Legosi stood there as if he was frozen in time staring at the bank of America and just taking in the sight of the largest building on the west coast. This was Legosi's final stop in town for a very long time.
"Sorry to keep you waiting" His lawyer states as he exits his vehicle.
"No worries Cody. Let's make this quick"
Legosi travels onward up the stairs through the main entrance accompanied by Cody. The moment you walk through those doors a shiver goes down your spine from the sudden AC attack and the atmosphere gets calm. Not a moment later they were greeted by a pretty clerk that led them to the vault.
The huge doors took ages to open revealing a wall of iron bars that were opened with a separate key. With both gates open the three of them made their way into a room filled with drawers; all marked with a number and a keyhole.
Once the clerk got the number from Cody she pulled out box number 070 and gently placed it on the table in the center of the vault. Legosi had already unlocked and had his hands on the lid but he was hesitant to unveil its contents. He had no clue what to expect but there is no turning back so Legosi flipped open the lid and was underwhelmed.
"Oh lemme see" Cody was helping himself to the photos within the box while Legosi was busy going through the yellow envelope. Upon revealing the cash inside the envelope and going through the pictures Legosi was just about to pack it up until he saw a little black box tucked away into the corner of the container.
He opened the box and pulled out a gold necklace with a cross that was riddled with diamonds. Legosi had it dangling off his fingers and held it up so it could sparkle in the light.
"Did you give that to her?"
"No…I've never seen it before" The only jewelry she wore was our wedding ring so he never bought her anything else besides flowers and the sort. He gently placed it back into the tiny black box and stored it into his jacket while moving everything else into his pockets. Legosi and Cody thanked the clerk and made their way out the bank. Legosi leaned up against his car and sparked a cigarette and locked his gaze back onto the towering building making him feel that much smaller.
"I know this is hard Legosi. She was a good woman" Cody surprised him but Legosi didn't respond. After a brief couple of seconds and a burnt up, cig Legosi started his car up and was ready to leave.
"Hold on!" Cody was pulling out his pad and pen and started writing an address down. He then gave it to Legosi just as he was pulling out.
"I know what it's like to lose someone. Take some time for yourself and enjoy nature." He gave a warm smile and Legosi had no choice but to take it so he grabbed the address and put it into his jacket pocket.
On highway 85 Legosi took the first exit into a town called 'Stardew Valley' to refuel and get snacks at the nearest truck stop. He pulled right up next to a pump and made his way inside. The restaurant within the truck stop was packed with families and truckers so Legosi decided to go to the convinced section and get light snacks for the rest of his trip.
As he was browsing the alcohol he noticed how quiet it was on this side of the store so he couldn't help but eavesdrop on a conversation between a group of teenagers.
"Did they ever find where your sister went?" Said one guy to the taller one
"Kinda…she disappeared into Seaview Forest and nobody has the guts to follow her." Legosi was standing in line behind the loud pair of boys and he was annoyed with their fake sob story
"Why? What's in those woods?" The smaller kid questioned
"Wolves. Wolves the size of bears with the brain of dolphins" Legosi didn't believe in ghost stories and certainly not evil intelligent animals so he patiently waited for his turn to check out. As he was moving the product onto the counter for check out the cashier muttered under his breath
"They are telling the truth" Legosi heard what he said but didn't understand.
"What?"
"Seaview Forest's wolves are the number one cause of death in this valley" The cashier wasn't even looking at Legosi instead he was very calm and occupied with scanning the food. Legosi was also quiet but deep down he was paranoid. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the paper from his lawyer which read 'In Stardew Valley on Cherry road I have a cabin you can use located 30 miles into Seaview Forest ps the key is under the mat'
"You won't make it there," The cashier said as he handed the bags to Legosi. Legosi, who was nervous, took the bags and without a word, he left back to his car. At the pump, he quickly fueled up and left the truck stop. He was making his way through town and took a left onto 'Cherry Avenue' there he started to slow down as the road turned to gravel and he came face to face with a large sign on the nearest tree reading "Welcome to Seaview Forest'
The woods where slightly darker than town due to the sun's rays barely piercing the treetop and the humid smell made for a cool and quiet forest. It was the perfect place to picnic, but Legosi wasn't taking in the nice scenery instead he was scanning the trees on both sides of the woods. An hour passed and yet no signs of life whatsoever.
