She reached inside her pocket where she had a large-sized package of Skittles Mommy had bought her at the gas station on the drive to Lilith House. Haddie had fallen asleep before she could eat them, and now she was glad for it. They were the perfect lure. Everyone liked Skittles.
A cloud went over the sun, darkening the forest, and an iciness traveled over Haddie’s skin. A shadow shifted in her peripheral vision. She was being watched.
Movement in the other direction caught her eye, something swinging from a tree. She turned quickly but there was nothing there. She let out an exhale.
Just the forest’s bad memory.
There and gone before she could fully understand it.
She stepped forward, dropping another Skittle on the ground, turning slightly so she could head back in the direction of her house. She had walked in a wide arc, moving nearer to her home, hoping that when she came out of the forest, she might turn around and see the thing that followed her.
A loud caw rose up, the fluttering of wings spooking Haddie and causing her to jump. Shadows seemed to move and shift all around her as though there was not just one thing tracking her, but a whole forest full of creatures she had no name for. Ones she couldn’t feel. She hurried forward, walking faster now, dropping Skittles haphazardly. She heard the crunch of pine needles behind her as the thing drew closer, and with her heartbeat thumping, Haddie began to run, abandoning the package of Skittles on a pile of dead leaves.
Scratchy laughter echoed through the forest and the footsteps picked up behind her. Haddie screamed, the shrill sound bouncing from tree to tree and disappearing into the patchy sky above.
Haddie slipped, falling to her knees and letting out a cry of pain and alarm as something sharp punctured her skin. She jumped to her feet and continued running as the scratchy howls of laughter grew higher in pitch. It was pursuing her. It would catch her and eat her alive!
Haddie burst out of the forest, her head turned back toward the thing chasing her, colliding heavily with . . . her mommy. Haddie sobbed, gripping her mother’s waist, turning her face into her stomach.
“Haddie, baby, what’s wrong? What happened?” She let go of her, sinking to her knees and smoothing back her hair, wiping away the tears coursing down her cheeks. Haddie glanced back at the forest behind her, a stream of sunlight filtering in and making the woods hazy and green. Magical. There was nothing there except trees and rocks and bushes of wild berries.
A bird exploded from the trees in a burst of flapping wings and rustling branches, its cry sudden and sharp. Just a normal, harmless bird. Haddie felt its lightness as it lifted into the sky.
She let out another shuddery sigh and stepped back, pointing down at her bloody knees. “I fell,” she said.
Her mother’s brow lowered. “Is that all? It sounded like . . . you sounded terrified.”
Haddie looked at her mother’s beautiful, concerned face and lied to her. “I was afraid you wouldn’t hear me.”
“Oh, honey.” She smoothed away another piece of hair and then stood. “Let’s make a pact that you never go so far that I wouldn’t hear you if you called for me, okay?”
Haddie nodded.
“Now, let’s get those knees washed and bandaged, and scrub that stain out of your dress.” She stood, taking Haddie’s hand and leading her toward the house.
Haddie didn’t glance behind her toward the forest. The thing had already moved far away. She couldn’t feel its weight, but she could sense its retreat.CHAPTER NINECamden stood at the window, a cup of coffee in one hand, watching as the sun rose over Farrow. He heard a door open down the hall and footsteps approaching. Georgia came up next to him, laying her head on the side of his shoulder. “Morning,” she said, her voice groggy.
He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Morning. How’d you sleep?”
“Okay. Thank you for staying.”
“Anytime. You know that.”
She yawned. “It’s too damn early to get up.”
His lips tipped. “You know me, Georgie.”
He heard her smile and turned his head to meet her eyes. “I do. Better than anyone. Always up with the sun.” She gazed up at him and he saw the hunger in her eyes. He took a sip of coffee, turning back to the glow of dawn on the distant horizon.
He knew this wasn’t a good idea, but he couldn’t seem to say no to her. How could he?
She cleared her throat. “So, what’d the sheriff say when you met with him yesterday?”
Camden paused, thinking of the meeting he’d had with his boss, picturing the subject of that meeting. The woman who’d just moved into Lilith House, the one who kept popping into his mind though he didn’t invite the thoughts. Why had he told her all those stories? He still wasn’t sure. He wondered what she thought of him, wondered if he seemed awkward to her. He had limited practice interacting with people. Still, even now, he was never sure he got it quite right. “He wants me to keep tabs on Scarlett Lattimore and report back. They’re suspicious.”