33.
Claire just stood there staring at the world before her. The large grey moon pouring its light on the world beneath. The billions of twinkling dots surrounding it. It was all beautiful, no doubt, but Claire wasn't taking it in.

She held herself tight as she felt the cold wind hit her body. She shivered and held the sides of her arms, rubbing them up to her shoulders for warmth.

"Bradley."

She tried to get him out of her lead. She tried to forget him. Rod Willis had taken her on a journey to the past. A journey she never wanted to venture into. Her thoughts then began to wander.

"Bradley."

"Edith."

"Adam."

"Samantha."

She exhaled bitterly when she remembered her daughter's cold eyes before she had left the house. She remembered the way she slammed the door in her face. Claire was lost now. She had come to Cherrywood Valley for a summer vacation, in hopes of getting closer to her kids, accepting her husband was gone and working on her grief, but things were not working out. Things were actually getting worse.

Her husband was dead and gone, and her daughter; for some reason, blames her for it. Worse of all is the fact that Samantha believes her father is about to be replaced.

She shut her eyes and wished all this was a bad dream and that she was going to wake up in thier apartment in New York, with Bradley laying beside her; the feeling of his stubbles, pricking her neck.

"No, I'm saying i'm done with you gaddammit," Claire heard a man raise his voice in the distance. She spun and saw Patrick still with his phone pressed to his ear, answering his call. Even from that distance, Claire could tell that he was pissed off about something and that his gestures were forced and vehement.

"Do not call this number again," she heard him hiss in a sort of quiet rage, before he lowered his phone, looked up to the sky and exhaled.

Claire furrowed her brows and was starting to wonder what that was all about. Patrick then looked down and caught her gaze. Claire thought to look away, but she decided not to. She didn't want to make it look as if she was spying on him of something. So, instead of looking away, she smiled at him. Patrick smiled back at her before he began walking towards the door and disappeared into the house.

Claire slowly turned away and faced the world before her. She always knew a fake smile when she saw one and the smile that Patrick had given her; that was definitely fake.

Something was bothering Patrick obviously, but ofcourse, Claire thought it wasn't her business.

Suddenly, the temperature around her dropped and she felt a suddenly chill travel down her entire body. She wrapped her arms around herself as she suddenly started shivering.

Her entire body stiffened when she felt a soothing warmth cover the top of her body. She spun in slight shock and saw Liam's concerned blue eyes on her as he placed the coat of his suit over her shoulders.

"What are you?" He asked with a smile. "..trying to freeze yourself to death?"

Claire smiled back at him and looked away when she felt her face starting to heat up. She pulled the coat closer and tighter around her body and exhaled.

"Thank you," uttered with her eyes still trained to the world before her.

Neither of them said anything after that and so Liam decided to break the silence. "Can't believe how cold the summer nights in this town are?" He said, before he glanced at Claire in hope of a response; but there was nothing. She didn't even turn to look at him or smile at his remark. It was almost as if he wasn't there.

"Claire?" Liam called again in a softer tone. "Are you alright?"

Claire hesitated a bit, before she finally turned quickly and eyed him with a wry smile. "I'm fine," she said as she shifted her eyes away from him and faced forward again. "Fresh air," she uttered. "I...I just needed some fresh air."

"Right," Liam smirked as he nodded. He hesitated, but still, he walked closer and stood beside the blonde woman.

The two of them just stood there in silence. Nothing could be heard except the crickets chirping in the distance and the music coming from the house behind them. Liam spun briefly to savour the sight of the way the gentle night breeze tugged at he blond curls and her silk white gown. Her scent; he wanted so much to tell her that it was driving him crazy. He could sense that she was troubled. She was clearly worried about something and he knew it had something to do with whatever she was discussing with the young man from inside the house. He wanted to ask her who he was, but he thought that would be a really silly question, I mean, who was she, his wife? So, he figured he would ask something else.

"How's Samantha?", Liam said.

Claire faced Liam. The shock of his question was unmistakable in her eyes. She looked into his blue-green eyes boring into her, and was surprised she didn't know what to say for the first few seconds.

"She....she's fine", Claire stuttered.

Liam turned away again, slowly nodding as he sighed. He obviously realised that from her reaction, the question may have been misplaced. It may have been awkward.

Claire could tell that Liam had more questions. She could also sense that he was afraid to ask.

She never wanted to discuss her husband's death with anyone, due to the fact that it was the most painful period of her life. Edith always told her to talk to someone. Edith always told her to move on and live her life. She would always tell Edith that she had moved on and that she had forgiven herself and forgotten all about it. Claire knew she could tell anybody anything she wanted, but she couldn't deceive herself.

Here she was, Standing with someone who obviously was ready to talk about the issue. Somebody who was ready to pull her out of a pit she had been trapped in for years. She didn't know what to say, but she knew she had to say something.
Liam, on the other hand, was beginning to feel like an intruder all of a sudden. He felt like he was not wanted, at least not now, so he did what he thought best.
"I'll be inside," Liam said as he spun and began walking towards the house. He wished she would talk more. He wished she would open up to him. He didn't like seeing her like this and he didn't know why.

The softness in Liam's voice was one Claire hadn't heard before. As he turned to go, the guilt was too much for her at that point. She had to say something.

"She blames me for it, you know," Claire uttered in a shaky voice.

Liam spun slowly and looked back at Claire who was still looking out into the darkness. She spun and faced him, letting him see her welling eyes. "She blames me for her father's death."


Liam immediately walked over to Claire and held her, fighting the temptation to draw her close to him.

"I'm a doctor, and I couldn't even save my husband," Claire uttered before she broke down and sank her head into Liam's chest and began to cry.

Liam then pulled her in for an embrace. "Shhh," he uttered. "Don't say that."

As he felt Claire give out heavy sobs on his chest, he felt a pain in his heart that confused him. He looked across the Lawn and saw a Gazebo a few yards away.

"Come on," he said as he slowly pulled Claire away from him so he could look into her tear filled eyes. "Let's go take a seat."

The two of them walked over to the Gazebo and sat beside each other. They apparently felt uneasy with each other, not knowing what to do because, let's face it, the situation was weird. They had never been in this situation before, not together.

Liam reached into his pocket, pulled out his handkerchief and handed it over to Claire. She took it and began wiping her face.

"God, look at me," Claire began to chuckle. "I look ridiculous, don't I?"

"Nah," Liam uttered with a smirk as he threw his arms over the seat. "You look worse than ridiculous."

Claire gave him a playful death stare and then chuckled again at his remark. She then exhaled heavily and faced the vast expanse of greenery below the glowing moon surrounded by billions of stars.

When Liam saw the gracious smile on her face, he was surprised at the relief that poured over him. Why did Claire's smile make him want to smile? What the hell was wrong with him this evening?

"It's beautiful out here," Claire uttered. "Isn't it?"

"Yes it is," Claire heard Liam reply. "Really beautiful."

She spun quickly and caught Liam's steely blue eyes on her. She felt her face heat up immediately when she saw how handsome he was under the glowing moon. It was almost as if his blue eyes were glowing, together with his skin.

When Liam saw the way her face reddened, he realised he was making her feel uncomfortable and then he suddenly turned away with a smirk.

Claire felt awkward, but she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. She stared at him for a while as he played with is thumbs resting on his laps; rolling them over one another. An obvious give away of anxiety and uneasiness.

"Tell me about Africa," Claire uttered and Liam turned and saw her looking at him with that dreamy look in her eyes. "What's it like?"

"What? You've never been to Africa?" He asked as he furrowed his brows with a feigned look of shock.

Claire grinned and shook her head like a shy six year old girl. Liam chuckled and then adjusted himself in the chair so he could face her properly.

"Africa...," he began as he narrowed his eyes to the beautiful night skies above, thinking of a reply before he suddenly faced Claire with a frown on his face.
"....Is a really shitty place."

Claire threw her head back in laughter at Liam's utterance and when Liam saw her do that, he felt something inside him come to life again.

"No," Liam chuckled. "Don't laugh, I'm serious, it's a real shit-hole."

Claire then faced him; still smiling wildly at him. "Then why do you live there?"

Liam smiled and looked away from her again while he thought of an answer. "Hmmm," he uttered. "That's a good question. He looked down at her with a smile again and replied, "I guess it's because that's were my soul is."

Claire found herself smiling at him when he said those words. She turned her entire body towards him, facing him completely. A gesture that seemed to tell Liam that he had her full attention.

"What I love most about it are the people", Liam went as he looked out into the glowing night. "They are beautiful. All of them."

"Well that's not exactly what CNN tells us," Claire scoffed.

Liam turned and faced her with a sneer. "Oh Bleep CNN, they don't know shit," he hissed. "Yeah, so what if they've got farming, drought, Islamic terrorists and wars? Over here, we've got serial killers and murderers, but you don't see that very often on the bloody CNN, do you?"

Claire looked amused as she nodded slowly while staring at him. "You really do love black people, don't you?"

Liam chuckled.

"Don't get me wrong I mean, I don't have a problem with the way we do things here," he said. "It's just that over here, we take life too seriously. We care about a lot of things that don't matter, but over there in Africa, people are exactly what they are meant to be; humans beings."

Claire kept staring at the man sitting beside her. She could see the passion in his eyes when he spoke.

"You're a doctor right?" Liam said as he faced her, looking into her eyes. "Why do you think Cancer, Leukaemia and all that shit is so common with us here? Our lives are too bloody artificial, that's why."


Liam saw the slight flash of pain in Claire's eyes when he mentioned the word 'Cancer', but chose to ignore it.
Claire looked down and saw Liam clench his fists. This wasn't passion anymore, it was rage. He was obviously angry about something, but Claire didn't know what.

She tilted away from Liam and stared into space; lost in thought once more. "You know, when my husband died of cancer," she began. "A lot of people, Including my daughter, just couldn't understand why I let it happen. Hell, I couldn't understand why it happened."

Then she turned and met Liam's eyes boring into her. "But then, I realised, at that moment my husband told me he was ready to go, that there are some things that you can't change. There are some things that just have to happen for you to grow in strength," Claire said. "The world will always be what it is. People will always be who they are. You can't change that."

Then she gave Liam a wry smile.

The dark haired man chuckled and looked away. Claire studied him for a while and started to notice how comfortable she was with him all of a sudden.

"You know, Samantha is mad at me because she thinks you may replace her Dad," Claire chuckled.

Liam suddenly spun to face her. He looked like he had been waiting for those words all his life. "Really?"

Claire nodded in response.

"Wow," Liam uttered. The sudden uneasiness was unmistakable in his tone. He became silent. They both became silent. Claire knew that what she said had pressed a button. She knew she had touched something in him because as Liam stared into the night, he was lost in thought and his smile was gone.

Claire looked behind and saw the guests back in the house through the glass doors. They were still chatting, throwing thier heads back in laughter, having a swell time.
"Liam, when are we-."


"Am I?" Liam suddenly interrupted her, his gaze still fixed to the glowing world before him.

Claire faced him, looking puzzled. "Are you what?"

Liam then faced her. He kept blinking heavily and rapidly. A sign that he was about to say something he wasn't use to saying. "I-I mean is there...you know...a chance?"


Claire couldn't understand at first, but as his words registered, her expression began to dissolve from that of confusion, to a mixture of anger and regret. What was she thinking? She felt her heart beginning to race.

She suddenly got up from the seat,shrugged his coat of her shoulders and began heading out of the Gazebo as as she had just remembered something she had left in the house. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Wha---,for What?" Liam called after her as he stood up too. "Look, i'm sorry okay? I didn't mean-."

Claire ignored him and kept moving towards the house.


"Claire wait..," Liam called. "Where are you going?"


"To meet Brent," Claire said. "I need to go home now."

32.
Dinner was over and everyone was in the living room now; talking, laughing, and sipping thier champagne. Claire was beginning to get bored as she sat there on the couch, watching almost everyone gathering round Liam. He was obviously the man of the night and even though everyone had thier eyes and attention on him, that didn't stop him from stealing occasional glances at Claire.

He had been stealing glances at her ever since they were at the dinner table, hell, ever since she walked into the party and she honestly didn't know what to make of it.

Claire's uneasiness caused her to turn her attention towards Tate, Larry and Brent who were gathered at the corner, talking and laughing with each other. Since she was used to seeing them in thier uniforms and khakis, she smiled weakly when she realised how adorable and handsome they looked in thier suits and tuxedo.

She spun to Patrick's direction when she heard his phone ring. She was even more confused when she saw the look on his face when he held the phone to his face and saw the caller. Whoever was calling him, Patrick wasn't pleased about it.

"Shit," Patrick hissed before he hurried out of the house and went outside.

"Excuse me," a man uttered while close to Claire. "You're Claire Hayes aren't you?"

Claire spun quickly and looked up from her seat to face the man standing beside her. With his sleek black hair combed back, bright brown eyes and a grin, he held his wine glass with one hand and his other hand was in his pocket of his expensive looking suit. His were placed on Claire like she was a strange but beautiful creature. A creature he had never seen before.

"Yes," Claire answered with uncertainty as she eyed him. "I am."

The young man chuckled with a smile on his face that Claire couldn't deny, was quite charming.

"I'm sorry," the man cleared his throat. "I don't expect you to remember me. It's just...you know, while we were at the table, I knew you were familiar, but I didn't know how to approach you."

He then stretched his hand for a shake. "I'm Rod Willis."

Claire took his hand and shook it with an expression on her face that made Rod realise she still didn't remember him.

"It's okay If you don't remember me," Rod said as he looked down at his black Italian shoes. It was almost as if Claire was making him nervous and she thought it was cute.

Claire smiled at his gesture as she moved her gaze carelessly in Liam's direction. She was slightly shocked to meet Liam's steely eyes glaring thier way.

"I went to Cherrywood High too, in fact, I was on the school team with Bradley," Rod said as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

Claire spun to face the young man quickly. The mention of her husband's name was enough to make every other thing in the room irrelevant.

"Really?" Claire uttered as she shifted her entire body to face him. If he didn't have her attention before, he had gotten it now.

"He was the coolest guy ever," Rod went on as he suddenly became lost in thought of his college years. "He was one of the nicest people I had ever seen. Generous and kind."

Rod stopped and shook his head with a smile on his face; the memories obviously flooding his mind. "He-erm- he is the reason ..emm," Rod stuttered.

Claire kept staring at the man standing before her. She felt she should do something, or say something at least. It didn't take a genius to realise Rod was holding something down. It didn't take a genius to realise the fact that even though she didn't really remember Rod, he must have liked Bradley very much, or at least been very close to him.

She stood up from her chair and moved close to the young man, placing her hand on his shoulder. She had to show her sympathy some how, right?

"I-er-had problems with-um-drugs when I was a kid; in high school." Rod started. He kept his eyes on his shoe and when he raised them, he often looked away to another direction. For some reason, he couldn't look Claire in the eye. "I was in my teens and was going through a lot of things, you know...."

The young man smiled wryly and faced the ground beneath him again. "My drug issue was so bad that I had lost everything. My father; who was an alcoholic, kicked me out of the house before I even graduated high school and all hopes of going to university or college were lost."

He looked up again; avoiding Claire's eyes and she felt her heart sink when she noticed his eyes were beginning to redden. "My-um-Dad wasn't really parent material. He was one of those that liked to use his belt and his fists as useful tools in parenting."

For the first time since that conversation started, Rod turned and looked into Claire's eyes finally and coughed out a humourless laugh. "He beat the shit outta me."

Claire gave a wry smile. There was hardly any doubt in her mind that Rod did look like someone who had gone through hell. She stole a glance at the scars on his left wrist when ever his sleeves were slightly pulled back. She had been working with troubled teens long enough to know that those were the first signs of an attempted suicide.

"Bradley helped me out," Rod's voice suddenly pulled Claire out of her thoughts. "I was stranded and lost, and he -um- he just helped me out, you know, with the drugs and school and stuff. He never gave up on me."

Claire nodded her head slowly and gave him a weak smile. "That's good." Claire felt a pang of guilt when she began to ask herself internally, why this young man was telling her all these things.

Rod was quiet for some seconds, before he chuckled at something that had just come to his mind and Claire furrowed her brows in curiosity.

"Bradley got jobs for both of us at Whitney's; you know, that really popular eatery on 4th street then," Rod muttered as he saw Claire nod her head quickly in response, and then he went on. "He put both our pay into my tuition for college. He knew only mine wouldn't cut it, so he had to get the job and add his."

Claire then went back to UCLA in her mind. She and Bradley had been lovers since high school, and she knew things were serious when Bradley came to join her in UCLA. She remembered the period he had become a little detached. He had become scarce. She wasn't seeing him very often anymore. Then she had found out that he had gotten a job and was pissed at him for not telling her. Even so, Bradley never told her the reason why he got the job, because she was very sure that he was on a football scholarship...but now, she knew.

"Your..er...husband is the reason I have a job that gives me least Twelve thousand dollars a month....and it's not like it's a job I hate," Rod stopped for a while, looked down at his shoes and began sobbing quietly. "He gave me the courage to be who I am today and I couldn't show up for his funeral and...I."

Rod then looked up at Claire. His eyes bloodshot and wet now. "I just wanted to apologise...I was on a project in India,..I didn't even know, I'm so sorry...I just...."


Claire didn't let the young man finish his sentence when she reached out and pulled him in for a hug. She felt a lump in her throat when she felt the grown man breakdown on her shoulder. He was even too weak to hug her back with his hands hanging lifeless beside him.

"It's okay", Claire said. "It's Alright."

"No its not," Rod sobbed. "I should have been there. Everyone was there. I didn't know...I-."

"Hey", Claire uttered as she pulled him off her, cupped his face in her palms and looked into his sorrowful eyes. "You knew Bradley well, didn't you?"

Rod gave a weak nod in response.

"Do you think he would be mad at you?" She asked as she searched his eyes.

Rod thought for a moment and then shook his head slowly. "N..No."


"Good," Claire said and then she pulled him in again and hugged him.


When they pulled away from each other, Rod choked out a chuckle and sniffed. "Shit," he said with his face bright red. "You must think I'm some kinda wimp, crying all over you like that."

Claire said nothing. She just shook her head and gave the young man a weak smile. She didn't think he was a wimp though, because she knew her husband had that effect on people.

They looked at each other for a while, before Rod stretched out his hand again for a shake. "Well...eh...it was an honour meeting you Mrs Hayes."

Claire's eyebrows furrowed when she heard him say that and then she took his hand and smiled. "Likewise."


Rod gave a curt nod and pulled out something from his pocket and handed it to her. "....and if you need anything, just give me a call," he said as he handed what looked like a complementary card to her.

Claire took it from him and glanced at it.

"Willis and Brans Inc." She could swear she had heard a lot about this company. If it wasn't on some business headline on CNN, then it had to be one of the companies she had seen on Forbes' lists of companies to watch, and he appeared to own it.

Claire looked up at him and felt a surge of pride deep within her. The ends of her mouth tugged into a smile as she looked into Rod's eyes; the eyes of a fighter. He had survived.

Rod reached over and kissed her cheek and then smiled at her. "Please excuse me."

"Sure."

As she watched Rod leave, she wanted to sit back down on the chair, but her legs felt weak. Rod had taken her back to a time she had been avoiding. A time she felt like the happiest woman in the world.
Suddenly, A vision of Bradley standing at the bottom of the stairs of her dorm building in his Kiss t-shirt and jeans, smiling up at her sheepishly with the gentle breeze rustling his curly brown hair, came to her head.

That smile that always made her day. That smile that made her feel that everything was going to be alright, no matter how bad they were. The way he always stared at her when she wasn't looking. The way he smirked whenever he said something that made her blush.

Claire suddenly felt dizzy. She felt a pain in her chest. She started to hyper-ventilate.

"Oh God."

She had not felt like this since the day he died. It was all coming back now. The grief was coming back. Claire dropped the glass in her hand on a stool close to the chair. She spun quickly and met Susan's concerned gaze on her.


"Claire?" Susan said as she hurried to her friend. "You okay?"

Claire waved her off as she walked passed her. "I'm fine. I just need some air." The blonde lady walked passed her friend and moved towards the glass door leading to the Mayor's large garden at the back of the mansion.

She needed to breathe.

31.
Even though they had arrived five minutes late, Claire, Susan and Brent were still just in time for dinner about two minutes after they had arrived. The Mayor immediately started to introduce the team to the dignitaries that were in attendance with his voice so loud with excitement as he laughed at everything his guests said, even though they weren't funny.

"Dinner is served," the Mayor's butler had announced before everyone made thier way to the dinning area.

Claire held down a gasp as she took in the sight of the enormous dinning table with up to ten chairs on each side. She heard Tate whistle quietly behind her as they all settled down. The dishes; spotless and clean china, had already been set and the cutlery; shinning silvery eating utensils that seemed to ooze with quality.

Claire looked up and saw Larry pick a spoon and fork and try to squeeze it into his suit pocket while he was looking at everyone on the table. Brent suddenly caught him, smacked his head and yanked the utensils from his grip; placing them back on the table as Larry glared at his with his hands rubbing his head.

Claire realised she was the only that had seen them and then she started to chuckle. She looked away and caught Liam's eyes on her from across the table. She felt her cheeks heat up before she looked away again.

"So," a pot bellied and bald headed man started from across the table. "Tell me doctor, what's Kenya like these days?"

The butler kept moving round the table, filling everyone wine glasses up as they waited for the food.

"Wonderful as always," Liam replied with a cheerful smile on his face as he raised his glass up to the butler beside him.

A woman beside the bald man chuckled. "I agree," she said. "Gerald and I went there on vacation two summers ago. It was beautiful."

"Well I don't know," another woman; blonde and quite pretty, uttered from the other side of the table. "I really do prefer South Africa."

Claire looked across to Susan in time to see her roll her eyes. She did know that something like this would come to play in a party like this. Rich, influential and ostentatious people bragging about thier vacations in expensive but unpopular places.

"Why?" Liam chuckled. "..because they have white people there?"

Tate immediately dropped his fork, shook his head and face panned when he heard Liam's utterance while Claire shot her head up and gave Liam an incredulous look. The entire table fell silent.

"What?", Liam chuckled. "I was kidding, jeez."

Then everyone started laughing. Everyone except Tate and Claire.

"No you weren't."

Three women whom Claire knew were the Mayor's makes, came out with silver trays of dishes in thier hands. At the point, she instinctively turned in Larry's direction and how was staring at the incoming food with his mouth slightly open before he closed it and licked his lips.

Claire smiled and noticed one of the guests, a young man, probably in his late thirties, staring at her from the table with narrowed eyes. He looked like he was trying to remember something. He looked like he was going to ask her the age old question, "Have I seen you somewhere before?", but Claire wasn't buying that Crap.

Claire turned away as soon as they dropped her meal before her. "Thanks," she smiled at the maid, before she raised her glass of wine for a sip.

Claire saw one of the guests staring; with curiosity, at Jelani who was standing behind Liam. She felt a smile pull on her lips when she saw the African warrior standing there in his white long-sleeve shirt and his black bow tie. She felt proud that she had been the one to pick out that shirt for him. He looked so handsome. The way his dark skinny contrasted with the pure whiteness of his shirt. The way his ebony black braids fell down his shoulders and the ornaments dotted with cowries hung from his ears.

She smirked when she remembered Jelani's refusal to wear something for the occasion. He wanted to come over shirtless and they all knew that would be weird. He had refused everyone's suggestions, but for some reason, he had listened to Claire.

"He still think you have the heart of a queen." Liam had scoffed.

"Um- Is-Is he your bodyguard or something?" The man's voice yanked her out of her thoughts. She spun and saw the young man that was staring at her earlier as he gestured towards the African man behind Liam.

Liam spun to look at Jelani who had not cracked a smile all night. But Claire didn't expect him to, since he obviously couldn't understand a word of what they were saying at the table.

Come to think of it, Claire hasn't been able to understand Jelani lately. Ever since they moved into the house with her, Edith and the Kids, Jelani has been feeling uneasy. At first, Claire thought it was the fact that Jelani was going to have to stay with complete strangers that made him uncomfortable, but when she saw how surprisingly playful he was with her son the first two days they had stayed, she was sure there was something else.


One minute, he would be outside, totally lost in his meditation on the lawn in the backyard, with his legs folded and crossed under him, while Adam and Ottie kept running and playing in circles around him, and then the next moment, he's just standing there, staring out the window, with a worried look on his face.


It was almost as if he was waiting for something, or at least he knew something. Something that was about to happen.

Claire remembered when she once saw him sleeping outside the house with his bow and arrow. She didn't know how to explain it, but it freaked her out. It freaked her out so much, she had to tell Liam about it and he said it was fine.

"It's Natural for Kisii warriors to always feel unsafe and alert, especially when they are in a unfamiliar terrain," Liam had said.

"He's your what?" The young man's voice dragged Claire out of her thoughts.

"My brother," Liam repeated and then smiled.

The young man darted his confused eyes between Liam and Jelani. "Oh," he said. "I see."

Claire could hear Tate chuckle quietly before she heard a louder chuckle from the far end of the table. "Dr. Price is a very peculiar man, isn't he?" Chief Kent said. "That's why he was able to solve our problem."


"Exactly." The Mayor added. "Thanks to him, this year's J4 festivities will be unforgettable. It's just a shame Dr. Price has refused to stay with us till then."

"Oh come on Doc," another man uttered as he threw his hands in the air. "It's just in two weeks. You'll love it."

Liam gave the Mayor a wry smile.

"Yes Doctor," another man with beards whom Claire could swear she had seen before, said. "Tell us how you killed the infamous Cherrywood Beast."

"Cherrywood Beast?" Tate whispered beside Claire. "Someone's been watching way to many Movies."

