Beyond this world

Chapter 2: Kenzie

The moment the bus pulled away from her stop, soft rain began to fall. Kenzie shoved her earbuds in and cranked the volume, letting the music drown out the noise of the other students' chatter. She turned to the window, watching raindrops race each other down the glass. A flash of lightning cracked across the sky, thunder rumbling in its wake.

This kind of weather was rare in Richwood. It hardly ever rained here.

Kenzie felt uneasy—more than usual. Sure, she was naturally anxious, but this was different. Heavier. Like something was about to happen. Something bad. And deep down, she had a feeling that whoever she’d seen in the woods that morning had something to do with it.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and let the music pull her away.

She was jolted awake when the bus suddenly screeched to a halt.

Kenzie’s heart jumped. But it turned out nothing was wrong—just one of the students feeling sick and needing air. She relaxed in her seat, letting her body settle as the chaos on the bus settled too.

As she slipped her earbuds back in, something moved in her peripheral vision.

Her head whipped to the side, eyes narrowing to see through the blur of rain. Something was emerging from the trees. She leaned in, squinting, heart starting to pound.

Probably just a deer, she told herself. Nothing to freak out about.

She was about to turn away when it stepped out.

A massive brown wolf.

Her heart froze in her chest. It was huge—easily bigger than any normal wolf she’d seen in textbooks. Zoology had taught her enough to know this thing wasn’t normal.

And it was looking right at her.

She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. The wolf began stalking toward the bus, and her blood turned to ice.

“WOLF!” she screamed, shooting to her feet.

At first, the bus fell into stunned silence. Then chaos exploded around her. Screams, shouting, scrambling—everyone trying to see what she was yelling about.

Kenzie barely registered it all as she saw the sick girl—Summer Martins—try to climb back into the bus. But she didn’t make it. The wolf lunged and yanked her back with terrifying force.

Summer’s screams echoed through the air before abruptly cutting off.

Silence returned. No one dared speak. No one dared move.

Then—BANG.

The bus rocked from the impact. Screams erupted again.

BANG. Again.

It was trying to knock the bus over.

Kenzie’s hands trembled as she yanked her earbuds out and reached for her phone. “No signal,” she muttered, her voice shaky.

“Me too,” said a girl nearby—Macy Kline from English class, eyes wide with panic.

Up front, the driver was trying to start the bus, but it wouldn’t start. Kenzie stared ahead, barely blinking.

“It stopped…” a guy said from behind her, voice hopeful.

“Maybe it gave up.”

Kenzie didn’t believe that for a second. Something in her gut told her it was still there. Waiting. Watching. She stayed quiet, not wanting to fuel more panic.

Then—shatter.

Glass exploded inward. The bus jerked as the wolf launched through the broken window.

Kenzie’s heart nearly stopped. She was separated from the rest of the group—standing near the front entrance, alone.

And the wolf… it wasn’t looking at anyone else.

It was looking straight at her.

Its growl rumbled through the bus, deep and threatening.

Why? Why her?

She couldn’t think—just moved. Kenzie bolted for the door. The wolf lunged, and she barely dodged, climbing over a seat. It growled again, frustrated.

Kenzie pulled the pepper spray from her pocket—something she'd always carried, just in case—and sprayed it right into its eyes.

It recoiled, snarling, and Kenzie took the chance. She ran.

But she didn’t get far.

With a powerful leap, the wolf tackled her to the ground. Her body slammed against the pavement, pain flaring in her side. She tried to crawl away, but its massive paw pinned her down.

Her breath caught as it leaned in close, teeth bared.

She shut her eyes.

Then—a howl.

Not the brown wolf’s. This one came from deeper in the woods.

Kenzie opened her eyes just in time to see a Black wolf charging toward them. Bigger. Stronger.

The Black wolf lunged, knocking the brown one off her. Kenzie rolled to her side, clutching her arm—it was bruised, probably, but not broken.

The wolves fought viciously. Teeth clashed, snarls filled the air, paws slamming against earth.

Kenzie watched, frozen, as the Black wolf overpowered the brown one. Eventually, the brown wolf lowered itself, tail tucked, cowering beneath the victor.

The black wolf growled, a deep, powerful sound that radiated authority. One final growl echoed through the trees—stronger, commanding.

And just like that, the brown wolf turned and ran into the woods, disappearing from sight.

The black wolf didn’t leave immediately.

It turned and looked at her.

Kenzie locked eyes with it.

Gold.

It was only a second, but something shifted in her chest. That look... it felt familiar. Impossible, but real.

Then the black wolf turned and followed the brown one into the woods.

As soon as they were gone, the bus roared to life like nothing had happened.

Kenzie blinked, still in shock, as the other students gathered around her—staring in disbelief. Whispers swirled around her.

“How is she still alive?”

“Did that thing go after her?”

“Why didn’t it kill her?”

Kenzie barely heard them.

All she could think about was the way that black wolf had looked at her.

As she stepped onto the bus, she paused, glancing toward the woods one last time.

Golden eyes.

So human.

So… familiar.

Weird, she thought, settling into her seat.

And terrifying.