Nightfall Woods

3★ the bite

As the coach's voice faded into the background, Alex felt a surge of urgency. He turned to the girl, whose eyes were filled with tears, and asked,
"What happened to Jake?" She took a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she recounted the last time she had seen him.
Suddenly, a group of students gathered around, their faces a mix of concern and confusion. Whispers spread like wildfire, each person trying to piece together the events that led to this moment. Alex's heart raced as he realized they needed to act quickly.

He suggested, "We should search the area. Maybe someone saw something." The girl nodded, determination replacing her fear. Together, they rallied the others, ready to uncover the truth behind Jake's sudden death.

But then he was quickly cut off by the sound of police sirens, piercing through the air. The wailing echoed ominously, causing panic to ripple through the crowd. In an instant, everyone began to scatter, fear driving them in different directions. Alex felt a sense of dread as he lost sight of the girl and the others, the chaotic scene around him blurring into a whirlwind of confusion.

He stood frozen for a moment, torn between the urge to follow the fleeing crowd and the need to find out what had happened to Jake. The sirens grew louder, and he knew he had to make a choice. Taking a deep breath, he decided to head toward the sound, hoping that the police might have answers or that he could find his friends amidst the chaos.
When he approached the police car, he saw Henry walking toward him, a look of concern etched on his face.

"Hey, Alex, what happened?" he asked, glancing nervously at the crowd. "I couldn't see anything; the coach wouldn't let us near."

Alex took a moment to gather his thoughts, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "It's Jake... something happened to him," he replied, his voice shaking slightly. "We need to figure out what's going on before it gets worse." Henry nodded, his expression shifting from confusion to determination as they prepared to dig deeper into the unfolding chaos.

But when Alex said that, her mom, the sheriff, interjected, « You two don't need to figure out anything. It's my job to do that. » Her tone was firm, but there was an underlying tension in her voice that suggested she was just as concerned.

Alex felt a mix of frustration and helplessness. "Mom, we can't just stand by while—" he started, but she cut him off.

"I understand you want to help, but right now, I need you to stay back. This is a crime scene."

Henry exchanged a worried glance with Alex, both of them realizing that the situation was more serious than they had initially thought. As the sirens continued to wail in the distance, the reality of their helplessness began to sink in.
The coach called the team to go back to the changing rooms, his voice cutting through the tension like a whistle. "Alright, everyone! Back to the changing rooms now! We need to regroup and stay calm."

Alex felt a surge of frustration. "But what about Jake?" he protested, glancing at Henry, who looked equally uneasy.

The coach's expression hardened. "I said back to the changing rooms. We can't have you all out here causing more chaos. Let the authorities handle it."

Reluctantly, Alex turned away from the scene, his mind racing with thoughts of Jake and the uncertainty of what had just happened. As they walked back, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

When they got to the changing room, Henry, Alex, Leo, and Levi gathered together, their voices low as they brainstormed about the situation.

"What do we know so far?" Henry asked, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening.

"Not much," Alex replied, running a hand through his hair. "Just that Jake's body was lying in the benches someone saw it, and then everything went crazy."