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August 22, 2021 Hackett's Quarry Upstate New York, New York
THE MOONLIGHT WAS FILTERING THROUGH THE TOPS OF THE TREES. Crickets and cicadas chirping and buzzing, the wind blowing through the branches and leaves, the soft crunch of foliage under his boots, all adding to the nighttime forest ambience. Cassidy had been walking for a good while now. He was muttering to himself, not paying attention to his surroundings.
He remembers the first time he entered the woods. Six years ago, when he was thirteen. That little bit of fear that turned into a massive amount of fear that made him anxious, knowing it was dark as hell out here. All the noises making his skin crawl and he would look around in fright, thinking something was out to get him.
Then there was that run-in with a werewolf, and then Travis saving him.
Cassidy never thought he would be back out here alone after that. On another full moon.
"I'm so stupid," he mutters as he comes to a stop by a stream. "I'm so fucking stupid!" He says as he kicks a rock into the water. It splashes into the water below. He huffs, crossing his arms as he sits by the stream, watching the water flow between the rocks.
When he looks up to gaze at his surroundings, he notices something beside him, buried in the grass. He reaches for it, realizing it was a tarot card as he picks it up from off of the ground.
"God, not now..." he complains, staring at the card as he flips it over anyway, not wanting to leave it on the ground in case he wasn't able to find it again.
TAROT CARD FOUND 5 OF ?? THE HANGED MAN
He's running from someone, but he doesn't know how far behind they are. Traveling through the woods at night was like traveling through a maze with no end. It just kept going and going and going until you were completely lost.
He's frightened, not of who was chasing him, but of the consequences if he was caught. He keeps running but doesn't see the rope lying on the ground ahead of him. The rope tightens around his ankle, yanking him upward and hanging him upside down in the air.
The footsteps from the person chasing him get louder and soon stop. They're standing in front of him, opening a jar of werewolf blood.
"It's gonna smell, but it's worth it," the person says before smearing some of the crimson liquid on his face.
He slips the card into his pocket and stands up, brushing off his jeans. At this point, he doesn't even know where he's going. At this rate, he could just go home. But that was a far walk, he didn't actually feel like going home, and he had to go back to the fire pit eventually. He had his friends to watch over. Not like he was doing a good job at that anyway. Four of his friends were most likely out in these woods somewhere, and he left the other three and his girlfriend at the fire pit.