Legosi finally made it to a clearing with a shady looking cabin dead next to the ocean. The cabin was well lit from the setting sun and the oceans wave broke the silence. As he pulled up to the cabin Legosi forgot about his troubles as he sat in the car and watched the waves dance. He felt as if he had traveled to a resort booked for himself only.
He snapped out of the ocean's trance and headed towards the porch; there he retrieved the key under the doormat and entered the building. Legosi was dumbfounded at the interior of the cabin because it looked as if someone was living there. The fireplace was just barely dying, food was littered everywhere and the tv was on a dead channel.
"Hello" he yelled before entering "is anybody here?" No response. Legosi shrugged it off and started to bring in his belongings from the car. He cleared the dining table for his boxes and started to unpack.
"You shouldn't be here" A sudden voice came from the door making Legosi jump back.
"Oh my God, you scared me…what are you doing out here?" He left the kitchen and walked towards the voice and at the door stood a little girl with a teddy bear in her arms.
"Hey, sweetie do you want me to take you home?"
"They know you're here," she says while looking through me
"Who? Your parents?" I muttered as she still stares past me. The girl turned around and headed down the gravel road. She didn't walk too fast but he still didn't want her to walk to town on foot because that would take days. So Legosi grabbed his car keys off the kitchen table and drove his car up to the little girl.
"Get in. I'll take you to town" I yelled but the little girl kept walking. She was ignoring Legosi and acted as if he wasn't even there. Legosi drove up in front of her, parked the car, got out, and opened the passenger door for her.
"Please. It will take forever on foot" he stood there with the door open and motioned for her to get in. She stopped just in front of him and looked into the wood line. He also turned his head towards the woods but saw nothing. The little girl then climbed into the car and buckled up without saying a peep. Legosi followed suit.
"Have you been staying at the cabin?" he questions
"Yes," she replied without taking her eyes off the trees.
"Where do you live?"
"I don't know" He could tell that the conversation wasn't going anywhere so they both stayed silent for the entire ride. As they were nearing the town Legosi pulled out his phone to search the nearest police station. They then pulled into the parking lot and Legosi got out.
"Wait here," he said as he left for the front doors. Inside he was greeted by a deputy and Legosi told the officer the whole thing. The officer looked like he saw a ghost; the second Legosi finished his story the officer bolted out the doors and ran to the car to greet the girl. He opened the door and the officer picked up the little girl.
"She has been missing for months!" The officer claimed
"Well, why doesn't anybody go out into the woods? They are just a bunch of dogs"
"They aren't dogs. They are monsters" he says
"And if you ever need help or are in trouble while you're in the woods. Don't call us" he parted with those final words leaving Legosi a bit scared. Legosi kept those words with him as he got into his car and headed back towards his cabin. By the time he got home, it was late at night and he crawled right into bed.
Legosi got a head start on the day by waking up early and making breakfast. He opened up the freezer around the side of the house and found it packed full of deer, duck, and fish. He was super stoked about the sheer thought of eating deer so he pulled out a chunk and set it in the sink to thaw for tonight. Once Legosi finished breakfast he started to explore the house a bit more and came across a room filled with books and a single chair next to a lamp.
"Well I guess there is nothing else better to do" he made his way to the first bookshelf and as he got close the floor made a loud 'creak' under his foot. Confused he stepped on it again and confirmed that the floor underneath him was hallow so he put down his mug and lifted up the carpet. The wooden floorboards were perfectly aligned with each other except for the one he stepped on. The single squeaky floorboard had a small man-made hole. Legosi stuck his finger in it and lifted the board revealing a small compartment with a Benelli Lupo hunting rifle, a 44. Magnum, one box of ammo and a cleaning kit
He pulled out the weaponry and examined it. The weapons where clean and still functioning but the box of ammo contained only 1 round for the handgun. He rested the rifle on the couch and strapped the magnum to his hip. After covering up the compartment Legosi grabbed his keys and started to drive to town.
