Fallen

Scarlett engaged the lock quickly and leaned back against the door. She brought her hand to her heart, feeling its steady beat under her palm. She startled at the sudden high-pitched chirping but then let out a slow, steady breath, grateful for the distraction from her chaotic emotions.CHAPTER SEVENTEENHaddie stepped gingerly through the grass, dropping the last of her Skittles as she made it to the far side of the shed. She had collected the bag left near their front door when her mommy had gone inside with the baby bird, and there had still been a few handfuls of candy left. She scooted around the small, wood structure, moving quickly to the other side, before pressing her body against the rough, splintery wood.

Overhead, the sky was alight with stars. She needed to get back inside as quickly as possible before Mommy noticed she wasn’t in her room playing on her iPad anymore.

Her heart gave a jump when she heard the soft crunch of grass. The thing was nearby, just at the edge of the woods behind the old structure where she stood. Haddie closed her eyes, trying again to feel its weight and letting out a frustrated gust of air when she, again, sensed nothing at all.

She stepped carefully over the dirt beneath her feet, cautious not to make a noise and let the thing know she was there—if it didn’t already. She had no idea if it’d been watching her from the darkness of the trees. Maybe it knew exactly where she was. Out here in the night, all alone. Her skin prickled, fear rising inside her. Maybe this was a very bad idea, following her curiosity this way. She couldn’t tell if the thing meant her harm or not. She couldn’t even tell what it was.

She very suddenly wanted her mommy. She glanced up at the house, the attic windows filled with the soft glow of light from within. The safety of her mommy’s arms seemed a hundred miles away. The darkness closed in on Haddie and her heart began pounding. The sound of footsteps grew closer . . . closer. There was a shaft of moonlight cast on the ground next to the shed, and from where Haddie stood at the back, she could see the shadow of looming horns, growing ever larger as the creature approached.

She clenched her eyes shut for a moment, frozen with fear. She thought of the bird the thing had left at her doorstep. She’d decided it was a gift, but maybe it was a warning. Maybe the thing was telling her what it was going to do to her—take her far, far away from Mommy and leave her for dead in a heap of skin and bones.

Haddie swallowed, mustering her courage as she pushed herself off the wall of the shed, turning in the opposite direction from which the thing was approaching. She crept quietly along the perimeter of the structure, but her shadow moved with her, reaching outward and giving her away. Her heartbeat quickened. The creature let out a rusty-sounding laugh, its large, horned shadow following hers.

Haddie picked up her pace. She just needed to make it around to the other side and then she could run for her mommy. If she ran into the open now, she’d have to race for the woods. And that was where the creature lived.

The thing let out a snorty high-pitched sound, halfway between a giggle and a cough and Haddie shivered, moving ever faster. The creature picked up its pace as well as though it was playing a game with Haddie—her fear exciting it as it took chase.

The thing was directly behind her. In her terror, she pictured its head lowered as it raced to spear her with those long, sharp horns.

She raced around the shed, her previous courage dipping as she came to the side where she could make a break for the open grass. The creature was too close though, it’s heavy, flat footsteps right on her heels. Haddie raced around the building again, the creature chasing, that high-pitched snorting sound mixing with its loud puffs of breath. It was so close she could smell it now. It put off the pungent scent of dirt and sweat. As she rounded the corner again, she let out a squeal of fear, looking behind her and directly into the moonlit face of the creature.

Their gazes locked for one startling moment as horror washed through Haddie. Oh! Oh! With another squeal and a burst of adrenalin, Haddie sprinted away from the shed, rounding the corner and fleeing into the open grass toward the house where her mommy waited.

She couldn’t sense the weight of it. She couldn’t tell where it was. And she didn’t understand what she’d seen.

When she made it close enough that the soft glow from the windows above lit the ground, she dared a look back.