Claws in the Dark | ✔

XIII

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"Oh my God, what happened?!" Gina exclaimed, running to the church's entrance and taking in Miles' appearance. His torn white shirt was soaked from the rain that started pouring a few minutes ago, and blood splotched a few areas of that and his pants.

"We were attacked," he brushed back the locks of his dark, wet hair. "Lou and his uncle are both dead."

"What?" she gasped as she covered her mouth. "Are you okay? Have you hurt anywhere?" She checked all around him for any forms of injury.

Miles felt as though he was being mothered by his wife, but he knew she would still worry if he asked her to stop.

"I'm fine. The police and paramedics are at the house with Bill right now." He pauses before going on, "The people of this town aren't," he held her hands and led her back inside, shutting the door.

Miles had to warn everyone about what was going on. He knew it wasn't safe for anybody. As he entered, the congregation stared at him, puzzled looks on their faces.

He approached pastor Sloane and told him what happened to Lou and his uncle. The man was in shock when he received the news, as his lips only parted and his breath hitched.

"Who attacked you?" Gina asked.

"It isn't a matter of who attacked me. That thing was vicious," he told her.

"What thing? Miles, you're scaring me."

"Listen, there are monsters moving around in this town, and they're killing people," he admitted in a low voice.

"Miles, really? We're back on this again?" She glowered at him at his supposedly dumb assumption.

"Gina, you saw the claw marks on the house. Isn't that enough proof?"

"I don't know what I saw that night. It could've been anything. Probably someone playing a prank," she argued.

"Really, Gina? That's what you're going with, a prank?"

They stopped arguing when they felt eyes on them. Turning, the entire congregation was just gawking at the two with furrowed brows.

"What's going on?" a female stood up and asked from a corner seat on the left. "When's this funeral going to start? What's all this delay about?"

"Can you have some respect?" asked another woman, standing up two pews behind her.

"Oh, Charlotte...put a sock in it! I don't know why you're here. All you did was screw the man!" Gasps and murmurs passed through the people sitting in the congregation. "Yeah, that's right. Charlotte Grey's been fucking Clifford Grimes!"

"You shut your mouth, Maxine!" Charlotte yelled at the woman. She scrambled to get over the pews but was held back by the people sitting beside her, though. She breathed heavily, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.