of C

ng through the twilight hush of Ridgewood Woods. Bes

ed forward, then s

alled, weaving betwee

cked something just

half its bristles gone, snorting in panic. It stare

ch

bared. He pivoted on one foot and sprinted off the path in

anged a look and br

ted, scrambling over a mossy stump, w

humped. I don't

ead as though to block the pig's path. But the

Liam gasped. Some

l dead silent, magnifying the pig's frantic hoo

Jake said, confusion and adr

ter the pig again, branches whipping his face. Jake an

At the edge stood an abandoned two story house windows gaping like empty eye sockets

the porch rafters. Its squeals faded into

?" Jake asked, skid

his on any map. He eyed the broken windows a

rembling finger

the book. He rifled through his backpack

wood's founding family built a hunting lodge later

d occult canid lore' and co

heir lodge? Man, even in danger yo

of it. The rest was torn d

hough the house exhaled. Ethan swallowed. "We sho

n shrugged. "We

an to Jake, torn. "I

lder. Stick together. Or you can stay h

creaked underfoot. The pig darted across

its beam carved a narrow path into the darkness. Inside, the

this adventure,

own a hallway lined with cracked

coalesced into long, claw like gashes. They climbed doors, bea

human, Jake

" He knelt and pointed to a shard of something black and

lifted the broken piece gingerly. It felt imp

ke hissed, grabbi

osed around the claw.

so deep it made the floorboards shiver. A squeal erupted

," Jake said,

shook the rafters. Dust rained do

han grabbe

's backpack as he fumbled for so

een fist. A dark silhouette filled the pane broad shoulders, pointed ear

than scr

nt door as the creature pou

d him. The pig ghosted past, disappearing into the trees. Bey

ail. Ethan's heart pounded in his ears, matching their sprint.

han barked, grabb

came into view familiar, safe. They spilled o

gasped. Half man, half

in Jake's hand. "We can't leave

s dark mouth. The creature's howl echoed

ace pale but determined, Jake's hand twitching by t

, voice low. "Detective Ra

d and nodded.

windows empty, porch still. But deep inside, a single fresh scratch tr

cient and weighty a story clawed into wood and b