The Call to the Void

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Truthfully, it wasn't the first time the candle had burned but it was the first time in over forty years that anyone had been unfortunate enough to see its bright flame.

Darkness entombed the forest, making the towering trees seem miniscule in comparison to its usually dominating presence. To assist in the somber mood that plagued the woman making her way through the forest, the once steady drizzle had turned into even steadier rain. With every step the mud and water squished and soaked deeper into her clothes, pulling her down to meld with the forest floor. Every step felt like she was carrying ten-pound weights around her ankles. The soft glow of her phone was the only light that momentarily lit up the night around her. Just as quickly as she clicked the phone to life it powered down once again when the battery died. An exasperated sigh blew past her lips, and she pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders.

A shiver raced down her back, but she couldn’t tell if it was from her waterlogged body or the memory of how she had gotten into this predicament to begin with.

An hour before the woman turned onto the rain dampened stretch of road that weaved it’s way through the forest. Trees reached across the road, grasping for the branches of their companions which created a canopy over the road. She pressed her foot on the brake, slowing the car slightly as she watched a small family of deer make their way across the lower portion of the road, and accelerated again afterward to make her way up the steady incline ahead. The steady drone of her car’s engine was the only sound that met the occupants ears.

“Chloe, listen,” the male passenger of the car broke the silence finally, reaching his hand over the middle console to place his hand on the woman’s shoulder.

Chloe shrugged his hand off, the quick movement causing the car to cross the line in the road for a moment before she corrected. Her gaze went to her boyfriend in the passenger seat and the soft smile that played on his lips. She rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the roadway ahead. The car broke free from the overhang of the trees, allowing the rain to patter unhindered against the windshield once more.

“Justin don’t touch me,” Chloe spat trying to control the quiver in her voice as she remembered the argument, they had just a few minutes prior.

As if on cue the phone resting on the charger in the middle of the dashboard lit up with a new notification.

Lindsey: Just made dinner. Want to come…eat *smirk face*

Justin grabbed the phone and clicked the screen to darken the message. He turned his attention back to Chloe whose fingers were white knuckled on the steering wheel.

“Chloe, she’s just a friend. She’s a chef and she likes my culinary opinion,” Justin tried to explain.

Chloe shook her head knowing that the same man who looked for chicken tenders at every establishment they went to would not be asked for his culinary opinion. Instead of dignifying him with a response she turned her attention to the path which began to slope upward. Alongside the road the shoulder began to slope downward to the valley of trees below. Between the brush and the overgrowth of foliage you couldn’t see to the floor below even if you stood next to the rusted guardrails that flanked the sides.

What if you just drove off the side?

The thought flitted through her brain as she momentarily looked at the openings in between the guardrails. She shook her head, trying to physically shake the thought from her brain. It was only then that she became aware that Justin was still talking.

“Chloe are you okay?” Justin asked, noticing the change in her posture.

“I’m fine. You should probably text Lindsey back,” Chloe retorted.

Justin shrugged, clicked his phone to life and began replying to the text from earlier. Chloe couldn’t wait to get home and wash her hands of the relationship that had been in a steady decline for a few weeks now.

Just drive off.

The thought was there again, but instead of shaking it off this time, Chloe reached up to turn on the radio. The latest pop hit blasted through her speakers, and she thrummed her fingers to the beat against the steering wheel. She chanced a glance over the guardrail where the tops of the closest trees could be seen along with the towering overbrush.

“Look out!” Justin shouted.

Chloe turned her attention back to the road ahead of her in time to see a deer make its way into the middle of her lane. She slammed on the brakes, the tires immediately catching the pooling water near the edges of the shoulder and causing the car to slide. A scream ripped from her throat as the car overcorrected and crashed against the guardrail before spinning and sliding down the slope into the brush. Tree branches whipped against the windshield and scraped along the car as it barreled down the steep hill. Justin’s screaming melded with her own as she let go of the wheel and their hands found each other across the console. A final scream lodged in her throat as a large tree loomed in front of them. She watched the hood fold upward as it met the tree, the sound of screeching metal and glass shattering filled her ears before the airbag exploded in her face. The force sent her head ricocheting against the head rest, then darkness.

