She gasped and quickly spun around but lost her footing on the uneven forest floor and landed among the leaves and dirt.
She looked up. "H–Hazel!" she exhaled, "you scared me." Stretching out her hand, Hazel grabbed it, effortlessly pulling her to her feet.
"Why did you follow me out here at night?" Hazel asked, watching Evelyn dust off the tiny leaves and dirt off her jeans.
"Just curious—why are you still in town and not on your way to visit Aunt Mary in France?" Evelyn questioned a suspicious look in her eyes as she dusted off her palms.
"Why are you drunk? You know how impulsive you get when that happens," Hazel scolded, placing her hands on her hips.
"No worries, I'm fi—wait, you're trying to change the topic!" Evelyn accused, her head arched forward, hands on her hips, staring harder at Hazel. Evelyn flinched as an animal's cry echoed through the air.
"Argh, that scared me!" she exclaimed, shaken. "I didn't think we had wolves in this forest."
"You know you easily get scared when you're drunk. Why not just head home?" Hazel suggested, quietly grabbing her arm.
"That will be later. I have a party to attend," she brushed her hand off.
"Then why don't you go to the party? Carole and Grace are probably waiting for you," Hazel grabbed her arm again and pulling her forward.
"What are you hiding?"
Hazel paused. "Nothing of importance. Come on," she said, pulling Evelyn along as she walked.
"Why are you trying to get rid of me so quickly? Do you have a secret boyfriend you haven't told me about?" Evelyn wiggled her brows at Hazel, who ignored her and kept pulling her along.
"Stop!" Evelyn yelled, halting Hazel in her tracks.
"Are you doing something dangerous? Why are you trying to get rid of me so badly?" She stared at Hazel, who averted her eyes away from hers.
"Just—come on," Hazel urged, pulling on her arm.
"Let me go!" Evelyn demanded, forcefully pulling her arm away. She stumbled but managed to balance herself on her feet.
"Hazel! There you are," a male's voice pierced the air from behind Evelyn. She squeaked and spun around to see a group of figures a few feet away, hidden behind trees. Hazel stiffened.
"Who's your little friend?" the voice questioned. The group parted, a distinguished man in his late forties approached.
"No one important," Hazel responded, dropping to one knee. Evelyn stared at Hazel in disbelief, moving a little closer, she whispered. "Who's that? And what's with the gesture?"
"You should leave, NOW!" Hazel forcefully muttered.
"Don't be in such a rush. Your little friend can stay," the man said calmly—too calmly, walking toward them. Evelyn glanced at Hazel. An expression of deep disgust flashed on her face, and just in an instant, it was gone.
"I th-I think I will just go," Evelyn's voice broke as she felt a wave of malaise around her. She turned to leave but felt a clamp on her wrist. A shivering, cold shiver crept up her body.
"Not so fast now," the man spun her around.
"How about you come with me? You have a very… beautiful face!" He reached his fingers toward her cheeks. Frightened, she smacked them away, quickly stepping back. The atmosphere felt aberrant, and she could feel herself getting more scared. She glanced at Hazel, just a few feet away. Her brain screamed at her to grab her, she had to be quick. But as she moved, a tall, lean man seemed to materialize from the shadows, his hand clamped forcefully around her arms.
"LET ME GO!" she shouted, trying to pull her arms out of his grasp, kicking and scratching at him repeatedly. I hadn't noticed anyone that close a second ago.
"M..." Hazel tried to utter but was silenced by a sharp look from the older man. She clenched her palms into fists, her jaw tightened. It's all my fault.
The man once again approached Evelyn. She could feel her heart pounding and fear quickly creeping in on her. Why isn't Hazel doing anything? Is this a joke? I really don't like this.
"Stay–St–Stay you creep!" She yelled, instantly kicking her leg forward, aiming at his gut.
"Eve!" Hazel warned. It's too late.
The man unfazed by her kick grabbed hold of her leg. He raised his head, dark red eyes met Evelyn's gaze. She tried to pull her leg back—it's stuck, it won't move an inch. As though enjoying her struggle, he flashed a sickly-sweet smile. Horrified, she stared at his mouth. It resembled a maw. Long, pointy curved canines hung from the sides of his mouth; their sharp tips seemed to look back at her. Before she had a moment to think further or scream, he launched forward, sinking his canines into her leg.
———
"Aaaaah!" Evelyn screamed, violently jolting upright, her fingers clutching the sheets as sunlight streamed through the window behind her, brightening the room.
She breathed heavily, squinting her eyes. The sound of birds chirping quickly blasted against her eardrums, nearly deafening her. She pressed her hands against her ears, looking around with dimmed eyes. Unable to see clearly, she closed them and pressed harder against her ears. As the noise quickly died down, she opened her eyes and looked behind her, spotting a group of birds on a tree branch three houses opposite hers. Rubbing the back of her palm against her eyes, she looked through the window again. The birds were gone, and she couldn't see the branch now.
An engine sounded below, as a truck passed on the street, stopping beneath her window. "Morning Evelyn!" a man yelled, leaning out from the driver's seat.
"G-Good morning Mr. Garcia," Evelyn replied, a bit startled. Am I home? She pulled her head back through the window. It's morning? I'm in my room and—in bed? With a sudden realization, she quickly yanked the blanket off, exposing her legs.
"M... My leg is... fine?" she murmured in disbelief, gently running her trembling fingers over it. She checked the other leg; it was unharmed. Returning to the same leg, her fingers traced over the area—smooth, unbroken skin.
She glanced at the door, expecting to see her parents rushing in, concerned about the loud scream. No one came. She must have slept until late morning, and was therefore home alone. She stared more intensely at her leg. It might have been a dream, but it all felt too real.