Under Radar

Chapter One

Dusk was falling quicker than usual. Night fog began to roll in as the wind picked up. The trees creaked as they moved with the blowing breeze. Shadows lurched out from their bases almost as if they would grab at your feet at any moment and drag you to the unknown. Walking alone on this beaten trail was risky. There had been stories of kids being followed. By what? No one knew. Half the time when reports were recorded on this trail it was because kids were found died, their bodies mauled to almost nothing.

My backpack thumped against me with every step I took. I hugged my arms around my waist, trying to make myself feel safer than I really was. If I was attacked out here, in the middle of no where, no one would hear me scream. The nearest house or road were a mile away. That was probably the reason why people took this spot as a good place to get their dirty deeds done. I took in deep breaths and breathed out slowly like my therapists had taught me to do when situations gave me anxiety.

The night life began to stir awake as I moved deeper into the trail. My phone screen was the only light source I had besides the little glow that the rising full moon was giving off. Leaves crunched under my feet as I walked forward.

'Why did I say I would just walk home?' I questioned myself.

I had been offered a ride but I was so angry at the person who offered it I denied their invitation. Now I was alone, walking down a path were many kids my age had gone missing. Thinking back on everything I have read about the reports written about this place I realized that most kids to have been killed here were girls.

I swallowed hard on the lump that was growing in my throat. I tried desperately not to let my fear show. If someone, other than me, was on this path, watching every move I made, I needed to show them that they weren't scarring me. I needed to act braver than I was. I stood taller yet quickened my steps. I showed no fear in my face yet under the surface there was a seventeen year old girl trying to scream and run her way out. The owls had a tawny harsh flight note as they came alive with the other night creatures. I approached their home with out them knowing and now they were set on alert. Or at least I thought I had sent them on alert.

Branches scrapped my skin as I tried to duck or move around them. Who ever had made this trail had only the attention of small kids walking here. That simple thought shot a chill up my spine.

I gazed around trying to clear my vision. The darkness had consumed my surroundings leaving nothing to be seen in front of me. Now my phone was the only thing keeping me sane with this crazy idea I just had to do.

The silent was eerie until, in a quick second, a twig snapped up ahead of me. My body froze, staring ahead trying to pin point what made the sound. Once again the dark disabled my sight. My fear level rose until my whole body shook.

'I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die' my mind began to panic. I tried to desperately brighten my screen but it was already at its highest point. I fumbled with the buttons until finally I was so scared the small machine slipped out of my hands. The world went pitch black and then another pair of footsteps were heard. Whispering came up from behind me. At first I couldn't understand them until they were so close they were screaming in my ear. I spun around, flaying my arms wildly, trying not to let what ever was out there get close to me. A short snarl stopped me and with a small cry for help I ran forwards, planning to not stop until I got out of the woods. I was being followed like the other boys and girl had been.

My back pack weighed me down and with a quick decision I slipped it off my shoulders and flung it to the ground. I pounded my feet against the dirt, taking longer running strides than I have ever done before. I supposed being on the track team a couple years ago was gonna come in handy. I pumped my arms in and out giving me a good rhythm to go by to run faster.

I was almost there. Just a few more yards and I would burst into one of my neighbors back yard.Their back porch light taunted me. It shinned brighter with every inch I pushed behind me. I grinned, knowing safety was so close. Sweat poured down my forehead and back.

"Almost there," I whispered out. My voice wearing down with the exercise I was making my body do. I reached out a hand, almost as if I was about to grab the sweet sign that let me know I was going to survive. My feet ached and just as I was about to leap out into the open world I tripped and fell to the ground, hitting my head off the cold, chilling surface. I blacked out for a second and when my vision returned I was being dragged back into the woods. I tried to scream but my body was to exhausted to give me the strength. Twigs and leaves bunged up under my shirt as I was pulled into what would most likely be my resting place. I prayed for a miracle, for something to miraculously happen. I expected tears to be pouring down my face but I guessed that I was so wind whipped my eyes were to dry.

I tried to get glimpses of what had a hold on me but all that I could notice was the bright golden eyes that were filled with hunger and were dragging me to my death.

I wasn't the smartest kid in school but I could still tell that those eyes didn't belong to any animals that lived around this part of the country. I remember reading about wolves and how their eyes could be golden like the ones I were starring at but these eyes were to large to belong to a wolf. My mind was pulling a blank. The creatures fangs bit down deeper into my calf, getting a better grip on me. The animals around leaped or flew out of the beast path. I struggled but was to weak. I had lost the battle I had tried so hard to avoid. I let my body go limp and allowed the carnivore to drag me further to the place I tried to escape from. In a quick motion more of the beasts joined us and in a glimpse I realized what had me was indeed a wolf. Not just a normal wolf. I had read about these ones but not in a book you would read for history or science. They were just a fictional character that belonged to many stories.

'Your not real. This isn't happening. I'm not gonna be eaten by a pack of werewolves!' My head hurt from the anger that began to swirl in my mind. A burst of strength swam all through my body and I quickly used it to scream out. It wasn't enough for my neighbors to hear through their house but hopefully someone was outside. Some one would come and rescue me.

The beast that had a hold on me stopped where he was. I turned my head to look at him. He and the others had stopped. Their ears laid back and they whimpered, sorta acting like my mother had when my step father finally had enough of her complaining and yelled out in frustration.

Something approached. It's footsteps made a louder thud when they hit the ground. Then they came faster. The creature was running and as soon as it was in front of the pack the others backed away into the darkness. I looked up to stare into a pair of familiar eyes. The green eyes showed easily with the flash light the person held. I let out the breath I held in my mouth and stood quickly almost tumbling back down to where I was. He grabbed ahold of my arms and waist and helped steady myself. In happiness I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging my savior.

"Hunter," I whispered out his name. I looked up at him. He smiled and turned me back to the way I wanted to go.

"Your safe. No more need to shake," he spoke looking ahead of us. "Katy Lynn, your alright now."

I looked away from his eyes and set my gaze to the features of his face.

His set, muscled jaw. The way his bottom lip was a little more fuller than his top. How his lashes skimmed the skin just before his brow.

I let my body shape into his side as we walked out of the woods. It was like something was lifted off of me when I was finally able to lay on the grass and look up at the stars that had appeared in the sky. Hunter stood next to me, glaring at the woods. There was something he was thinking about. Something that angered him. Something I was determined to find out. He was a mystery to most kids in school. He payed little to no attention to anyone except for the group of delinquents though the fact that he knew my name even though I never once talked to him showed he did have his attention on other people. The air let a gentle breeze move over us both. In a quick second Hunter looked down at me nodded then walked off towards the street. The road lights casted a shadow over him then soon made him disappear. I sat up, looking back once more at the opening of the trail then stood turning my back to it. I walked away just as Hunter did and made my way home.

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