The next day at 8 AM…
"Yeah, we'll go with you," Echo sighed, leaning back in his chair. "But we only need two more people. No point in dragging others into this. Armstrong seems pretty touchy about keeping it a secret."
"True," Sasha added, her brow furrowing.
"Alright, then. We'll be the group. We leave tonight at 8," Leo declared with determination.
"Why tonight?" Sasha asked, confusion evident in her expression.
"Well, if Armstrong wants it kept quiet, we'll do just that. We're only out there to investigate, so let's keep a low profile. I have to meet someone," Leo replied, heading for the door.
Echo and Sasha exchanged puzzled glances as he stepped out of the office.
******
But Leo wasn't meeting anyone. Instead, he found himself at a sprawling graveyard, stopping in front of two tombstones.
"Hailey and Marble. My sweet little angels," he murmured, placing fresh flowers at their graves. "I've been holding up, Hailey. Don't you worry about me." He chuckled softly. "Marble, you better be keeping that hair short. Daddy misses you. Both of you."
Suddenly, Leo heard faint whispers brushing against his ears. He spun around, and for a fleeting moment, he found himself in a cozy living room. A woman with dark hair was laughing, cradling a little girl who joined in the mirth.
The vision flickered away, and Leo was back in the graveyard. "What just happened?" he muttered, bewildered.
******
By 6 PM, Leo, Echo, and Sasha were huddled together in a new burger joint in the city.
"This place is amazing!" Sasha exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
"You two are eating dead animals," Echo remarked, shaking his head disapprovingly.
"Tell that to the owner. I heard it's family-run," she shot back playfully.
"Whatever," Echo grumbled, taking a bite of his salad. "Aren't you hungry?" he asked Leo.
Leo lifted his gaze slightly, offering a faint smile. "Not really."
"I see. Well, since I barely know you two, how about we share our goals and dreams?" Echo suggested, leaning forward.
"No."
"YES!" Sasha interjected enthusiastically.
Leo rolled his eyes. Sasha took a deep breath. "My dream is to own a beauty store!"
"Oh, really? You're going to do my hair for free?" Echo teased.
"Of course… not!" she laughed.
Echo turned to Leo. "What about you, man?"
"I don't know. Nothing much, really."
"Liar," Echo muttered under his breath.
"How am I a liar?"
"Everyone has a goal. If you don't, life loses its meaning. My goal is to never fail anyone again."
"Elaborate," Sasha pressed, intrigued.
"I'm ex-military. Served for ten years. I had about fifty brothers and sisters during my service. I lost every single one of them. We went on a mission to the Pacific, and there was a heavy surprise attack on a small island. We lost 97% of our troops. I led those men to their deaths, even with warnings to pull out. I'm 31, and I've seen too much."
A heavy silence enveloped the table. "I'm sorry, man," Leo said softly.
"It's alright. You live… you learn," Echo shrugged. "So, what about you?"
Sasha and Echo turned their full attention to Leo. He chuckled lightly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "To be honest, my goal is to matter. Just… to matter to people and be something. I lost my wife and daughter in an accident a few years back. I work a job I don't care about, don't talk to my family, and I feel like I haven't accomplished anything in my 28 years. I want to stop being a coward and finally matter. That's it…"
"You matter," Sasha said, her smile warm and sincere.
"You matter," Echo echoed, nodding.
******
Later, the trio arrived in Mrs. Harvey's neighborhood, parking a few houses away. They crept through the yard, making their way to the back.
"Here we go. Are we ready for this?" Leo asked, pulling out a flashlight.
"Hell yes!" Sasha replied, excitement palpable in her voice.
"Let's do it," Echo said, taking the lead.
As they walked, the chorus of crickets filled the air, their footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves. The moonlight cast an ethereal glow, illuminating the forest floor.
"What exactly are we looking for?" Echo asked, glancing around.
"Anything that looks off," Leo replied, scanning the surroundings.
"Okay, so we have you? That's pretty weird," Echo joked.
"Yeah, whatever, Echo," Leo chuckled.
As they ventured deeper into the woods, a strange squishy sound caught their attention. "To the right," Sasha said, her instincts kicking in.
Leo swung his flashlight toward the noise and spotted something resembling a blob darting across the ground.
"LET'S GRAB IT!" Leo shouted, adrenaline surging through him as they took off in pursuit. The blob emitted a piercing screech that made them wince and cover their ears.
Suddenly, it sprouted wings and took flight. "The gun!" Echo yelled, pulling out a pistol.
"What?! You brought a gun?!" Sasha gasped, surprise evident in her voice.
"Of course! I didn't know what to expect in the dark forest," Echo replied, fumbling to aim.
Leo grabbed his arm just as Echo fired. "You made me miss—"
"We're near houses! Don't make a scene!" Leo insisted, urgency in his voice.
"I would've hit it," Echo grumbled, but Leo ignored him, keeping his eyes on the creature.
Sasha and Echo stayed close behind as Leo focused on the fleeing thing. Suddenly, he tripped and fell, sliding across the ground until he collided with a tree, losing sight of the creature. "Are you alright?" Sasha yelled, rushing to help him up.
"Yeah, I just… tripped," Leo muttered, glancing around, confusion still lingering. (What was that force? That pressure?)
"It'll come back. According to Mrs. Harvey, she's heard it more than once. Whatever it is, it'll return because it's drawn to something," Echo explained.
"No," Leo whispered, a plan forming in his mind. "We stay the night and wait for it to return. I doubt it's active during the day. It hides in the forest for cover. I suspect it's an abomination of multiple animals combined. We need to do some digging. Sasha, you'll search around town for any reports of missing animals or strange occurrences."
"Me and you are just going to stay here?" Echo asked, a hint of apprehension in his voice.
"Yep. We'll wait for it to come back and come up with a plan to capture it," Leo said, starting to set up camp.
Sasha crossed her arms, frustration bubbling. "Wait, so you just want me to leave like that? That's ridiculous! There was no reason for me to come if I knew you two were just going to make me run off!" she yelled.
"Do you want to stay in the creepy woods or search the town?" Leo asked. Sasha thought about it and sighed. "I'll… I'll go search the town."
"Well, that settles that!" Echo said.
******
Sasha got in the car and began driving into town. "I'm not one to believe in supernatural stuff, but that was crazy. There really is more to this world…"
Sasha parked near the mall center and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Okay, they'll be hanging out in the woods all night. I'm not even sure where to start looking." Sasha studied the area, trying to figure out who to ask.
"This is stupid!" she muttered. Once again, she had a strange feeling. Her surroundings morphed into a scene of destruction, filled with dead bodies everywhere.
It happened for an instant. She gasped and wiped her face. "What… was that?"
Next chapter: The Date
In 7 days.