Page 2 of Mate Night Snack
Her phone buzzed.
A reminder:Upload tomorrow's episode draft by midnight.
She swiped it away and glanced at the folder on the nightstand. The girl in the article had vanished without a trace. No suspects. No leads. Last seen walking toward the woods.
Katniss glanced at the window again.
She hated coincidences.
—
Later, she wandered into town on foot, mic in her bag and curiosity on a leash that pulled hard. People smiled as she passed—but there was a caution to their eyes, like they were measuring her in quiet, silent ways. AtThe Griddle & Grind, a woman with wheat-colored hair and eyes like polished secrets handed her a tea she hadn’t asked for.
“On the house,” she said. “You’ve got the look of someone who digs too deep.”
“Excuse me?” Katniss frowned.
The woman winked. “Welcome to Hollow Oak. I’m Twyla.”
Katniss took the cup warily. “Katniss. How’d you know?—”
“Names have weight here.” Twyla sipped her own mug. “You came for bones and stories, right? Just be sure you know what you’re digging up.”
There it was again—that eerie undercurrent. Like the whole town was in on a joke she hadn’t heard the punchline to.
“I believe in ghosts,” Katniss said, almost defensive.
Twyla didn’t blink. “Ghosts are easy. It’s the living you’ve got to watch.”
The door chimed as someone walked in, and Katniss turned to leave, cup in hand, heart thudding harder than the tea warranted.
Outside, the shadows stretched longer. She caught the scent of rain that hadn’t started falling yet.
And him.
Emmett.
He was leaning against a tree now, arms still crossed, expression still carved from granite. Up close, he looked even taller. Broader. Built like a man who didn’t flinch when the world tried to break him. His voice rumbled low, like thunder before a storm.
“You don’t belong here.”
Katniss tilted her head. “Thanks for the warm welcome, Bigfoot.”
His jaw twitched. “These woods aren’t safe for strangers.”
“Lucky for me, I’m not scared of the dark.”
“You should be.”
She stepped closer. “What is it with you people? Is there a town rule I missed about hazing newcomers?”
“There’s rules,” he said, gaze flicking to the forest behind her. “And you’d be smart to follow them.”
Katniss met his stare, the hair at the back of her neck standing up, but not from fear. No, this was… something else. Heat. Warning. That strange pull she got when her gut screamedsomething here matters.
“I don’t take kindly to being warned off,” she said. “Especially by guys who think glowering counts as a conversation.”
He didn’t smile. Didn’t move.