"It was a black panther actually," Patrick called from across the table. " A very....large...Black Panther."


"A black panther?" The bearded man uttered, puzzled. "In America?"

Liam smirked. "Quite possible Mr. Robertson. You see, The Black Panther is just a Melanistic colour varient of any large Cat."


"Meaning?" The Young Man uttered with a puzzled look on his face.


"Meaning any large cat can come out as a black panther," Patrick explained. "Including Mountain lions and Cougars."

"Really?" The pot bellied man uttered. "That's amazing."


"How did you know where to find it?" The pretty lady asked. "Because from what I was hearing on the news, that thing appeared to be quite smart."

Tate cleared his throat. "It was simple really," he said as he adjusted his glasses. "Most large predators, especially large wild cats, will always come back to the last place they had thier last meal. If they don't get any more, they move to another food source."

"Exactly why the farm and the camp grounds were both attacked twice." Patrick added before he forked up a piece of steak to his mouth and chewed. "Food sources."

"Wow," The pot bellied man said.

"Hell, the entire Cherrywood was a food source for that panther," Liam chuckled. "Before we went hunting for it, we realised the bastard attacked on the outskirts and not inner areas."

"So what did that mean?", The young man asked.

"Cherrywood was it's territory," Liam replied with a smirk as he searched the faces of the guests. He was scaring them and he loved it. "It's feeding ground."

Claire saw one lady raise her hand to her chest and exhale.

"So what would have happened if you didn't kill it?" The bearded man asked.

"It would breed, raise a family equally as ferocious as it is and that's the end of Cherrywood," Liam shrugged.


"You're saying that shit would have wiped out the town?" The Mayor said. "Impossible."

"Mayor", Patrick chuckled. "We all saw the damage one panther did, now think of the damage Six or even ten could do."


"Lord." The young man said as he raised his glass and sipped on his wine, shaking his head in disbelief at the same time.

Claire watched and listened as Liam, Patrick and Tate lectured the guests on Melanism, Black Panthers, and the hunting tactics of big wild cats. They all watched Liam with that look that told Claire they were impressed as hell and she couldn't blame them, Liam was surrounded by this strange Aura of knowledge as he spoke. From the way he was gesticulating, the brightness in his eyes, the smile on his face, it was clear that he was passionate about what he was telling them.


Claire tilted her gaze away from Liam and caught Susan staring at her with a naughty smirk on her face.

"Oh Lord," Claire rolled her eyes as she immediately knew what Susan was insinuating. But she knew Susan was right to think that way, because they both couldn't deny the fact that Liam had been stealing glances at her ever since she walked into the party.

Even as Claire tore her eyes away from her friend, she glanced in Liam's direction and caught those blue eyes of his on her as he raised a glass of wine to his lips for a sip.
She felt her face heat up before she looked down at her glass of wine, picked up and took a sip. She then began to scan the dinning room. Tate and Patrick were still talking with the guests, Brent was whispering something to Susan that was obviously amusing her, Larry and Kent were engaged in a serious conversation.

Claire then moved her eyes back to Liam's direction and felt her stomach flip when she met his eyes still on her.

She quickly looked away and sighed to herself. "Oh Lord." She suddenly wished she hadn't worn this dress.

;

Ibunkun1:
Abi Ori Samantha Yiii Gbale Niiii

30

"How do I look?" Claire asked as she emerged from the changing room behind.

Susan spun to face her and her eyes widened before she pressed her palm on her chest. "Oh my God. Claire."

Claire's stomach flipped when she saw Susan's reaction. It was like anxiety punched her in the belly. She quickly rushed over to the large mirror at the other side of the room and stared into it.

"W-whoa," Claire uttered. She didn't recognise the woman staring back at her from the mirror with the silk white gown on. She didn't recognise the woman in the mirror. The slender but curvy figure, the full breasts that were noticeable thanks to the dangling neck-line that dropped down to her chest.

"I don't know," Claire uttered with uncertainty as she kept tilting side to side, with her eyes glued to her reflection. "Don't you think it's a bit........I mean....too much?"

"Oh don't be ridiculous," Susan said as she walked over and stopped beside Claire, staring at her reflection."You look gorgeous."

Claire frowned at her reflection. "You don't think it's......over the top?"

Susan tilted and gave Claire an incredulous look. "Over the top?"

"I'm going for a dinner party, Susan, not the Oscars or something," Claire uttered, her eyes scanning her reflection.


Susan rolled her eyes. "You're going for a Dinner party..........AT THE MAYOR'S HOUSE."

"So?" Claire spun and faced Susan.

"So, ........there are probably gonna be ladies there dressed better than you are," Susan said as she reached out and pulled Claire's mass of blonde hair back and eyed the mirror. "You're gonna turn heads honey."

"Okay then," Claire sighed as she took one last look at her back side and stepped away from the mirror, towards the changing room again.

"Besides," Susan uttered. "He'll love it."


Claire stopped short and spun to face her friend when the words registered. She turned and saw a malicious smirk on Susan's face.

"Who will love it?" Claire said as her gaze became ice cold all of a sudden and she crossed her hand on her chest. It was clear she knew what Susan was insinuating.

Susan tried hard to hold down a laugh. "Um- Adam?"

"Oh come on Susan," Claire waved her off. "You weren't talking about Adam and you know it."

Susan's eyes widened with amusement. "I was," he said. "I really was."

Claire just stood there and narrowed her eyes at her friend.

Susan giggled a little. She was enjoying herself, no doubt. "Did you have anyone else in mind?"

"Oh shut up Susan," Claire hissed with a smile as she spun and walked away, leaving Susan who was laughing hysterically behind her.

***

"Oh, you look lovely,Claire," Edith said. "Absolutely gorgeous."

"See?" Susan, who was standing beside Claire in her red gown all dressed and ready, leaned in and muttered to her friend. "I told you."

Claire rolled her eyes and faced the mirror before her. "Thanks Edith."


"Where the hell is Brent for Christ sake," Susan muttered as she looked at her wrist watch and then began dialling into her phone as she walked towards the door. "He was supposed to be here five minutes ago."

It was already Six-thirty and the dinner was going to begin in thirty minutes. Brent and been in the house earlier today, and he had told them the plan for the movement. He was going to take Claire and Susan to the party, while Larry was in-charge of Tate and Dr. Price.

"Looks to me you'll need some jewellery to go with that," Edith said as she scanned Claire neck. "You look too......empty."

"I'm fine Edith", Claire sighed. "Honestly, it's just a dinner."

Edith's lips parted as she was about to utter a word, but then she stopped and smiled with pride as she placed her palm on Claire's face.

"Your simplicity, it's.....," Edith uttered.

Claire spun and faced the old woman, looking into her eyes, she could tell she had drifted.

"That's why he loved you." Edith smiled.

Claire felt a lump in a throat the moment she heard those words.

Edith immediately dropped her hand from her daughter in-law's face and took a deep breath. It was like she was back to reality now.

"I'll go get that jewellery now," the old woman said with a sweet smile.

Claire looked at her and thought it would be pointless to protest. "Okay," she said with a smile.

Edith quickly walked out the door of Claire's room just as Susan hurried in.

"He's here," she declared. "Brent's here."

Claire's eyes widened as she looked at the urgency in Susan's face. "Shit, I haven't done my hair," she hissed.

"What?" Susan uttered as she hurried over to stand behind her friend and began fumbling with her blonde lux. "You gotta be kidding me right now, Claire."

"Sorry", Claire said. "I thought we had more time."

"Just hold still", Susan hissed from behind her.

Claire didn't really know how Susan did it, but she felt Susan had somewhat tied her hair into a knot behind her head. She didn't bother to ask or worry because she knew Susan was made for these things.

Emergency beauty measures.

"There," Susan uttered as she began to smoothen the sides of Claire's hair.

"Susan!?" Brent's voice called from downstairs. "Come on, we gotta get going."

"Coming!" Susan called out.

Claire spun and faced Susan, breathing heavily with anxiety written all over her. "Okay," Claire uttered. "How do I look?"

Susan stood and observed for a second. "Like someone who's about to get a new husband," Susan uttered and then she walked over and dragged Claire along with her, ignoring the annoyed face Claire made when she uttered those words.

Edith met them at the room door, with a facial expression that told Claire that she would be hurt if she didn't put on the Jewellery Edith had brought her.

Claire then pulled away from Susan and took the jewellery from her mother in-law.

"I'll be with you guys in a second," Claire said. "Go."

Susan shot impatient glances between Claire and Edith. "Just hurry up, okay." She then turned and disappeared towards the staircase.

Claire spun and let Edith put the necklace on her neck and hook it behind. She was glad at how fast Edith was.


When she was done, she spun Claire to face her and stretched out and kissed her cheek. "Have fun dear," Edith said.

Claire smiled and began walking towards the stairs with Edith right behind her. She was about to start stepping down when she heard music.

The music was coming from her daughter's room.

"Samantha."

Claire suddenly deflated. She had been happy right from the day she had brought the dress, to this evening she was about to attend her first dinner party in years. Then, she remembered the fight she had with her daughter.

"What's wrong?", Edith asked with concern.

"Nothing." Claire sighed. "I'll be right down." Claire began moving towards Samantha's room as she heard Edith's footsteps roll down the stairs and the music from Samantha's room getting louder.

She reached her daughter's room door. It was ajar. Claire was a little surprised that she was scared to talk to Samantha. They had not spoken a word to each other since the fight and Claire didn't know what to expect.

You never know with an angry twenty-first century teen, you know.

Claire gently pushed the door open, stealing a glance at Samantha on her bed in a large white t-shirt, with her laptop infront of her.

Suddenly, the door creaked and gave Claire away. Samantha spun quickly and saw her mother at the door. Claire forced a smile and wasn't too surprised when Samantha didn't smile back at her.

"I'm going for a dinner party," Claire said.

Samantha turned her attention back to the screen of her laptop. "I know."

"So?" Claire uttered.

Samantha faced her mother again, this time, with a frown. "So?"

"How do I look?" Claire said with a smile.

Samantha stared at her mother for a while and then a weak smile appeared on her face. She stood up from her bed, walked over to her room door and held it.

"Have fun at your dinner party, Mum," the teenager hissed.


Then she slammed the door shut, with Claire still standing at the other side; stunned.

29.

Claire and Edith were in the Kitchen when Adam dragged himself in; pouting his lips. Claire spun and gave a worried look at her son as he walked over to the Kitchen table and sat beside Edith. It was clear the little boy was frustrated about something.

"Honey," Claire uttered. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, Samantha strutted in and moved straight for the fridge. "Adam here, wanted to take a bubble bath, but he can't...," the blonde girl paused her words as she pulled out a bottle of yogurt from the fridge and closed it. She spun to face her mother with a mischievous smirk on her face. "...Because mum's boyfriend is in the bathroom," Samantha completed.


Claire dropped the dish in her hand and quickly spun to her daughter with her wide eyes blazing. She was a little surprised at the girl's indifference to her reaction. "For the third time Samantha," Claire hissed. "Liam is not my boyfriend."



"Oh Really?" Samantha feigned a dramatic surprise. "Then what is he doing in our house, Mum?"

"I've told you," Claire hissed. "He's under medical observation."


Samantha smirked and turned to Edith. "See grandma?" She said. "Your house is a hospital now."


Edith's eyes widened at her grand-daughter's utterance. She glanced over in time to see Claire narrow her eyes at the teenage girl.

"You better watch it young lady," Claire hissed through gritted teeth.

"Oh please Mum," Samantha said as she rolled her eyes and faced her mother. "If you want to start making new friends then go ahead, It's your life."

"Samantha what are you -?"


"I mean, I can't say I didn't know this was gonna happen sometime," Samantha went on.

"What are you talking about?" Claire said as she looked at her daughter incredulously.

Samantha stopped talking for a second and glared at her mother so hard, Claire was sure the teen would punch her at any moment. "I'm just shocked at how you could have moved passed Dad so quickly," Samantha hissed.


Claire suddenly swung at her daughter and slapped her.


"Alright!" Edith ordered as she stood to her feet and straightened up. "That's enough!" Neither Claire nor her daughter glanced at the old woman. Claire kept her eyes on her daughter's eyes as they began to well with tears while she had her palm on her cheek.

Claire could feel the need to apologise rising in her throat as she kept staring into her daughters eyes.


"Hey Claire." Liam's voice could be heard calling as he made his way to the kitchen. "You busy?"

He peeped in with a smile on his face that suddenly dissolved when his eyes darted from Claire to Samantha and back again.


"Shit. Wrong timing huh?"


"Um- No." Claire said as she finally tore her eyes away from her daughter. "Is-Is there a problem?"

"It's -um- it's fine if you're busy," Liam uttered as he began to feel uneasy now. "I can come ba-."

"Oh come on," Samantha said with her eyes glaring at he mum as she finally lowered her palm from her cheek. "She can never be too busy for you, right Mum?"

"Samantha I said enough," Edith's voice was louder this time.

Claire's eyes narrowed as she watched her daughter move away, and out the kitchen door, making sure not a single part of her body touched Liam's.


Liam ignored the gesture, turned to Claire and gave a weak smile. "I'll be in the living room," he said before he disappeared.


Claire lowered her head and sighed, trying to hold down the tears. She tried to hold down the lump in her throat. She raised her head and turned towards the sink, avoiding the eyes of her mother-in-law and her son.


"Come on Adam," Edith uttered. "Let's go make that bubble bath now."


Adam jumped off the chair and hurried over to the door with Edith. Claire kept staring at the sink of dirty dishes with visions of her daughters welling eyes still in her head as her son as his grandmother hurried up the stairs.

She saw it coming anyway. She knew it was going to happen. Right from the moment Claire had introduced Liam as a temporary guest to her kids, the look Samantha had on her face haunted her deeply.

She knew they would feel as if their father was being replaced, but she still decided to take the risk. She had vindicated herself when she explained the entire situation to them. Edith had taken it well and welcomed Liam and Jelani with open arms, hell, she even thought having a man like Liam around the house, was a wonderful idea.

Adam, had also taken everything well, I mean he was ten, what could he possibly do about the entire situation. Claire had even noticed a friendship budding between her son and Jelani.

But Samantha, Claire anticipated the fact the she would be a problem, and she was. The words Samantha had said to Liam before she walked out the door were actually the first words she had ever said to the man ever since he came in two days ago.

Liam himself had seen what he was putting Claire through and had decided to go back to the hospital, but Claire had refused, stating that him staying in her house for medical observation was a confidential arrangement and would be dangerous if certain authorities knew about it.

Claire raised her gaze from the sink to the window before her. She wiped the sweat from her for head with the back of her hands. The summer heat was beginning to get to her.

She felt her entire body stiffen and tense when she felt a strong palm grab her left shoulder gently.

"Lia-"

She spun and caught Brent's concerned eyes scanning her.

"Hey," he uttered.

"Brent," she sighed. "Hi, I didn't hear you come in."

"That's because you weren't here," Brent smirked. "You okay?"

Claire rubbed her hands down her face. "Yeah, she said. "I'm Okay."

She moved away from the sink and then walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine. She walked over to the shelf and picked up two wine glasses. "So what's up?" she asked.

"Well-em-," Brent began.

"Hey you", a woman called from the kitchen door.


Claire raised her gaze and saw Susan smiling widely at her as she walked over. "Looks like we're both going shopping," Susan giggled as she moved close and interlocked her arm in Claire's.


"Wait, Shopping?" Claire said with furrowed brows.

Susan's smile suddenly disappeared and then she spun and glared at her husband. "You didn't tell her?" She hissed.

"I was about to." Brent shrugged.

"Tell me what?", Claire said.

Brent opened his mouth to answer, but Susan was faster. "The Mayor has Invited you and the others involved in killing that dreadful creature, to a dinner party." Susan said.

"Okay?" Claire as she poured herself a glass of red wine.

"He actually wants us to meet some investors that came in yesterday for the J4 festivities," Brent added.

"Now he's speaks," Susan rolled her eyes.

Claire was almost amused when she saw Brent shrug.


"A lot of fancy folks are gonna be there," Susan uttered in an unmistakably excited tone as she picked up the second glass and raised it for Claire to pour her a glass. "So we've got turn heads honey."


Claire chuckled as she poured Susan a glass before she caught Brent shaking his head.

Liam then walked into the kitchen again, looking round and at everyone with his anxiety betraying him. "Hey Brent," he said, raising a hand to Brent. "How's goin'?"

"Good Doc," Brent said with a curt nod and a smile.

Liam looked over at Susan and Claire. When his eyes settled on Claire, dhe immediately felt the need to say something. "Liam, this is Susan," Claire said. "Brent's lovely wife."

Liam gave another curt nod and a charming smile that was so infectious, Susan was beginning to smile herself. "Afternoon." Liam uttered.

"Susan this is-."

"Doctor Liam Price," Susan said as she eyed him. "Heard wonderful things about you."

Liam gave a nervous smile "I'm flattered," he said and then glanced at Claire. "Got any beer left?" He asked as he pointed to the fridge.

"Yeah sure," Claire uttered with a shrug. "Help yourself."

Liam ignored Susan's eyes scanning him as he went in and grabbed a can of beer.

"Make it two," Brent then called out.

Liam went in and pulled out a second can and then threw it over to Brent. The two men then walked over to the door and disappeared out the kitchen.

"How the hell did you know his name?" The question that was hanging in Claire's throat finally came out.

Susan spun to face her with a dirty smirk on her face. "Oh honey, that's not the real question here, I mean every female in Cherrywood knows his name," Susan chuckled.

"I see." Claire uttered with a nod as she raised her glass to her lips for a sip.

"The real question though is.., What is he doing in your house?" Susan asked before a sip.

Claire suddenly tensed as she slowly lowered her glass from her lips. "What do you mean?" She uttered with furrowed brows.

"Claire, Look at him. He's so hot, I mean not like "Albert Einstein" kinda hot, but like "Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park" kinda hot."

"So?" Claire shrugged.

"So, I guess it's safe to say that i'm proud of you for moving on," Susan said with a pleasant smile materialising on her face.

"Moving on, What?" Claire said in confusion as she raised her palm to her head like someone with a headache. "How many times am I gonna have to say this today? He's under medical observation for christ sake."

Susan said nothing. She just kept glaring at her friend, indifferent to how frustrated the situation was making her feel. She tried not to laugh when she saw the way Claire avoided her gaze.

"What?" Claire asked when she noticed Susan's stare.


"Come on honey," Susan said as she looked into her wristwatch, gulped down her last wine and set her glass down on the table, snapping her fingers in quick succession at Claire. "We gotta hurry. Tara's Store closes in an hour."

28

"Mr. Price," The brown haired male doctor uttered as he stretched his hand to calm the angry patient. "Just relax. You need your medication. It's important."

"That's Doctor Price to you, you stethoscope-wearing creep," Liam fired back. "I've got a PhD gaddammit."


"Well you sure don't act like it," the black male nurse with a plaster on his nose uttered.


Liam turned to the young black man."I broke your nose before, pretty boy," Liam hissed as he pointed the bat at the male nurse. "..and I can certainly do it again."


"Mist-...Doctor Price," The doctor uttered. "Please, try and understand. We're trying to help you.You need your drugs. You need to relax."

"I don't need any of that Shit," Liam growled. "What I need is to get the hell outta this hospital."

Claire didn't say a word, she knew no one had seen her walk in, so she just stood there watching the chaos unfold before her in disbelief.

"He has never liked hospitals," Claire heard Tate whisper behind her. She spun and gave him a curious look."Never." Tate uttered as he shook his head.

Claire spun back to face the commotion before her.


"Get. Me. Out. of. Here." Liam raised his voice while separating his words.

"I'm sorry Dr. Price," the doctor uttered. "That's not possible".


"Then make it possible," Liam roared.

"Man, shut the hell up," the male nurse hissed in irritation.

Liam's shock could not be hidden. "What did you say to me Michael Jordan?" Liam asked.


"You're acting like a fucking toddler, so I told you to shut the hell up," the male nurse uttered.

It was now obvious to Claire why that nurse had gotten the broken nose from Liam and Jelani earlier. The boy just didn't know when to shut up.


"Tyler!" The doctor said. "That's enough".

Liam clearly wasn't going to let it go. He spun to Jelani and gave him a mischievous smirk.

Jelani saw Liam's smirk and suddenly turned to Tyler and charged at him. The native african man grabbed the nurse's throat and lifted him into the air like he was nothing.


"Hey! What are you do-," Tyler struggled and choked as he kicked his feet in the air. "Let-Let go of me."


"Holy shh-," Tate uttered as he coughed out a laugh.

"Oh My God," the fat nurse behind Claire gasped.

Brent pushed his way from behind Claire to handle the situation that was clearly getting out of hand. "Hey!" Brent ordered as he pointed to Jelani. "Put him down."



Claire turned and saw Liam still grinning mischievously at the entire situation.

"Dr. Hayes?" The male doctor uttered as his mouth fell open with his surprise to see Claire in the room.

Liam spun to face her the moment he heard the man mention her name. When Claire caught Liam's gaze, his smirk disappeared immediately.

He's features softened and he looked almost apologetic. Calm.

"Put the nurse down!" Brent screamed as he reached for something on his waist.

Liam quickly shot Jelani a look.

"Put him down," Liam uttered, surprisingly calm.

Jelani immediately let go and Tyler dropped to the floor.

The male doctor quickly hurried over to Claire. "Dr. Hayes," he uttered. "I'm so sorry. He was proving really difficult, I just-."

"It's okay Zack," Claire uttered as she raised her palm to him before she turned and glared at Liam. "I'll take it from here."


Dr. Zack darted glances between Liam and Claire. He was sure he wasn't the only one in the room who was shocked to see Liam's sudden tranquillity at Claire's presence.

"Okay Dr. Hayes," Zack uttered as he walked past. "Come on Tyler."

Tyler quickly rose to his feet, darting his eyes between Jelani and Liam, as he rubbed his neck. "So King Kong's your bodyguard huh?"Tyler hissed.

"Shut the Bleep up and move." Brent ordered as he pointed at the door.

Tyler hurried past Claire and out the door, with the fat nurse following him and the room was calm again.

"Thanks Brent," Claire sighed as she walked in further.

"Sure, no problem," Brent replied as he walked past her towards the door. "I'll be outside if you need me."

She smiled and nodded as she watched Brent disappear behind the door and into the hallway. Her smile disappeared as she spun to face the zoologist in his bed.


As Claire glared at him, she was slightly at awe at how timid he was. She couldn't believe he was the same person causing such a stare some minutes ago. He just sat there, with his eyes on the TV and the baseball bat on his lap; like a stubborn teenage boy who had been grounded and sent to bed early.


"So," Claire uttered as she raised her arms to her chest and crossed them. "You don't like hospitals?"


"No," Liam replied almost immediately with his eyes still on the TV. "I don't".


She glanced at Tate who was still in the room with her. The young scientist shrugged a "I told you so."


She looked back at Liam and sighed.

"You do know you took heavy hits to your head," Claire asked as she walked down to the end of his bed. "Don't you?"


"I'm fine." Liam growled like a stubborn child; eyes still on the TV.

"You don't know that," Claire replied.

"Yes I do." Liam growled again.

"No you don't." Claire said.

She then walked over and sat on the bed close to him. Liam spun to her and Claire could see him tense a bit, probably surprised that she had come so close to him.

She was making him nervous and she knew it.

"For all we know, you could have a concussion, or even an internal injury." Claire uttered. "That's why we need to keep you under observation for at least three days."

"But I can't stay here for three days," Liam groaned.

"Well," Claire said. "You don't have a choice."

"Oh I do," Liam said as he faced the TV again. "I have a lot of choices."

Claire glanced at Jelani standing at the corner and then back at Liam. "What?" Claire chuckled. "You're gonna ask him to choke me to death too?"

Liam quickly looked up her, slightly offended that she would think such of him. He faced the TV again without giving out a smile. "Warriors of the Kisii tribe do not harm women," Liam said.

To Claire's surprise, those words struck a chord, but she didn't know why. "That's good to know," Claire sighed as she stood from bed and crossed her arms on her chest again. "But as your doctor, I think it's best you stay under observation till I feel you're healthy enough to go."

Liam dropped his shoulders in defeat and threw his head back in a growl.

Jelani chuckled from across the room. "Malkia (Queen)," he uttered as he stared at Claire with what looked like pride.

Liam spun to him with his fists clenched. "Oh shut up," he hissed through gritted teeth. Jelani chuckled again, louder this time.


Liam spun and glared at Claire. His eyes were filled with rage. She didn't know what Jelani told him, but whatever it was, it had made Liam mad.


"I'm getting out of here." Liam hissed at her.

"No. You're not." Claire replied.

Liam took a deep breath. "Okay then," he said.

He then stood from his bed and walked over to the closet.



"Dr.Price," Claire sighed. "What are you doing?"


Liam ignored her as he pulled out a t-shirt and a jean and dropped them on the bed.



When Claire saw what he was about to do she snapped her fingers at Tate and he spun to her. "Get Brent in here," she said. Tate ran out the door and left Claire sighing in exhaustion at the whole situation.


"Dr. Price, please try and understand," Claire moaned. "It's for your own good." Claire couldn't believe she was saying this to a full grown man. This was something she normally prepared for when she was about to take in kids and teens as patients.


Liam wasn't even paying attention to her because he was trying to undo his patient's gown. "How do I get this thing off?", Liam struggled.


"Is everything okay?" Claire heard Brent's voice behind. She spun and saw Brent standing behind along with the fat nurse again.


She gestured to Liam and rubbed her temple. Brent walked passed her towards Liam's bed. "Dr. Price?" Brent uttered. "What are you doing?"



