Chapter 6
1032 Words
Lily
By noon, Elena had convinced herself she was being ridiculous.
Not entirely ridiculous. Just mostly ridiculous. The distinction mattered at least to her.
Because spending an entire morning analyzing giant paw prints and mysterious silver fragments felt slightly less concerning than spending an entire morning hunting imaginary monsters.
Slightly.
The bell above the café door chimed as she stepped inside. Immediately, the scent of coffee and fresh pastries wrapped around her.
Comforting. Familiar.
Exactly what she needed, the lunch crowd had already arrived. Small groups filled the tables. Students. Tourists. Retirees. People discussing ordinary things. Work. Families. Weekend plans. The normalcy felt almost surreal after the morning she'd had.
Lily was already waiting. Of course, she was. Her best friend had never been late a single day in her life.
Not once.
Elena suspected it was a superpower. Or a personality disorder. Possibly both.
Lily spotted her immediately and waved.
"Finally."
Elena slid into the seat opposite her.
"I am three minutes late."
"Seven."
"You checked?"
"I always check."
Elena groaned.
Lily grinned.
For the first time all day, some of the tension eased from Elena's shoulders. That was the thing about Lily. She had a remarkable ability to make life feel manageable even when it wasn't.
The waitress appeared almost instantly. A fresh cup of coffee materialized before Elena could ask for it. Perks of being a regular. Lily stirred her iced tea. Watching her carefully. Too carefully.
Elena recognized that look.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
"No."
"You look exhausted."
"I am exhausted."
"Because you're investigating mysterious forest creatures."
Elena pointed at her.
"See? When you say it out loud, it sounds ridiculous."
"Because it is ridiculous."
Elena sighed.
"Thank you for your support."
"I'm supporting you by preventing you from becoming the town cryptid."
The laugh escaped before Elena could stop it. Lily immediately looked pleased with herself.
Mission accomplished.
For several minutes, they talked about normal things. The bakery opening downtown. The new bookstore. A customer at Lily's work had accidentally set off the fire alarm while microwaving soup. The conversation felt easy.
Comfortable.
Like slipping into an old sweater, exactly what Elena needed. Eventually, however, Lily leaned forward. The smile faded slightly.
"So."
Elena immediately groaned.
"So."
"The tracks."
"There it is."
"There it is."
They stared at one another—a battle of wills. Lily won. She usually did.
"Tell me everything."
Elena wrapped both hands around her coffee cup. Then told her. The tracks. The silver fragment. The shadow in the woods. The growl. The feeling of being watched. By the time she finished, Lily was unusually quiet. Which wasn't encouraging. Normally, Lily interrupted every thirty seconds.
At minimum.
"You think I'm crazy."
Lily shook her head.
"No."
Elena blinked.
That wasn't the answer she'd expected.
"No?"
"I think something happened."
Relief appeared before Elena could stop it.
Then confusion immediately followed.
"You do?"
Lily nodded slowly.
"I just don't know what."
Neither did Elena. That was the problem. Nothing fit. Every clue only created more questions. The waitress returned with their food.
A brief interruption. A welcome one. For several minutes, they focused on sandwiches rather than mysteries. Then Lily spoke again.
Casually. Too casually.
"You heard about the Miller farm?"
Elena frowned.
"No."
"The livestock attack."
The words immediately captured her attention.
"What attack?"
Lily set down her drink.
"Three sheep."
A pause.
"Dead."
Elena felt a small knot form in her stomach.
"When?"
"Yesterday."
The knot tightened.
Yesterday.
The same day she'd found the tracks. Probably a coincidence. Almost certainly a coincidence. Still—
"What killed them?"
Lily shrugged.
"No idea."
Elena stared.
"That's the official answer?"
"Pretty much."
That sounded disturbingly familiar.
"What do you mean, no idea?"
"They couldn't figure it out."
The knot in Elena's stomach grew larger.
"Dog attack?"
Lily hesitated. Then shook her head.
"No."
The answer came quietly.
Almost reluctantly.
"Apparently not."
A strange silence settled between them.
Elena's thoughts immediately returned to the tracks. The howl. The shadow in the trees. The silver fragment in her pocket.
Coincidence.
Coincidence.
Coincidence.
The word repeated inside her head. The problem was that coincidences were beginning to pile up. And eventually enough coincidences became a pattern. Lily was watching her again, thinking and worrying, trying not to show it.
"You aren't going back into those woods alone."
Elena immediately looked offended.
"Excuse you."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
"Elena."
"Lily."
The warning tone only made Elena more stubborn.
Unfortunately.
Lily knew that.
"You realize every horror movie starts exactly like this."
"Good thing this isn't a horror movie."
Lily gave her a look.
The kind that clearly communicated: Famous last words.
Elena rolled her eyes.
Outside the café window, clouds drifted lazily across the summer sky. The town looked peaceful.
Normal.
Yet the unease remained. Lingering just beneath the surface. Like a shadow she couldn't quite shake. Eventually, lunch ended. The crowd thinned. People returned to their lives. The world continued turning. As it always did. Lily gathered her purse. Then paused.
"What?"
Lily hesitated. Just long enough to make Elena nervous.
"Promise me something."
"I don't like that tone."
"Promise me anyway."
Elena sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
"If something feels wrong..."
The joking expression vanished completely.
"...leave."
The seriousness in her voice caught Elena off guard. For a moment, neither woman spoke. Then Elena nodded.
"Okay."
"Promise."
"I promise."
Lily seemed unconvinced. But accepted it for now. They hugged outside the café—a quick embrace.
Familiar. Comforting.
Then they went their separate ways. Elena watched Lily disappear down the sidewalk. The afternoon sun warmed her face. The town bustled around her. Cars. Conversations. Laughter. Life. Normal life. And yet. As she slipped her hands into her pockets and started walking home, her fingers brushed against the silver fragment. The tiny piece of metal she'd found beside the tracks.
A reminder. A clue. A question waiting for an answer.
The object felt cold against her skin. Far colder than it should have been. Elena frowned. Then looked toward the distant tree line beyond town. The woods stood silent beneath the afternoon sunlight.
Watching. Waiting. Keeping their secrets.
And somewhere inside them—something was watching her right back.
- Writer