A few minutes later, Chloe blinked, clearing herself of the tears that blurred her vision. Her hands patted along her body looking for any cuts or blood, only finding minor scratches. A grateful sigh blew past her lips, just as she remembered that she hadn’t been alone in the car. Justin was slumped over against the passenger window, a thin line of blood streamed down his neck from a cut along his hairline. Carefully she reached over and shook his shoulder, eliciting a groan from the semi-conscious man.

“I’m going to go for help,” Chloe said aloud, hoping that by announcing it her body would follow suit.

A cluster of branches had penetrated the windows of the car, but thankfully the driver side door wasn’t pinned closed. She found her phone where it had fallen between the driver’s seat and the center console, tucked it into her pocket and tried to open the door. With a hard push against the door, it popped open, and she stepped out of the car. It was no longer raining, but the ground sank underneath her as she stepped into the mud already there. She gasped, a pain like a sharp ice pick to the top of the skull brought her up short, making her lean against the mangled car for support.

Leave him behind.

When it finally subsided, she turned to look back at the incline of the hill the car had come down. Other than a few broken branches, there was no evidence of the path the car had taken. She looked back to the car at Justin’s unconscious form then back upward. There would be no one looking for them.

Leave him behind.

Another pain shot through her head, and she groaned, grasping for the door, but only succeeding in slicing open the palm of her hand. She jerked her hand away, clasping the now bleeding gash tightly before pulling out her phone. It was only on 10% but it wouldn’t do much good since she had no service.

Before her lay a thick forest of trees. From above she had always wondered what it was like if someone descended below the brush. When she was younger, she had imagined that a lost city lay hidden beneath the trees, or a doorway to a magical world, but before her there were only more trees and impenetrable darkness. She tried once more to find Justin’s phone but failed. With a final sigh she began making her way into the forest.

As she walked deeper into the forest, Chloe became keenly aware of the cacophony of nature around her. Somewhere above her an owl trilled softly in it’s roost, the constant sound was almost a heartbeat to the forest. Along with the owl the insistent bellow of frogs, chirps of birds settling down for the night, and distant crackling of tree branches under a fox’s paw created a symphony of sound that calmed the pounding of her heart. She paused for a moment and closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of the coming rainfall. The smell grounded her as she made her way further into the woods, searching for a place to climb back up towards the roadway.

Chloe was not a hiker or a camper. Truthfully being lost in the forest was often the source of some of her nightmares; however, this path was smooth which she hoped meant it was a common path for outdoorspeople and would lead back to civilization and to help. Along the path the trees were covered in thorny vines which bore small bright orange fruit. Her stomach growled loudly, protesting the emptiness and the lack of food since the sandwich she had at dinner. For a moment her face and the area around was illuminated by the light of her phone. She had been walking for about ten minutes now.

“I have to be close,” Chloe whispered to herself.

Touch the thorns.

Chloe winced, the pain from earlier was back but lessened this time. Even still she found herself leaning to examine the thorny vine once more. The thorns were unlike anything she had seen before. The tips were a deep red that in the darkness of the forest could be mistaken for dried blood. Tentatively she reached towards the wine with a finger but stopped just short. She could have sworn the thorns moved outward as if to meet her finger.

Touch the thorns. How bad could it hurt?

She stared once more at the thorns before turning away to continue her search. Suddenly, a large shadow passed over her head. The beating of the creature’s wings in the wind caused her to freeze. She raised her arms over her head to protect herself as the creature dived again. This time a stray talon snagged into her hair. Her scream filled the otherwise tranquil forest, quieted the other animals as they watched her sink down to her knees and grasp unsuccessfully for the offending creature. Finally, her fingers clasped around the small, leathered body of the bat struggling to free itself from her hair. She yanked it free and flung it backward. The motion caused her arm to strike the closest set of thorns protruding from the vines. A wave of nausea washed over her, her vision going blurry. Blindly she reached out for something to steady herself but grasped only at air. She fell forward, her hands going out to brace her fall. For a moment she stayed crouched and blinked rapidly to clear her vision.

Once her vision was clear she pressed softly against the angry red lines that raced down her arm, hissing as blood pooled along the thin cuts. A whimper fell from her lips as the gravity of the situation she was in began to set in. The adrenaline rush she was on from earlier had slowly begun to fade and the pain and soreness from her ordeal to firm hold on her mind. Angry tears raced down her cheeks as she continued to make her way deeper into the woods.