Liam froze for a second to answer the officer. "Getting out of here. You should close your eyes."


"What?" Brent uttered.


Without warning, Liam suddenly ripped off the gown, exposing his completely naked body.


"Oh my God." Claire uttered as she spun away from the sight swiftly. It was weird, but she swore her heart began to race. She had never seen anything like this before, at least not from a grown man.


"Shit!" Tate coughed out. He was surprised he didn't hear anything from the nurse beside him, so he spun and saw her smiling at Liam.

Jelani started to chuckle again from the corner.

"Okay," Brent said as he tore his eyes away from the naked man. "Dr. Price?, please put your clothes back on."



"Not until I get the hell outta here," Liam hissed as he crossed his hands over his hairy bare chest.


"That's not possible Dr. Price," Brent uttered. "You're under medical supervision. They can't just let you go."


"Well that's too bad." Liam said as he began walking towards Brent and then passed him by.

"What -where are you going?" Brent asked as he reached up and pulled on Liam's arm.

"To get a cup of coffee," Liam shrugged a reply.


"Come on Dr. Price," You can't-."


"Get me outta this hospital right now," Liam shouted. "...or so help me God I will-."


"Okay," Claire suddenly shouted from the corner. "Alright."



Liam spun to face Claire in surprise. "O-Okay?" He stuttered.


"Just...put some pants on first." Claire uttered. "Please."


Liam chuckled as he walked over to his bed and picked up his jeans.

"Dr. Hayes, we cant-," the nurse uttered and then stopped half way when Claire raised a palm at her.

Brent quickly moved over to Claire's side. "You're letting him go?" He whispered heavily.


Claire tilted to him."Not entirely."

"But he just said he wanted to leave the hospital and you said Okay to that," Brent hissed.


Claire gave a sigh and glared at Brent. "Will you relax?" She uttered.


"So," Liam uttered. "What's the arrangement? How do we get to our hotel?"

"Can I turn around now?" Claire asked.

"Yeah," Liam chuckled. "Sure."

Claire spun and faced the scientist who was already in his jeans and an unbuttoned shirt. Her eyes quickly glanced at the view of his hairy chest sipping through.

She shot her eyes back to his face and felt her face heat up when she saw the mischievous smirk he had.


Claire cleared her throat and straightened up. "I said you could leave the hospital," she said. "But I didn't say you could leave medical observation and supervision."

Liam's smirk dissolved slowly and confusion began to take over his features when he realised where Claire was going. "I-I'm not following," he uttered.


Claire sighed. "You know you can't travel out of the state or country for that matter if we do not issue a statement saying that you are well enough to travel," Claire said. She was the one smirking now.


Liam's face contorted as his eyes burned with rage and his fists clenched beside him.

Claire turned and beckoned to the fat nurse as she moved towards the door. "I'll let you leave the hospital Dr. Price, but i'll be damned if I give you permission to leave the state without a proper medical observation. I don't want to be blamed for any casualties."

"So, what?" Liam said as he threw his hands up in frustration and back down again. "Your doctors are following me to my hotel?"


Claire stopped and spun to face him almost amused. "Oh, you're not going to the hotel," Claire said.


....."You're coming home with me."

27.

Claire sat at her table in the hospital cafeteria with a serving of mixed fruits in a disposable plastic bowl right infront of her.

She had not put one piece of fruit in her mouth for the past twenty minutes that she had been sitting there. All she had been doing was just using her fork to poke the pieces of fruit before her. After the events of the past few days, after all she had seen, eating was one huddle she had to cross before she could safely say she had gotten her sanity back.


She dropped the fork on the table and raised her hand to rub her closed eyes. She had not gotten any sleep in two days, all because she couldn't get rid of the nightmares she had been having. She was beginning regret her involvement in the whole issue.

She was paying the price. She opened her eyes and began scanning the cafeteria, not surprised to see some people immediately turning away from her direction as she looked on.

Even as she observed the vicinity, she could still see some people stealing glances at her from the corner of her eye.

She couldn't blame them though. She felt she knew what they were thinking. She felt she knew the many questions they had and frankly, she was tired of answering them.

"How did they kill it?"

"How big was it?"

"I heard it swallowed a policeman whole?"

"Is it true that it was a monster with three heads?"

Claire tore her gaze away from the people around her and looked down at her wristwatch.

"5:20PM"

She rubbed the back of her neck, sighed and raised her eyes up to the flat screened TV on the wall a few feet away, just in time to see the Mayor's face appear with a bunch of microphones and voice recorders gathered below his face.

"It gives me great joy to be the bearer of the great news of the capture and extermination of the animal that has been terrorising our peaceful little town," The Mayor announced with a confident and proud smile on his face that seemed to make Claire's blood boil.

She can't say she was surprised though. This is how it had always been. This was how it was supposed to be. The people below do the hard work and then those at the top; those in power, eventually take all the credit.

She remembered the look on the Mayor's face when chief Kent had conveyed the news to him hours ago. The way his eyes lit up and his mouth tugged in a malicious smile.

"Well done boys!" He had yelled in a cheerful laughter as he went round; shaking and patting every person in his office that day.

He looked genuinely happy that the creature was killed and that it was all over, but Claire wasn't buying his Crap. She, like some people in that office, knew that the bald headed Jerk was happier about the fact that he wouldn't have to cancel the July fourth festivities this year.

"I made a promise to solve this problem, and I delivered accordingly. I have always had the very interest of the people of this town at heart," the Mayor said.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Ofcourse you do."

"So I guess it's safe to say a second term in office isn't out of the question," the Mayor chuckled and everyone laughed along with him.

Claire shook her head and looked back down at her bowl of mixed fruits. "What a Jackass," someone uttered from beside her.

She tilted and saw Brent standing beside her, shaking his head in what seemed like disappointment as he stared at the TV screen. He then moved to the seat infront of Claire and sat down, with his eyes still trained on the TV.

"Damned politicians..," Brent hissed, and then he faced Claire. "Every situation is nothing but a step in a ladder to get to the top. Even the death of eleven people."

She tore her eyes from Brent and faced the TV and then looked back at Brent again. She knew he was saying the truth.

The death of those college kids, Wilson's boy, the six hunters, and Ronny. Claire knew deep down, they didn't mean shit to Steven McLauren. He was just happy about the fact that nothing would stop him from getting his millions when the time came.

"Just came from Ronny's," Brent sighed as he picked a disposable cup from the table and fiddled with it.

Claire suddenly wore a sad look as she looked at Brent. "How are they?" She asked.

"Except for his Mom who won't stop crying...," Brent uttered with a wry smile. "They're good."


Claire fell back on her chair and sighed as she shook her head. It was all too much for Claire now. Flashes began hitting her.

The sight of the half eaten bodies of Erica and Michael laying before her. The sight of Charlie's pale, white body staring out into space with dead eyes. The sight of Philip Wilson's mangled body laying in the lush green grass of his father's farm. The sight of Ronny's headless body struggling and staggering away from the wild beast.


"Oh God," Claire raised her hand to her head as if she had a headache and then she shuddered. She felt a wave of electricity pass through her.

Brent immediately raised a concerned face to her. "You okay?" He asked.

Claire opened her weak eyes and blinked at the officer. "I'm definitely going to need to see a therapist when I get back to New york," she sighed.

Brent gave her a weak smile, and then she smiled back at him.

"Dr. Hayes," a lady called from behind Claire. Claire spun quickly to face a fat nurse in a blue scrub with black hair neatly packed back in a ponytail.

Claire could see she looked exhausted and somewhat frustrated about something. Claire didn't stand from her seat until she saw Tate materialise from behind the nurse.

"What's the matter?" Claire asked.

"It's the patient in 402 again," the nurse uttered as she raised her hands to her wide waist and clenched her jaw. Claire dropped her shoulders and closed her eyes.

"You've gotta be kidding me."


***

Claire was seething as she matched down the hall with Tate, Brent and the nurse following behind. She had gotten enough of Liam's bullshit.

Ever since he was admitted into the hospital under her care the day before yesterday, it had been one report after another. First, he wasn't taking the hospital's food, second, he almost sneaked out of the ward and the last time Claire's attention was called, he had released Jelani on one of the stubborn male nurses; who is in intensive care right now for a broken nose.

Claire had ignored all the other complaints in the past, but she wasn't going to ignore this one.

As she approached Liam's ward, she could see two young ladies in scrubs standing at the door way, giggling at each other. They were medical students, no doubt and Claire couldn't help but wonder what could possibly be amusing them about the situation in the room.

Claire could hear the commotion as she got closer. She could hear Liam's voice. He was shouting and yelling at someone.

"Christ," Claire mumbled under her breath.

She kept her eyes on the girls as she approached. One of the girls turned her eyes to Claire's direction and her mischievous smirk suddenly disappeared.

With fright written all over the young girl's features, she quickly tapped her colleague who equally froze when she saw Claire coming.


"To your posts," Claire ordered bluntly "Now."


"Yes Dr. Hayes," The girls uttered as they avoided her gaze and hurried away.


Claire made her way to the door way of the room and her mouth fell open at what she saw. Liam was standing on top of the bed in his patient's gown. He was holding out a baseball bat and pointing at the doctor and the nurse standing below him, not caring that a portion of his buttocks was exposed, due to the slit behind the outfit.

Claire gasped at the sight and then swallowed hard as she turned away. She raised her hand and rubbed her forehead in exhaustion and met Tate's mischievous smirk behind her.


"Oh God," Claire thought to herself.

Story isn't over yet Bro.

26.

"No," Liam gave a haunting whisper. "Tha-that's impossible."


"Li-Liam?" He heard Patrick's trembling beside him. "What are we gonna do?"


Liam spun and stole a glance at the terrified zookeeper before him and realised he was as frightened as he was. He moved his gaze back to the snarling beast and narrowed his eyes his eyes in thought.

"It's just a fucking animal."

Liam lifted his dart gone to his belly again and loaded two more darts coated with tranquillisers. He corked the non-lethal weapon and trained it at the animal.

"Liam No," Brent cried from behind. "It won't work."

Liam ignored the plea of the deputy, squeezed the trigger and fired. The animal jolted and faced Liam, giving out a menacing snarl. Liam lowered his rifle and started fumbling with two darts again.


He then looked up in time and saw the creature moving towards him slowly.


"Liam," Patrick hissed. "Ge-get back".


Liam spun and saw Patrick backing away slowly along with the other officers. He then turned and faced the approaching animal.

"You're just an animal." Liam growled as he began walking towards the animal, his jaws clenched with rage.


"Liam!" Patrick yelled. "What are you doing!?"

Liam ignored his friend once more as he walked over and stopped a few metres from the approaching beast.


"What is he?" Kent uttered from the van. "....trying to get himself killed?"


Liam glared at the beast. He was determined to win this war. The creature snarled at the scientist again; as if it was challenging him, telling him to give it his best shot, mocking him.

Liam then raised his dart gun and aimed.

"You're just a fucking animal!" He roared.

Suddenly, the black beast darted forward in lightening speed. It was so fast, no one, not even Liam saw it coming.

Before Liam knew what was happening, the animal was right infront of him. Liam's gun was knocked off his hands with a speed and force that made him stagger.

"Oh Shit," Brent yelled.

Liam turned his astonished gaze and watched in shock as his dart gun bounced off on the road and went far away from him.


"Liam Look out!" someone screamed from behind. He spun in time to feel the hot pain caused by the sudden impact of the back of the creature's giant paws on the side of his face.

He didn't know what happened or how it happened but he felt himself lift up into the air. He felt himself floating for a while, before he his entire body struck the hard tarred road so hard, Liam could swear he heard a rib cracking.


"Oh no," Tate uttered in a trembling voice. "No."

Liam was dizzy. Everything was blurry. pain shot through his entire body and he felt so weak.

He grimaced in pain as he forced himself up to a sitting position. His vision was beginning to clear up now as he looked down at his body to make sure there were no serious injuries. He felt a warm and salty taste in his mouth as blood beaded from his nostrils to his lips.

"Liam gaddammit!" Patrick screamed. "Move!"

But Liam was too weak to do anything. The swing the beast took at him had taken a lot out of him. Liam looked up and saw the black beast stroll towards him with its yellow eyes fixed on him as it lapped its tongue around its bloodstained face.

"Shoot!", Kent screamed an order to his men.

"No!" Patrick countered. "You'll hit Liam."


"He's right Chief," Donovan uttered as he lowered his rifle slowly. "He's too close."

The creature moved for a while and then stopped several inches from the injured man. Its entire body tensed as it lowered a bit, preparing itself for a pounce.

"Jesus," Patrick whispered as he looked on. He was about to watch his friend die.

"No!", Tate screamed as he fought his way past the middle of Kent and Donovan and jumped off the van, heading straight for Liam.

"No! Tate!", Donovan hissed as he reached over and grabbed the young scientist and pulled him back. "No!" Tate screamed in sobs as he struggled against the grip Donovan had on him. "Let me go!"


Meanwhile, yards away, on the floor, Liam sat there, staring into the large yellow eyes of the creature before him. He was certain now that he was about to die. The creature snarled at him loudly, preparing to pounce.

Liam slowly closed his eyes. He heard his heart beating loudly along with every single breath he took. He prepared himself for the for the excruciating pain that would come before his demise. He prepared himself to meet the same fate as Ronny.


A high pitched shrill of a whistle cut through the chaotic night air like a sharp sword.

The creature froze. It stiffened and slowly spun. It was almost as if it had recognised the sound. It spun and then faced the origin of the high pitched sound before then it snarled aggressively at the source.

Everyone turned thier gaze to see what the creature was snarling at and what had produced that sound.

"What the-?" Brent uttered in surprise.

"Son'ava bitch," Kent whispered when saw the figure down the road; the source of the sound.

It was Jelani.

He was standing a few yards from the entire scene with his entire torso moving up and down with heavy breaths. He brought down his hand from his mouth after he had made that sound.

He was holding a large bow in his left hand and a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. He glared at the beast in the distance. His shoulders still moving up and down as he took heavy breaths.


"Oh, yeah," Donovan uttered in realisation with his eyes on Jelani. "I was beginning to wonder were he was."


"(Step away from my brother, demon", Jelani hissed through gritted teeth.



The creature snarled at Jelani as if it had understood what the african native was saying. It snarled as if it heard him. As if it understood him.


"(let my brother go and come to me)", Jelani hissed in a more audible tone.

The creature roared at Jelani.

"(Come to me!)," Jelani screamed at the top of his lungs as he kept hitting his left chest with his right fist. The beast roared louder and began sprinting towards the African warrior.


"Oh shit," Donovan hissed as he looked on.

Jelani stood his ground. He positioned himself and prepared for an attack. He reached to his back and pulled out an arrow.

The muscles of the giant black panther were stretching and wrinkling as it sped towards Jelani. Jelani stayed calm as he fixed the arrow to the string on the bow.

He pulled, and then fired.

The black panther swiftly dodged the incoming weapon with ease.

"Shit!", Patrick hissed in frustration as he watched.

Everyone watched with thier hearts in the mouths as the creature kept sprinting towards the African native. Jelani, still looking calm; gently reached to his quiver and pulled out another arrow.

He placed it on the string, drew and fired.

The arrow seemed to be heading for the creature's forehead, but when it came close to what appeared to be an inch, the creature dodged again.

"Are you kidding me?" Brent shouted as he punched his lap in frustration.

"He should start running." Donovan uttered. The creature was just a few metres from the Jelani now and was still gaining on him.

"Jelani!?" Liam gave a somewhat weak utterance as he watched on.

Jelani was still calm.

He quickly reached for another arrow from his quiver and placed it on the bow.


"Jelani!", Liam shouted louder now. "Get away!, Move!"

Jelani ignored him and maintained his concentration on the approaching Beast as he stretched for another shot.

The large panther was close enough to pounce now.

"He's gonna die," Kent uttered in disappointment as he watched on.

They all watched as the animal immediately lifted itself up into the air, stretching its two large paws for the black man.

"Oh my God!" Patrick whispered

Time seemed to slow down as Jelani drew and then fired.

The arrow seemed to be heading straight for the creature's throat, but it dodged again and the tip of the weapon sank into its shoulder.

The animal, still in the air, stretched further and grabbed jelani's face, corking it head and opening up it jaws, aiming for his neck.

Liam felt his heart leap and his stomach turn as he watched the animal land on the only person in the world he had trusted all his life.

"Oh God," Tate groaned. "No."

Suddenly, the animal let out a loud roar. A roar that was out of the ordinary. A roar that didn't sound dangerous, or intimidating. A roar that sounded like that of a creature in sudden pain.

Everyone watched in confusion as something burst out of the creature's back, spraying red aerosol of blood in the air.

Liam's eye widened at the sight of what looked like the tip of a large knife; a machete, tearing through the black fur of the beast.


The creature fell on top Jelani, its weight finally throwing him to the ground.


After struggling for a while, the creature fell limp and there was no movement anymore. No one was moving. Not Jelani, not the panther.

Everyone watched on in fright. Thier hearts in thier mouths.

"Come On Jelani."

The night was suddenly thrown into silence and tension as everyone hoped Jelani was still alive.

There was still no movement.

Patrick heaved a disappointing sigh as he raised his hands to his waist and shook his head. Donovan spun slowly and faced Tate and from his expression, Donovan knew he feared the worst.

"I'm Sorry bro", Donovan said.

"No." Tate uttered through gritted teeth. "His not dead. He can't be."

"Tate look, I know -."

"He's not dead okay?", Tate hissed as his welling eyes were still fixed on the creature's body in the distance. "He's Jelani. He's a warrior."

Kent and Donovan exchanged sad glances at each other. Liam was still on the floor, pain tearing through his body. He stared at the black furry figure on top the man in the distance. He did not want to accept the fact that Jelani could be dead. He didn't.

He decided he was going to check for himself. He was about to turn away and lift himself from the floor when he noticed movement.

He shot his head up for one more look.

The creature's back was jerking upwards, even with the large blade sticking out. "Something's happening," a police officer yelled from behind.

The entire scene was swallowed in silence as everyone watched with thier hearts in thier mouths. Suddenly, the limp furry mass of the animal's body slowly lifted up into the air and was moved to the side.

Liam heard a loud cheer erupt behind him when he saw the black man stagger to his feet in the distance.

"Bleep yeah!" Donovan screamed as he punched the air. Then he turned and pulled an equally ecstatic Tate who was screaming at the top of his lungs.

"That's what I'm talking about Baby!"Brent screamed as he wrapped his hands around a fellow officer's neck in jubilation.

Patrick threw his fist in the air and yelled out loud. "Yeeeees!"


Claire struggled through Tate, Donovan and Kent. She quickly shot her gaze to Liam sitting on the road not far from the side of the van. Her eyes darted all over the place in confusion. Everyone was cheering. Everyone clapping.

"He did it!" Chief Kent yelled in disbelief. "The son'ava bitch did it!"

Claire even caught sight of deputies hugging each other and right before her, Donovan grabbed Tate by the face and kissed his cheeks aggressively, before pushing him away and rustling his hair.

Tate spun and caught sight of Claire staring out in confusion. "It's dead Claire!" Tate yelled in excitement. "Jelani killed it!"

Claire then looked out in the distance and saw the reason for the mass euphoria. Jelani was standing over what appeared to be the dead body of the large black animal, with a large knife through its chest.

"Oh my God."

Claire moved forward and leaned in at the door. Tate moved towards her and stretched his hands to help her out of the van. "It's dead,Claire," Tate said with a smile. "It's over."

Claire jumped out of the van and looked up in time to see Jelani pull his machete out of the dead creature's body. His entire body was covered in blood that Claire was pretty sure wasn't his.

The cold night breeze was tugging on his long braids.His tall, slender, and muscular body rising and falling in heavy breaths as he tuned his gaze to Liam.

Liam gave a proud smile and nodded slowly, ignoring the celebration in the background.

Jelani; for the first time since he came to Cherrywood, lifted his chin and smiled at Liam. He then lifted his right hand, tapped his left pectoral and raised his palm to Liam.

Liam's smile widened to a toothy grin as he lifted his left hand, tapped his right chest and raised his palm in response to his brave brother's salute.

25.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three thundering shots struck the air and Larry immediately felt the paws of the beast lift off him. He was free now.

He spun to the side and heard the animal snarl loudly. It was snarling at something, or someone.

Larry followed its gaze and saw Chief Kent and Donovan with thier rifles trained in its direction. Liam was beside them, struggling with what looked like a dart gun.


"Larry!" He heard Patrick scream. "Get the hell outta there, now!"

Larry spun and saw the creature snarling at the group as it stood there, contemplating whether or not to attack.

The young deputy shot a glance in Tate and Claire's direction in the ambulance.

"Come on you idiot!" Tate yelled as he beckoned with panic written all over him. Claire was beside Tate and beckoning as well.

Larry spun again to face the creature and make sure he was in the clear. The creature still had its attention fixed on the men; snarling and growling.

It had obviously lost interest in him.

"Larry Come on!" He heard Claire scream.

The young deputy faced the tarred road on which he laid, took deep breaths and started to count.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

Suddenly, with lightening speed, Larry threw himself into the air and got on his feet. The young deputy began sprinting towards the ambulance as fast as he could.

He didn't want to look back and he had a good reason not to, because the animal had caught him running off and that had somehow reignited its interest in the police officer.

The creature began sprinting after him again.


"What the hell are you doing!" Larry heard Chief Kent yell.

Several thunderous shots were fired while Larry ran as he lowered his head. He knew none of the bullets had hit the beast coming up behind him because he could still hear its footsteps and its breathy growl.


He could still hear the growls and the panting eight behind him.


"Hurry!" Claire yelled with widened eyes as she stretched her hands forward as if wanting to catch him.

Larry equally stretched out as he was just a few metres from the door. He looked forward and saw Tate and Claire beckoning with one hand and the other, fixed on the door; ready to slam it shut as soon as Larry was in.

"Come on Larry."

The beast had obviously had enough of Larry playing had-to-get, so it leapt up into the air and swung it claws at the young deputy who was equally making a dive for the ambulance now.

Larry lifted himself into the air and headed straight for the open door.

He felt the claws of the animal rip a part of his Jacket while in mid air.

"Shit."

He didn't know what happened, but he suddenly felt his entire body hit the metallic floor of the van hard, knocking his head on the stands of the stretcher in it.

"Son'ava bitch!"

Tate and Claire barely allowed the officer in before they slammed the door shut and felt a loud and heavy impact on the other side as the animal collided with the van.


Larry lifted himself up to a sitting position and spun quickly to see if the beast had made it in with him. He was slightly delighted to see Claire sliding down the closed door, panting heavily, and Tate bent over with his palms on his knees, equally out of breath.

"Thank God."

Larry gave a weak smile on his face as he darted his eyes between Claire and Tate, who both began to smile weakly too.

Then Claire's smile dissolved before it was full and her eyes narrowed as she began to observe Larry in confusion, totally ignoring the loud scratching on the metal door behind them. "You're -you're bleeding," she uttered as she slowly lifted herself from the floor.

"Huh?" Larry uttered with a puzzled look.


"Your head," Tate uttered as he touched his own forehead. "It's bleeding."


With confusion written all over his features, Larry raised his hand and searched his head. He stopped at a spot where he felt wetness; a warm wetness.

He brought his hand back down to his view and stared at his bloodstained finger tips.

His eyes widened.

He raised his eyes from his finger to Claire and Tate just as a rough line of blood drew itself down and beaded down his nose.

"Blo-blood," he stuttered in shock.

Tate and Claire watched as Larry's eyes rolled back into his head and as his body became limp before his shoulders dropped.

"Motherfuuu-," Larry trailed off as he fell back to the floor.

He fainted.

Claire and Tate stared at the unconscious officer for a while before Tate raised his arms and crossed them on his chest while shaking his head.

"I can't believe this guy's a op," Tate uttered.


***


Patrick stared at the creature in awe as it kept scratching at the back door of the ambulance. The Zookeeper was amazed and afraid at the same time. He definitely knew what it was, but he didn't believe that this was what had killed ten people in the past couple of weeks.


"A Black panther. In Cherrywood. In the United States. How?" For some reason, deep down inside him, Patrick felt he knew the answer to that question, but he wasn't so sure.


"I've got a clear shot Chief", Ronny; the fat officer, had uttered as he trained his rifle at the beast.

"Good," Chief Kent said. "Fire."


"No!", Patrick fired as he stretched forth and lowered Ronny's rifle. "Don't Shoot."


"Why not?", Donovan turned and frowned at him as he equally lowered his rifle.


"We need it alive," Patrick hissed.

Kent turned and glared at Patrick as if he wanted to punch him right there. "Alive?" Kent roared. "What are you, Nuts?"


"Chief look at this thing," Patrick gestured towards the creature. "you can't tell me you're not amazed."

Kent glared at Patrick like he wanted to rip his head off. "Listen to me you Psycho," he hissed as he came close to Patrick. "I don't know what you and nature-boy over there have planned, but my orders are to kill this thing and kill it now."

Patrick's face contorted as he opened his mouth to say something.


"Outta my way!"Liam's voice echoed in the night. Patrick and Kent spun to see Liam lift his dart gun and aim it at the beast behind the ambulance.

"How many CCs," Patrick asked in a haste.

"Five," Liam uttered as he shot one eye and aimed. Then he squeezed the trigger and there was a silent thud as something shot out of the rifle.

The animal gave a quick and high pitched roar as it jolted, like there had been an unexpected and sudden impact on its body. It immediately lost interest in the ambulance and began spinning around as if it was trying to catch its tail.

"What the hell was that?" Kent asked as he watched the animal in confusion and alarm.

