Page 5 of Scaredy Cat

Stacey

I felt absolutely ridiculous standing at the entrance of the woods.

The trees towered above me like giants, their gnarled branches reaching out, casting long shadows across the ground.

I wasn't that easy to scare, but the night was playing tricks on my sight and I couldn't help but want to just get back in my car and leave.

I tugged at the hem of my skirt, feeling the scratchy fabric of the fishnets dig into my skin under it.

The cat ears perched on my head felt more like a costume malfunction than a clever accessory standing out here by myself.

A cold gust of wind rustled the leaves, sending the cold down my spine.

I shifted my weight between my feet, keeping my body moving so I wouldn't start shivering.

My eyes trailed back toward the main road, the distant sound of laughter and chatter echoing in the night in the town just a few blocks away.

Maybe I should have just gone with my friends.

I was so desperate to get to this point - to break through this mental barrier and finally have an orgasm that I was completely talking myself out of being logical.

I could be sipping warm beer from a solo cup at Mia's house where it was safe, but instead here I was alone, scared and ready to face the night.

I took a few hesitant steps forward, the path beneath my feet crunching with colorful fallen leaves.

The clearing had felt safe, but now the shadows closed in around me, whispering that danger was near.

This wasn’t how I envisioned the night going.

My twisted fantasies had always been a part of me that felt more like a guilty pleasure than reality.

I didn’t act on them. Until Matt said he was up for it.

“Come on, Stacey,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head. “It’s just a little fun. This was your idea, after all. Chill the fuck out.”

I paused, inhaling the damp, earthy scent of the woods. He must be close and I could feel my heart rate stutter. Maybe this would be my chance to shed the good girl act, to tease the edges of my morals for once without regret.

I glanced back down the path, my heart pounding. “Where are you, Matt?” I whispered into the stillness, my voice barely breaking the silence as it blended in with the sound of the rustling leaves around me.

The woods seemed to hold their breath with me.

Waiting.

I walked a few yards into the wooded area, the moon my only light as I pushed past some low-lying branches. The noise from town faded behind me, swallowed by the thick of the trees. I paused to look into the darkness that surrounded me, but there was nothing.

Then it went so silent. I couldn’t hear the sounds of people anymore.

The cheerful shouts and music vanished as if the woods absorbed them, leaving only the sound of my breath in my ears.

I strained to catch any hint of life—birds, crickets, even the rustle of leaves—but nothing stirred. A knot tightened in my stomach.

No, I couldn’t hear anything, but I could feel.

I gasped as a chill crawled down my spine, and just as I turned to take a step back, I felt his breath on the back of my shoulder. Warm, almost intimate, and it sent a jolt through me.

“Didn’t think you’d actually come out here,” the figure murmured, his voice low and teasing.

I spun around, my heart racing. He looked terrifying. Dressed in all black with a black hoodie pulled over his head where a red skeleton mask clung to his face. He turned me back around so I was facing away from him.

“Thought I was gonna be all alone,” I shot back, feigning bravado even as my pulse quickened.

“Where’s the fun in that?” He stepped closer, the space between us charged. The voice was muffled behind the mask, but it sounded deeper than Matt’s usual timbre.

I swallowed hard, and I started trembling almost immediately. I wasn't prepared for how intense this was going to be once I was in the woods with a masked man. My body couldn't decide if it was ready to bolt from fright or melt in a puddle of lust. “This is just a game, right?”

He brought my body to his and it sounded like he was breathing me in, revealing something more dangerous lurking behind his charm. “Let’s find out.”

The ground scraped against my palms as I landed, the damp earth sinking beneath me.

I didn’t expect him to be so rough. The shock of him pushing me to the ground held me in place for a moment, breathless and wide-eyed.

I stared up at him, that damned mask obscuring his expression, yet I could feel the intensity of his gaze.

“Run,” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver through me.

I scrambled backward, my heart pounding against my ribcage and leaves tangling in my tights.

He tilted his masked face as he took me in and folded his arms across his chest. I might have been reeling from this whole situation but I could swear he looked taller from this angle.

"I'm going to tell you one more time," he growled.

"But it's only fair to warn you that you have no chance of escaping me.