Once she was free of the burning thorns, she sank down in the mud and leaned heavily against a tree trunk. It had begun raining again, large droplets that broke through the canopy of leaves above her and spatter unceremoniously onto her already wet cheeks. She scrubbed at her face but only succeeded in agitating the cuts along her arm and smearing dried blood across her face.

“AHHHH!” the scream flew from her lips as all her emotions bubbled to the surface and boiled over like an untended pot.

She screamed again, and again, each time louder than the last, even though she knew there was no one to hear her.

After a few minutes her throat was raw, regret creeping in at the realization that she had probably attracted other animals in the woods. If on cue the faint crackling of several tree branches reached her ears. Turning on her heel she continued further into the dense brush.

Moments later she could no longer hear whatever animal was following her. As she continued through the woods, the terrain began to slope upward. Hope swelled in her heart as she made her way up the hill back towards the bank. She reached a crest of the hill and paused for a moment to breathe and get her bearings. Below she could see the tangle of thorn lined trees that she had just escaped from. The rest of the forest stretched out before her, the animals once again quietly trilling and making their way through the night.

What if you just jump?

The voice in her head was louder this time, and Chloe took a step back to press her back against a nearby tree. She reached up to run a hand through her hair, wincing as the cuts along her arm opened again.

Just jump.

Chloe groaned and turned her attention back to the hill. As the hill grew steeper it became harder to keep her footing. The semi-smooth terrain turned into a mess of small stones that had undoubtedly made their way from the road above. Rain fell harder as she continued climbing upward. She chanced a glance over her shoulder to the trees below.

Jump.

“No!” Chloe said aloud, trying to center herself.

“N—”

The word was cut off as she lost her footing, her body hitting the ground hard as the small stones cut her hands open as she tried to stop her fall. Despite her trying to slow her descent she continued to fall backward until she slid over the steeper incline below. Flailing she crashed through the brush, the branches slowing her fall enough that the blow of hitting the ground was dampened. She gasped as she stared up at the canopy above her and the rain that splashed down onto her face. The rain drops only added to the stars dancing in her vision as she lay on the ground.

After what felt like hours, Chloe sat up, her body revolting at the movement. Slowly she began making her way through the woods once more. She tried to retrace her steps to find the incline once more. With each step the trees melded into one another, and before long she reached the thorn covered trees once more. Weariness settled into her aching body as she turned in the opposite direction and tried once again to find the slope leading up to the road, but only ended up back at the thorn covered trees.

The thought suddenly struck her that she wouldn’t be able to find help in time, and that she could die in the woods and no one would know. Before the grief could set in, another feeling overwhelmed her senses. Hunger. It had been hours since the last time she had eaten.

“If I eat something, maybe it will help me clear my head. I could probably use some more water too,” she said aloud making her way away from the trees again.

A few yards away at the base of another tree were a line of golf ball sized mushrooms. Their white exteriors were soft against her fingers as she poked at the fungus. Briefly she chastised herself for not paying closer attention to the foraging part of the survival shows she watched. However, what she did have was a survival guide app which should help her identify the mushrooms. Quickly she pulled her phone from her pocket, the screen illuminating her face, but just as quickly the light faded away when the phone powered down.

“Dammit!” she screamed, throwing the phone away into the brush.

She sighed and pulled her jacket tighter around her as the rain began to fall once again. Her gaze fell to the small clump of mushrooms, her stomach growling at the mere sight of potential nourishment.

Eat them.

Her hands went to her head, massaging her temples and trying to get rid of the voice in her head. When she opened her eyes, her gaze was momentarily drawn away from the mushrooms and to the trees a few feet away. A shadow lurked against the trunk of the tree, the figure like a small woman crouched down and watching her. She blinked and just as quickly the shadow was gone.

Eat the mushrooms!

As if to punctuate the thought that ran through her head her stomach growled once more. After a moment more of hesitancy Chloe knelt down and ran her fingers over the soft caps of the mushrooms before tugging a few free from the ground. She turned them over in her hand, her finger tracing along the brown gill underneath.

Eat.

Without another thought she tossed the mushrooms into her mouth. A flood of slightly sweet water rushed from them as she bit down. The sweetness overwhelmed her senses, reminding her of the homemade fun dip that she and her cousin used to make as kids. A smile crept to her face as the memory of dipping wooden popsicle sticks into bags of white sugar. Aside from the sweetness the mushrooms did not taste like much, but they were difficult to chew and she ended up spitting a clump onto the ground that resembled chewed gum. However, she felt almost instantly better, her head clearing.