"Azeperon," Liam replied, with his eyes fixed on the troubled and confused creature while he slowly lowered his dart gun.

"What?" Donovan spun to them in confusion.

"Tranquilliser," Patrick uttered as he watched on."To put him to sleep. Knock him out".


"Her," Liam corrected as he kept glaring.


Patrick turned to him in confusion. "How do you-."

Liam raised his hand and stopped Patrick from talking, and then he began to count.

"One."

The animal was still spinning in confusion at the pain caused by dart that had pierced into the upper thigh of its left hind leg.

"Two."

"This thing is huge," Donovan whispered in awe.

"Three."

The animal then stopped spinning and began struggling to gain balance.

"Four."

Patrick, Liam, Kent, Donovan, and the deputies just stood there watching the creature. Observing.

"You think it's working?" Ronny asked.

"Five."

The animal shook its head and then shook its entire body, its eyes darting to every point in the darkness.

"Six."

The entire area was silent as everyone watched and waited for the tranquilliser to take effect.

"Seven."

There was a loud squeaking sound that came from the ambulance door. Someone was trying to open it up.

"Tate!" Liam yelled. "Do not open that door!"

Then there was silence.

"Eight."

The animal tilted its gaze from the van and stared at the armed men that were standing a few yards away. "Come on Baby", Patrick whispered. "Fall."

"Nine."

"Dude," Donovan spun with anxiety written all over his features. "You sure this shit is gonna work?"

"Shhhh," Liam raised his hand to him with his eyes still on the beast. The creature lowered its body and focused its evil yellow eyes on the men and snarled.


"Oh Bleep," Ronny hissed as he raised his rifle and trained it at the beast and all the other deputies followed suit.

"Hold your fire!" Liam yelled as he raised his hands to stop the officers. His eyes were still on the creature and Patrick could see a hint of bewilderment beginning form on his features.

"Ten."

The creature snarled louder and began moving slowly to the men.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Liam and Patrick exchanged looks that were filled with confusion and astonishment.

They had administered 5CCs of one of the strongest sedatives known to man on this thing, and nothing had happened. Patrick saw Liam's face contort to that of uncertainty and fear as he spun back to watch the creature.

The creature snarled again as it increased its pace.

"Bleep this," Donovan yelled as he raised his rifle to fire.

"No!" Liam yelled. "Wait!"

Suddenly, the creature stopped moving. Its face dropped and its eyes became dull. Donovan lowered his gun and Liam could hear him breathing heavily. The animal staggered for a while, and then its large yellow eyes rolled back into its head.

It then fell to the ground; totally unconscious.

"Holy Shit," Ronny whispered heavily.

"Is it dead?" A deputy called from far behind.

Liam moved closer a bit, away from the gathering and was able to focus on the unconscious animal enough to see that it was still breathing.

"Nope," Donovan replied.

Liam moved closer and closer until he was beside the slumbering beast. He slowly leaned in and squatted beside it.

It was at that point he realised how large this animal was. He was tempted to run his hand through its beautiful pitch black fur. He watched as the body of the animal rose up and down as it slept while he kept wondering were it came from.

"Be careful Liam," he heard Patrick call from behind.

Liam placed two fingers on the neck of the animal to make sure it still had a pulse, before he spun and faced Kent and the others. "Get a cage down here," he said. "Now."

Patrick nodded as if he already knew what his colleague was thinking of. He then raised a walkie-talkie to his mouth and began mumbling into it in a low tone.

"So we got him?" Donovan uttered with a smirk on his face as he and Ronny moved over to meet Liam. Liam looked up and smiled at the two deputies.

"Bleep yeah!" The two young men yelled as they came in for a high five.

Liam shook his head with a chuckle as he turned his eyes back to the creature below him.

"Hey Doc," Ronny uttered. "How about a picture?"

Liam looked up and saw Ronny pulling out his phone from the pocket of his Jacket. The two police men pressed themselves against Liam at his sides as Ronny raised his phone to a position for it capture the three of them, along with the slumbering giant black panther below them.

Before Liam knew what was happening, there was a blinding bright flash and both deputies chuckled in excitement as they both huddled together to take a look at the picture on Ronny's phone.

The invasion of space was somewhat annoying to Liam at that point, but he couldn't blame them, they were excited, like everyone else.



Suddenly, the back door of the ambulance van swung open and Liam spun to see the peeping face of Tate.


"Ca-can we come out now?" He stuttered.

Liam stood to his feet and walked over to the Van immediately. "Where's Claire?" Liam asked as his eyes searched behind Tate. "Is she-."

Liam then stopped short and deflated in a hidden relief when he saw Claire sitting deep in the van with an unconscious Larry beside her. She had one palm on the deputy's head and the other palm on his chest.



When she turned to face Liam, he immediately spun his eyes to Tate who had his wide gaze at what was behind him. "Holy Shit," Tate uttered and Liam immediately knew he had seen the unconscious animal some yards from the van.

"Sedated?," Tate spun to Liam and asked.

"Yep".

Tate immediately jumped down from the van and moved past Liam to join the officers beside the sleeping animal.

The expression on Tate's face made him look like a little boy who had just gotten a new toy for Christmas.



"So," Kent said with a proud smile as he moved towards Liam. "I guess your method paid off after all."

Liam spun and faced the police Chief with a fake smile. "Yes it did."

Liam and Kent then spun and watched as Tate, Donovan and Ronny kept observing the creature in awe.

"How long do you think its gonna be out for?" Kent asked.

Liam bent his lips and corked his head in thought. "At least six hours.".

Kent gave an Impressed nod.

"Liam," Patrick called from across. Liam spun and faced him and saw him waving him over. "We've got a problem".

"What's wrong?" Liam frowned.

"There are no leftover cages or crates at the zoo," Patrick said in a frustrated tone. "They've all been used for some shipments to a zoo in Chicago."

"Jesus Christ," Liam hissed as he hurried past Chief Kent and moved towards Patrick. "Excuse me chief."

Kent watched as Liam walked over to Patrick and then he moved his gaze to the scene before him.

Donovan and Tate were on thier feet now discussing about the creature before them; a few feet behind Ronny who was still squatting beside the Black panther still taking pictures.

Kent saw Ronny slowly reach down on the animal's paw and lift it up slightly. "What the hell do you think you're doing Ron?" Kent yelled.

Ronny jumped at the sudden sound of Kent's voice that had obviously startled him so much, he almost dropped his phone.

"Are you nuts!?" Kent hissed.

"I-I'm sorry Chief," Ronny stuttered. "I was just trying to-."

The bloodthirsty beast shot its head up with lightening speed, opened it jaws and grabbed Ronny's neck.

"Jesus christ!" Kent screamed as he shuffled for his pistol.

Ronny let out a high pitched yell of pain, gagging at the same time as the animal pulled him lower and trapped him down with its giant paws when he tried to get up.

Blood was beginning to spill all over the tarred road as Ronny began to hit the animal on its head; punching it as hard as he could, fighting for his life.

"What the Bleep!?" Donovan screamed as he ran for his rifle.


***


A loud and thunderous shot struck the quiet night air and made Claire jump to an upright position in the van. She heard men screaming outside the van and suddenly felt her heart beginning to race.

She struggled and got herself off the floor, leaving an unconscious Larry behind. Claire was close to the door when she saw Kent, Tate and Donovan flying into the van.

Kent and Donovan had thier rifles trained at something outside the van and they were firing shots.

"Get back!" Tate yelled as he pushed on Claire.

Claire resisted long enough for her to get a good look at what was going on outside the van. It was pure chaos. She saw red, crimson liquid streaming down the black tarred road.

"What the-?"

Then she tilted her gaze in time to see the giant black panther rip out a large tissue from Ronny's neck; blood gusting out of the gagging police officer's throat.

"Oh my God!" Claire heard a man scream in horror. "Oh my God!"

Heavy shots thundered all around with men screaming at the top of their lungs.

"Shoot it!"

"I can't get a clear shot!"

"What the Bleep is this thing!?"

"Kill the motherfucker!"

"Ronnyyy!"

"Claire!" Tate cried as he kept pulling on her. "Come on!"

Claire gave little resistance this time, but she was able to see more of the carnage as she stretched form behind Kent and Donovan.

The last thing Claire saw was Ronny's headless body struggling and staggering away from the creature and the animal snarling at the shooters with its bloodstained face.

24

"We-we've gotta get out now," Larry stuttered as he reached for his door and pushed it, with his eyes trained on the hood of the car above.

The creature continued to tear slits of metal off the hood of the car, slowly exposing the interior of the vehicle to the dark night sky.

Claire could feel the cold night air hit her face as she stared up as the creature tore through with the star-filled skies glittering behind it.

"We can't do that," Tate replied Larry. "If we do, it'll definitely follow us, and there's no place to hide out here."

"So what the hell do we do?" Larry uttered with a hint of urgency in his voice. "It's getting in the car gadammit."

The three of them gave out short loud screams as a large piece of the metallic hood was ripped off and the animal's black furry arm stretched into the car.

"Oh My God!" Claire screamed in horror.

The creature pushed its arm through the hood of the car and began swiping its large claws in the car, trying to grab what it could. It kept stretching further and further down; swiping and scratching.


The arms even got low enough and swiped at the top of Tate's head, barely missing him and making four slashes at the top of his chair.

"Tate, Look out!" Larry screamed.

Tate spun and then dropped down in time to dodge another swing that would have definitely torn his face off. "Shit!," he shouted as he dropped.

The animal's large arm rose back up through the large tears it had made in the hood. Then it began tearing again, making a bigger space for it get into the car and take its meal.



"I say we make a run for it!" Claire uttered in what sounded like a mixture of sobs and heavy breaths with her eyes never leaving the hood above.


"No!", Tate uttered. "No-Not yet".


"Are you crazy!?" Larry screamed with his eyes darting between Claire and the hood above.

Tate tore his intense eyes away from the roof and faced Larry. "If we run now, it'll still get us," Tate uttered. "We'll make a run for it, but not now."



"Oh really? When?" Larry said in a sarcastic haste. "When we're in its ripping us apart?"


"Shut up Larry," Tate said in frustration and fear as he looked up and watched the animal tearing through, as if waiting for a signal. "Just shut up and wait."


Claire was bent down between the back seat and the driver's seat, with her two palms pressed to her ears and her tear filled eyes looking up to the horror above her.

At this point, Claire wasn't sure she was going to see her kids again after this night. She wasn't sure she was going to see Edith again after this night. She could hear the sound of her heart beating loudly in her ears. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and tasted metallic. The night was evidently cold, but she could feel her t-shirt sticking to her back because of the fact that she was sweating profusely.

"Jesus."

"When I give the signal..," Tate ordered with his eyes fixed to the top of the car. "We make a run for the truck."

Claire shot a look at him in confusion.

"What truck?"

She then stretched her neck high enough so she could see through the the side window; there was nothing but darkness.


She tilted her gaze and looked out the back window and saw it. The white Van that paramedics had left behind. It was a few yards away from the car.


"What makes you think it won't tear through that too," Larry uttered as he raised his palms to his ears to drown out the screeching sounds of the animal's claws tearing through the car.

"You got a better idea?" Tate said sternly as he spun and glared at Larry.


"Look," Larry uttered. "All I'm say is-."


Suddenly, four large claws made a swirl at Larry, barely missing his face as he fell back in shock. His reaction was involuntary. "Bleep!" Larry exclaimed as he slammed his back against the dashboard.


He heard Claire give out a scream he had never heard in his life before. He spun and looked up and saw the animal force its large head through the hood of the car.



"Jesus-fucking-Christ!" Tate screamed as he squeezed himself infront of his seat and below the dashboard. The creature stuck it's head through the hood of the car and stretched out its large paws and began swiping violently at the car seats, ripping them to shreds.


"Tate!" Claire screamed out sobs as she sank further into the car. "Tate what is this!"

The car rocked from side to side as the animal kept forcing it's way in. Growling and snarling.



It darted it's demonic yellow eyes to Claire at the corner, before swinging in her direction. "Tate!" Claire screamed till her throat burned. "Tate help me!"


The entire vehicle began rocking from side to side as the large animal wiggled its body to get through the hood of the car. It started to lower itself in Claire's direction, exposing its bloodstained teeth in a menacing snarl.

Tate noticed the the creature had managed to squeeze its way in up to its chest. "Now!" Tate shouted as he pushed his door open. "Run Now!"


Claire heard Larry and Tate force thier doors open and head out into the night. She spun and faced the creature growling just inches above her. Its white whiskers were raised up to its eyes as it snarled at her.

Claire tried to turn and reach for her door, but the space wasn't wide enough. If she raised herself up to an inch, she would be close enough for the creature to rip her head off. She looked back at the animal above her with her eyes wide with horror.

She started to fill herself giving in. Her throat began to ache and her eyes began to well with tears. "Tate!", She called out between a loud sobs.

No response.

"Larry!" She cried.

There was no answer.

They were gone.

The realisation that Claire was all alone in the car made her heart hurt and her head spin.

She thought of lifting herself up so she could have enough space to turn and open the door, but she knew that if she moved any inch higher, she would immediately be in the animal's grasp and that would be the end.

Claire was trapped.

She laid there, helpless and confused and began to give out loud sobs.


"I'm gonna die."

"I don't wanna die."

The creature immediately swung its claws at her and even though Claire was fast enough to dodge, the creature pulled in small strands of her blonde hair after it swung.

"Larry!" Claire cried as she sank deeper.

The creature pulled in lower and closer. It was so Close, Claire could feel its warm, humid and stinking breath on her face as it growled and snarled at her.



The Creature was snapping its jaws at her, even though it wasn't close enough. Claire knew this thing wouldn't waste a second in ripping her apart if it got a hold of her. It reached reached down again and swung.



"AHHHHH!" Claire screamed as white hot pain tore through her belly. She looked down and saw three bloodstained slashes on her t-shirt.

Breathing heavily, she looked up just in time to see the animal raise its paws again, preparing for another swing.

"Oh God".

Claire tightened her eyes shut as she prepared herself, but suddenly, the door fell open behind her as she felt a blast of cool air hit her back.


She opened her eyes as she felt hands pulling on her and shuffling her out of the car. "Come on Claire!" Larry's voice was unmistakable. "Come on!"

Tate and Larry pulled the blonde doctor out of the car just before the the animal took another swing that ripped the car's back seat to shreds. The last swing that would have torn Claire to pieces.

"Jesus."

Larry and Tate got Claire to her feet and slammed the door shut just in case the animal came after them. "You okay?"Tate asked as he studied at the woman with utmost concern.


Claire didn't say a word. She just looked down at the three red scratches on her t-shirt. "Shit," Larry whispered when he saw her wound. "We'll get-," Tate was cut off.

The car began to rock violently. Claire, Tate and Larry spun in shock and watched as the car began to raise itself in the air and slam the floor as the animal was clearly trying to pull itself free from the hood of the car.

"What the -?" Larry uttered.

Tate watched in shock as the car rocked violently from side to side. At a point, he could swear the car was about to tip over.

"What the hell are you?"

The creature finally pulled its body out of the car with the vehicle bouncing below it. It gained its balance for a moment and then shook its entire body like a dog that had just had its bath.

It began to search; slowly turning its head until it stopped when it saw the police officer, the scientist and doctor a few yards away.

When Claire saw the way it narrowed its eyes and snarled at them, she felt her belly flip.

"Run," Tate said as he slowly and gently pulled on Claire shoulders, with his eyes on the creature. "Run. To the Van. Now."



The creature began moving towards them while it was on the hood. It stopped short and gave a loud and deafening roar.



"Go!" Larry whispered as he slowly backed away with the others.



Then, the animal leaped up into the air and landed to the floor a few feet from Larry.



"Go!" Larry screamed as he backed away with increased paces as he fumbled for his pistol in his pocket. "Go!.....Go!"


The three people spun immediately and began sprinting for the paramedics van a few yards away. "Go! Go!" Larry kept screaming.


Claire was afraid of looking behind to see if the animal was coming up behind them or not, but she could see the horror in Tate's eyes whenever he spun back to take a look.

BANG! BANG! BANG!


Three deafening shots struck the air. Claire and Tate bent thier heads as if they were trying to dodge the bullets, even though they knew what Larry was shooting at.


"Son'ava bitch!" Larry shouted, panting heavily. "Tate! What the Bleep is this thing!?"


Still on thier heels, Tate and Claire spun in time to see Larry squeeze another shot and watched in horror as the black furry animal dodged every speeding bullet that came out of Larry's gun.

"Bleep!" Larry screamed as he turned and kept running.

Tate and Claire got to the van and pulled the back doors open. Tate then helped Claire up the platform of the Volkswagen crafter. "Maybe you should get on the stretcher," Tate said as he pointed to the stretcher behind her.

"No," Claire groaned as she winced and pressed her palms against her belly. "It's just a scratch."

They both spun and watched Larry sprinting over to them. "Larry Hurry!" Tate shouted as he raised a leg to the platform.

Larry kept running as fast as he could with his heart beating heavily in his chest. He heard the animal growl just inches behind him before he stole a glance at Tate and Claire in the distance.

He saw as thier eyes widened as they stared at him. He did not need to look back to know that he was in trouble. All Larry could do was to increase his speed.


"Shit," The young officer muttered to himself. "Shit."


"Oh God," Claire gave a heavy whisper as she squatted over the platform of the intensive care unit in the vehicle. "He's not gonna make it."

Larry was only a few metres from the van now, running as fast as he could. He was beginning to loose his breath. He could feel the cold air pour into his lungs as he ran.

Tate looked out at the police officer, running for his life, with the large black creature behind him. "Oh God Larry,...Run!", Claire screamed in sobs beside Tate. She was obviously seeing things the way he did. The creature was too close. Larry wasn't going to make it.




"Come on Larry". "Come on man."

Suddenly, Larry felt something grab his left leg so hard, he could not move anymore. The sudden force that stopped his movement caused him to stagger forward a bit,....


....before he finally fell to the ground.

"Larry!" Tate shouted as he shut himself forward to help, but was pulled back by Claire who was sobbing now.

Larry raised the upper part of his body, supported himself with his hands and spun to see the creature crawling slowly over to him. It's yellow eyes were fixed on Larry.

Snarling.

Larry was breathing heavily now and even from the distance, Claire and Tate could see him tremble.

"Shoot It!", Claire screamed from behind. "Shoot it!"

Larry wanted to look back at her, but he knew that would be a stupid thing to do, considering his current situation.


"Shoot it!", Claire screamed again. "It's closer now and you have a better shot!"


Larry raised his back higher off the ground and brought himself to a sitting position. He then slowly raised his gun again and trained it at the animal. His hands were trembling.


The animal stopped and snarled at Larry again when he aimed the gun at its head.

"Die you bastard." Larry hissed, and then he pulled the trigger.



The gun just clicked.

No bullets.

"Shit," Tate hissed.

Larry lowered the gun slowly, his eyes never leaving the beast before him.



"Larry!" Claire cried as tear rolled down her cheeks.



Larry was still staring at the animal as it roared at him.

"I'm not gonna make this easy for you", The officer hissed.

Then he quickly spun and shot himself off the floor, but wasn't fast enough. In a flash of lightening, the animal dropped it's giant paws on the young man's lower back, rendering him immobile.

"Bleep!" Larry exclaimed as he felt the animal's claws dig into his back.

He tried to move, but it was like a 10,000 tonne rock was placed on him. Larry struggled and struggled till he felt the warm breath of the beast on his neck.

Then he stopped struggling. He became weak. He felt Helpless.

He raised his bloodshot eyes to Tate and Claire in the distance, aware of the fact that they would be the last people to see him alive.


"No!" Claire was crying now. "Larry please don't-."

Tate's face was equally filled with panic and sorrow. They both knew what was about to happen. They both knew Larry was about to die and they couldn't do anything about it.


They watched in horror as the beast lowered its large head down towards Larry's neck and opened its jaws for a bite that could crush Larry's neck at once.


"Noooo!" Claire Hayes screamed out into the night.

Claire sniffed the air around her."What's that smell?," she frowned.

Larry froze in his seat. "It-It wasn't m-me," he said.

"Ugh," Claire uttered as she waved her palm with a frown in front of her face. "You're disgusting."

Tate gave a chuckle from the passenger seat infront with his eyes fixed on his Laptop. Claire, Tate and Larry were still in the car waiting for the team to come back. As she sat there in the car, Claire stared out her window into the darkness and realised how vulnerable they were. She could feel a pang of fear in her throat when she noticed thier isolation.

They were surrounded be nothing but darkness and trees.

She raised her phone to her view to take a look at the time.

"7:35PM".

It had been an hour already.

"What's taking them so long?" Tate through his head back in exhaustion and moaned. "I mean, they know we are out here alone, right?"


"Nope", Larry grinned proudly. "They know you're out here, with a cop."

Claire rolled her eyes and held back a chuckle.


"Yeah right,"Tate waved away. "Whatever."


The car was quiet for twenty long minutes, before Larry opened his door.

"What are you doing?" Tate asked as he shot his head up from his laptop to face the officer.

"Need to pee," the young officer said as he struggled out of the car and hurried to a point across the large path. Claire and Tate didn't realise how cold it was outside the car until Larry opened the door and a cold draft pushed in. She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed.

Tate spun and looked back at her. "You okay?" he asked.

Claire looked at him and felt the warmth in his blue eyes staring at her through those glasses. "I'm fine," Claire said with a smile and a nod.



She didn't take her eyes of the boy even after had turned back to his work. His gesture had sparked something in her. Something that made her want to talk to him more. She stretched a bit to see what he was working on. She didn't know what she was looking at, but she was conversant with computers enough to know that she was looking at a Microsoft word application. She used it herself sometimes.

"How's your book coming along?" She asked.

Tate quickly spun and faced the lady behind him. He clearly didn't expect that question. "Um-,"Tate uttered. "It's good."


Claire gave a proud smile and nodded, clearly having nothing else to say. She faced her window beside her again.


"It's gonna be a best seller you know," Tate said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Claire turned to face him with a smile. "I hope so," she chuckled.

Just then, the driver's door of the car was pulled opened and Larry dropped in and jammed it again. "It's like minus two degrees out there," Larry hissed. "Jeez."

"I know," Tate said, his attention still on the computer before him. "weird for a summer night, huh?"

She listened to the two men start up a conversation and then they trailed off as she lost interest. She glanced outside her window and into the darkness again. Her thoughts immediately went home to her kids and to Edith. She wondered what they were doing right now. She wondered if they had dinner already.

She wondered if they were safe.

Claire rubbed her eyes and shook her head when the memory of the nightmare she had some days ago flashed in her head. She tightened her eyes shot.

"It was just a dream."

She opened her eyes again and sighed. Then she saw something move in the distant darkness.

Something was slowly crawling out of the shrubs and tall grasses and weeds that stretched into the road. Claire moved her gaze to Larry and Tate to see if they had noticed it too, but they were still lost in thier conversation.

She turned her eyes back to the window and saw what she was now sure, was an animal of some kind. The fact that Claire couldn't see the animal made her aware the fact that whatever it was, it was black.

Claire kept her eyes glued to the scene and didn't even hear Larry call her name.

At first, she thought it was a rabbit, a black rabbit, but then, she saw the creature grow bigger before her eyes as it crawled out of the woods; slowly exposing it's seemingly muscular body.

Claire didn't see any reason to call the attention of the deputy and the scientist infront of her, until the creature's full body came into view. Her eyes widened as she watched the animal crawl out entirely from the woods and unto the wet tarred road.

"Oh my God."

Claire had never seen anything like this in her life before. She could not explain it. It was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, but at the same time, there was something about it that made her tremble in fear at its sight.

The creature crawled further away from the darkness of the woods and exposed itself more in the dimly lit night. It was dark, but bright enough for Claire to see the animal's silhouette. Claire's heart skipped a beat at its size.

"Jesus."

"What the hell is that?"he heard Larry's voice from the front seat. She turned and saw the young deputy lean forward to the windscreen. Tate's head shot up from his laptop and looked in the same direction.


Tate narrowed his eyes before he uttered in a low tone. "Ho-holy shit," Tate hissed in shock as he lifted his computer and dropped it on the dashboard.


"What is it," Claire asked as she shifted her gaze back to the silhouette in the distance; confusion written all over her features.


"I don't know," Larry whispered as his attention was still fixed on the windscreen. "..but whatever it is, it's huge."


"I've never seen anything like that out here before," Claire whispered in confusion.



"That's because something like that is not supposed to be out here," Tate added as he reached for his backpack and pulled out his phone. Larry spun to his side and saw Tate hold up his phone.



"What are you doing?" Larry whispered heavily before he turned back and saw the creature crawling across the road; it had obviously not noticed them.


"What does it look like?" Tate replied as he steadied his hands to take a picture of the life form before him. There was a sudden bright flash and Claire saw the creature freeze and turn its head to face the car with lightening speed. It was startled.


"Are you nuts?" Claire saw Larry angry for the first time as he hissed at Tate, pushing his phone away. "You'll scare it off."

Tate waved Larry's hand off and kept his phone in place, steadying himself for another shot. "It doesn't look like it's running away," Tate said. "Does it?"


Larry shut a look at the creature and saw that it was still frozen in place, then he looked back at Tate and rapidly shook his head. "Nuh-Uh", Larry said as he reached out and grabbed Tate's phone away.



"What the-?"Tate uttered in shock as he stared at Larry with wide eyes as Larry yanked his phone away from him. "Give it back now," Tate hissed through gritted teeth.



"No," Larry said as he moved the phone from his right hand to his left; farther away from Tate. "You'll scare him away."

Tate shot him a confused look for a moment, like he was trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with the police man. He then reached forward to grab his phone from Larry, but he wasn't fast enough.

