[Present Day - Ohio Forbidden Forest]

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"Do we have to come at this time of night?" Nicholas asked Richard, who was currently next to him.

"Susshhhht, can you shut up? Don't worry; the point is we still have to find the animals !" Richard said in a whisper.

They both decided to go into the forbidden forest in Ohio city, only to bring a less useful light. Sometimes they both use the flashlight that is on their respective cellphones. And actually, the two of them were also forced to enter the forest because of group work that required them to complete and be collected tomorrow morning.

They both got a very odd task because their art teacher asked them both to be able to get a photo of an owl that was about to pounce on its prey. And the photo can't be edited or taken on Google. So that's what made the two of them shake their heads a bit because the task was so redundant.

Nicholas and Richard have been best friends since childhood; they live in a remote town in Ohio. Nicholas only lived with his mother, and so did Richard. Their lives are almost the same, but only fate separates them.

Nicholas is a man who is so quiet, with brown hair and sharp black eyes, making people a little afraid to look at him; his posture is quite good because he often does his exercise at home. And the fact about Nicholas is that he rarely interacts with his friends at school, only Richard, who always accompanies Nicholas wherever he goes.

Richard was the most confident guy in the city's high school and would often make noise to make himself visible to everyone. He likes to be watched by many people.

"This is the most annoying group assignment I've ever had, like a suicide task heading into the forbidden forest where we might not know there's anything in this forest," Nicholas grumbled, annoyed with the group assignment he had with Richard because the art teacher was a little different from the other teachers.

"Never mind, the important thing is that we get the best photos. After that, we will go home together." Richard said, smiling at the man next to him.

Nicholas tried to remain calm and casual when the two of them were now in the woods. People rarely enter the forbidden forest, and they both ventured into it to get the best portrait of an owl that would pounce on its prey.

Because Nicholas is good at taking pictures, This is an advantage for Richard too, because he can get a groupmate and his best friend.

"Cracks!"

They were silent for a moment when they heard twigs breaking not far around them.

Nicholas' eyes went wide, and so did Richard's. But Richard tried to remain calm and confident when he heard the voice.

"Relax, maybe it's just a passing night animal, maybe a deer?" Richard said confidently as he put his arm around Nicholas' shoulders and asked him to leave the place because they both had to head to a more open place to find the owl's whereabouts.

[Phone ringing]

The two of them immediately stopped when one of their cell phones rang.

"Is that your cell phone?" Nicholas asked Richard, and Richard nodded his head slowly.

Richard gave a code that he would pick it up first.

Nicholas was waiting for Richard to finish his conversation with the person on the phone because when he picked up the phone, Richard was a bit away from Nicholas.

Nicholas narrowed his eyes as he looked around the area, trying to spot any owls that might be about to catch their prey. When Nicholas pointed his cell phone's flashlight at the surrounding area, he seemed to see something he might have missed just now.

What's that? Are those the eyes of an owl? Nicholas thought as he took a quick look; two pairs of eyes lit up when hit by the light from his cell phone flashlight.

But when Nicholas tried to point his cellphone's flashlight in a direction where he realized that a Pair of Eyes was looking at him, the pair of glowing eyes were no longer in the same place.

"Richard, I think I found the owl," Nicholas said while looking behind him, but by the time he tried to tell the news, Richard was no longer behind Nicholas.

"Richard!!!" Nicholas shouted when he realized that Richard was no longer with him.

"Richard!!!" Nicholas Called Richard's name several times, but there was no answer.

A look of panic began to creep over Nicholas, and he couldn't calm down when he was alone in the forest.

Oh, where does Richard suddenly disappear at an important moment like this? Nicholas thought, annoyed as he walked away from the place; he decided to head into the forest to find the owl alone.

That night was very different from the usual night because the night birds in the forbidden forest seemed reluctant to make their voices.

"Crack!"

The sound of a branch breaking.

Nicholas paused and took his cell phone out of his pocket. He was about to turn on the flashlight on his cell phone with trembling hands. Suddenly when he stepped back, he slipped and fell.

[Bughhh]

"Shit!!!"

Nicholas stood and reached into the flashlight in his trouser pocket for his cell phone. He hadn't used the flashlight because he thought the battery had run out, so it was inconvenient. With a dim light, Nicholas slowly aimed the flashlight to the right and left, where he fell. And slowly opened the dry leaf to find it; he walked back and forth to the right and left.

But the dim light of the flashlight made it difficult to find it.

Nicholas swung his flashlight to the right and...

[STOP]

I feel I saw something. Nicholas muttered

Nicholas pointed the flashlight in the previous direction.

And he was surprised because there was the figure of a male Head in front of him, with the body's condition embedded in the ground.

Surprised by this, Nicholas immediately jumped back. What turned out to be behind him was a very steep descent.

"Aaaaaa!!"

Nicholas fell hard and toppled over several times.

"Brakkk"

It finally stopped when its body crashed into a tree trunk at the base of the steep bank.

His body felt crushed.

Nicholas gasped and tried to get up from his fall. He grabbed the fallen tree trunk before him and tried to get up.

His breathing was still irregular. He stepped forward and,

"Crack!!!"

"Gggggrrrr"

Nicholas paused for a moment because he heard a growling voice behind him.

Nicholas looked back slowly and saw a pair of red eyes fixed on him.

I'm dead! He cursed in his heart, then

Nicholas rushed to run with all his might, running away from the sinister figure.

"Grekkk"

He fell because something pushed him from behind.

He tried to get back up with great difficulty.

"Aarghhhh"

He groaned because something was trying to force him and pull him. The black figure with red eyes radiating from it gripped Nicholas' legs tightly.

Then threw Nicholas aside.

"Awww,"

Nicholas groaned at the pain in his upper left arm.

He desperately tried to reach his feet, running away from the sinister figure. He ran while enduring the pain in his left arm.

Nicholas fell several times, but he tried to keep running as hard as possible to escape the creatures chasing him.

Nicholas kept looking straight ahead and didn't want to look back. He kept running,

"HONKKKK,"

Nicholas stopped and raised his right hand in front of his face, saving his eyes from the glare of the car headlights that had suddenly come and almost hit him.

He was in the middle of a deserted street at the moment.

Nicholas paused to catch his breath and slowly opened his jacket to confirm the wound on his left arm.

The wound is also deep and strange,

Bite wound.

Nicholas was still standing in the middle of the street panting and heard a wolf howl in the distance.

"AUUUUUU"

"Damn, where the heck is Richard? How dare he leave me alone in this forbidden forest. Of course, you'll see I managed to escape from the beast's pursuit. Tomorrow I won't talk to him."