couldn’t see the creature, though she dared not look for very long. Wincing as she stepped on three splintering sticks in a row, Madeline pushed for the clearing.
When she got to the edge, she slowed, not wanting to dive out into the open, to be in plain sight in the brilliant moonlight.
But the rocks looked like the best hiding place.
She burst through the trees and into the clearing. Where two of the rocks met was a crevice just wide enough for her to hide in, and the shadows there would completely cover her.
Quickly she ran to where the two rocks met and threw the pack in first. She sat down, stuck her legs through the opening, and then pushed herself farther and farther in with her arms. Soon the rock’s shadow overtook her, and with one more push she was deep inside the crevice, pu
lling cobwebs off her face.
There was little room to move around. She lay down, glancing furtively out of the opening, desperately hoping the thing hadn’t seen her crawl in. She could see the silvery blue trees of the forest glowing in the moonlight and suddenly wondered if she should have gone in headfirst, so she could kick the thing if it found her in there. But glancing at the inky blackness at her feet, she realized having her head trapped at that end with limited ability to look out would have been too terrifying.
She waited beneath the rock, not taking her eyes from the treeline, and wondered how smart the thing was.
And then she saw it.
The creature emerged from the treeline into the clearing, long, black, lithe body moving furtively, nose turned to the wind, sniffing eagerly. She looked for any hint of features besides the eyes and mouth—hair, wrinkles—but saw none. Its shape was humanoid yet streamlined, a three-dimensional shadow come to life. Its claws met its fingers seamlessly, one flowing into the other. It had no ears.
As it sniffed, she felt a tiny surge of relief and hope when a breeze greeted her face. The wind was blowing toward her, making it difficult for the creature to catch a scent of her.
Dropping low to the ground, it crept about, just as comfortable on all fours. Smelling the rocks and moss, the flowers and grasses, it snapped its head up and stared directly to where she lay in the shadows, its huge, luminous eyes reflective in the moonlight.
Madeline’s heart almost stopped.
The thing crept forward slowly and paused after a few feet, sniffing the air again. It lowered its head and scanned the rocks.
Then, just when Madeline expected it to come leaping out to her hiding place, it turned and retreated into the darkness of the trees, moving along the ground like a sinuous black spider.
Madeline exhaled, realizing she’d been holding her breath while she watched the creature. She stared long at the treeline, waiting for the reappearance of the thing. Nothing stirred there.
Madeline waited. And waited.
She thought of Ellie, felt her mind reaching out to her old friend. In the cramped space her fingers closed over the bracelet and its tiny lockbox.
Ellie? she thought. Am I going to live through this?
She tried to breathe in the tight space, her neck cramped as she remained twisted in the crevice. Staring out, she longed to open the little box, to take out its contents. To use her gift for the one thing that brought her peace, feeling closer to her lost friend. The terrible grief over Ellie was so powerful at times her brain staggered over the reality of it, denying it. Now the memory of running for her life all those years ago surged back, her mouth dry and her blood thrumming in her ears. The Sickle Moon Killer. His face of fear and rage, the sound of his pounding steps on the forest floor—
Ellie, she thought, if you can hear me … She craned her neck farther to see more of the clearing. But she didn’t finish the thought. She couldn’t ask for protection. Not after what had happened. All she could do was stay awake and hope it didn’t find her like the Sickle Moon Killer had.
She lay and watched the trees for so long she lost track of time. The crevice was dark and reassuring, her own safe little cavern, and after an hour of tense watching, she began to relax and rest a little. The dry fleece and polypropylene undershirt felt warm and soft.
Madeline awoke with a start when an owl called out.
A predawn glow filled the crevice, and she realized with amazement that she’d actually fallen asleep. Light spilled into her world. Dawn had never looked so good to her before. She felt overjoyed and relieved that it had finally come.
It was day, and she could find someone to help her.
Carefully she crept out of the crevice, scanning the clearing and trees for any sign of the creature or Noah. She studied the trees. She felt alone, not like she was being watched …
Being watched.
Yesterday, on the mountain, just before the water hit, she’d had the feeling of being watched …
Could it have been the creature, even then, readying to attack her?
