Page 17 of The Hunt

Kaliah halted, recognizing that voice.

Nicole?

Nicole popped from behind one of the trees with Sasha trailing behind her. “Oh my God! We didn’t know what happened to you.”

As the two got closer, Kaliah was able to make out that they too had R’s carved in their foreheads. Despite what had happened these past couple days, Kaliah was happy to see them.

“The person who opened our cage said if we make it until the sun comes up we’re free to go. So I was thinking we could find some place to hide,” Sasha said.

Nicole shook her head. “Don’t you think a town full of psychopaths would know every hiding space there is? We have to find a way to the border.”

Shit. She was right. “Then we’ll have to figure a way out of this town,” Kaliah reason. “Do you hear that?” She listened closely.

“You mean those wild animals that have been howling all night?” Sasha asked with wide eyed panic.

“No, it’s the sound of rushing water, a lake or a stream. I think maybe if we follow it, we may be able to get out of this town,” Kaliah explained.

“That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard!” Nicole screamed. “You do you, but I’m getting as far away from you as possible. You’ll just slow me down anyway with your bum leg. And another thing?—”

She was cut off by a loud growl followed by a big black blur that came out of nowhere. It knocked Nicole to the ground and bit into her throat.

Nicole didn’t have a chance to scream.

But Kaliah did. She started to scream and she couldn’t stop.

CHAPTER 9

Kaliah screamed until her throat went raw. She’d never been a fan of horror movies because whenever she watched them, she thought the people in them were stupid for standing around while the killer took out other members in their group. Yet here she was, paralyzed in fear as this animal…no man…whatever it was, feasted on Nicole like a cut of meat.

The worst part was knowing that she was probably next if she couldn’t get her body to move.

“Come on!” Amy grabbed her wrist and yanked.

Kaliah nearly stumbled but she managed to gain her footing and ran. Amy pulled ahead and dropped her hand. But Kaliah tried to keep up as best as she could. She ran, ignoring the pain in her legs and her burning lungs.

What the hell was that thing back there. It wasn’t like any animal she’d ever seen before. It was shaped like a human but it was covered in fur. It had long claws and huge teeth. It was something made of pure nightmares.

Whatever it was, she didn’t want to be caught by it.

Just when she thought her legs would give out on her, the howling sounds in the background seemed to multiply. They were coming from all directions.

Amy how gotten so far ahead of her, Kaliah lost sight.

She was all alone and the monsters were closing in. Her heart beat so fast it felt as if it would burst from her chest.

“I didn’t come here to die,” she whispered to herself. “You have to keep moving.”

“Little rabbit…” A graveling voice called from beyond the trees.

What the entire fuck?”

The muscles in Kaliah’s legs screamed in agony but she pushed herself to go father.

“Little rabbit…I smell you.” Again that graveling voice echoed through the woods. It was a terrifying mixture of man and beast.

She glanced over her shoulder which proved to be a gross miscalculation because she tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground face first.

She always thought the women in movies were careless for falling down in the midst of a chase but now here she was on the ground. When she attempted to pull herself up, she cried out from the pain in her ankle.

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