Back in town, he was waiting at the intersection when he realized that the town was dead silent. Not a single car or person in sight. The place was deafeningly silent as if everybody moved out overnight. When he noticed this Legosi felt uneasy and a shiver crawled up his spine. He couldn't help but feel as if he was being watched even though nobody was there.
Legosi arrived at the 'Pawn n Coin' store and briskly entered the pawnshop. Inside was a huge assortment of random goodies, tools, and weapons hanging on the wall behind the Clerk.
"Howdy!" The man said as he was wiping down the glass counter.
"Whatcha looking for?"
"I need some rounds for my guns," Legosi said.
"Wait a minute" the clerk pointed at Legosi. "You're the fellow that saved Kaitlin right?"
"Who?"
"The little girl that was missing"
"Uh yeah. I found her at my cabin when I moved into this town" Legosi was honestly curious about her and was hoping she was safe. "How is she?"
"She's dead mate." As he was getting out couple boxes of rounds and placing them on the counter.
"Wait! What? What happened?" Legosi couldn't hide his fear at this point.
"Well the cops dropped her off to her mother last night, but this morning when they went to check on her they found Kaitlin's mom and brother chopped up and burning in the fireplace." The clerk was so calm as if this happens often.
"What the fuck!" He yelled
"Haha, that's what I said. Yeah, when the cops tried to apprehend Kaitlin she kept telling them that she didn't recognize her own mother and brother. Then she tried stabbing one of the police officers and so they shot her."
Legosi stood there with his mouth wide open. He couldn't say anything for his mind went blank. "But she was just a little girl. Sure she seemed off but why?" The clerk shrugged his shoulders and started scanning the boxes.
"Hey man. This shit happens all the time here. Everybody that's ever made it out of those woods came back different. They never recognize their friends or family or even remember their own names. Usually, they end up killing themselves soon after coming into town." Legosi was in shock and stayed silent. He had received a lot of information in a short amount of time and didn't know what to do next. His mind was racing with thoughts.
"That'll be 230$" The clerk brought Legosi back from his daze. Legosi pulled out 250 and handed it over to the clerk.
"Keep the change," he said as he was leaving.
Legosi wanted nothing more than to leave this haunted town so he got in his car and went back home into the Seaview Forest. As he was nearing the cabin he saw a black animal sitting on his porch staring at him. Legosi's hair spiked and he slowed down the car's approach. As he got closer he realized it was a German Shepherd and the doggo was wagging its tail as Legosi parked the car.
Legosi pulled out his magnum and loaded six rounds into it then placed it back onto his hip. He slowly got out and made his way to the dog without losing eye contact.
"Hey, there fella." As he slowly reached his right hand to pet the dog.
"What's your name?" The dog barked back as if to reply to the question.
"Hmm. I'm going to call you Kujo!" The dog barked again and then rolled over exposing his belly. Legosi dropped his guard and continued to love the dog.
"Alright, let's go inside. I'm making deer burgers." The German Shepherd got up and ran inside the house making himself at home on Legosi's bed and falling asleep.
That night Legosi and his new best friend enjoyed a hot meal. This was the happiest they both have been in a very long time.
The year has come and gone and the food in the freezer has run dry but Legosi vowed never to go to town unless it's an emergency. Kujo, his best friend and loyal companion, has grown attached to Legosi and never leaves his side especially when they are both outsides. Legosi has gotten used to the outdoors and found peace in his new home.
The snow was beginning to thicken making it harder for Legosi to grow crops so he planned a route to take for him and Kujo through the forest. They had prepared and plotted a hunting trip.