Larry pushed the phone further away from his grip, till his hand was sticking out the car window. "Give me my phone, you Psycho," Tate growled as he kept stretching forward with one hand and the other adjusting his glasses.

"No," Larry fired.

Claire stared at the two of them for a while and couldn't help but wonder why she had to be stuck with these two men in the same car. She turned her gaze away and towards the creature and saw that it had lost interest in the car and was starting to move away.


Tate and Larry had gone from a simple disagreement, to a physical tussle. Claire watched as the two men began struggling infront of her like two kids in a play-wrestle. "Give me my phone," Tate growled louder as he climbed and struggled on top the young officer with what seemed to be all his might. "You asshole."


"I said no," Larry said. He didn't seem to be struggling as hard as Tate was. His struggles seemed effortless.


Claire was about to turn in the direction of the creature once more, but then, she jumped when the loud and startling sound of the car horn cut through the quiet night air like a knife and she was so shocked, she almost screamed.


She shot her gaze forward and saw that Larry had pressed Tate's body to the car horn on the steering wheel. "Are you guys kidding me right now?" Claire shouted in rage; clearly getting enough of their nonsense.


Claire's utterance seemed to have disrupted Larry's concentration a bit, and then Larry's grip on Tate loosened a little as he spun to face Claire.


"So...sorry Mrs. Ha-......Ouch!." Tate took the opportunity and dug his teeth into Larry's arm, making the officer release the phone immediately.

"Son'ava bitch," Larry said as he looked at his arm and looked up at Tate in disbelief. "You -You bit me."



"Well," Tate shrugged as he licked his lips with a passive aggressive smile; pulling back to his seat. "That's what you get."

At that point, Claire noticed something from the corner of her eye. She spun and looked out the window.

"Oh no."

Claire opened her mouth slightly in confusion as she watched the black creature crawl towards the car. "Um-guys," she said; her eyes still planted on the window.

The two men ignored her and kept growling at each other like mad dogs. Claire stared at the animal as it approached the car, like a predator approaching it's prey.

She thought for a second, trying to figure out the cause of the animal's sudden interest in them. Then it hit her.


"The horn"


She turned to Larry and Tate who were still arguing infront and then she faced the animal that was approaching the car. Claire was no animal expert, but she knew when an animal approached humans like that, it wasn't coming to say 'Hi', or play with you.


"Guys!" Claire shouted.


Larry and Tate spun to her in shock.


"It's coming," Claire said. Her eyes never left the approaching animal.


The two men spun and saw the large creature just a few metres away from the car.


"Shit," Tate hissed. "It's the horn".

"Oh", Claire said sarcastically. "You think?"


"I'll scare it away," Larry said as he pulled out a pistol from his pocket.

"What the Bleep are you doing?" Tate shouted as he reached out and held Larry's hand.


"Relax Dexter," Larry said as he snatched his hand away from Tate's grip. "I'm not shooting it."


Tate and Claire pressed thier palms to thier ears and watched as the deputy threw his hand outside the car window and pointed the gun straight up in the air.

A Loud and deafening bang struck the air like thunder, and then everyone shifted thier gaze to the animal outside. Their eyes all widened in shock at what they saw.

It didn't flinch. It just....kept coming.

"You gotta be kidding me," Tate said.

Larry squeezed out another loud bang which caused Claire, Tate and even him to jolt, but the creature didn't stop. The creature didn't even pause. Larry shot a nervous look at an astonished Tate.



"Is -Is this normal," Larry stuttered as he darted his eyes from the approaching animal to Tate and back again. Tate said nothing. His eyes were fixed on the approaching creature.


"Start the car, Larry," Claire tapped the deputy's shoulders urgently. It was clear now that she was scared.


"No," Tate finally uttered. "We're safe in here."

"Are you sure?" Claire uttered in a trembling voice as she stretched forward with nervous eyes to get the current location of the approaching beast.

Tate spun to face her. "Yes I am," he said.

Suddenly, there was a thunderous bang and the car began to rock side ways.


"Shit!" Larry screamed.


Claire let out a loud whimper. Everything was moving up and down for a moment and then as fast as it had all started, it all settled.


Claire raised her eyes and saw it first through the windscreen. "Oh my god."


The animal was on top the bonnet of the car. It's head lowered for a better view. Its yellow eyes boring into and studying every single person in the car. At that moment, Claire saw Tate lean forward and narrow his eyes towards the animal. It was almost as she if he was studying something that was below the beast.


"Larry?" Claire uttered in sobs. "Do something."

Larry kept his wide eyes on the creature that had now climbed the bonnet of the police car as he shuffled into his pocket and pulled out a bullet. He pulled his pistol to his view and fixed in two bullets. He was trembling so hard, the gun almost fell of his grip.

"Larry," Claire called as she watched the creature's yellow eyes scan them one by one.

Tate later pulled back and sat in shock, his back pressed against his seat and his wide eyes fixed on the creature behind the screen.

Larry steadied himself and trained the gun at the animal.

The animal shut its eyes at Larry and then snarled, exposing it blood stained fangs. Larry heard Claire give a loud gasp behind him.


Then, with lightening speed, the animal leaped up into the air and disappeared above the glass, rocking the car from side to side as it did so. Sudden silence fell over them in the darkness.

"Where -where is it?" Claire stuttered in a trembling voice. "Where did it go?"

Tate raised a finger to his lips; a gesture he used to tell Claire to be quiet, as he slowly looked up at the top of the car."It's on the hood," he whispered. He slowly brought his eyes down to face Larry. "Start the car and let's get out of here," he whispered.

Claire stomach flipped when she heard Tate's voice. She had never heard Tate sound like that before. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable.

Larry spun and faced the steering wheel, then he froze.

"Shit!" Larry hissed as he slammed his palm on the steering wheel.

"What?" Claire looked at him.

"The keys," Larry said as he spun to face then slowly. "They're with Brent."




"Bleep," Tate shouted as he punched the dashboard. Suddenly, a loud bang hit the top of the car; denting it immediately.



"Oh God!" Claire screamed as she shot her gaze up, pressing her palms to her ears.

Tate and Larry looked up; their breaths were quick and they were beginning to sweat. Even Claire could tell the men were as frightened as she was.

BOOOM!!!

Another loud bang dented the hood of the car. It was so loud, even Larry let out a whimper this time.

"What are we gonna do?" Claire cried.

Tate swallowed hard as his eyes were still fixed on the hood above. "It's-It's trying to--to get in," he stuttered.



"Can it?" Claire sobbed as she felt pain down her throat and regret in her chest.



"Ofcourse not," Larry said. "It's steel for Christ-." Larry was suddenly cut off by a loud screeching sound from above.



The three of them looked up and saw four razor sharp claws tear through metal roof of the car like paper.



"Nnnno-No-No," Tate stuttered in disbelief. "That's...that's impossible."


"What the hell Is it doing?!" Claire screamed in horror , her eyes looking upwards as she sank into her seat.


"It's getting in," Tate's voice was haunting as he reached for his door slowly.


"....It's - its getting in."

Please note, the language Liam and Jelani use in occasional communication is the East African language called "SWAHILI".

"Claire look," Brent began as he spun and faced the woman in the back seat of the police car. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to come with us."

Claire gave a frustrating sigh and then glared at Brent.

"I've told you Brent," she hissed. "If you're trying change my mind, you're wasting your time."

"Wasting my time?" Brent turned and faced her fully now. "Claire, you're putting yourself in danger. I mean, we don't even know what we're gonna find out there."

Claire said nothing. She just kept staring at the windscreen ahead, averting Brent's worried gaze.

"Claire, Listen to me, please," Brent leaned in closer to her and gave a heavy whisper. "You've got kids."

"And so do you," she fired; with her eyes suddenly darting and piercing into his.

"That's a different thing Claire, I'm a Co-."

"Brent," Claire faced him now with eyes that were burning with rage. "I swear to God, if you don't start driving right now, I'll....".

"Okay...Okay...Okay," Brent said as he tilted his gaze forward, raising his hands in surrender.

Claire just noticed Larry sitting beside Brent on the Passenger seat because he had started at chuckle at the entire situation.


"What's so funny?" she fired again.


Larry's smile suddenly disappeared as he spun to face the woman beside him. "Um-Nn...Nothing," he stuttered and sunk in his seat like a child that had just been called to order.

Claire moved her gaze away from him and faced the screen again as the Car engine roared to life. She heard Brent muttering something under his breath that obviously had to do with her, but she ignored him.

They drove for almost six minutes. Claire was about to ask why it was taking so long, but then she remembered what Liam had said the last time they saw after the meeting with the police officers.

Their meeting point was going to be at the outskirts of the town since the forests out there were thicker and that meant if there was any hiding place for the animal, it was definitely somewhere out there since the town was thier feeding ground. She immediately felt the hair at the back of her neck stand when she had that thought.

She looked out her window into the impending darkness. She could see the green fields of Wilson farm slowly passing by. She remembered how it was before all this started. There would be sheep roaming about the fields along with the horses; grazing about, but now, the farm was like a haunted house, or. a haunted farm at least.

As they drove along, the road began to get even more deserted as the cars that passed them by were beginning to reduce in numbers. The woods were beginning to thicken and Claire was beginning to question her reason for coming along.

After a while, they came to a stop on a path about a few metres off the main road. The headlights focused on a large group of men gathered at the side. They all had thier uniforms on, so Claire could make out the fact that they were all officers.

When Claire got out of the car, she saw Liam walking over to them, but then he stopped short and froze when he saw her.

He immediately spun to face Brent. "What the hell is she doing here?" she heard him hiss.

Brent raised his shoulder and walked past the man to meet Chief Kent at the other side were he stood with the Rangers. He was obviously not going to discuss the issue again.


Liam immediately turned his cold eyes to face Claire and then he began walking over to her. She pushed the door shut and straightened up as she saw Liam approach.

"What are you doing here?" Liam hissed as soon as he reached her.


"I came to help," she said as she raised her chin to him.

Liam's jaws clenched as he kept glaring at the woman infront of him. He was seething. Claire, on the other hand, was surprised at his concern of her safety.

"We don't need your help,Dr. Hayes," Liam whispered heavily. "Go Home."



"I'm not going anywhere," Claire fired back. "What if one of these men need medical attention?"


"That's why the paramedics are here," Liam hissed as he pointed to a van a few yards away but his eyes were still on her.



"It doesn't matter," Claire shrugged. "I'm staying. You'll need someone with medical expertise."

Liam didn't really do a good job at holding back his rage now as it was clear to the woman that Liam wanted to lift her up and stuff her in the trunk of the car or something.

"Miss Hayes," Liam started. "You don't understand, it's not safe here. You could get hurt. Hell, your not even armed."


"It's Mrs," Claire uttered as she walked past him. "...and I can take care of myself, thank you very much."


She suddenly felt the strongest human grip she had ever felt in her life. It was like she had caught her hand in a vice. Claire spun to face Liam whose eyes were a cold as ice.

"Let go of me," Claire demanded.

"No", Liam hissed.

"Okay Doc!," Kent called from far. He and his men were off loading ammunitions from a particularly dark-blue van. "We're ready to get this show on road."


He nodded at the chief of police. "Give me a minute!," Liam shouted before he turned his glare back to the lady before him.

"I said let go of me," Claire struggled a little. She had seen, from the little fight that he put up, she was no match for Liam.

"Larry!" he called with his eyes still on Claire.

Larry spun and jogged over to meet them beside Brent's car.

"Yeah?" Larry uttered in confusion at the sight of Liam's grip on Claire's arm.


"Stay with Mrs. Hayes in the car," Liam said before he shifted his gaze to Larry. "Make sure she doesn't go anywhere."


Larry's eyes darted from Liam to Claire and back. "Okay?" Larry made his uncertainty about the matter obvious. They spun when they heard footsteps, and then they saw Tate walking over to them.



"Kate," Liam called out with a worried look on his face. "What's wrong?"

Tate walked up to them and that was when Claire noticed he was sweating.

"I don't feel so good," Tate uttered. "I-I think i'll just seat this one out."


Liam rolled his eyes as if he was expecting Tate to say that. He then shifted his gaze to Claire and noticed she had lowered her guard while she was studying Tate curiously. He knew there was no way Larry would be able to get her in that car alone with out getting his ass kicked,so he suddenly had an idea.

This was his chance.

Suddenly, he opened the back door of the car, pulled Claire close to him and flung her into the back seat.


"Hey!," Claire shouted. "How dare you?!"


Liam slammed the door and pinned it down fast to make sure she couldn't get out. "Open this door now!,"Claire shouted as she struggled with the car door.


Liam faced Tate and Larry as he ignored Claire's protests. "You three are gonna have to stay behind," Liam uttered.



Then they heard an unfamiliar voice scream out an African sentence. They spun and saw a shirtless Jelani beckoning for Liam to join them at the gathering. Liam raised his hands and shouted another African utterance that Tate and Larry could make out as an "I'm coming" or a "Hold on".

Liam spun to Claire and winked at her with a smirk.

"Oh screw you," Claire growled.

Then Liam jogged off to meet the group and Larry watched him with admiration as he smiled. "He's awesome right," Larry said to Tate in an excited tone as he watched Liam leave. "Like India Jones Kinda Awesome."

Tate said nothing. He just turned and gave the young deputy and incredulous look, before he made his way into the car.

***

The forest was a shade of black and green. Crickets chirped everywhere and fire-flies were the only source of natural light because even the moon wasn't out.

Liam climbed a near by rock and stopped. He spun to see long rays of light produced by flashlights dancing behind him. That was a sign that they were still on his trail.

He spun and looked forward in the distance. Jelani was the only person infront of him, but it was clear now that even he wasn't fast enough to catch up with the Kenyan warrior.

"Holy shit," Brent appeared from nowhere, panting heavily.

He stopped and threw himself on one of the trees nearby. "I-I think i'm gonna pass out," he said with heavy breaths.

Patrick walked passed him. "You're a cop Brent," Patrick mocked. "Act like one."


"Exactly," Brent said. "I'm a cop, not Indiana-fucking-jones."


"It's funny," Liam chuckled as he kept moving. "You're not even in an African Jungle, and you're complaining."

"Nah," Patrick uttered. "He wouldn't last a day in an African Jungle."


Liam turned to face Patrick. "Neither would you."

Patrick stiffened and nodded in agreement as Brent chuckled. Liam was about to say something when Jelani's voice cut him off.

"Nyumba ya shetani!", Jelani yelled.

Everyone froze in confusion. No one understood what he was saying, no one, except Liam.


"Where?!" he shouted in response as he increased his pace, following the sound of Jelani's voice.


"What is he saying?" Patrick asked as he ran after Liam.


"The devil's lair," Liam said as he kept running. "He's found the devil's lair."


***


The men finally got to an open space in the woods. There were no trees, just rocks, grass and dead leaves all over the ground. Jelani immediately came into view, scaring some of the men with the way he walked out of the darkness with his bow and arrow across his back.

No one dared ask how he had found the place so fast because they figured, that was probably what he was brought here for. This was what he was good at.

"What did you find", Liam asked his African colleague.

Jelani raised his hands and pointed to what looked like a cave a few metres from them. "The devil's lair," he said.

Liam spun to face Chief Kent and his men and then gave them a nod. When he did, Kent spun and gave a signal that had all ten police officers stick out their rifles.

Donovan and Brent then walked forward and stopped beside Liam and Patrick with thier AKs trained on the entrance of the cave.

Liam tuned to the men beside him. "Okay boys," he whispered. "You ready?"


"Yep", Brent whispered.


"Let's kill this motherfucker," Donovan whispered.


Liam gave the signal for the others to wait outside in case the creature wanted to escape. He pulled out a flashlight and nodded at the two officers. Immediately, they made thier way into the cave with Liam and Patrick following behind them.




"This place stinks", one of the officers who was fat uttered from out side as he watched them go.

"Shut up, Ronny," another officer said.





"Ugh", Donovan uttered. "It stinks in here".

The five men made their way into the cave and Liam tried to ignore the heavy putrid smell that filled the stuffy air of the vicinity. Even with their flashlights, they could feel the rocks and stones crack easily beneath their feet in the darkness. They kept moving forward with both lights and guns trained.

Liam could hear Donovan's breathing quicken. His hands were trembling on his rifle.

"Would you relax?," Liam said. "It's night time, it's probably gone out to feed."

"You sure about that?" Brent uttered.

"Guys!" Patrick called from the corner.

They all spun and followed the sound of his voice and soon, they had all gathered at the top of what looked like another smaller cave that slanted downwards into the ground.

Patrick had found a part of the cave that seemed to descend downwards into the ground. They pointed flashlights down into the hole, but couldn't see a thing.

"You think it's down there?" Patrick asked; his voice was uneasy.

"Well," Liam said as he dropped his flashlight and his dart gun before putting himself in place to enter the cave. "There's only one way to find out."

"Are you crazy?," Patrick uttered with surprise when he found out what Liam was about to do. "You don't even know if it's down there."

Liam ignored him and went in, legs first, sliding through the roughness of the small cave.

"Liam?" Patrick uttered.

Jelani appeared immediately and followed; sliding into the cave effortlessly then Patrick relaxed a little at the fact that Liam was not alone at least.

Liam crashed to the ground hard and then a tiny sharp pain cut across his elbow.


"Shit" he cursed as he staggered upwards in time to see Jelani crawl out of the hole behind him.

"Je,wewe ni sawa ndugu (Are you alright brother?)" Jelani uttered as he hurried over to Liam and held him.

"Mimi ni sawa Jelani (I'm okay Jelani)," Liam sighed with his hands still rubbing his elbow.

Suddenly, Jelani slowly raised his head to something he had seen behind Liam. Liam saw the eyes of the African native widen slowly as his grip on his arm loosened.

"Nini Jelani? (What is it Jelani?)" Liam said.

"Wafu(The dead)," Jelani whispered. "Tupo katika bahari ya wafu (We are in the sea of the dead)."

Liam slowly spun and saw what Jelani was looking at. The entire floor of the cave was covered with skulls and bones. Some of them blood stained and fresh, while the others were dry and dusty.

"My God," Liam whispered in horror.

To the corner, Liam saw an old and worn out torn t-shirt on one of the half eaten skeletons that was on the floor. Backpacks, flashlights and face caps that looked as if they had been hear for ages.

Liam was shocked at the horror before him. He had been dealing with wild animals all his life, but he had never seen anything like this before. Never.

"Even Lions and Tigers don't do this."

"Lions and Tigers don't feed like this."

For the first time since he started working on this case, Liam became confused.


"Hii si pangó la mnyama (This isn't the den of an animal)," Jelani said. "Hii ni nyumba ya pepo (This is the home of a demon)."


"Everything okay down there?" Brent called from the top.

Liam said nothing. He was too shocked to utter a word. He kept staring at the ground filled with bones and skulls around him for minutes without even blinking.

Liam looked at Jelani. The African was as lost as he was. The two men glanced at each other.

"Watu hawa ni katika matatizo (These people are in trouble brother)," Jelani said in a cold voice.


"Yes Jelani," Liam replied in English, as his eyes scanned the area slowly.

".....Big trouble."

For the first time since he came to Cherrywood valley, Liam felt fear wash over him.

"You've just got to admit it", Luke said as he walked and faced Samantha while they both strolled out of the hall. "Jurassic world is a modern day classic."

Samantha rolled her eyes and waved him off. "Oh please," she said. "The only thing I liked about that movie was Nick Robinson."

Luke stopped infront, spun and pursed his lips at her.

"What?" she smiled before she raised her left wrist and looked into her watch, and dropped her shoulders with a sigh. "It's getting late," she uttered as she dropped her hand and began moving past Luke. "We should go."

"Wha- Wait," she heard Luke say as she felt his grip on her right hand.

She spun to him with a scowl. "What are you doing?"

He immediately let go of her hand and then began moving his weight from one leg to the other. Samantha could tell that he was nervous as hell. "I-I'm sorry," he stuttered; raking his hands through his hair. "I just thought-um."




Samantha dropped her shoulders,crossed her arms on her chest and cocked her head. "You thought what?" Samantha asked coldly.



Luke looked up at her. His confidence had suddenly dissolved and his anxiety had betrayed him. Samantha always thought it was cute when he looked at her like that.



"I was hoping we could, you know, hang out a little more," he shrugged.


Samantha gave out an exasperated sigh as she threw her head back. She stared at the boy infront of her for a while. He suddenly feigned puppy eyes and pushed his lower lip forward, as he blinked very quickly.


"Don't make me punch you," Samantha hissed as she suddenly walked past him, towards the cafeteria at the corner.

Luke watched her as she walked past. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"You're buying me ice-cream," Samantha said as she kept moving without even looking back at him as he chuckled and jogged after her.

The two teens settled down in a booth opposite each other after they had ordered Ice cream for Samantha and a milkshake for Luke.

Samantha could feel Luke's gaze on her as she lifted tiny scoops of her Ice-cream to her mouth.

"You like it?"Luke asked.

She looked up at him incredulously. "I wouldn't be putting it in my mouth if I didn't," she said.

She glanced down at the milkshake infront of him. It was still full, which meant Luke had not even taken a sip.

"I like you Samantha." Those words hit her like a moving truck on high speed. She shot her wide eyes at the boy sitting in front of her. "Wha-What?" she stuttered.

"I like you,.......a lot", Luke uttered with a smirk.

Samantha involuntarily dropped her spoon into the Ice-scream cup. She could hear her heart beating out loud in her ears. For the first time ever since she had come to this town, she was uneasy. She was nervous.

"So?", Luke uttered as his green eyes bored into her.

Samantha looked up at him. "So?" She shrugged.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" Luke uttered. The smirk on his face had disappeared.

"Jesus, this dude is serious."


Samantha raised her shoulder and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"What the hell does he want me to say?"

"Look," Luke shifted nervously in his chair. "I know it's a lot to take in."


"Yeah, no shit."



"....Bu-but, I just thought I should tell you," the boy stuttered.

Samantha swallowed hard. She dreaded moments like these. They made her sick.
She looked into Luke's green eyes, and for some reason, she had just realised how handsome he was. It wasn't weird enough that he looked like her favourite movie actor.

"Brenton Thwaits."

"Samantha," his voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

She looked up at him. He was staring at her. Expectant. Samantha felt her heart skip a beat as she opened her mouth to say something.

Suddenly, the ring tone of a phone cut her off. At that moment, Luke stiffened and pulled back.


"Saved by the bell or....Ring tone....or whatever".


He shuffled for his pocket and pulled out his phone, held it up to his gaze and what ever he saw made his shoulder drop with a sigh. He swiped the screen with his thumb and pressed the phone to right ear.


"Hey Courtney", Luke uttered as he glanced at Samantha with lazy eyes and a smirk. "What's up?"

Samantha returned a short and nervous smile before she shifted her attention back to the Ice cream infront of her.

"No"Luke said. "I haven't."

She took a scoop into her mouth before raising her gaze to Luke again.

"Are you serious?" Luke uttered in shock.

Samantha immediately noticed the seriousness on his features. The smile was gone. "Why didn't you guys tell me?", he said.


Samantha kept watching him. she could tell that whatever the conversation was between he and Courtney, it wasn't good news. "No I haven't," he said and then shot a look at Samantha. "...and I know Sam hasn't either."

Samantha's eyes widened and then she mouthed a "What's going on?" without a sound.

After a one minute silence, Luke finally spoke again. "Okay, but call me if you hear anything," he said. "Alright?"


"Cool," he uttered, before he dropped the phone from his ears.


Samantha watched Luke shake his head as he pushed back his phone into his pocket.

She couldn't resist the urge to ask. "Is everything okay?" she stared at him suspiciously.

Luke faced her and shrugged.

"Rick's -uhm-, Rick's missing," he replied.

Samantha's eyes widened.

"What?" she asked. "How? Since when?"


"Courtney said he had been missing since we were at the lake." Luke shrugged again. "He's mom said he never came back since then."



Samantha froze. She straightened up and faced Luke. The shock on her face was unmistakable. "Jesus Luke," she hissed. "That was like, ....four days ago."


"I know", Luke sighed. "I remember calling him since then, but nothing."


Samantha looked away and stared into space, obviously lost in her thoughts and Luke stared at her and couldn't deny the fact that he was surprised at how concerned she seemed to be. "Courtney said she thought he left with us," Luke added. "..but I told her he didn't."

Samantha looked back at him again. She then shook her head and licked her lips.

Luke was quiet for a while, before he shot his head up and looked at Samantha.

"I think we should get going," he said.


Samantha nodded slowly, confused on how she should feel. She didn't know whether she should be happy that Luke had forgotten his question or to be sad that Rick was missing. The teens both stood up and made thier way away from their seats.



"Oh god", Samantha said as she placed her hand on her chests. "I hope he's okay."


"Yeah," Luke sighed as he dug his hands into the pockets of his Jacket. "I hope so too."

"What the hell are you doing here, Claire?," Brent hissed.

"I just wanted to see what plans you guys have for catching this thing," she shrugged as she avoided his eyes and moved past him at the door before she walked over and took a seat.

The conference hall at the station was filled with police officials, some of them whom Claire knew, some of them she thought were familiar and some of them she didn't know at all. They were all waiting for Liam to arrive. She shifted her eyes to the side and saw some men setting up some equipment at the corner; reporters and news crew obviously.


She turned to her side and saw Brent tower over her."Move over," he said.


Claire moved to the next seat as Brent sat down beside her. She caught him glaring at her from the side of her eye and even after she turned to face him, he didn't turn away.

Brent shook his head at her.

"What?" Claire asked.

"I don't know who is more stubborn," Brent said as he finally tore his eyes away from her. "You or the mayor."


