Tasha Waters glanced out the window in the middle of math class, her mind wandering far from algebra problems. There must be something about those woods, she thought. Her textbook lay open, but the recent string of Pamela's murder seemed far more pressing than solving equations.
Maybe I should go explore them, she mused.
After class, she passed Priscilla Montgomery and caught a glimpse of the melancholy in her eyes.
She's still blaming herself for Paisley's disappearance, Tasha thought, though it seems like Ulric's moved on—or at least, he's trying to. She watched him talking to Talia, a faint smile on his face.
---
Amy sat with her friend Delilah at lunch, her gaze fixed on Rosa Hudson, who sat alone at the back of the cafeteria, quietly eating.
Delilah smirked, nudging her. "If you want to talk to her so badly, why not just go over?"
Amy tore her eyes away, sipping her juice. "What makes you think I want to talk to her?"
Delilah laughed. "Oh, I don't know—maybe the constant staring?"
Blushing, Amy mumbled, "It's not that. Honestly, it's… nothing. Never mind."
Delilah gave her a look. "If you say so."
---
After school, Amy heard her name being called. She turned to see Rosa Hudson hurrying toward her, her skin pale.
"Amy, right?" Rosa asked, her eyes slightly unfocused.
"Yeah…"
Without warning, Rosa grabbed her shoulders, her hands startlingly cold—too cold for someone who had just stepped outside. It felt like she'd been out in the cold for hours, maybe days.
"Can I come over?" Rosa asked.
"Huh?" Amy blinked. "Why would you want to?"
"I'm bored. I asked others, but they said no." Rosa's expression was strangely hopeful, and though Amy wasn't thrilled about the idea, she couldn't bring herself to refuse.
---
Ulric Adams strolled through downtown in the early evening, Paisley's face flickering in his mind as he listened to music. His attention was caught by a shop he didn't remember seeing before, with a "Grand Opening" sign.
Curious, he paused his music and stepped inside, immediately enveloped in a warm vanilla scent. The shop was small and filled with antique clocks, globes, nutcrackers, and grandfather clocks—a cozy atmosphere that put him at ease.
"Hello, welcome!" a woman's voice called.
Ulric turned to see a woman behind the cash register, somewhere in her thirties or forties. She had long brown hair and pale skin, her ample cleavage emphasized by the cut-out sweater she wore.
"Hey," he replied, glancing around.
"I'm Jade Langstaff," she introduced herself with a smile. "Feel free to browse."
He wandered through the aisles, admiring the vintage knickknacks though none really grabbed his attention. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a portrait leaning against the wall.
It was of a young woman, probably in her twenties, with golden blonde hair tied in a bun and dressed in a black Victorian gown. With huge ample breasts. Her striking beauty drew him in.
Jade's voice came from behind him. "Admiring the painting?"
He turned. "Yeah. How much for it?"
She shrugged. "Oh, that one? You can have it for free."
"Seriously?" Ulric looked back at the painting. "Who's the artist?"
Jade just smiled—a smile that felt unsettling, almost… predatory.
"Do you want it?" she asked.
He hesitated, but something compelled him. "Yeah, I'll take it."
"Perfect," she said, her tone oddly dark. As he left the shop with the portrait in hand, he realized what had felt so unsettling about her smile.
Were those… fangs?
---
Amy and Rosa arrived at the Ashford residence, where Amy's mom, Susan, was cooking spaghetti in the kitchen. The air was filled with the comforting aroma of garlic.
Amy's face lit up. "Oh, are you making garlic spaghetti again?" She rushed into the kitchen.
Susan smiled. "Yes, I know it's your favorite, so—" Her eyes drifted to Rosa. "And who's this?"
"Oh, this is Rosa… she's, um, a friend," Amy said, though she wasn't quite sure what to call her.
Susan smiled kindly. "Well, nice to meet you, Rosa."
But Rosa's face contorted with sudden disgust. She looked almost unrecognizable, her usual childlike expression twisting into something far uglier.
Everyone paused, uneasy.
"What's wrong?" Susan asked gently.
"I HATE IT!" Rosa shrieked, her voice reverberating through the room in a piercing wail. "AHHHHH! I HATE IT! I HATE IT!"
Susan flinched. "What—what do you hate?"
"THE GARLIC! THROW IT OUT! THROW IT OUT!"
Panicking, Amy grabbed Rosa's arm and dragged her outside. Once they were safely away from the house, Amy exploded. "What the hell was that, Rosa? What's wrong with you?"
Rosa's breathing steadied, and she straightened her clothes. With an unsettling smile, she said, "I'll be going home now," and walked away, leaving Amy shaken, the scream still echoing in her mind.
---
Amy and Susan agreed to keep Rosa's bizarre outburst a secret from Michael. They ate their dinner quietly, and as the sun began to set behind the Deerwood mountains, an eerie stillness settled over the town.
---
**5:30 PM**
Tony Andrews sat in his apartment, sipping a beer, thoughts of Chloe Baldwin swirling in his mind. He took another drink when he felt a strange sensation ripple through his body.
Looking down at his hands, he saw his fingernails elongating into claws. Patches of hair sprouted along his arms, and his sideburns and eyebrows thickened. His teeth grew sharper, canines lengthening.
He stumbled to the bathroom, his footsteps heavy, and looked in the mirror. His reflection was still human but undeniably monstrous. His eyes held a feral gleam, and his throat felt tight as if it were closing.
"Haaah… haaaah…" He panted, trying to regain control. He closed his eyes, took a few shaky breaths, and steadied himself.
"Okay, I've got this. I know what's happening."
One name echoed in his mind: Chloe Baldwin.