The sound of laughter, the heaviness of Allison's breathing, made her grip the wheel tighter — knuckles white, foot heavy on the gas pedal. She occasionally met her husband's eyes through the rearview mirror.
Robert's gaze, however, quickly slid sideways, his hand resting on Allison's thigh, pressing it lightly . Melissa pressed harder on the gas, teeth clenched, pushing the car in and out of potholes. Keren laughed awkwardly, and Miss Brandon quickly brought up something about the PTA meeting, though silence in the car soon shut her up.
"I think the baby is coming — I can't hold on any longer," Allison cried, wrapping her hand around Robert's.
"Melissa, her water just broke. We have to do it here." Melissa nodded and parked beneath a small tree with wilting yellow leaves.
"Tell him to get out…" Melissa said, nodding toward Robert.
Outside, the rain had calmed, but the skies remained dark, the stars hidden beneath a pitch‑black veil. Allison shouted something inaudible, still clutching Robert's hand, breathing heavily.
"What is it?" Robert ignored Melissa.
"Don't leave me alone with them," Allison whispered.
She uttered a hoarse scream, grinding her teeth, pushing to set the baby free.
"There you go, girl, push…!" Keren said, lifting Allison's legs and parting them.
"Push, Allison!" Melissa urged, caressing her thighs. "I see the head."
Ryan woke amidst covers of dead, rotting leaves. His head throbbed, his eyes momentarily clouded in a hazy fog. He strained to take in his surroundings. Fingers of mist clawed toward him; the owls and laughing jackals went silent. Only screams, cries, and the word push filled the air.
A baby's cry brought a smile to Allison's face. She extended her hands, laughing painfully as she held her crying baby boy. For the moment, it was enough to warm every woman's heart in the car. A drizzle hummed across the roof, silence broken only by the soft gurgling of the nursing child. Melissa and the women exchanged glances; Robert and Allison were glued to what they had brought forth into the world.
"Robert, let's talk outside," Melissa said softly.
Robert looked quickly at Allison, then back at Melissa, who gave a small, fake smile, her eyes flicking between Allison and the baby.
Robert and Melissa stood outside the car. Her gaze fixed on him; his was drawn to the fog in the forest.
A sea of fog surrounded Ryan. He sat, unable to see in any direction. He followed the voice of the weeping child — the closer he came, the louder it grew. Through the cries, he made out the sound of a moaning woman, her voice stifled yet heavy with grief.
The fog slowly cleared. At a distance Ryan spotted a girl standing beside a tree whose roots floated above the soil. Her dark hair flowed in gentle waves; he could make out small silver threads glinting within it.
Allison.
She smiled as he approached and quietly gestured him closer.
"Why?" Melissa asked, tears streaming into her eyes.
Robert cleared his throat but stayed silent, fingers playing hide‑and‑seek behind his back.
"I'm sorry…" he mumbled.
"I gave you everything, Robert — everything. And you…" She banged her fist against the car hood and pulled a gun on him.
"To repay me, you sleep with my student?"
Before Robert could answer, Allison jumped out of the car, her baby strapped to her chest, blood dripping from her thighs. She made straight for the forest. A gunshot echoed as she disappeared behind thick shrubs.
Ryan faced Allison, his eyes tracing the tiny cuts and bruises on her olive skin, the leaves tangled in her hair, her faded red lipstick, and long lashes beaded with mist. Her dark eyes held him.
"What are you?" Ryan murmured
Allison leaned forward, cupped his face, and kissed him. Ryan shivered.
Allison breathed hard, hidden in the bushes, gently rocking her daughter to quiet her.
"Hush, little one. You don't want the monsters to get you."
The crash of feet against rusty, yellow leaves made her jump to her feet and flee deeper into the forest.
"Melissa, let's go back to the car," Keren said breathlessly.
"I second that."
"No — she dies. We can't leave her, or we'll rot in jail!"
Melissa shouted, chasing Allison into the woods.
Ryan stood paralyzed, mouth sealed, legs locked. Only his eyes darted in their sockets, struggling to comprehend the horror before him. What was once a pretty face now bore a gash, a repugnant smell rising as dark maggots dripped one by one. In her hands lay a bundle wrapped in a black, blood‑stained shroud. Inside, Ryan saw the skull of a child, roaches peeking from its hollow eyes.
Ryan whimpered.
"Hush, little one. You don't want the monsters to get you," Allison warned, a smile across her lips.