She had been in the woods and the dark for so long that her eyes had finally adjusted, and now that she could focus, she could faintly see the outline of her footprints in the mud. Turning away from the trees she began following her own tracks towards the hill.

Just as she reached the base of the incline the rain finally stopped, and tendrils of moonlight trickled their way towards the forest floor. She looked upward and was able to see the shoulder of small pebbles that lined the path upward. A laugh escaped her lips, how had she not noticed before.

She took a step forward and froze.

Once again, the shadow was there. This time crouching in the middle of the path she had planned on taking. With the help of the moonlight through the trees she was able to see its true form. There in the middle of the path sat a creature like nothing she had seen before except in fairytales and horror movies. It looked similar to pictures she had seen of vampires in their true form, white skin stretched thin over its protruding skeleton, two sets of fangs and eyes like pools of gold. Its eyes seemed to draw her in and without realizing Chloe had begun making her way towards it. She blinked and it was gone. Maybe those mushrooms weren’t the best idea she thought. As if to answer the question for her, her stomach began to churn. Hot saliva pooled in her mouth and moments later she fell to her knees vomiting over the forest floor. Her body convulsed as her stomach revolted, beads of sweat broke out on her forehead as she dry heaved. Gasping she rose to her feet and tried to make her way up the incline. The path swirled in her vision, the world beginning to spin as a series of cramps gripped her stomach. Her hand went to her belly and she closed her eyes, willing her body to focus.

After a moment she opened her eyes, but fear quickly took over her pain because once again the creature was there. This time standing upward, its frame towering over her and casting a shadow down the path that she wished to climb. She blinked hoping that the action would banish the hallucination, but this time it did not and the creature had moved closer. It’s stride was slow almost timid as it made its way closer.

Chloe turned and ran. Her feet pounded against the forest floor, but with each step the mud attempted to throw her off balance. She chanced a look over her shoulder and, in that moment, strayed enough from the path that she found herself slipping on the small stones once again. Her body tumbled forward and crashed into the brush, but this time she did not allow herself a moment to breathe and instead raced into the forest, one hand clutching at her stomach as she ran.

A clearing opened up in front of her. Moonlight shone brightly against the wet blades of grass, creating a glittering effect. Chloe raced across the clearing, hating that she was so exposed in the open. When she was halfway across she slipped to a halt. Along the treeline in front of her was a row of glowing eyes. Wolves. She turned but on the other side of the clearing the creature waited, its white fangs bared.

The sound of her own labored breaths filled her ears as she looked around for another way to escape. That is when she saw it. A small orange light flickering in the distance. Without another thought she raced towards it, focusing on the pinprick of light instead of the footsteps behind her. As she crossed the treeline the light seemed to grow in intensity, and before long she could see it. A small wooden cabin nestled in the woods, with a candle burning in the window.

The cabin grew closer, and hope swelled in her chest. Someone must live there if there is a candle in the window. Someone that could help. Maybe they had a phone. She continued running and didn’t stop until she ascended the three steps leading up to the cabin door. The doorknob turned easily under her fingertips as she threw the door open, slammed and locked it behind her. She sank to the floor with her back against the door and listened.

Silence. Deafening silence swallowed her as she tried to focus on her breathing to calm the burning in her chest. After a few minutes she stood and chanced a glance through the window where the candle set. A lone wolf sat just outside the brush, its fangs curled into a snarl.

Chloe took a deep breath and turned her attention to the inside of the cabin. The cabin wasn’t spectacular and was probably only used as a pitstop for hikers. The cabin was split into three rooms: a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a small bedroom in the back. There wasn’t much in any of the rooms. The bathroom boasted a molding washcloth, the kitchenette a single canning jar of what looked like soup, and the bedroom was just a mattress on the floor with a set of scratchy gray sheets.

Chloe stood in the middle of the bedroom, staring at the sheets. A shiver raced through her body as the tears finally began to flow. A strangled cry fell from her lips as she sank to her knees, her tears mingling with the growing pool of water from her drenched clothes. Another chill raced through her body and the cramps returned to her stomach causing her to double over and grit her teeth against the pain. Saliva filled her mouth again and she tried to fight the urge to vomit, knowing there was nothing left inside. She curled into a ball on the floor, her gaze going to the wall as the pain and cold began to overwhelm her senses. The sound of her sobs was replaced by the rattling of the front door. Another sob broke free as she forced herself to her feet and back into the living room. The knob rattled again, and she looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. There was nothing for her to use. Fear laid purchase to her body, causing a squeezing feeling in her chest and leaving her gasping for breath.

