Skinwalker - Completed

CHAPTER 3

(Rylie's POV)

"Don't make your grandma worry, ok?" Her mother looked at her with a stern face.

Rylie sighed. "Mom. You reminded me of that almost 2 hours ago. I promise I won't."

She quickly hugged her mom.

It was mid-afternoon when they arrived at her grandmother's house, and they are currently standing outside it. She was just dying to get her mother out of her as soon as she can.

"I want to meet your grandma, but I need to be in the restaurant this afternoon. Say hi for me, ok?"

She awkwardly tapped her mother on the shoulder. "Ok. Ok, mom."

She just wants to get it over with because she wants to go to Shasta mountain as much as possible, and her mom is making it difficult for her. She was planning to go back once she explored the hill for a bit.

"I'll be going, ok?"

"Yeah. Ok, mom. Just go already. Geez." Rylie made a shooing gesture, and her mother glared at her. She just snickered, and her mom smiled. They can banter a few times, but they know that it is just a jest.

Her mother nodded one last time and hugged her again before going to the car and drove off. Rylie waved her hands and grinned when her mother's car is no longer seen.

It's time for her to go to where she really planned to go.

Hoisting her bag up and mustering her courage, she looks up at her grandma's house. I'm so sorry, grandma. I need to go somewhere. Rylie fervently prayed as she turned to a corner and walked there. There is a bus station up ahead. She immediately got on a bus and paid for her fair.

"To Shasta Mountains, sir."

The bus conductor cocked his head to the side. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closes it again.

Rylie's eyebrows furrowed. "Is there something wrong, sir?"

"Don't take it personally or anything, but why are you going there? There is a grey wolf found in that area. It's dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Her curiosity got piqued.

"Yeah, there was a family of wolves there, and wolfs tend to be aggressive when they have a young."

"I know, sir, but I promise I will just stay in the safe zones."

Rylie saw the concern in the man's eyes. He probably thinks that it was dangerous for a woman to go alone in a mountain full of wolves, but she will not let him know that she will not stay in the safe zone. She was just worried he might report her to the local authorities for trespassing in the area.

"V-Very well. Good day, Miss."

She thanked the man and looked out of the bus's window.

Her father was also an adventurer. She remembers how he would always bring her to different dig sites. Her mother wouldn't have approved of it, but Rylie enjoyed those adventures with her dad. They would play treasure-finding games in the forest of their backyard, she sometimes has bruises from it, and her mother will freak out.

A sad smile graced her lips. Her father was called crazy by his fellow archaeologist because he was confident that Werewolves, mythical creatures from books, actually existed. He was so bent on that idea that he said he found a real werewolf. Then a complete turnaround happened as the archaeological community slowly began to believe him. But eventually, her dad said he was wrong and that he faked his findings.

She didn't understand what happened, but her dad started burning all his findings on werewolves. Just one journal remains that she always reads to find some clues. A black notebook that she saved when her father wasn't looking.