"Kujo! You ready boy?" The dog barked with glee and so they both set off for the first time into the woods away from home and civilization. Hours had passed and no sign of game anywhere, however, the day was still early so they pushed onward. Legosi had broken small sticks and made marks on trees so as to not get lost. Suddenly Kujo freezes in his tracks and lowers his profile making Legosi follow suit. They both looked in the same direction and a mere hundred meters away was an elk.
"Get ready boy" he whispers as he lowers himself onto a fallen tree trunk. The dog was dead silent waiting for the chase and Legosi slowed his breathing. They were downwind and out of sight so the elk continued to graze without care. Legosi steadied his rifle on the log and lined up his shot. Bang! the elk took off in the opposite direction; unsure if he hit it they both ran up to the deer's location and found a blood trail.
"After it boy! He can't go far!"
Kujo was already hot on its heels barking and biting the creature's legs but it was still much faster. Legosi, however, lost sight of them but continued to run after the blood trail, and because it was snowing the elk's fate was sealed. Legosi continued running and stopped on the edge of a mountain with the trail of blood and paw prints leading straight into the mouth of a large cave. He could hear the echos of the barks inside so he dropped his backpack and pulled out a flashlight.
"Kujo! Kujo! Where are you?" He hollered but the dogs barking was persistent for Kujo wanted the elk oh so badly.
"Kujo! Let's go boy" Legosi was beginning to fear the unknown. The cave was dark and wet causing him to slip and fall many times but he kept going towards the sound of the barking determined to find his friend.
Until the barking stopped and Legosi stopped moving as well, instead he stood quietly and just listened for any clue as to where Kujo could be. Then out of the darkness, Kujo comes running past Legosi and out of the cave.
"Kujo what's wrong?" The dog ignored him and disappeared back into the woods. Legosi began to follow him out but just behind him, he heard the scariest cry of the elk followed by a loud crunching sound. The noise was unbearable and at this moment he knew the cave was inhabited by something. Legosi didn't want to find out what it was so instead he ran out of the cave with lightning-like speed and he didn't stop until he saw the sun again.
Legosi stopped against a tree to catch his breath but before he could fully recover a piercing howl echoed out of the cave. It was so loud both Legosi and Kujo tried to cover their ears and they fell in pain. The very ground shook from the monstrous howl of this terrifying animal. The second it was over Legosi turned towards the cave with his rifle at the ready but there at the entrance was a wolf.
The wolf had two tails and was the size of a truck. It had saliva pouring from its mouth and a nasty look in its eyes. Legosi had finally seen death in the flesh. Without hesitation, the large canine pounced on Legosi attempting to take his head off but Legosi was fast enough to put his rifle between his head and the jaws of this monster. His strength was fading and the wolves saliva landed all over his face blinding Legosi.
Legosi was about to die in a grueling and painful way and just as he was about to give up and get eaten Kujo leaps out of the bushes and locks his jaw onto the monster's neck making it leap off Legosi and scream in pain. The beast thrashed around widely in an attempt to throw Kujo off him. Legosi took the opportunity to wipe off the saliva from his face and ran back home while the two dogs fought to the death behind him.
The wolf threw his body weight around so much it knocked over trees which almost crushed Legosi as he was fleeing. Without looking back he ran for his life and left his rifle behind; Legosi could hear the fight rage on and the huge trees crashing down all around him as he escaped. He eventually reached his cabin and locked the doors behind him while also using his own body weight to keep it shut in case the monster came for him.
In the distance, the fighting had ceased and it was once again silent. A second howl rang through the forest signaling the monster's victory over Kujo. Legosi broke down in tears from the trauma and wept for his fallen friend.
"Kujo…im so sorry" he couldn't stop apologizing. His loyal pal had given his life to save Legosi and he cried so hard knowing he couldn't do the same. He felt like a coward not worthy of having such a companion.
He fell to the ground and clutched his heart for the pain had shattered it; his heart stopped not long after and his vision faded. Legosi's life finally flashed before his eyes through the darkness. He witnessed childhood, marriage, loss and the last thing he heard was the triumphant howl of a wolf possessed by a demon