The door burst open to reveal a small hunched over form that slowly made its way inside. It closed the door behind it and locked it before turning.

“Oh my!” the elderly woman shrieked, raising her lantern to shine on Chloe’s wide eyes.

Chloe dropped to her knees, relief washing over her and a fresh set of sobs causing her shoulders to shake. Before her stood a woman in her 60s, gray hair tied into a ponytail at the base of her head. The woman’s outerwear was wet from the rain.

“Oh dear child. It’s okay,” the woman said placing a time-touched hand to Chloe’s shoulder.

Chloe looked up into the cloudy green eyes of the old woman and began sobbing again.

“I—I need—I—I need,” Chloe stammered.

“First you need to get out of those wet clothes. Let me get the fire going,” she smiled, making her way over to the fireplace.

Chloe watched as the woman reached next to the fireplace and began piling wood into the hearth before lighting it with a match. The fireplace roared to life, it’s light and warmth immediately flooding the room. The woman placed the lantern on the mantle before blowing out the light inside. Chloe continued to watch as the woman shuffled into the bedroom and returned with dry clothes, and a clean towel.

“Here you go dear. Leave those wet clothes on the line in the bathroom and wash up. I’ll get some food going and you can tell me all about what brought you to my home. I can tell it must be quite a story.”

Chloe’s body acted on autopilot as she rose to her feet and made her way into the small bathroom. She stripped out of her clothes and hung them on the rope hanging over the tub. Tub?

How did I not notice the tub before?

She was unable to focus on the thought as the smell of garlic and onions flooded her senses and made her mouth water. Instead she turned her attention to slipping on the dry clothes the woman had given her. It was only a pair of jeans, a plain blue shirt, and a black jacket. As she went to put on the jacket the bright red tag in the back grabbed her attention.

Jeffery

Chloe ran her finger over the tag once then shrugged on the jacket. All of the clothes were a little small for her, but she was thankful for them being dry.

When she existed the bathroom, the older woman’s back was turned to her as she stirred something on the stovetop. It felt as if Chloe was seeing the cabin for the first time. It was actually nice. Next to the fireplace was a rocking chair, a soft quilt rested on the seat. While she was in the bathroom the woman had set the table with two bowls and spoons. The smell of the soup the woman was making overwhelmed Chloe’s senses as she watched the woman chopping up vegetables. Chloe’s brow furrowed as she watched the woman pull fresh vegetables from a cabinet next to the stove. How had she missed that before?

Warmth from the fireplaced had permeated the room and Chloe sighed deeply. The woman turned from her pot and motioned for Chloe to sit at the table.

“Thank you. You have no idea the night I’ve had,” Chloe sighed, gratefully taking the glass of water the woman offered.

“Why don’t you tell me all about it? Soup’s going to take a while,” the older woman smiled, sitting down across from the younger girl.

The story flew from Chloe’s mouth in a flood of words as she recounted the numerous woes that had befallen her so far. As she finished her story she paused, fear and shame gripping her when she realized she had not thought about Justin until this very moment.

“I have to go. I have to find him. I--.” Chloe stammered.

“Hold on. Take a deep breath. We will go find your friend together in a bit. I promise,” the woman said, placing a hand on Chloe’s shoulder and forcing her to sit down, “but first I think you should eat something. Sounds to me like your mind is playing tricks on you.”

Chloe nodded and took another sip of water, the coolness eased the burning in her throat. A few moments later she found herself dozing of at the table and being shaken awake.

“I’m so sorry miss,” Chloe yawned, fatigue settling into her body now that the adrenaline had finally begun to wear off.

“Ruth. You can just call me Ruth,” the woman said, “why don’t you go take a nap dear.”

