Wait… why does it feel like our van is getting farther away?" Nikki asked breathlessly as she stared at the light ahead.
"Yeah… it was just close a while ago…" Mara added, clearly confused.
"Something's wrong here…" Anton said, scratching his head as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
His voice tightened.
"Don't go near the light!"
But it was too late.
"That's the van! I'm not staying here anymore!" Jace shouted as he suddenly ran toward the light.
"Jace! Wait!" Dex yelled.
"Come back!" Nikki added, her voice trembling.
But he didn't stop.
The others followed—afraid, but desperate.
Until—
Everything suddenly went dark.
It was as if something blocked the light.
And from between the trees—
something moved.
A shadow.
Fast.
Too fast.
"Guys…" Ria whispered, shaking. "There's—"
She couldn't finish.
A heavy sound—
THUD.
"JACE!!" they all screamed.
Right in front of them—
they saw it.
The monster.
It stood behind Jace.
Long claws.
Eyes filled with blood.
And slowly—it smiled.
"No…" Mara whispered as she stepped back.
In a blink—
it lunged at Jace.
"AHHH—!" Jace screamed, struggling to break free.
But he had no chance.
He was like paper against the creature's strength.
"Let him go!" Dex shouted, but he couldn't move closer.
Their feet froze.
Everyone was terrified.
In front of them—
the monster slowly drove its hand into Jace's chest.
"NOOO!" Nikki screamed, covering her mouth.
A sound—
like something tearing apart.
And with it—
Jace's scream slowly faded…
until he stopped breathing.
"JACE!" they all shouted.
"You demon… you monster!" Nikki cried out in rage.
Jace's body—
bloody.
Helpless.
His blood slowly dripped to the ground.
Right in front of them, the monster didn't care.
It only smiled.
And then—
like a starving beast—
it began to eat Jace's flesh.
No mercy.
No hesitation.
Only the sound of chewing…
and drinking blood echoed in the silence.
"No… this isn't real…" Lianne said, trembling as she cried.
"You animal…" Anton shouted in anger, though his voice shook.
"You monster!!" Dex yelled.
But no one moved.
No one came closer.
And no one fought back.
Because they knew—
if they moved…
they would be next.
Slowly, the monster lifted its head and looked at them.
Its mouth covered in blood.
It smiled.
"RUN!" Anton shouted.
No one asked.
No one thought.
They all ran in different directions, their heartbeats racing against their breath.
"Here! This way!" Dex shouted as he pushed branches aside.
"Don't get separated!" Nikki cried, though she herself nearly stumbled while running.
Behind them—
there was a sound.
Not just footsteps.
But something crawling… and leaping through the trees.
CRACK.
THUD.
SCRATCH—
"Sh*t… it's following us…" Mara said, gasping as she glanced back.
And that's when she saw it.
Above the tree—
the monster.
Clinging to a branch.
Its body upside down.
Smiling.
"AHHH!" Mara screamed.
"Up there! IT'S ABOVE US!" she shouted.
"Don't look!" Anton yelled. "Just keep running!"
But it was too late.
The monster dropped.
Not jumping—
but falling.
Like a corpse hitting the ground—
yet it stood instantly.
And ran—
faster than any human.
"This isn't normal!!" Lianne screamed, crying.
"Move faster!" Dex shouted.
Suddenly—
they heard a voice.
Soft.
Familiar.
"Guys…"
Nikki froze.
"Jace…?" she whispered.
"Guys… help me…"
The voice came from behind them.
"No…" Paolo whispered. "That's not Jace anymore…"
"But it's his voice—" Nikki trembled.
"It's a trap!" Anton shouted. "Don't turn around!"
But—
Lianne turned.
And there she saw—
a figure.
Jace's face.
But—
his neck twisted.
His smile reversed.
And his eyes…
full of blood.
"Lianne!" Mara screamed.
But it was too late.
Lianne suddenly vanished—
as if pulled by the darkness.
"LIANNE!!!" they all screamed.
"Not again… not again…" Nikki said, trembling as she cried.
"We won't survive if we just keep running!" Dex shouted.
"What do we do?!" Mara cried.
Paolo stopped for a moment—
his hand gripping his pocket.
The bracelet.
Tight.
Suddenly—
he remembered something.
"The garlic…" he whispered.
"Maybe… it's real…"
"Anton!" he shouted. "The bracelet—"
CRACK.
A closer sound.
Almost right behind them.
"We don't have time!" Anton shouted. "JUST RUN!"
And once again, the remaining friends ran—
as the darkness chased them…
and the monster—
began to multiply around them.
Not just one.
It felt like—
there were many.
"Buwahahaha…"
The laughter echoed through the forest.
And with every step they took—
the end…
drew closer.
Suddenly—
the group broke apart.
In the chaos of running, they didn't realize they had already separated.
"ANTON!!" Nikki shouted from afar.
"PAOLO!!" Ria called back, her voice echoing into the darkness.
Nothing was clear.
No direction.
Only chaos.
Only fear.
And the sound of their breathing.
In another part—
Mara and Dex.