Madeline shuddered and pushed off the image. Since acquiring her ability, she’d dealt with the unknown, lived with a talent no one else possessed in her small town. But this was something new. In the back of her mind, she’d always known that her psychic ability could be just another part of the brain that most did not use. But the creature—she thought of its round disk eyes, the mouth full of teeth, the shadowlike skin—was beyond even her expanded scope of what the mundane world held within its ordinary grasp. From here out was unexplored territory. She’d hoped to come to the backcountry to clear her mind, decide how to fit her unusual gift into the usual world. But instead, the world itself had grown unusual, deeper, revealing more of its supernatural secrets. It was far stranger, far more frightening and inexplicable than she’d thought.
She brought a hand to her bandage, not letting the feelings overwhelm her. She had to concentrate on the present, find out exactly where she was and how far it was to the ranger station.
Quickly she unzipped the pack and looked inside. The map lay right on top, and she pulled it out
Noah drinking a morning cup of coffee.
Later, afraid, the thing close behind.
Madeline forced the images away and studied the map. After guessing how long she’d walked the night before, and what kind of time she’d made in the darkness, she figured it was another hour to the ranger station.
Not bad at all.
Stuffing the map back into the pack, she noticed the water bottle. Taking several long pulls on it, she gazed up at the deep blue morning sky, golden clouds set afire in the east. Her head throbbed as she tilted it up, the bandaged gash on her head feeling twice its actual size. She replaced the bottle and stood up. Hoisting the pack onto her back, she buckled it as she began to walk, all the while watching the trees and rocks for any sign of movement. Soon she was back on the trail, rushing toward the backcountry station.
Gratefully Madeline stepped onto the wooden porch of the backcountry ranger station and opened the door. A young ranger sitting behind a beat-up counter looked up as she entered. He was in his early twenties, with straight, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. She approached the desk, which stood on one side of a small room with a couple of shelves holding books and maps. The ranger stared at her.
“What can I help you with?” he asked. He put down the paper he had been reading. His features were angular and his skin dark, his coloration reminding her of a Romanian friend she’d had in high school. His name tag read Michael Zuwalski.
“Something …” She reached the desk, trailed off, trying to catch her breath.
“Yes?” He arched one eyebrow expectantly.
“Something attacked me and my friend in the backcountry.”
“A grizzly?” The ranger grew alarmed.
“No, nothing like that,” she said quickly, then paused. “Look,” she went on firmly, “I don’t know what it was.”
“It was probably a grizzly. Sometimes people have a hard time identifying wildlife—”
She cut him off. “This was not wildlife. This was a … thing. It specifically, methodically, went after me and this other guy.”
“Who?”
“Noah someone. I don’t know his last name. He went after the thing to lead it away.”
“You were in the backcountry with someone whose last name you don’t even know?”
“No,” she shook her head. “I don’t know him, he just pulled me out of the river and then the creature showed up and—”
“Wait … slow down.”
“Well, I’d never seen an animal like it before, but it was really smart. It was hunting us. Noah seemed to know what it was,” she went on, hoping the story would sound better if she filled it out more. “He went after it. And now I want to send a rescue for him.”
The ranger was just silent. He stared at the bandage on her head. “Nasty blow there.”
She touched it g
ingerly and then waved her hand, dismissing it. “It’ll heal. But Noah’s in real danger.”
The ranger remained silent.
“Well? Aren’t you going to do anything?” she demanded. “Radio somebody?”
“Are you saying you were caught in the flash flood?”
She nodded.
“Well, look, that thing was bad. It’s amazing you even got out. Just about every available person we’ve got is helping people who were caught in it.”
“Well, ‘just about every person’ must mean you have someone who can help.”
“Only for genuine emergencies.”
“This is an emergency!” she practically yelled.
The ranger crossed his arms. “Did you see the creature after you bumped your head?”
Madeline became flustered. “Well, yes, but I don’t see …” And then she did. She saw perfectly. He thought she imagined the whole thing.
Exasperated, she said, “It all really happened!” Looking down at herself in Noah’s clothes suddenly reaffirmed that.
“Look at these clothes. They’re huge on me!”
“So?”
“They’re Noah’s. He gave them to me before the thing attacked.”
“I see,” he responded.
But she could tell that he didn’t see.
“This guy Noah …” the ranger went on, then he trailed off. “Listen,” he said finally. “There are a lot of guys out there who’ll take advantage of you. Tell you a scary story to make you vulnerable.”
“It wasn’t like that!” she yelled. “He didn’t make this up, I saw it!”
“Are you sure?” he said, gesturing at her head and leaning over the counter with a condescending look. “That is quite a nasty blow.”
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