Claire chuckled and looked away from him. About twenty minutes later, Claire saw Tate hurrying through the door. He had some equipment with him and what looked like a large map rolled up under his armpit.

She was beginning to wonder where Dr. Liam was when she saw him walking in some seconds after along with Chief Kent.

It was crazy, but Claire thought he looked younger than the last time she saw him. He wore a grey shirt that looked like he was still in Africa. You know, those shirts people like Patrick always wore when they were at work at the zoo. Claire didn't know what they were called but it was tucked into black jeans with a pair of sneakers squeaking underneath as he moved.


She moved her eyes to see Jelani right behind him and she became certain that he was more of his bodyguard than his brother. She immediately remembered the story Tate had told her.


She didn't believe Jelani was Liam's brother, but she definitely believed the fact that there was a connection between the two men. A connection so strong, that she was sure she would never see Dr. Liam Price without seeing Jelani. He wasn't his brother, but the native African man was definitely Liam's guardian or something.


Claire was clearly intrigued by their relationship.

"Hey", Someone uttered from beside her.

She turned to see Patrick grinning at her, surprised that she didn't even know when he had walked in and taken a seat beside her.


"Morning Patrick," she smiled.


"Hey Brent," Patrick nodded as he reached over and shared a manly hand shake with the deputy.

Brent gave out his hands and shook him.

The meeting started with Liam apologising for coming late ofcourse, before he went straight to business afterwards. Thanks to Tate, he was able to bring up pictures of the first victims, the colleges students and that of Philip Wilson.


Everyone cringed and murmured at the sight of the mangled bodies appearing on the white screen. Well, everyone except Liam. Hell, he looked amused even.

He explained the killing patterns of feline and answered a lot of questions on that aspect. Some of the deputies in the room were shocked at the possibility that what they were seeing on the screen was done by a cat.

"A wild cat," Liam corrected one of the deputies. Liam then went on to explain what attracted animals like these to thier prey. He mentioned blood and noise as primary factors.


"Now we all know this means the July fourth festivities may not show any blood," Liam said, as he raised his arms to his chest and crossed them. "...But it will definitely bring a lot of noise."

The entire hall came alive with humming and murmuring. Claire tilted in Chief Kent's direction and could immediately tell that he was seething.


"So-so you're saying that the fireworks display will be like.....bait?,"an officer asked.

"Yep", Liam uttered.

"No!", Chief Kent fired from the corner.

Then everyone in the hall turned in Kent's direction. Everyone except Liam who had that look in his eyes that seemed to say, "Oh God here we go again."

"As a matter of fact," Kent said as he began moving forward. "I think it will scare whatever is out there, away."

Liam held himself from rolling his eyes but then, he shook his head.

Claire held back a chuckle when she saw Liam's gesture. She had seen rivalry coming up between Liam and chief Kent ever since the first meeting with the Mayor.

"Chief," Liam started. "You're right. But the fact is, this animal is different."


Kent turned and faced the scientist. "Oh yeah? How so?," Kent asked as he folded his arms on his chest.


"It killed six men, Chief," Tate then cut into the conversation with an expression on his face that seemed to show his dread. "Six full grown armed men. It killed them all in one night, at the same place, at the same time."



Liam looked away from Tate and turned to Kent with a mischievous smirk. "I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like an animal that is easily frightened by anything." Liam said.

Kent became uneasy for a while with his eyes darting all over the hall. Even through that look, Claire knew the police chief wasn't giving in easy. "Well, that being said," Kent began as he turned and faced Liam with a smirk. "It's still an animal and we are not gonna stop this year's festivities because of an animal."


Claire darted her eyes to Liam and saw his jaws clench. She thought this was this was fun. "Asshole." someone hissed from beside her.

She turned and saw Patrick's narrow eyes glaring at Kent. His sudden hatred for the police chief was unmistakable.


The meeting finally came to an end after an hour and about forty-five minutes. Claire actually thought it would be longer than that. Everyone of the officers had left, leaving Claire, Patrick, Liam, Tate and Jelani behind, along with officers Brent and Larry. Claire was still in her seat with Brent sitting beside her. Patrick had gone over to join Tate and Liam in front and Larry was at the corner standing beside Jelani.

"This is gonna end badly, you know," Brent said.


Claire faced him. The uncertainty she saw in his eyes made her heart beat a little faster. She had never seen Brent look so unsure before.

She turned back to face Liam and Patrick infront as they were engaged in a conversation, a conversation about Kent obviously, because Patrick looked like he wanted to punch someone.



Tate on the other hand, was busy studying the large map on the table infront of him.

"They can take care of it," Claire finally said to Brent.

Brent held back a chuckle, before he turned and looked at Claire. "This thing killed six men, Claire."

She could not deny the fact that Brent had a point. Tate had said the same thing before, but for some reason, there was something about the way Brent said it that made Claire's stomach flip.

She turned away and stared into space,feeling herself beginning to tremble. The memory of her dream hitting her in the face, hard.

Everyone was beginning to believe this thing couldn't be beaten, but Claire wanted to think otherwise for her son's sake. She Swallowed hard while still lost in thought. She could just take her kids and go back to New york.

"....And leave Edith behind?"

"Be right back," Brent uttered as he got up from his seat and made his way to the front to meet the others.

Claire watched him walk away for some minutes, then she moved her gaze to Liam and caught him staring at her with an expression Claire couldn't put her finger on. An expression that made her feel he knew what she was thinking. An expression that seemed to tell her that he knew she was scared.

Claire quickly turned away and shifted her eyes to the corner where Larry and Jelani were. She had now realised that she could always look to Larry for a laugh every now and then.

She watched as Larry pulled out his Phone and moved in to a stern and stiff looking Jelani for a selfie.


"Say cheese", The young deputy cooed before the flash.


Jelani did not even move a muscle. He just turned slowly and frowned at Larry who was indifferent to his reaction as he glanced at the pictures he had just taken with his phone. Jelani was probably wondering if all white people were this strange.

Claire smiled. She could not deny the fact that Larry was adorable. He was a twenty-seven year old man, but he had the heart of a child.


"Wait.....oh my God", Tate's utterance pulled her from her thoughts immediately.

She spun and saw everyone gathering at the table were he was.



"What's wrong?," Brent uttered as he walked over and away from Patrick and Liam.



"What were those markings again?," Tate asked with his eyes still on the map.

"What markings?", Brent asked; puzzled.

Tate then looked up at the deputy. "The ones you made on the last map we had."



Brent walked over to the side of the young boy, pulled out a red marker and stood there studying the map for a while, before he bent down and scribbled on it.

It was when Tate's eyes widened as he was looking at the map that Claire decided she was going to join them over there and immediately stood from her seat.


"Liam," Tate called. The urgency in his voice was unmistakable. Liam quickly walked over to the join Tate and Brent, with Patrick following close behind.

"What is it?

Claire was at the table now and couldn't see what the fuss was all about. All she saw was a large map of the county with Cherrywood included, and then red X's Brent had obviously written down with the marker.

Tate pointed to the areas Brent had marked. His gesture were quick and urgent. "Look," he said. "The markings."

Liam stared for a while, then a look of realisation filled his features.

"Shit," the word seemed to drop from Liam's mouth.

"What?" Brent asked as his eyes darted from Liam to Tate and then the map. "What's wrong?"

"Patrick look at this," Liam said as he pulled Patrick closer.

Patrick narrowed his eyes at the map.

"Each point is at least a few metres between the woods and the town," Tate said. Realisation also hit the zoo keeper in the face after he stared at the map for a while.


"Jesus," he whispered heavily. "Why didn't I see this before?"

Claire was confused now. She had never been so curious about anything like this before.

"What is it?" she asked.

Patrick looked at her and then looked at Liam. "But how can we be sure," Patrick asked. "They may just be random."


"Nah,"Tate shook his head. "These are anything but random. Think we should tell the Mayor?"


"Tell the Mayor what?", Brent was becoming very impatient now.


"No need." Liam said as he pulled back a little and crossed his hands on his chest, with his eyes still on the map. "He's already made up his mind."


"Oh, this is bad," Patrick said as he rubbed his neck. "This is really bad."

"Is Someone gonna say something?" Claire couldn't take it anymore.


They all looked up at the blonde woman as if they had not seen her stand there since and that they had just noticed her now.

"The markings on the map", Liam said as he tapped his finger on the map. "They show the points were the killings took place."


"Yeah", we know," Brent said impatiently. "But why does that seem to freak you all out."


Tate slowly turned to the deputy. His eyes were cold."....Because it means Cherrywood is in deep Shit," The young boy said.

"What?" Brent spat in confusion.

"How?" Claire asked.

Patrick came forward and started to explain. "Each points of the killing seem to get closer than the last."

"West point. The Wilson farm." Tate said the words separately and glared into thier eyes to see if they understood.

Claire and Brent exchanged puzzled glances.

"They are getting closer into town," Liam's voice made Brent and Claire face him with slightly widened eyes.


"Your little town is now thier feeding ground," the scientist added as he raised a brow.

It was a warm day, not hot, but warm, just like every other normal summer day. Claire sat out in the garden with Edith in the backyard. Edith had a mug of tea in her hand while Claire preferred a glass of champagne.

The two women sat in silence, relishing the sight of Adam and Ottie playing fetch some yards away and the beautiful view of the tree-covered hills in the distance that descended into the green fields that spread all up to the backyard.

"God," Claire sighed. "Sometimes I wish I could just say here forever. "Edith chuckled. "I can't blame you," she said. "That city of yours is awful."

Claire glared at her mother in law. "New York is not that bad, Edith," she said.

Edith waved her away. "Whatever," she said. "for you, but not for me." Claire chuckled before holding the wine glass to her mouth and sipping on her champagne. The women were silent again as they both watched Adam play with the golden retriever. They both watched as Adam threw a soft ball and Ottie ran after it and came back with the ball in its mouth.

"It's scares me sometimes how much he reminds me of Bradley," Edith sighed.

Claire turned to face the woman and saw her smiling. She knew the smile wasn't one of joy though and that the tears would start to fall anytime soon.

Claire gave her a wry smile. "I know," she said.
Then she spun away in time to see the soft ball Adam had thrown for Ottie land a few meters from her.
"...And here he comes", Edith chuckled as she watched Ottie sprint in thier direction to get the ball.

Ottie rushed over, grabbed the ball with his jaws and then began trotting back towards Adam with its tail wagging impatiently.

The dog moved a few metres and the suddenly, it stopped.

Claire noticed the dog stiffen as its attention was on Adam in the distance as its ears stood and its tail had stopped wagging.

"Come on Ottie!", Adam called out. "Come on boy!"

Claire moved her eyes from Adam and looked over at Ottie in confusion. The dog didn't move.

"What is it boy?", Claire asked.

The dog didn't even turn to face Claire. It kept looking up ahead in Adam's direction. Claire felt her heart skip a beat when the soft ball dropped from the dogs mouth before it began to growl.

Claire was no expert on dogs, but she knew them enough to know that they always growled when they sensed danger.

"Ottie?" Edith called. "What's wrong boy?"

Suddenly, A flock of birds rose from the tall blades of grass and into the air in thier hundreds, just a few feet away behind Adam.

With his gaze still fixed on Adam, Ottie then began to bark aggressively.

A wave of confusion washed over Claire's features as she took note of the animal's sudden aggression. The way Ottie barked, Claire was even afraid of touching him. She slowly turned to Edith who equally had a puzzled look on her face.

Something was wrong.

"Ottie!?", Adam kept shouting in frustration at the dog that was keeping him waiting. He was obviously getting inpatient as he raised his hand to his waist. "Come on you stupid dog!"

Ottie still didn't move and his barks were more aggressive now.
It wasn't the dog's barks that made Claire's blood freeze, it was what the dog was looking at the made her heart race.

"Adam."

Claire got up from her chair and walked over to stand beside the barking dog. She glanced at the barking animal before she looked up and then placed her palm over her eyes to stop the sun from distorting her view as she looked out to the field to see if she could make out what Ottie was barking at.

"What is it?," she heard Edith's voice from behind her.

"I-I don't know", Claire as a wave of panic and confusion coursed through her. Her heart was beginning to pound. When she saw nothing, she then did the only thing that would make her relax and be rest assured Adam was safe.

"Adam!," she called as she raised her hand and beckoned. "Come on in Honey, Play time is over!"

"Oh Come on mum", Adam shouted as he threw his hands up and down again. "Just a little longer."

Claire dropped her hands from her head along with her shoulders and sighed. She knew he was going to protest and frankly, she wasn't going to have that.

"Adam Hayes!" she called out in a stern voice. "Don't argue with me now!"

"But mum.....,"Adam moaned as he began to stamp his feet.

Claire took a deep breath. "Adam I said--!" Claire screamed and stopped short. She narrowed her eyes and that was when she saw it. A few metres behind Adam, hiding behind the tall blades of grass.

"No".

Claire felt the glass of champagne slip from her hand and crash to the floor. She even felt some of the wine splatter on her feet, but her gaze never moved away from what was behind her son.

Her stomach tighten and she felt panic choke her at the throat.

"A-Adam!", the woman screamed as she began to race forward, leaving Ottie steal barking behind her. "Adam!"

The little boy stood there in confusion as he watched his mother running at the top of her heels towards him. He had never seen that look on his mother's face before.

Adam's instinct told him to run, but he didn't know why.

Then a low, deep and menacing growl came from behind the little boy and caused him to freeze, he was so scared, he didn't want to look back. He felt goosebumps grow on the skin of his arms.

He looked over and watched his mother running towards him and screaming at him in the distance. "Adam! Run!"

Her face filled with fear and horror, Ottie barking hysterically behind her and his grandmother standing there, lost and confused.

"Adaaam! Run! Please! Run!

Adam heard the growl again and summoned the courage to slowly turn round.
Demonic Yellow eyes were glaring at him from the grass below. Blood stained razor sharp teeth were exposed to his view when the creature snarled at him.

The little boy gasped as he was frozen in shock.

Adam didn't know what he was looking at and he didn't care, but from what it looked like, he knew it was going to hurt him, like monsters always hurt the people in the movies that he watched.
The little boy immediately sprang into motion even though his legs felt paralysed from fear. He took one enormous stride after another as he ran towards his mother.

"Mum!," Adam screamed as he ran.

The hint of fear and dread Claire heard in her son's scream were like a thousand knives through her heart. She couldn't breathe.

"Oh God please," she uttered in prayer as she ran as fast as she could to help her only son. "God Help me pleeeeaaaase!".

Adam kept running as fast as he never thought he could. He didn't want to look back and he didn't need to. He knew the creature was on his heels because he could hear the rustling of the grass behind him. He heard the sound of the footsteps of what could be said as an animal on its heels.

Adam heard the creature breathing heavily behind him and felt his heart skip a bit.

"Mum!", his cries were more intense.

Claire started to let out sobs. She was close to him now, but the creature was closer.

"Mum heeeelp!" Adam started to cry.

Claire watched in horror as the large black figure took off into the air and dove for the boy right infront of it.

"Nooooo!", Claire let out in horror till her throat bled.

"Muuuum!," the last words Claire Hayes heard her son utter.

The creature threw the boy to the ground and Claire watched in horror as it reached for his neck, held it and crushed it, ripping his throat out.


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Claire fell to floor as she felt someone suddenly grab her by the shoulder. She didn't know who it was and she didn't care.

Her only son was being torn part right infront of her. Her heart ached and the pain she felt was excruciating.

Claire tightened her eyes shut and fell to you ground. When she opened them again, she was in.....

...........her room.

She was on her bed.

She heard hurried footsteps thumping towards her room door before it burst open, revealing the worried stares of Edith in her night gown and Samantha in a sleeping shirt.

"Claire?", Edith uttered as she hurried over to her side. "..are you alright?"

Claire said nothing. She was in shock. She was still trying to understand what was happening as her eyes darted to every corner of her room. Her heart was racing, she was sweating and her throat was burning. By now, she knew it was a dream, but some how, she still found it hard to believe.

"Mum," Samantha said. "What's wrong?"

Claire glanced at her daughter and noticed her expression was filled with worry and concern. She spun to look at her alarm clock at her bed side.

"2:36 AM"

She exhaled and faced Edith as she ran her fingers through her blond hair and then she froze when she remembered.

"Adam".

Claire immediately threw the duvet off her legs and leapt out of her bed to the shock of her daughter and her mother in law.

"Mum?", Samantha had called out, but she ignored her.

She had to see him; she had to be sure.

As she hurried to the boy's room, she became lost in her thoughts. She had lost her husband five years ago, and now she saw a wild animal rip apart the only thing that reminded her of him. She watched a beast rip the only thing that brought joy to her heart. The only thing that gave her strength. She had all seen it in what looked like a dream.

A dream that was all too real.

She got to Adam's door, turned the knob and pushed it open. She reached out and fumbled on the walls in the darkness; searching for the light switch.

"Claire?" Edith hurried up to her and gave a heavy whisper. "You'll wake him." For some reason, Claire knew she was right, but she did not care.

She found the light switch and flicked it on before she darted her eyes straight to Adam on his bed as soon as the room was bright. She moved to his bed and sat down gently, making sure she didn't wake him.

She stared at him for a while and then reached out and pulled a brown strand from his face. He was cuddled up on his pillow with his duvet up to his neck.

He looked so peaceful and still.

She felt crazy when she saw herself putting a finger under his nostrils to make sure he was still breathing. She blinked quickly and held the tears from falling down her cheeks as she watched him. The thought of losing him would kill her.

When she remembered the events of the dream, she immediately lifted her legs, raised his blanket up beside him, and slipped herself under.

"Claire?", Edith whispered in protest.

Claire turned to face her at the door. "It's okay Edith," she whispered. "I won't wake him. I just want to sleep here tonight."

Edith watched her for a while. She knew it had something to do with whatever nightmare Claire just had. She then dropped her shoulders in defeat. "Alright then," the old woman sighed. "See you in the morning."

Claire gave her a peaceful smile.

Edith turned and placed a hand on Samantha's back to us her out of the room. The teenage girl was still looking confused at the entire situation. "Come sweetheart," Edith said. "Back to bed."

Samantha showed a little reluctance, but finally gave in.

Claire watched as they both walked away from the door. She waited for Edith to switch off the lights and close the door before she spun back and laid her head down next to her son's.

She had never been so terrified in her life.

This new man-eating problem in the town had never hit her this hard before. The reality of the entire situation was beginning to set in.

She watched her son get torn apart, which was, without a doubt, the most horrible thing Claire Hayes had ever seen in her life. She didn't want to know whether it was a dream or not.

She was scared shitless.

One thing was certain, if she was never involved in the investigation of the recent killings caused by this Cherrywood man-eater and the hunting for the damned animal,......

...she was now.

"Did you know that butterflies can taste with thier feet?" Adam smiled up at his grand-mother.

"Really?," Edith gasped playfully at Adam, as they both walked in through the door of the largest shopping store in Cherrywood with Samantha tagging along behind them.

They got in and stopped as Edith began scanning the vicinity. Samantha glared at her little brother beside her with her arms crossed on her chest. "You know what I'm gonna start calling you?", she hissed before bent low to meet the little boy's eyes. "Animal Planet."


Adam stuck out his tongue at his big sister and Edith chuckled. "Okay," Edith uttered. "Let me make this shopping a little bit easy and fast for us."



She turned to Samantha and pointed at her. "You," she ordered. "Foodstuffs and groceries, an be back her in three minutes." Samantha rolled her eyes and walked into the sea of people and aisles filled with supplies.



Edith then leaned forward and faced little Adam below her. "And you", she cooed. "..get the fruits."



"Aye-Aye Captain," Adam yelled with an excited smile. Edith chuckled as she watched the little boy run off, before she turned and walked to the pharmaceutical area.

*

As Samantha walked through the aisle pushing the shopping cart before her with shelves of cornflakes, peanut butter, mayonnaise and milk towering over her, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her.

She spun and just saw a fat man reading the labels on a can of green-peas, with another lady at the corner who was scanning the shelf beside her. She spun forward again and immediately caught someone jumping into hiding beside one of the hug shelves.


Samantha blinked her eyes rapidly and rubbed them to make sure she wasn't seeing things. The person was so fast, she couldn't tell whether it was a boy or a girl, but she knew for the person to have been that fast and that agile, he or she had to be quite young.


"Hello?" she uttered.


She wanted to call out her baby brother's name, but she knew the figure she saw was too tall to be Adam. She swallowed hard and kept moving, forgetting she was even shopping. Her attention was fixed on who was hiding by the shelf.

"Hey."

The voice made Samantha jolt in shock. She spun quickly with her eyes wide as saucers.


"Oh"," Brie chuckled. "Sorry if I scared you."

Even though Brie was not a serial killer or a monster or something, she was still shocked to see her anyway. "Hey," Samantha uttered slowly, as she eyed Brie with uncertainty.


Brie chuckled at Samantha's mode of response. "Didn't think we would run into each other again," Brie said. "I mean, what are the odds right?"


Samantha said nothing. She just stared at her, fighting the urge to ask her what she wanted. When Brie didn't get a response, she dropped her shoulders in defeat and sighed.


"Look," she began. "I know I was kinda bitchy the first time we met."

"Kinda?"

"..and I'm sorry," Brie uttered in an apologetic tone.



Samantha raised her brows and opened her mouth, but no words came out. She was really surprised at the fact that Brie, who looked like she was a wild animal, ready to rip her head off two days ago, was looking so timid and calm all of a sudden.

"What happened?"

I mean, sure, it was okay for someone who had offended a person to just turn around and rethink what he or she did as bullshit and then come out and apologise, but this was too.......soon. Plus, something like this didn't really happen in the world Samantha lived in, and especially not among teenage girls like she and Brie.


"Are you gonna say something?," Brie uttered as she eyed the confused girl.


Samantha brought her eyes back to the blonde girl before her and swallowed hard. She was still trying to figure out what was going on. If she was in her High school back in New York right now, this would have qualified as some sort of prank or something, but, Samantha knew the folks in this town could not be that devious.

"Why-why are you doing this?" Samantha stuttered.



Brie gave the girl a puzzled look. "Because I felt bad about, you know, the way I treated you at the lake," the girl said as she raised her shoulders. "It wasn't cool."

Samantha said nothing. She just kept staring at Brie suspiciously. Brie then dropped her shoulders, rolled her eyes and then walked past Samantha to the end of the aisle. She got there and began struggling to pull something or someone out from its hiding place behind the towering shelf.


She kept pulling and pulling, but when it refused to move, she turned and faced whatever was there, glaring at it.



"This was your idea in the first place", Brie hissed at the figure through gritted teeth. "..so get the hell out here, now."



Brie gave one last heavy pull and suddenly, Samantha saw an embarrassed and shocked looking Luke, stagger out of the corner.


Samantha shook her head and pursed her lips as she stared at the embarrassed boy. "I knew it."


As Brie dragged Luke in her direction, he couldn't even look Samantha in the eye. He looked like Brie had dragged him out of the bathroom, butt-naked. Brie dragged him all the way, till they were both face to face with Samantha, and even then, the teenage boy could not look her in the eye. He looked so embarrassed, his face was glowing red.

"So," Brie started, the apologetic tone was long gone now. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Samantha looked away from Luke and faced Brie.

"Lukie here," the girl said as she pinched the boy's cheeks. "...has been feeling like crap for the past two days. I noticed it when we hung out at the diner. He wouldn't talk to anyone, hell, he didn't even finish his food and that's what got me worried, 'cause Luke here, is a real feeding machine."


Samantha saw Luke roll his eyes as soon as he heard the last sentence and held herself from smiling.


"Then I went over and asked him what the matter was, and he looked at me with those puppy eyes and said....," then she playful feigned puppy eyes and bent her lips. "...Samantha", Brie said, faking the voice of a child.



Luke raised his face and frowned at Brie with his jaws clenched. Samantha coughed out a laugh and smiled at the blonde girl before her.


"She is hilarious".


"He told me everything and I found out that his present condition was actually my fault, so I thought I should do something about it," Brie explained as she began to rub Luke's belly.


Luke threw her hands off his belly before she faced Samantha with a smirk. "Apologise," she uttered.


Samantha glanced at Luke who was still looking down at his shoes and then she shifted her gaze back to Brie.


"You didn't have to," Samantha shrugged.

Brie gave her an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me?, this dude was a train wreck," Brie scoffed and then she looked over at the boy beside her and began wiggling her brows. "He's obviously crazy about you."

Luke raised his wide eyes to Brie, his cheeks were bright red and then gave a low and heavy whisper. "I'm not."




"Sure," Brie waved him away. "Whatevs".

Samantha gave a quiet chuckle. Luke was right about Brie after all.

"She's kinda cool."

Brie then turned and faced Samantha with a more serious look on her face. She moved over to her and placed her hands on her left shoulder.

"I'm really sorry Samantha," Brie said. "I mean it."

Samantha thought for a while and then she shrugged. "It's okay", she said.


Then Brie pulled her in for a tight hug. "Thank you Samantha," she sighed.


"Sure," Samantha replied as they pulled themselves apart.


"I mean...for the fact that Luke likes you," Brie said as she pushed a strand of her blonde curl back behind her right ear. "I guess that shows how cool you are already."



"Jesus Christ, Brie," Luke hissed again; apparently Brie was getting on his nerves.


"What?," Brie spun to him and shrugged.


Samantha threw her head back in Laughter and then caught Luke's gaze on her. She could tell he was a bit elated to see her smile again.

"Well, I'm done here," Brie said as she slapped Luke on the belly as she walked past him. "I'll leave you love birds to it. Meanwhile, I'll be at the at clothing area stealing some designer shades if anyone needs me," Brie said as she strutted past Samantha and disappeared around the corner.

