The dusty room felt like a cage, its cracked walls holding in the group's ragged breaths as they slumped against them, the blood-red moon leaking through the busted window. Shadows twitched on the floor, making Caleb's stomach churn, and his hands still trembled from the mad dash to get here.
The charm in his pocket pulsed like a heartbeat, and he couldn't shake the weight of Jenny's sobs echoing in his head. She sat hunched near him, her shoulder a bloody wreck, her face streaked with tears and dirt as she rocked back and forth. "I thought we were dead out there," she mumbled, her voice a shaky mess, her eyes hollow.
Caleb nodded, keeping his distance but feeling the pull to say something. "Yeah… me too. We'll hold it off somehow," he said, his voice rough, fear lacing every word, trying to sound sure.
Lila leaned against the doorframe, her red hair a wild tangle, that broken plank dangling in her grip. Her chest heaved, and she wiped sweat from her brow, her eyes hard but wet. "That thing's not giving up," she muttered, her voice low, a mix of exhaustion and fire. She glanced at Tara, who huddled by the wall, her tattered bag clutched tight. "You better hope this place holds, or we're all toast," Lila snapped, her tone sharp with distrust.
"I-I've hid here before when it got bad! I think it's okay!" she stammered, her voice quivering like she might cry. Ethan slumped in the corner, rubbing his bruised leg, his face twisted with pain and a scowl. "Think? That's rich! You dragged us here—how do we know you ain't leading it right to us?" he snapped, his voice loud, edged with a snarl.Tara's chin wobbled, but she straightened, wiping her nose. "I'm not! I've been out here alone —why would I want to die?" she shot back, her words shaky but fierce. Caleb narrowed his eyes, his chest tight with suspicion. "you being able to survive alone doesn't mean you're safe to us," he muttered, his voice cold, keeping her at arm's length. Lila nodded, her grip on the plank tightening. "Damn right. You're on thin ice, kid," she hissed, her anger barely masking her own jitters.
A low growl rumbled outside, and Jenny flinched, her sob catching loud. "It's back—please, no!" she yelped, her panic sharp, her hands clawing at the floor. Caleb's heart jumped, his breath hitching as he grabbed a rock, his palms sweaty. "Stay down—we'll deal with it!" he shouted, his voice wobbling, a memory flickering—his mom's voice calling him in from the woods back home, soft but firm, before she and his dad vanished one night, leaving him with nothing but echoes.
He shook it off, focusing on the now. Lila swung the plank at the window, shattering more glass. "Come on, you coward—face us!" she roared, her voice a wild, shaky challenge.
Tara fumbled in her bag, pulling out a rusty knife. "This… it's all I've got," she said, holding it out, her hands shaking. Ethan limped over, snatching it with a grunt. "A rusty nail? Terrific," he muttered, his sarcasm bitter, his fingers unsteady. The growl grew, and a shadow hand slapped the window, cracking it wider. Jenny screamed, curling tighter. "I can't handle this!" she sobbed, her voice breaking.
Caleb's fear spiked, but he gripped the rock harder, his mind drifting again—to Ethan, the scrappy kid he met years ago trading comics in a dusty shop, now his rock through this hell. "We're not breaking yet," he growled, his voice rough, glancing at Lila.
Her red hair caught the moonlight, and for a split second, Caleb's breath caught—a flash of a young girl he'd seen once in those same woods, her hair the same shade, her eyes a mystery as she vanished into the trees. He hadn't thought of her in years, and now, seeing Lila, something tugged at him, a weird familiarity he couldn't place. He shook his head, focusing...."maybe am about to die that's why I keep getting this visions". He thought to himself. The shadow pulled back as the charm light surged forward, the growl fading, leaving a tense quiet. Caleb dropped the rock, his breath ragged, relief mixing with unease. "We're alive… for now," he muttered, the charm pulsing.