It Lurks In The Dark

3.

Present Day 

"Gracie! Gracie, wake up! We're here!".

Gracie felt someone shake her shoulders gently. She opened her eyes to see that they were still in the SUV. Or rather, she was.

The distant voices of her friends were heard from outside of the car. They seemed to be laughing in response to something that was said by one of them. Their laughter immediately perked up Gracie's senses. 

The cold, chilly air spilling from outside of the vehicle onto her face made her face towards the open car door. Sabrina gazed back at her, her blonde hair swaying in the wind. 

"Finally awake?", Sabrina asked, grinning. 

"I guess. Still kind of tired though", Gracie said groggily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. 

"Makes sense, since it has been a long journey for all of us", Sabrina said pulling the car door wider for Gracie to get out of.

Stepping out the vehicle, Gracie focused on her surroundings. They weren't at the cabin just yet, because they still had to walk a small trail into the dense woods which lead to a clearing where 'Blackwood Pines', their cabin sat.

The snow still fell heavily from above, and the wind increased in speed making it hard for them to locate a few feet ahead. Thankfully, Nick and the others weren't too far away, when Gracie and Sabrina made their way towards them. 

"Good morning sleepyhead", Nick teased, nudging Gracie by the elbow and snickering. "Did you have a good beauty sleep?", he mocked, a cocky grin spread out on his face. 

Gracie sighed heavily, crossing her arms and shook her head at her cousin's failed attempt at making her laugh. The others laughed at the playful exchange between the siblings.

They were standing near the mountain's edge which was fenced away by boulders. Beyond the fence was the great dept below and the snow-capped mountains far-off which overlooked the horizon. The sun was setting rather quick casting a purplish hue in the cloudless sky. Twilight was approaching.

Tiny snowflakes descended down, Gracie tried to catch them on the palm of her hand, but they swiftly melted away. 

The whistling of the wind could be heard all around them, while the tree leaves rustled, making Gracie and others go silent. There was this sudden tension building up in the air, as if something was about to happen but Gracie did not know what.

The sudden sound of a twig snapping a few feet away from them made everyone's attention turn in the direction of the unexpected sound.

Gracie thought she was probably hearing things over the wind. But all of a sudden everything goes silent. 

A little too silent. Dead silent.

The wind stopped whistling; the trees stopped rustling. An eerie silence overtook them. Only the sounds of their heavy breathing could be heard. 

Gracie's heartbeat quickened as another twig snaps, this time much closer. 

"Guys, did you hear that?", Sabrina's quiet voice quivered, breaking the silence.

"Y'all heard it too, right? Kendall whispered, glancing over to the others, fear evident on her face.

Gracie squinted through the thick fog but couldn't see anything. The fog was too dense for anyone to figure out if something or someone was approaching them or not.

The temperature abruptly decreased causing Gracie to tremble in fear. The single thought of them not being alone in the woods at that very moment send chills down her spine.

Maybe it's an animal? Gracie reasoned with herself.

An overwhelming dread swept inside of Gracie as she heard her cousin whisper, "Someone could be here with us."

Were they being watched?