Page 61 of Mountain Defender

I’m definitely not expecting to see a flash of light from below.

My body stiffens. A burst of adrenaline surges.

My pulse ratchets to double speed.

It’s nothing, the rational part of my brain insists.Just Enzo taking one of the dogs for a late-night potty break. Or it’s Leo or Georgia getting a breath of fresh air.

But reason is pushed aside as panic takes over.

The walls close in.

My lungs freeze.

I sink to the floor, my legs not feeling my own.

My heart hammers against my chest in uneven, echoing beats.

Darkness encroaches, cold and creeping.

And with it, suffocating fear.

Safe, I try to tell myself.I’m safe here.

But I don’t feel safe.

I’m scared.

I look around me, but I can’t see anything. Not the bathroom walls. Not the vanity. Not the plush blue towels hanging from the rack. It’s just an expanse of dark.

No.

It’s not.

I see trees. Just shadows of them, their leaves rustling in a quiet breeze.

And there. A sliver of moon. A sprinkling of stars.

The aroma of pine and soil and fading flowers wraps around me.

Something crunches nearby. A foot on a branch. An animal diving into the bushes.

A chill bites into my skin, springing up goosebumps and making me shiver.

Realization slams into me.

I’m not in the bathroom. I’m in the woods.

But why?

Then.

Another crunch. And another. Coming faster and faster.

The sound of heavy breathing comes closer. Close enough that I can feel it on the back of my neck.

Forget scared. I’m terrified.

My brain screams at me,Move! Run! You have to get out of here!