Samantha chuckled as she watched the blonde girl walk away in a catwalk that was obviously practised.

"I guess you were right..", Samantha said.

Then she turned to face Luke who had managed to look up at her now but still unsure and anxious.

"...she's wonderful", Samantha smiled.


Luke said nothing. He just gave a shy grin.

Samantha stared at the boy for a while. It was funny, but it was as if she was seeing him for the first time. It was as if she had never realised how green his eyes were or how his black-brown curls fell to his forehead. How his face reddened every time he was shy or embarrassed. The way he dug his hands into the pocket of his skinny jeans and the effect the light at the shopping centre had on his skin.

The two teens stood there in silence infront of each other and everything was beginning to look awkward, even though Samantha was the more confident one.

"Wanna help me pick out groceries?" she finally asked.


The boy looked up at her and even though he tried to hide it a little, Samantha could still see the tiny spark of excitement in his eyes.


"Sh-sure," he stuttered.

A smile slowly grew on both thier faces as they stared at each other before they both walked away together down the aisle of towering shelves filled with food supplies.

"Son'ava bitch," Liam hissed in the passenger seat. "I can't believe he refused. I mean,...I--I can't believe it."


"Steve McLauren is one of the most stubborn men you're ever gonna meet in your life, Liam," Patrick sighed, with his hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road.

The meeting had ended an hour ago with the Mayor refusing to take Liam's advice on cancelling the July fourth festivities for this year; a decision that,for some reason, had Chief Kent and officer Donovan smiling in victory.

Now, Liam and his team were being escorted to thier hotel, and Liam couldn't just hide his agitation about the whole situation. Even from that back seat, Claire could see how uneasy he had become.


"You don't understand Patrick," Liam groaned. "People are gonna die." Patrick glanced at him with a smirk and was slightly surprised that Liam thought he didn't know that.


Claire could see the urgency in Liam's gestures and it scared her. He was relaxed when he first came into town, but now he knew what they were dealing with, he suddenly knew the entire situation, and it scared Claire shitless.



"Ten people in two weeks?," Tate sighed with disbelief. "Jesus."

"How the hell Did you not tell me this?," Liam snapped at Patrick beside him.

"I-I didn't think it was important," Patrick shrugged as he stuttered.

"You didn't thi-", Liam hissed as he shook his head and clenched his jaw. His boiling blood wouldn't even let him finish his sentence.

Claire felt she had to say something, but she didn't know what to say. The whole thing was confusing. She didn't know whether she should be scared, angry or just agitated. She stole a glance at Liam in the front seat. The man was obviously worried. She knew he was, because ever since the meeting ended an hour ago with the Mayor refusing to consider his suggestion to cancel the display and concert, he had not smiled, not once.


She spun to face Tate beside her; he was concentrating on his laptop as always. She saw he was typing something, but she didn't know what, and then, her curiosity kicked in.


"What are you writing?," the question flew out of her mouth.

Tate shut his head up to her and adjusted his glasses with a shy smirk on his face. "Oh-Um-", he shrugged. "It's nothing really, just a journal...kinda.....a book really. A journal in from of a book."

Claire nodded and smiled without realising it as she studied the young man beside her. She thought his clumsiness and uneasiness was cute. There was something about him; his timidity, uncertainty and shyness. It was cute.


She caught sight of his blue hoodie with a white t-shirt in it, which he wore on top black jeans and white and blue all star sneakers. "How old are you?", another question that flew out of her mouth involuntarily.



Tate raised his wide eyes at her. "Um-eh- Twenty-five."


Claire's brows furrowed. "Shouldn't you be in school?."



"I am in school actually," Tate smiled as he gestured towards Liam in the front seat. "Doctorate."


Claire's eyes widened when she heard what the boy had said. "What?," she leaned in and whispered.


Her reaction made Tate look down and chuckle. He thought he would be used to the shock on people's face by now whenever he told them that.

"You're chasing your PhD at Twenty-four?", she let out a heavy whisper. "Oh my god that's.....that's amazing."


"Thanks", Tate chuckled with his face turning red.

"Your parents must be proud," Claire said.

"Well, They are....kinda," Tate uttered.


With the smile still on her face, she kept studying boy, and she realised that from what he had told her, Slshe could make out what his life in the past would have been like. He probably could have been bullied a few times in high school, thrown against his locker, kicked off the football team or called a nerd because he was too hooked on his books and studies. She could definitely relate.

One look at him and Claire could definitely make out the fact that he probably hasn't had a girlfriend in his life before. Her smile grew wider as she froze when she realised she almost spun back to look at Jelani again.

"He doesn't like people staring at him". She shifted her gaze to Liam in the front seat and immediately remembered what he had called Jelani.

"His Brother."

She looked in Tate's direction again and caught the boy with a packet of gummy bears candy by his side.

"Hey, psst," Claire called.

Tate raised his gaze to her again. "Yeah?."

"Is-Um-," she whispered and then jotted her thumb in the direction of Jelani. "Is he really-Um- Liam's brother?"

Tate's eyes flew to Jelani in the back seat and then back to Claire as a smile began to grow on his face. "Ofcourse not," he chuckled.


Claire raised her brow and nodded. "I didn't think so," he sighed.

"They've known each other since they were kids though," Tate said. "They were inseparable as kids".



"Wow", Claire uttered as she gave Tate a look that made him realise she wanted to hear more. Tate glanced in Liam's direction, looked back at Jelani who was staring out his window as always and then he leaned towards Claire.



"Jelani saved his life when they were teens." Tate whispered.


Claire's brows furrowed. Tate had gotten her attention now and he saw good reason to keep talking.

"Liam's was father managed a wildlife conservation area in Tanzania and so the entire family moved down from England to be with him; Liam and his mother." Tate stole a glance at the front seat and made sure Liam and Patrick were still oblivious to what they were discussing, before he went on. "One day, Liam and his mum were playing with the dogs outside while his father was away and a male lion wandered into the area."

Tate watched as Claire's eyes widened before she slowly lifted her palms to her mouth and whispered a... "Oh my God."

Tate gave a wry smile and nodded. "Liam's mother wasn't so lucky, but Liam was." Tate paused and slowly spun to look at Jelani. "....because a teenager from a near by village had saved his life and killed the beast."



Claire's jaw stayed open in awe at what she was hearing. Claire slowly spun round and glanced at Jelani, not caring if he would freak out or not ,but he didn't see her

She spun and faced Tate with a look on her face that was a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"How do you know all this," she asked.



Tate gave her a Smug and then relaxed back on his chair. "I know everything," Tate uttered with a playful growl as he circled his palm infront of him pretending there was a magic crystal ball before him.

Claire tried hard not to laugh at the boy's playfulness, so she gave out a chuckle. She kept staring at the boy as he pulled out another palm-full of gummy-bears candy and threw them in his mouth.


He stopped chewing as he shot his eyes to the side, and Claire was aware he knew she was watching him and it made him feel very uncomfortable and shy.


He looked so cute when he was nervous. She held herself from grabbing the young boy and giving him a hug.


"Gummy bears?", The boy said, as he held out a palm full of gummy bears with a wide grin on his face. Claire smiled at him as she watched him for a while. With his geeky, childlike demeanour, his black-brown hair falling to his face, and the reflections on his glasses, the only person that came to Claire's mind at that moment was Adam, and that gave her a warm feeling.



She reached out and pinched out some of the candy from his palm before she threw her head back as she threw them in her mouth and chewed. She brought her head down again and saw Tate smiling at her, his eyes glittering through his glasses.

Claire stood at the window of the board room in the town hall and looked out. She gazed down at the chaos in the world below. People were everywhere, holding banners up, screaming and shouting in rage as they gestured towards the town hall.

She read most of the banners held by the agitators below.

"We need Answers"

"What is going on?"

"Stop keeping us in the dark".

Claire's heart sank with sorrow when she saw a particular woman holding up a banner that said..."Why am I a widow?!"

She squeezed her eyes shut and spun away from the window, facing everyone within the office before she opened her eyes again. They had all gathered at the room and were waiting for him to arrive and meet the town's newest guests; Liam and his team. She glanced at everyone In the room with her, realising it would be much better than looking down at all those people.
Patrick and Liam were having a conversation, while Donovan stood by the water dispenser, gulping down a cup of water.

Brent and Larry stood beside Jelani engaged in a conversation, that for some reason, had exhausted Brent so much, he left Larry and began walking towards Claire.

Brent walked over, stood beside her, and threw his gaze outside the window.

"My God," Brent sighed as he shook his head slowly. "Cherrywood is falling apart".


"You think?," Claire uttered and then she raised her hand and ran her fingers through her blond hair.

She couldn't deny the fact that she knew the pain those people were going through.
It was horrible.
Those men who went hunting for whatever was the cause of all this, were killed and that meant a bunch of widows and fatherless children all around.

She lifted her gaze to Larry standing in the corner with Jelani and her brows furrowed with confusion when she saw what he was doing.

The young deputy, Larry, was fiddling with the coloured beads on the neck of the african native. Even when Jelani had waved him away and moved to another corner, Larry followed him over and continued fiddling with the jewellery in genuine curiosity.

"What the hell is wrong with this guy?" Brent said.


Claire turned and caught Brent's frown on Larry and Jelani before she chuckled.

Immediately, the Mayor's office door burst open and got everyone's attention.

"Sorry...sorry...sorry everyone," Mayor Steve McLauren announced as he hurried through the door, walked into the board room with his chief Kent and his secretary; short and petit looking woman in white shirt and pink skirt, following behind. "I apologise for keeping you all."


He made his way to the seat at the end of the table and sat.


"Everyone?..," He said with a smile as he gestured to the seats. "Please."


Everyone took thier seats along the large table; Well, everyone except Jelani, who for some reason, preferred to stand beside Liam.

"So," he began and then faced the town's Zookeeper. "Patrick?"


"Eh-Yes-Um", Patrick uttered suddenly sitting upright on his chair before he turned and gestured to Liam. "Sir, this is my friend, Dr. Liam Price, Zoologist, Wildlife conservationist and animal expert.

Liam lifted himself slightly from his seat and gave the Mayor a curt nod. "Sir?." He then sat back and relaxed once more.


The Mayor cleared his throat. "I presume Mr. Parker has briefed you on the situation?"


"Yes he has," Liam said as he sat up straight in his chair.


"And?."


Everyone in the room had thier eyes on Liam now and Claire was impressed to see that I didn't seem to touch his nerves. He looked so relaxed.


"Well," Liam started. "It's obvious from the time of the attacks that this animal is-"

"...a night hunter or feeder..whatever, Mr Parker has made us aware of that," the Mayor rushed him. "What else?"


Claire turned to Liam and saw the look in his eyes, and she knew he was slightly offended by that, but he let it slide.


"..But did Parker tell you that the predator could also be feline?", Liam smirked and corked his head.

The room was silent for a few seconds after Liam had said those words, before the Mayor finally spoke.

"What?", McLauren uttered with confusion written all over his features.

Patrick's eyes widened with shock at Liam's statement as he spun to face him. "How the hell do you know that?"



"Frankly," Liam chuckled as he tilted to face Patrick. "I'm surprised you didn't point it out yourself, Patty boy."


"What the hell is a Feline?", Chief Kent asked.


"W-What Liam is trying to say," Patrick said. ..Is that whatever is out there, is in that Cat family."



Kent's confusion suddenly dissolved into that of dread. "Oh Jesus." and Larry's quiet chuckle could be heard from across the table after he saw his bosses reaction to the fact that the killer was a cat.


"So you're saying it's some kinda wildcat or something?," Donovan was curious.

"Yep", Liam replied.

"Wow," Claire gave a tired utterance.

Patrick turned and faced his colleague with confusion and doubt taking over his features.
"..But seriously Liam, you saw the autopsy pictures I sent you," Patrick said. "Didn't you?"



"Yes I did," Liam said lazily as he relaxed back on his chair. "..and that's why I'm here."

"You and I both know mountain lions don't do that to people," Patrick protested.


"There are no Mountain Li-", Kent uttered.


"I know that," Liam fired, cutting Kent off.



"Then what the hell do you mean feline?" Patrick uttered the last word with great effort and emphasis.


Liam stretched out his left hand to Tate beside him as if giving the young boy his cue and telling everyone to listen to him.


"Well-eh-,"Tate started. "We did study the pictures that you sent us Mr. Parker and it was very obvious the attacks were Feline."

Patrick pursed his lips and crossed his hands on his chest, eagerly waiting for what the young man had to say. "How So?"



"Um-", Tate uttered as he stole nervous glances at everyone on the table. "Attacks by felines, most especially, large wild cats, are marked by lacerations to the jugular."


Brent gave a heavy sigh. "In english please?," He uttered. "Some of us here didn't go to Harvard you know."


"Massive tissue loss to the neck," Claire suddenly said in realisation.


Tate turned to her as his face lit up like a teacher whose student had answered his question correctly. "Exactly," he declared.

Liam tilted to face an astonished Brent with a smirk on his face.

"She didn't go to Harvard," Liam smiled. "Did she?"

Brent narrowed his eyes at him when he felt the irritation of Liam's sarcasm course through him. "No," Brent spat with a fake smile. "..but she's a doctor."


"Lions, Tigers, Jaguars, Leopards, they all have the same killing pattern", Tate continued to explain. "They all first of all attack thier prey on the neck, crushing the neck, thereby rupturing the jugular veins and then suffocating the prey."


"Shit," Larry grimaced as he raised his hands and held his neck.

"Nice one Kate," Liam chuckled.

Tate immediately spun to him. "Tate," He hissed and then started to wonder if Liam was intentionally trying to piss him off.


"Okay," the Mayor began. "Now we are sure we have a wild cat on our hands, what next?."


"We kill the fucker!," Larry's voice echoed through the walls of the board room.


Everyone spun and glared at the young deputy as he suddenly sank in his seat in shame. "Sorry," he whispered.



"With all due respect sir," Liam said. "I don't think we should rush into that just yet."



"Are you kidding me", Kent chuckled as he spun to face Liam. He didn't think he could be serious.


"These things take time", Liam explained. "We need to know what we are dealing with first. You know, study it's patterns."


"Listen Dr. Do-little, we already-", Kent faced him.


"Kent!", The Mayor said, cutting the police officer of as he raised his hands.


"Dr. Price", McLauren started. "You don't seem to understand the situation here."



"..and what situation might that be?," Liam said as he glared at a seething Kent on the opposite side.


"We've lost ten people in just two weeks", The Mayor said. "..including a sixteen year old boy."


When Claire saw the way Liam and Tate spun and looked at the Mayor in shock, she was certain Patrick had left out that information.


"I-I didn't-," Liam stuttered with wide eyes.


"That's besides the point," the Mayor raised his hands and cut him off. "The reason we called you was because we were out of options."


The Mayor then shifted in his seat to get a better balance to say what he was about to say.

"You see, Cherrywood is one of the most popular towns in Colorado,.....especially on the July fourth holidays."

When Kent saw Liam narrow his eyes at the Mayor in confusion, he had to explain further.

"Since this town's inception, the July fourth fireworks display has been a big money maker. People come from all over the state, hell, from all over the country for this," chief Kent added.


"Yeah..and don't forget the J4 Concert the day after," Larry added in a voice that spilled out his excitement. "I heard Ed Sheeran is coming this year, Can't wait."


Brent and Donovan slowly spun and looked at the young deputy in confusion.


"What?," Larry said. "Everyone loves Ed Sheeran."


"Shut the Bleep up, Larry," Donovan hissed.

"Okay wait a minute", Liam declared as he waved his hands in the air. He obviously hadn't gotten over what the Mayor had told him earlier.


"You're saying-I mean- did you....did you just say that there's a feline in the woods surrounding this town that killed ten people in just two weeks?," Liam asked.


"...and a herd of sheep too," Donovan added.


Liam and Tate spun and faced each other with wide eyes and an expression on thier faces that made Claire uncomfortable. When she saw the way the two men looked at each other, she knew something was wrong.


She watched him as he immediately spun to face the Mayor.
The relaxed Liam was suddenly gone and his smiles had vanished from his face. He looked serious now; dead serious.


"Mayor?,Listen," He said. The dread was unmistakable in his voice. "If what you're saying is true, then you need to cancel this year's festivities."


The Mayor shot his head up and froze. "What?," he growled.


Kent and Donovan began to chuckle.


"Listen you don't understand," Liam cried as his voice was being drowned by the laughter that had filled the room now.



"Is this guy serious?" Kent turned and asked Claire while laughing.


Claire on the other hand, was not amused. She didn't think it was wise to dismiss his assumptions and warnings and she didn't know why.

She turned and faced Brent, He wasn't laughing either; neither was Patrick not Larry.


"Wait...Wait," The Mayor declared as he waved his hand for everyone to be quiet. "Wait a minute. I just wanna know what brought you to your conclusion of me cancelling my festivities for this year."


Liam leaned closer. "Mayor, Listen," Liam began. "When an animal kills one or two people in two weeks, that's just a mistake. If it kills five people in two weeks, it's a man-eater."


Liam licked his lips and glanced at everyone in the room. The laughter had stopped. Everyone had seriousness written on thier features now and Claire could feel the hairs at the back of her next stand.



"..but when an animal kills ten people in two weeks," Liam continued in a haunting voice. "That's not an animal anymore.....,"



".....that's a monster."

For you info

"Kuacha Kwangalia" [/b]is swahili for "Stop looking at me."
[b]
"Ni Sawa " is swahili for "It's alright" or "It's okay."

"Liam!" Patrick yelled cheerfully as he went towards his long time friend with open arms.

"Patrick Parker," Liam moved towards him with a charming smile. "As I live and breathe".

The two men met each other and wrapped their arms around each other in a warm hug, patting thier backs while at it.

Patrick pulled back and began to observe Liam, getting a good look at him.

"You haven't aged a day, have you?" Patrick teased.


"It's the African food I guess", Liam chuckled. "You know they're completely organic down there."




Claire, Donovan, Larry and Brent stood and observed from far behind the two men on the old airfield where Liam's helicopter had landed. There were also some deputies around to offer security.


"Wow", Larry said as he narrowed his gaze to get a good look at the man Patrick was talking to in the distance. "He's hot."


Brent and Donovan shot Larry an incredulous look the moment he had said those words, but Claire's eyes were still fixed ahead.

As much as she hated to admit it, Larry was right. The man who was standing out there with Patrick was quite good looking, even from the distance. The way his pitch black hair was being tugged by the wind. The way he smiled, and even the way he looked at Patrick while talking to him.


There were two other people who got down from the Chopper far behind Liam. Claire could make out a lean man who looked a lot younger and a black man, whom Claire had no doubt in her mind, was an African native.


Patrick spun to them and gestured towards them far across, before he and Liam began to move over.


"Shit", Larry uttered in a nervous and uneasy tone as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. "He's coming this way."
He held his palm up to his face and blew a breath on it to make sure his breath was okay, then he tilted his gaze and caught Brent staring at him.


"What?", Larry uttered.


"You're really freaking me out right now," Brent frowned.


"Liam..," Patrick said as he finally got to them and then gestured towards Claire. "This is Dr. Claire Hayes."

Claire's eyes met that of Liam's with a polite smile. She felt her stomach flip a little when she saw the way his blue eyes rested on her face. He even looked younger up close. He looked like he was in his late thirties, or early forties at most.
Claire noticed a white streak of grey on his hair, which strange enough, made him even more appealing.


"...She used to be the medical director of Cherrywood Memorial, before she abandoned us and went to New york," Patrick gave a friendly chuckle.


Claire smiled at what Patrick had said and looked at the ground below her, before she raised her eyes to meet Liam. She felt her breathing pause a little when she noticed his eyes were still on her; as if she was the only thing that mattered at that point.


"Claire, my friend, Dr. Liam Price," Patrick said, throwing his arms around Liam's shoulder.


Liam stretched his hands forward for a shake; his eyes still on the blond woman, before she took them.

His grip was quite strong and firm. Claire shuddered at the way he kept his blue eyes on her until thier shake was over. The whiteness of his teeth astounded her.


Patrick introduced Liam to the rest of the crew and deputies, with Larry acting like he was about to shake Marilyn Monroe when it was eventually his turn.


Liam then spun to the two men who had walked up behind him and started his own introductions.


He reached out and held the shoulders of the black man standing beside him.


"This is my brother", Liam said with a smile. "Jelani."


Everyone looked confused at first. They were so confused, they didn't know whether say hello or not.


"What's up?", Larry uttered with a curt nod, being the first to break the silence as everyone turned to look at him.

Liam chuckled and turned to Jelani and began mumbling something in the african language of swahili to him.

The african man shifted his gaze to the people before him. He then placed his right palm on his chest, tapped his chest twice and raised his palm to them in a form of greeting.


While the others were confused on how to respond, Larry repeated the gesture quickly with a friendly smile on his face, but his smile soon disappeared when he noticed Jelani wasn't smiling back.


Liam then turned to the young man on his right who was struggling with a bunch of brief cases and trying to keep his glasses in place at the same time.

"This...", Liam said, jotting his thumb in the boys direction. "...is Kate Sullivan."


The boy suddenly shot his head up to Liam and glared at him. "Tate," He corrected. "Tate Sullivan."


Liam waved his correction off. "Whatever."

Claire smiled when she saw the way he waved him off. She was starting to like Liam; she thought he was funny.

Tate moved forward and shook everyone with a pleasant smile.


After all the pleasantries, Brent the cleared his throat.


"Well then-eh-", He said. "I think we should get a move on. The mayor is waiting for us."


"Yes," Liam said, as he shifted his calm eyes to Claire once more. "Ofcourse."



They drove in a convoy for over 20 minutes from the old airfield to the main town centre.


Patrick drove Claire, Liam, Tate and Jelani in a white 2015 Toyota 4runner, with Donovan and Brent driving close behind them, and Larry and another officer driving infront of them.


Claire sat in the middle row across Tate, whose attention was on his laptop infront of him.

She looked up at Patrick and Liam in the front seat, going on about thier university days and what they've been up to since then. Along with Liam telling Patrick what the city of Nairobi in Kenya looked like right now and how different it was since the last time Patrick came to visit.


She shifted her gaze back to Tate at her side. She was observing him. His Black curls of hair, the way his glasses sat on his pointed nose, his lean build and the way he concentrated on whatever he was doing on his system.

Claire could tell this boy was not older than twenty-six years of age, which actually sparked her curiosity as to what he was doing here.


She then spun in her seat and looked back at the native african man on the last row. He was looking out the window at the world passing him by outside the car.


Claire observed him too and noticed his tiny plaited corn rows that ran in tiny twists from his head to his shoulders. He wore two shell-like beads on both ears like earrings.

He had three beaded necklaces on his neck, each of them adorn with different colours of beads.

Claire noticed his smooth dark-brown coloured skin and lean musculature even through the grey t-shirt he was wearing, and when he turned his eyes from window and looked straight at her, she noticed that they were light-brown with a slight intensity in them.

Claire didn't realise when she started smiling at the man. She thought he was possibly the most beautiful human being she had ever seen.


She jolted in her seat when Jelani screamed out an african phrase that got everyone's attention, with his eyes fixed on her and filled with rage.


Claire's smile disappeared and confusion took over her as the african native kept shouting at her.

"Kuacha Kwangalia!" Jelani shouted.


A nervous Claire spun in her seat and looked forward in time to see Liam turn back and face them from the front "What's wrong?"


"I don't know..I just-", Claire stuttered as she shared nervous glances between Tate and Liam. Patrick couldn't turn in his seat for the fact that he was driving, so he just kept glancing at them through the rear mirror.


"kuacha kuangalia!", Jelani kept hissing, he was becoming restless now.


"What is he saying?,"Claire uttered in confusion.


"Hey, hey, It's okay Jelani" Tate dropped his laptop and spun to the man and uttered with his hand stretched forth to calm him. "Ni sawa Jelani, Ni sawa."


Jelani's wide eyes darted between Claire and Tate as he kept breathing heavily.
He then slowly fell back to his seat and just like that, he became calm again. Claire turned to Liam with an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry", she muttered.

He said nothing. He just shook his head and chuckled and then turned away.


She turned back to Jelani who was still glaring at her and she thought he didn't really waste time to show he didn't like her.


"I'm sorry," she said to the Kenyan native.


The man said nothing. He just returned his gaze to the window.

Then she tilted her gaze to Tate beside her and caught him smiling at her and she was suddenly happy to see that someone had thought the entire situation was funny.


"It's okay," Tate assured her with a wave. "It's fine."


Claire nodded. "I didn't mean to-."


"It's fine", Tate said once more. "He just doesn't like people staring at him that's all."


Claire chuckled and nodded as she still felt herself trembling from the whole situation. "I'll keep that in mind," she uttered in a nervous chuckle.


Tate went back to his laptop and Patrick and Liam went back to thier conversation


Claire wanted to look back at Jelani again, but she thought twice.


She deflated and fell back on her seat with a sigh as she looked out at the large trees of the woods and forests flying by.



"This is gonna be a long summer."

Ndahimo:
This is superb. can't wait for the next episode.

Thank you sir.

horlardipupo:
Its jst getting more interesting, every update is a hit!

Lol! thank you!

Luke, Rick and Blake hurried past that gravelled plain of the lake and ran towards the grassy area.

"Samantha!?", Luke shouted.

"Are you okay!?", Rick shouted.


The three boys stopped right where the girl was sitting, thier hearts in thier mouth.

Samantha was on her feet now. She spun slowly to meet them and revealed what looked like a really large toad, right on top of her left Chest.


"Get it off!", She cried, looking hysterical and disgusted at the same time. "Get it off!"


