Page 26 of Whispers of the Elderoak

Nothing.

Her power was truly out.

This was the worst storm Ava could remember, concern growing as deafening thunder clapped repeatedly, barely any down time in between crashes. She made her way toward the stairs to check on Luna, phone in one hand while her other felt along the wall to orient herself. The almost constant lightning created disconcerting shadows along the walls and the floor like a sinister dance of tree branches enveloping the staircase.

About halfway down, a glimmer caught her eye. There was water glistening on the floor in the entryway. Assuming she had a leaky window, she rushed down the stairs, preparing to grab towels from the linen closet.

When she reached the water, she froze. It was sitting in individual puddles leading toward the living room, almost like… footprints. Those were footprints.

Thunder crashed again, this time causing her to jump.

The muddy footprints were leading further into her house. Scanning the hallway, the sounds of heavy rain and windincreased, and her attention was turned to the front door. It was open.

Someone was in her house.

She tried to call Henry or the police, but she had no service. Even the emergency bypass function didn’t work.

Heart racing, she tiptoed to the kitchen to grab a knife, scanning everywhere in case someone jumped out. She wasn’t sure where Luna was, her spot on the couch now empty, but she hoped the cat had not been harmed.

The footprints made their way toward the kitchen and living room but veered to the office and Ava sprinted the last few steps to the knife block on the counter.

She stood in the kitchen, her trembling hand gripping the knife, unsure what to do. She could sneak back outside and get in her car and drive away, but her car keys were in the office, and she didn’t want to follow the footprints. Even if she managed to get her keys, the rain was coming down so heavily she was worried the road could be washed out and she would then be stuck outside in the storm with the risk of a flash flood whisking her away. She could hide upstairs until morning and hope whoever had entered would leave without issues. Maybe it was someone passing by looking for shelter from the storm.

As she stood there, frozen, a bright flash of lightning illuminated the house. In the office doorway was a shadowed figure, chillingly still.

The creature from the woods. And it was looking straight at her.

Ava could sense the power emanating from the monster as it assessed her, tilting its head like it was preparing for a hunt.

She gripped the knife harder, hoping her shaking hands didn’t betray her, and backed away toward the hallway, her breaths coming in rapid bursts. She needed to get away. Now.

Another flash of lightning. It was closer, standing onlyabout thirty feet away. She increased her pace of retreat when the creature dashed forward, claws elongating as it closed in.

Ava turned and sprinted down the hallway, willing to take her chances outside.

She risked a glance over her shoulder. It was gaining on her with its arms outstretched, claws ready for shredding. It was still cloaked in shadow, and she couldn’t see much other than its enormous height and pointed teeth.

Almost there. Just a little further.Hurry, Ava.

She pushed herself hard, pleading with her legs to go faster. She was a few feet from the threshold of the front door when she slipped in the mud. Tumbling down, she tried to regain her footing to no avail. Arms flailing, she reached out to grasp onto something but failed to keep herself upright.

She went down as if in slow motion when a sharp pain struck her forehead.

The world slipped away and there was nothing.

9

Bright light pierced the room as Ava awoke, squinting against the intensity of the sun. Softness surrounded her, enveloping her in its warmth. Opening her eyes further, she sat up. She was in her bed in her room, and it was morning. No storm. No horrifying figure lurking about. Had it all been a dream? No, it couldn’t have been. It had felt so real.

She reached up and touched her forehead, wincing. Running her fingers below her hairline, she felt something stiff… like… bandages? So, it was real. She had truly fallen and hit her head. How did she get to her bed?

The sound of footsteps turned her attention to the door, and Henry entered with a glass of water and a couple of pills.

“You’re awake,” he said with a smile. He sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her hair out of her face. “How are you feeling, beautiful?”

“I… my head. What happened?” She touched her forehead again. “How did I get here? When didyouget here?”

“Here, take this.” Henry handed her the glass of water and medication. “You hit your head pretty hard.”

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