Chloe nodded and made her way into the bedroom. She sank down onto the mattress and almost instantly fell asleep. Groggily her eyes opened to the flickering light of the fireplace beyond the door. The warmth from the fireplace was almost too much now and she tried to sit up to take off her jacket but couldn’t. She was frozen in place, her gaze stuck to the doorway outside. Her jaw seemed to be glued shut and she could only stare as the creature made its way into her line of sight. Its silver skin glistened in the light of the fire as it made its way around the room. It slipped out of sight and once again Chloe tried to move, to scream and warn the kind elderly lady, but she again could not move. The creature came into view again and made its way back to the stove, leaned down to sniff at the pot bubbling away. Suddenly, its form began to morph and instead of the creature the woman was there stirring the pot. Chloe gasped and slammed her eyes closed, willing her body to move. Focusing on her fingers, then her toes and tried to wiggle them. Slowly she felt her body waking up and soon she sat up gasping for breath.

Chloe stood and chanced a glance into the kitchen where the woman was turning off the stove. Chloe’s vision seemed to flicker and for a brief moment the woman’s form turned into the creature once more. Fear gripped her and she began making her way across the room towards the door. Just as she reached for the doorknob the door burst open and Justin raced into the room, slamming the door behind him. Their gazes met for a moment.

“You left me!” Justin screamed, despite Chloe motioning for him to stay quiet.

“Justin—I,” she stammered, her gaze going to the confused woman at the stove.

“I don’t want to hear it. Do you know what I’ve been through. I fell down a hill, was chased by wolves, ate poison mushrooms, and look,” Justin said, pulling up his sleeve to show angry slashes similar to Chloe’s own.

“Oh dear. Those look terrible,” the woman said joining them and gripping Justin’s arm.

He pulled away for a moment before relaxing into the woman’s soft touch. Chloe’s gaze flitted over to the door and then back to Justin who was now accepting clothes and a cloth from the elderly woman. He made his way into the bathroom and the woman turned her attention back to her. She motioned for Chloe to sit. The younger woman forced a smile on her face and sat down in front of the steaming bowl of soup. Moments later Justin existed the bathroom and sat down next to Chloe. The older woman sat down a bowl of soup in front of him as well then turned back to the stove.

“Justin listen to me. We have to get out of here,” Chloe looked over her shoulder, “she isn’t what she seems.”

“Neither are you. You left me in that car to die. I am cold, tired, and hungry and frankly I don’t want to hear anything that you have to say,” Justin spat, eating a spoonful of soup.

Chloe stirred the soup in her bowl but didn’t take a bite. Instead, she watched as Justin voraciously ate his entire bowl.

“See, nothing happened,” Justin sneered, standing and making his way over to the stove to ladle another spoonful into his bowl.

Chloe picked up her spoon again and began to lift it to her lips.

“You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to. I already have what I need,” the woman’s voice cooed as she sat down across from Chloe.

Her vision swam again and she could see the woman’s true form. The same snarling creature from before.

“What are you?” Chloe swallowed hard, her gaze going to Justin who was frozen where he stood.

“I have had many names over the years,” the woman stood and made her way across the room, “when I was Jebediah I was an outdoorsman. I used this axe to chop down the trees to make this house. When I was Nathan, I used this lantern to guide me home from the mines. When I was Gertrude I planted the garden outside and canned all the vegetables in my pantry. Now that I’m Ruth, I crotched that blanket you see on the rocking chair.”

As the woman talked, she tenderly touched each of the items she talked about. Chloe’s eyes focused on the axe and the lantern for a moment then back to the woman who was next to Justin once again.

“What are you?” Chloe asked again.

“I am the voice in your head. I am your darkest desire. I’m a feeling. Some people refer to me as The Call to the Void.”

“What?”

“Let’s just say I’m a spirit and I’m in need of a new vessel, but the problem is that vessel needs to be willing. So, every few decades I set up a little test. Those that fail end up here, cold, hungry, tired, and willing to do whatever it takes to make it home. Including giving themselves to me.”

“I will never.”

“You don’t have too. He will,” the woman purred, “Justin sweetheart, sit down please.”

Justin immediately turned and sat down next to the old woman. The older woman leaned over and breathed deeply taking in the man’s scent.

“Stop.”

“It’s going to be so great being young again.”

Chloe jumped to her feet and grabbed the lantern and axe from the fireplace. She threw open the door and raced into the night. Immediately the pack of wolves from earlier materialized from the trees and Chloe swung blindly with the axe. One of the wolves ran away yelping while the others advanced snarling.

“Enough,” Justin’s voice cut through the night.

Chloe turned back towards the cabin, her eyes going wide as they met the man’s eyes that now flickered gold in the moonlight.