" He took a step forward to bend down toward me, blocking out the light of the moon behind him so all I saw was the shadowed outline of his mask.

"You can run all you want, little kitty, but I will catch you.

I will have my tongue buried in that pussy.

And I will fuck those cat ears right off your pretty little head before this night is over. "

Where the fuck did that come from? My legs shook as I found my footing, and before I could process what was happening, I took off into the woods.

The branches snagged at my clothes, but I pushed through, driven by adrenaline.

He never spoke to me like that before. Never.

And I loved it. I was so wet that I could feel the slick cool against the apex of my thighs as I ran with everything I had.

I could hear him behind me, the soft rustle of leaves and the crunch of twigs breaking underfoot. But each time I risked a glance over my shoulder, I found only darkness. Fear twisted in my stomach. He was close, but I couldn’t see him.

“Matt?” I called, but the word felt small in the vastness of the woods. No answer came, only the whispers of the wind through the trees.

I focused on my path, dodging low branches and the gnarled roots that threatened to trip me.

I tried not to veer too far from the main path because the only thing that scared me more than the man in the woods with me was the thought I could get lost here.

The air felt thick, as if the forest itself conspired to trap me.

My lungs burned with each breath, but I kept running.

I could hear him trailing me, but there was something so incredibly unsettling about not being able to catch a glimpse of him.

I imagined him right behind me, ready to pounce, the thrill of the chase blending with a feeling of excitement that I had never associated with desire like this.

Maybe I really was onto something, these darker sexual needs were what it took to truly get me off.

I pushed harder, my heart racing, but the trees seemed to stretch on forever.

I had never run like this, never felt so alive and terrified all at once.

Then, in a moment of instinct, I ducked behind a thick trunk, pressing myself against the rough bark.

My sweater tore near my left shoulder and I cursed before I held my breath.

There I sat, hoping to hear him pass by, but all I could hear was the rapid thumping of my heart.

Then, I heard it. A twig snapped, the sound sharp in the stillness. I let out a slow, steady breath, praying I’d blend into the shadows. My fingers dug into the bark, grounding me, but my mind raced with thoughts. What was I doing?

This wasn’t a game anymore.

“Stacey,” his voice called out, low and teasing, just a breath away from me. “You can’t hide that tight little pussy from me forever.”

My pulse quickened at his words and my knees knocked together as I brought them up to hug against my chest.

Wait a second, I thought it was the mask making his voice sound different but… That did not sound like Matt. Matt didn't say my name like that.

“I know you’re close, Stacey,” he continued, and the way he said my name sent a chill down my spine.

Oh.

My.

God.

This wasn't Matt. Who the fuck IS CHASING ME THROUGH THE WOODS?

I couldn’t let him find me. I couldn’t give in. I glanced to my right, looking for a way to escape, but the shadows stretched out like dark tendrils. I needed to move, to run again, but the thought of being caught froze me in place.

Suddenly, a soft rustle came from my left, and I turned my head just in time to see a flash of black dart between the trees. My breath caught.

He was moving, prowling, hunting me like prey.

I felt a rush of adrenaline push me forward.

I had to get away. I took a deep breath, summoning all of what little courage I had, and bolted from my hiding spot, sprinting deeper into the woods.

The ground felt uneven beneath my feet, roots threatening to trip me, but I didn’t care.

I just needed to put distance between us, get back to my car.

Run. Run. RUN, STACEY.

Branches whipped against my arms and face, but I ignored the sting. My lungs burned, but I pressed on, desperate to find safety from this twisted nightmare I suddenly found myself in.

“Here, kitty, kitty,” His voice boomed through the trees, playful yet dark, and I glanced back, catching a glimpse of him. The mask glinted in the moonlight, his eyes shining like a predator’s.

My stomach turned and I took a deep gulp of air so I didn't throw up. I had to focus. I could outsmart him. I could—

A sudden rustle behind me broke my concentration, and I stumbled, losing my footing. I fell hard, the ground jarring my knees and tearing my fishnets as I hit the earth. My breath left me in a rush, and I turned to see him behind me.

The mask loomed closer, and panic surged through me.

His voice was dripping with excitement as he reached for me.

"Gotcha."