Mara could barely run.
"Dex… I can't anymore…" she gasped, holding her chest.
"Just a little more… please…" Dex replied, though he was trembling too.
CRACK.
They stopped.
Too close.
Slowly, they turned—
and there they saw it…
the monster.
Closer.
Clearer.
Long claws.
Blood on its mouth.
And its eyes—
staring directly at them.
"Dex…" Mara whispered, shaking.
"Don't move…" Dex whispered back.
But—
the monster smiled.
And it crawled—
circling them.
As if playing.
As if…
enjoying their fear.
Suddenly—
WHOOSH!
Something moved fast in front of them.
"AHHH!" Mara screamed, clinging to Dex.
But—
it wasn't the monster.
It was—
an old woman.
Standing.
Firm.
Holding a blade, and garlic tied like a necklace, with a garlic bracelet as well.
"Don't move," the old woman said coldly.
"Come closer to me."
"Grandma…?" Mara whispered, confused.
Dex's eyes widened.
"Grandma…"
The monster suddenly screamed—
a deafening sound.
Angry.
Restrained.
It moved closer—
but suddenly stepped back.
"You can't come near," the old woman said as she raised what she was holding.
"Not now."
The monster's scream echoed through the forest—
and suddenly it climbed back up the tree.
Gone.
But still felt.
Still nearby.
"Follow me if you want to live," the old woman said.
Without hesitation—
Mara and Dex moved toward her.
"Grandma… are you the one with the child?" Dex asked, still trembling.
The old woman didn't answer.
Instead, she walked.
Fast.
Like she knew the path perfectly.
"You shouldn't have stayed here too long," she said while walking.
"Grandma…" Mara called softly, her voice filled with anxiety.
"Grandma… there are still more of us with them…"
The old woman suddenly stopped.
Slowly, she turned around.
"Where are they?" she asked in a low voice.
"We don't know…" Dex replied, breathless. "We got separated…"
Silence fell.
For a moment.
It was as if something heavy pressed against the old woman's chest.
Then—
"Cindy…" she whispered.
Inside the house—
When the old woman arrived, she immediately called out.
"Cindy!"
No answer.
"Cindy!!"
She quickly went inside.
Empty.
No child.
No sound.
Only silence.
The old woman felt a chill run through her body.
"No…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"She went out…"
She immediately ran outside.
"CINDY!"
Her face was full of worry.
"You shouldn't be doing this alone…"
In the middle of the forest—
Run.
Panting.
Darkness.
"Paolo… hurry…" Ria said, pulling him forward while gasping for air.
"Just a little more…" Paolo replied, but his voice was heavy with exhaustion and fear.
CRACK.
Something followed them.
Closer.
"We're not alone…" Ria whispered.
Suddenly—
"Kuya!"
Paolo froze.
"Cindy…" he whispered.
From between the trees—
Cindy appeared.
"Kuya Paolo! This way!" she shouted.
"Cindy, what are you doing here?!" Paolo asked in shock, looking around.
"Who are you with this time?" he added.
"I'm alone," Cindy replied quickly. "Grandma went outside, so I followed her… but I couldn't catch up anymore."
"Good thing I found you," she added.
"Kuya, we need to leave. There are more of them now—they're coming for you," Cindy said anxiously.
Suddenly—
THUD.
Something fell from above.
The monster.
"Run! Stay behind me!" Cindy shouted.
She quickly pulled out garlic tied around her.
CRACK—
A shadow lunged forward.
But in an instant—
it was forced back.
As if burned.
As if hurt.
"You can't pass…" Cindy whispered firmly, her voice shaking but determined.
She grabbed Paolo and Ria.
"Hurry!"
On the other side—
"CINDY!!" the old woman screamed while running through the forest.
"Where are you?!"
Then—
She stopped.
Footsteps.
Voices.
"Grandma!!"
She turned quickly.
"Cindy…!"
And there she was—
Cindy.
Breathing heavily.
But alive.
With Paolo and Ria beside her.
"Grandma!" Cindy cried as she ran to her.
The old woman immediately hugged her tightly.
"I thought…" her voice trembled. "I thought I lost you…"
"I was looking for them…" Cindy said, still catching her breath. "The foreigners…"
She looked at Paolo and Ria.
"I found two of your companions."
The old woman slowly looked at them.
Heavy.
Careful.
Assessing.
"Follow me," she said.
"This isn't over yet."
From the distance—
deep in the darkness—
a shadow moved.
And a laugh echoed once more.
"Buwahahaha…"
Closer.
Clearer.
Hungrier.
The old woman slowly looked at them.
Heavy.
Careful.
Assessing.
"Follow me," she said.
"This isn't over yet."
Cindy tightened her grip on her grandmother's hand.
"Grandma… there are more of them now…" she whispered softly, fear evident in her voice, though she tried to stay strong.
The old woman gently stroked Cindy's head.
"I know…" she replied. "That's why we can't stay here any longer."
Cindy looked at Paolo.
"Kuya… please don't go far from us…" she said softly, almost pleading.
Paolo nodded.