The three boys dropped thier shoulders in relief and Luke in particular, raised his hands to his waists and Clenched his Jaw, with a mixture of anger and relief written on his features.


Blake chuckled and turned to go back to the lake,then he tapped Luke's shoulder. "Yep", He said. "She's a keeper".


As Blake left, Brie and Samantha jogged over and finally met the boys.



"Is she okay?", Courtney asked.


"Is someone gonna get this thing off me?", Samantha shouted, her voice louder now as the slimy creature made its way up her shoulders.


Brie just dropped her shoulders and crossed her arms on her chests, shaking her head.


"You've gotta be kidding me", Brie said.


Luke moved forward and picked the toad off her shoulder and then gently placed it on the ground, where it hopped away. Hour watched it move, till it disappeared into the forest.


He turned to Samantha with pursed lips. "Happy now?", He asked.


She said nothing. She just kept dusting the dirt on her shoulder that the toad had left.


She couldn't raise her eyes to look Luke in the eye, hell, she couldn't look anyone in the eye. She was so embarrassed for screaming like that because a toad, even though she really hated frogs.



She felt his cold hands on her shoulder and then raised her eyes to meet his.


"It's okay", Luke said with a smirk.


Samantha stared at him for a while an realised,for the first time, that Luke actually had green eyes.

She could not explain it, the way his smirk immediately put her at ease, it was amazing.


"Y'all city girls don't have frogs in New York?", Brie's voice seemed to spoil the moment.


Luke sighed as Samantha turned to face her.



"That was a Toad", Samantha hissed. "...not a frog".


"Whatevs", Brie scoffed. "But it didn't mean you had to shout like you had a lion on you or something, it was just a fucking frog".


"Okay thanks," Samantha said and then turned to Luke. "I got".


When Luke saw Brie narrow her eyes at the girl, He knew this was far from over.



"You know", Brie started. "You're in no position to be giving an attitude around here".


Samantha raised her head to the sky and sighed, dropping her shoulders in exhaustion.


"This Bitch is unbelievable".


"Brie", Courtney said. "That's enough".



"No it's not, Courtney", Brie hissed. "Someone needs to put Kim Kardashian here, in her place".


"Kim Karda-, Are you serious right now?", Samantha frowned.


"Okay Brie", Luke said as he raised his hands. "Just Stop".


"You may think you're better than us, but you're nothing", Brie hissed with a Condescending sneer.


Rick stood at the sidelines, with a smirk on his face, watching.


Samantha's jaw dropped at the hatred on Brie's face and she wondered where it was coming from. She just couldn't understand.


"Is there something you wanna tell me?", Samantha hissed.



"Sam, just let it go",Luke whispered into Samantha's ears as he pulled her back.



"You should Listen to him", Brie uttered with a smirk.


"Brie, seriously!", Courtney cried.


"What?", Brie uttered as she spun to face her friend beside her.


Samantha said nothing as she Clenched her fists and stared at the Blonde girl before her. She wanted to hit her so bad because she could feel.her Blood boiling in her veins.


She saw a confrontation like this coming from a mile away though, just that she didn't expect it to be this obvious and open.


"Take me home please", Samantha said as she tore her eyes from Brie and moved away, walking towards the car.


"Yeah", Brie called after her with a Chuckle. "Walk away".


The teens stood and watched in silence for a while as Samantha walked to the truck.

Luke then spun back and glared at Brie.


"Nice going", He scowled.


"Anytime", She smiled with a shrug, before she spun and headed back to the lake leaving Courtney,Luke and Rick behind.


"You should go check if she's okay", Courtney said to Luke.


He nodded and began jogging over to me up with her.


Courtney then turned to face Rick who had been standing behind her in silence. He met her gaze with a Mischievous smirk.


Courtney rolled her eyes and shook her head, and then she made her way back to the lake.


"You're coming?", She asked.


"Just a Sec", Rick called as he headed towards the grassy area. "Need to pee first".






On the drive back home, Samantha didn't say a word through out.

She knew the silence was beginning to get to Luke because she could see him stealing glances at her.


He was even evading the shortcuts they had used on thier way to the lake, just to make the journey a little longer, but Samantha didn't look like she cared.


"Look", Luke finally said. "Brie is always like that, you've just got to ignore her".


Samantha said nothing.


"She's honestly a nice girl once you get to know her", He said.


Samantha was still quiet, but within her, she felt sick at the fact that he was defending her. She was his friend after all and they knew each other before She knew Luke.


One thing Samantha couldn't understand though, was how people always said those words.


"He or She, is a nice person once you get to know them".

"Bullshit".


She always thought that was the Lousiest line ever. If you're really a nice person, you would be nice to everyone you meet, including those you meet for the first time.


First impression was what it was all about, that's what Samantha believed.


She then turned slowly to face Luke, staring with a look on her face that was a mixture of Disgust and disappointment.


"To think that he's even defending her".


"What?", Luke asked.


Without a reply, She faced the windscreen again.


Luke sighed.

"Okay", He started. "I know you're gonna say this is all my fault and that I should have just left you alone when you didn't -"


"Luke, Listen, I don't give a Bleep about your friends, or what you thought, or...whatever", Samantha fired. "Just take me home".


Luke titled and looked over at Samantha. He couldn't even tell if she was angry or tired. What scared him the most was the indifference in her face.


"She really didn't Care, did she?"


He licked his lips and turned his face back to the road.


Samantha stole a glance at the boy beside her and saw an expression she had never seen on him before. The happy, fun, Mischievous look was gone and that sort of made her guilty a little.


He still stole nervous glances at her though when she wasn't looking, but like she said, She didn't care.


She had to admit, He did have a look on his face that made her realise he had mended everything up.


When they finally got home, Samantha Pushed the door open to get out.


"Wait", Luke said. "Listen...I-"


"Goodnight Luke", Samantha said as she came out of the truck, slammed the door and headed straight for the house.



Luke sat there, watching the girl, until she disappeared into the house.


"Goodnight", The green eyed boy sighed.

horlardipupo:
Nice story but pls keep the updates coming sharpaly!

If you want, I can add you to the "Ferocious" Whatsapp group. Posting here is really not easy for me...... but i'll try.

Samantha stopped beside the vehicle and frowned as she eyed it.


"Are you gonna get in?", Luke muttered from the driver's seat. "..Or do I drive away and leave behind?"


She shifted her gaze to the boy in the car and Pulled the passenger door open.

She got into the vehicle and slammed the door shut.

"Let me guess", She said. "Your Dad's truck?"

Luke looked at her and gave a shy smile, and then he nodded.

"I knew it", Samantha said with a Smug.

"So what?", Luke said. "You don't think I can own a truck like this?"


Samantha spun to him quickly and he saw a flash of apology on her face. It was like she had unintentionally offended him an she was sorry.

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She looked so confused and uncertain.


The serious look on Luke's face began to dissolve into a Mischievous smirk.

Samantha narrowed her eyes when she realised what he had just done.

"Gotcha", The boy said.

"Just Drive", Samantha hissed and then faced forward, crossing her arms on her chest.


Luke chuckled as he twisted the key in the ignition and then they began to move off the drive way.


The entire journey took about fifteen minutes, and for Twelve minutes of that entire time, the two teens didn't say a word to each other.

Samantha had her ear phone plugged to her ear. Something she always did on long journeys, no matter who she was with.

"My Music is better than anything anyone has got to say to me", She always said.


From the corner of her eye, She caught occasional glances from Luke, but chose to ignore them.

"Does he even know I can see him?"


Suddenly, Luke reached out and pulled off the left earpiece of her earphones from her left ear. Samantha tilted to see him smiling at her and held herself from punching him hard.

She hated it when people did that.


"What?", She asked.


"Nothing", He shrugged. "Just felt like Pissing you off".


She gave him an incredulous look and shook her head.

"Unbelievable".

Samantha picked up the earpiece and fixed it back to her ear, but something in her gut told her he was going to repeat the annoying gesture a she prepared herself.


Thirty seconds later, when Samantha felt the earpiece pull out for the second time, she Clenched her right fists, lunged forward in Luke's direction and Rammed it hard between the boy legs.


"Bleep!", Luke Screamed and stiffened at the impact. He almost swerved the truck off the road.

He spun to her, his eyes wide with shock.


"You punched my dick", He shouted, with one hand on the wheel and the other pressed against his groin. "You punched my fucking dick".


"Yes I did", Samantha hissed. "..and I will punch it again if you ever touch my earphones".

She tilted her gaze back to the windscreen and placed the earpiece back in her ear, ignoring the wide eyed Stare coming from the boy beside her.



She tried to hold down her laughter at his reaction to what she had just done.



"Oh my god", She thought to herself. "Did I just punch his Dick?, Ewww".



"Stupid...so stupid".


Minutes later, Luke took a turn off the road and turned to a narrow path in the woods that eventually led them to a wide expanse grasses and pebbles, with the lake visible in the distance.

Samantha surprisingly began to feel nervous when she saw a group of young people not too far away.


"Luke's friends Obviously".


She felt nervous because this was the



"We're here", Luke said, feigning the voice of a little girl.


Samantha turned to him with a frown. "Please tell me you didn't just quote Poltergeist", She scowled.


"I love that movie", He grinned and then opened his door and stepped out.

Luke when to the back of the truck and grabbed a six pack and they both made thier way towards the gathering.

When a red haired girl in a tank top and jean Bum shorts spotted them from the distance, her face lit up with a smile immediately.


"Luke!", She Screamed and then began running towards them.

She didn't stop until she got to them and then threw herself on him for a hug. She hugged Luke like she had not seen him in ages.


"Hey", Luke uttered as she grabbed him. "What's up Courtney?"

She pulled away, cupped his face in her palms and kissed his cheek.


"Okay, it's either she's his girlfriend, ...or she's just high".


Samantha could tell that Luke felt sort of embarrassed that Courtney was doing all these infront of her and that made her comfortable a little.


The girl then turned and faced Samantha and he face lit up again when she gave a light gasp.


Samantha immediately noticed her blue eyes and her freckled face.


"You must be Samantha", The girl said with a giggle.


At the exact moment, Luke quickly left the two girls and moved over to join the group a few yards away.


Samantha was surprised at how Courtney had know her name and how Luke had finally decided to leave when she mentioned her name.

She knew it could only have meant one thing.


"I'm Courtney", The girl said, Putting a Hand on her chest.


"Hi", Samantha gave a shy utterance.


"Come on", Courtney said as she wrapped her arm around Samantha's right arm, and pulled her towards the group.


As they got closer and closer, Samantha felt her stomach begin to tighten. She wasn't sure how to act. Sure, She had just met Courtney, who seemed really great, but she had studied the others in the group, and they looked more attractive than Courtney did.

They had even seen her coming and it looked like they didn't really care.


"Hey guys", Courtney called out as they had gotten to the group. "This is Samantha. She's new in town".


Samantha shot Courtney an incredulous look. She was surprised at how this girl knew so much about her.


The group of teens said nothing for a while. They just kept staring at her. Two boys and a girl.

A particular blonde, shirtless boy took a sip of his canned beer, before stretching his hand out to Samantha for a shake.


"Blake", The boy said.

Samantha took his hand and shook it with a smile.


A taller boy then pushed forward with a smile on his long face. "Ricky", The boy said, stretching out.


Samantha took his hand and shook, but he refused to let go after.


She looked up at his face.


"You are gorgeous" Rick sighed.


"Seriously?", Courtney frowned at him.


"Oh Come on man", Luke and Blake groaned in unison.

The second girl just scoffed.



Samantha felt her cheeks heat up at that Moment. "Thanks?", she uttered.


"Later Samantha", Courtney said and the she turned narrow eyes to Rick. "I'm going for a swim".


"Oh Come on Courtney", Rick moaned as Courtney matched past him and moved towards the lake.

Rick reached for her arm, but she swung it away and from him. "Don't touch me", Courtney hissed as she kept moving and Rick went after her.


Samantha smiled and could immediately tell that Courtney was Rick's girlfriend.


"So", The girl standing infront of Samantha uttered. "You're the city girl, huh?"

Samantha tilted and faced the blonde girl who was already in her blue bikini. She was unsure of how to respond.

She just smiled.

"I hope our town isn't too small, or boring for you", The girl said while eyeing her, and then she walked away.

Samantha's smile slowly faded as she watched her leave.


Luke then walked up and stood beside her.


"Nice girl", Samantha said, with her eyes still on the girl, who was now in Blake's arms.


"I know right", Luke said before a sip of his beer.



He then turned and faced her. "Wanna go swimming?".


"We just got here", Samantha said. "I think I'll sit is out for a while".


Luke dropped his shoulders with a sigh and then shrugged. "Fine", He said.


He flung the empty can of beer away and reached down and pulled his shirt up and over his head.


Samantha glared at his and frowned.


"Oh God", She grimaced. "Dude, Haven't you ever heard of a Gym?"


"Ha..Ha..Ha", Luke uttered as he bent over and put his shirt in his back pack.


He undid his belt and took off his skinny jeans right infront of Samantha, who was feeling very uneasy at that Moment. She was shocked at how comfortable he was at undressing before her.


He bent over and put his jeans in his backpack.


When he noticed her staring at him, he gave her a smirk.


"What?", Samantha said.


"Like what you see?", The boy said as he wiggled his brows.


"Okay", Samantha started. "You're gonna make me throw up right now".



"Oh Come on", Luke chuckled. "I've seen the Male models in New York city on magazines"


"And?".


"They look just like this" Luke said as he started to flex for Samantha.


The girl held back a laugh and just smiled at him.


"No,they don't", She said, then she pointed in Blake's direction where he was standing on a large rock, about to jump into the water. "They look more like that".


Luke spun just in time to see Blake jump into the water, then he spun back to face her with a sigh as he dropped his shoulders.


"Blake wins again", He uttered.


"Ofcourse he does", Samantha chuckled. "Look at him, he's hot".


Luke narrowed his eyes at her and Clenched his Jaw as she laughed at him.



The blonde girl suddenly appeared from nowhere and began pulling on Luke, without even stealing a glance at Samantha.


"Come on", She groaned. "The water is perfect".


Luke glanced over at Samantha at that seemed to annoy the blonde girl, because when he did, She tilted and eyed Samantha.



"Just go", Samantha waved him off.


Then she walked further away from the lake and the pebbled area, towards the woods and the sat near her back pack with her arms hugging her legs.



She watched as Luke and the girl ran towards the lake, arm in arm, until they both got to the big rock and jumped in.



Samantha sat there in the distance, the wind rustling her straight dirty blond hair, she watched the five teens Scream and splash around in excitement.


One thing she noticed was how the blonde girl was all over Luke. There was no doubt in her mind when she saw the both of them.

The girl obviously liked Luke a lot and probably saw Samantha as a competition, which was why she kept Looking at Samantha like a piece of meat.


Hell, for all Samantha knew, they may even be in a relationship, but she didn't care. She didn't even like Luke like that anyway, not like that.

At least, that's what she kept telling herself.


Samantha was so lost in thought, She didn't notice when a creature hop out of the forest not too far behind her and began heading towards her.





"You're not being very nice to her, Brie", Courtney said, sitting on a wooden platform that extends to the top of the lake with her leg dropping into the water.


"Nice to who?", The blonde girl asked.


"Samantha", Courtney uttered, kicking the water with her legs.


"Why should I bother about being nice to her?", Brie said. "I mean, we don't even know her".


"But Luke does", Courtney said.


"..Or you're just jealous 'cause she's prettier than you?", Rick blurted out.


Courtney chuckled as Brie suddenly spun to face Blake with her wet eyes filled with rage.


"Asshole", Brie hissed.


Rick just stuck out his tongue at her in a mocking gesture.



"So", Blake started as he faced Luke who was floating next to him. "What's the deal with this Chick dude? ,She your girlfriend or what?"


"Nah, Luke's gay rememeber?", Rick chuckled.

Everyone laughed except Luke.


"Yeah...really funny Rick...really funny", Luke smiled.


"So?", Blake uttered.


"So what?", Luke frowned.


"Luke, Do you like the girl or not?", Courtney asked.


Luke wished he could just sink into the water and stay down there till they all forgot about the issue. They were his friends, but he was nervous as hell when he saw the way the all stared at him, expecting an answer.


Luke opened his mouth to say something.


Suddenly, Samantha's high pitched Scream cut through the air like a sharp knife.

Her Scream made everyone in the water freeze with shock and wide eyes as it echoed in the distance.


Luke suddenly found himself hurrying out of the water with his heart pounding so hard and loud, He could hear it himself.


He got out of the water, running as fast as he could. He stole a glance behind him and saw Blake and Rick follow him in the same manner, everyone as scared and shocked as he was.


"Samantha!", Luke screamed in a voice he never thought he had.

As Claire made her way through the woods that cold and chilly morning, She could hear her heart pounding fast.

Hell, her heart had started pounding ever since Brent had given her the news over the phone.


She lowered herself and went through the Yellow tapes and made her way to the camp site.

Even as the sight of the grasses and rocks stained with blood and littered with body tissues made her cringe, she knew this would be nothing compared to what were in the black body bags she saw no to far away from her.


"Oh God".


Claire slowed her pace as she got closer and closer to the bags and then stopped a few metres away and Swallowed when she saw one body without a head.


"Jesus".


She got herself together again and kept moving closer.


Her eyes scanning the bags before her looking for the one person that had made her drive all the way down here. The one person that made he nervous even through out last night, laying on her bed and staring out at the window, at the pouring rain outside.


Claire wasn't too good with prayers, but she was praying for him.


When she got close enough, She stopped.


She observed the Carnage infront of her and tried not to cringe again. She started from the first body which was headless body and then turned to the next when she noticed the first had a tattoo on its arm.


"Charlie didn't have a tattoo".



She stared and the next body with it neck torn off and it's head crushed in. Even though it was hard to recognise whoever it was, she knew it wasn't Charlie.

She moved to the next. It was headless too, but it's head had been kept by its side, the two arms, left and right had been torn off, so she knew for a fact it wasn't him.


"One of them escaped", Patrick sighed. beside her.


She tilted to his face, just realising he was beside her.


"They found trails of Boot prints in the mud and blood on the trees leading miles away from the Camp", He said, with his eyes fixed on the Bodies.


As Claire heard those words, sh suddenly spun to the remaining bodies sh had not checked. She recognised them, but none of them were Charlie.


At the moment, Claire felt a wave of relief wash over her.


"Thank god", She thought. "He made it".


Considering the situation, Patrick was surprised to see a little smile on Claire's face when she turned to face him.


Then she began scanning round before facing him again.


"Where's Brent?", She asked.


Patrick jotted him thumb in a direction behind him and Claire followed.


Brent was with Chief Kent, a few yards away from the scene. They were talking about something that looked important. Something so important, the didn't want anyone to hear, not even th other deputies.


Claire then turned back to the Bodies. She dug her hand in her pocket and licked her lips.




"He made it".



"I've been a zoologist for Twenty years", Patrick began and then his gaze met that of Claire beside him. "I've never seen anything like this in my life before".


Claire shifted her eyes to th bodies again.


"It didn't want to eat them", Patrick said. "It just killed them. Killed them for Sport".


Claire looked at him again as he did the same.


"...for fun", Patrick whispered.


The look on the man's eyes sent chills down Claire's spine. She had never seen Patrick like this before.


He looked lost and confused. Those were two things Patrick Parker never was.



"Patrick", Brent called out as he made his way towards Patrick and Claire. "The Chief wants to have a word with you".



The Dark haired man spun and walked off towards the Chief in the distance and Brent turned to face Claire as he left.


"Hey", Brent uttered.



Claire smiled at him and went back to observing the Bodies.


"You know he's not here, right?", She heard Brent say.


"I know", Claire answered.


Brent was about to say something, when he was cut off by the voice of someone screaming in the distance.


"We found him!".


Claire and Brent suddenly spun and saw Larry beckon to from the woods.


"We found him!", The young deputy called.


Before Brent could utter a word, Claire was already darting away.


"Claire..wait", The Officer uttered.

Claire didn't even look back at him as she just kept moving.

The two of them ran through the forest as fast as they could.

Claire never lost sight of Larry's back as she ran through the woods knocking into rocks and having long leaves whipping at her face. All the while, the thought of whether Charlie was alive or dead lingered in her mind.


"Is-Is he alive?", She shouted at Larry, but the deputy didn't hear her.



Brent, on the Other hand, was shocked at the fact that he could not catch up with the woman infront of him. Hell, she was like lightening, bolting through the forest infront of her.


They kept running and running and for some reason, Claire never felt tired.


As she was about to ask Larry how far it was, she looked up and saw the young deputy slowing down.


He slowed down and was walking now. He walked until Claire saw him stop in the midst of some officers and what looked like Paramedics.


Claire didn't slow down, She kept moving until she cut her way through the crowd and stopped a few inches from Charlie laying on the floor with his head resting on a tree log.


"He gave up ten seconds ago", A female Paramedic said.


Claire turned to see the black woman on her knees beside him.


"He had lost a lot of blood and the infection was so bad, He went into septic shock", The woman said, then she shook her head and sighed. "There was nothing we could do Dr. Hayes".


Claire slowly turned her stinging eyes towards Charlie's lifeless body.


The entire place was in a deafening silence as everyone stood there, watching in disbelief.


Brent finally made his was through the crowd, Panting heavily, trying to catch his breath. He looked up at the body before Claire and the he looked at Larry who was standing not too far away.


Larry raised his gaze to Brent and shook his head.


Brent Clenched his Jaw and his fists immediately he got Larry's signal.


He was Mad now.


His blood boiling, made his way out of the crowd and when straight for a tree and punched it hard.


"Bleep!", He Screamed in rage.



Claire walked towards Charlie's body slowly and then fell down to her knees beside him.


His eyes were closed and his lips slightly apart. His skin was pale and as white as snow. Claire stole a look at were his left arm used to be, the ladies was right.


"He had lost a lot of blood".


She looked back at his face and tried to hold down her tears when she realised how much he looked like his daughter.


"Ruby".


Claire broke down immediately she remembered her. She broke down immediately she remembered that the poor girl was now an orphan at Thirteen.


Claire tightened her eyes shut and opened them again.


She stared at the lifeless man before her once more and then reached out and touched his blood stained face.


She then shifted her gaze down and noticed his right fist was Clenched. She reached down and grabbed his arm, forced his fingers apart and pulled out what he was holding.



Claire broke down again when she began to straighten what appeared to be a picture of the dead man's daughter.



Claire shut her eyes again and vision of Charlie's smiling face flashed before her.


"She wants to be a doctor like you".


Claire opened her eyes and stared at him again.

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.


"And she will", Claire whispered.


She then got up and made her way through the crowd.


She walked past Brent who wanted to call her, but he had seen the look on her eyes and decided to let her be.


As Brent watched her disappear, Larry walked up to his side, his eyes looking out at her too.


"They've gone for a body bag", Larry nodded.


Brent nodded.


There was Silence between the two men for a while, and then Larry spoke.


"He ran Half a mile in that Condition", Larry uttered. "In the cold rain".


Brent spun and looked at him.


Larry looked up at him too. "The Paramedics called that 'extraordinary'".



Brent smiled as he turned and looked back at Charlie's body that was now covered with a white sheet, a sight that had become too familiar to him these past few days.



"Yeah", Brent said. "He was".

11.
Charlie Swallowed hard and tightened his grip on his rifle when he heard what Cole had just said.


"Somebody get a flashlight", Cole ordered.


Nobody moved.


Cole looked at his men and lowered his gun a little. "It's in the woods", He hissed. "..not in your tents, no get the Bloody lights", He ordered in a louder tone.


When Bobby saw no one moving, He lowered his rifle and hopped to his tent a few meters away and stopped at the entrance to zip it Open.


Charlie turned his gaze to a movement behind the Fat man. It was like the darkness had come alive and started to move.


Charlie didn't have time to scream a warning at Bobby.

In a flash of lightening, a black figure flew straight out of the forest nearby and landed on the Fat man, with its jaws already clamped on his neck and it's Claws dug into his shoulders.


"Oh Shit!", Charlie heard Manny Scream before a loud gun shot banged at his ears.


Charlie marked out Bobby's Scream in the midst of screams and gun shots. He turned to look in Bobby's direction in time to see him get dragged away like he was nothing, straight into the darkness of the forest beyond.


Bobby's haunting screams echoed through the dark, wet forest and Charlie made his way to try and follow him, but he felt a strong Palm wrap around his arm.

He spun and saw Cole glaring at him.


"Don't be stupid", Cole hissed.


"What was that?!", Chuck kept shouting. "What the Bleep was that?!"


Another growl made the hysterically nervous men spin round and that's when Charlie noticed that Bobby's screams had stopped.


"Oh God".


"Look Cole," Chuck started as he lowered his rifle and faced his leader. "Bleep this man, we gotta-".


A powerful force cut the bearded man off, pulled him to the ground and then began pulling him away, towards the forest.


Chuck Screamed in Horror and pain.


"Chuuuck!!", Manny Screamed.


Cole and Charlie aimed and fired three heavy shots each in Chuck's direction as he was being dragged with unbelievable speed.


They both missed Chuck and whatever was pulling him away and watched as their Colleague disappeared into the forest in a flash, his screams echoing in the night.


"Shit!", Manny Screamed. "Shit!".


Cole reached into his pocket to pull out another set of bullets.


"Come on", Cole called. "Let's go!".


Manny turned to face Cole. "What?!", He uttered with an Incredulous look.


"We're going in", Cole shouted as he put in new bullets and Cocked his gun.


"Are you Crazy?", Manny Scowled. "We don't even know what it is".


Cole glared at Manny and immediately pushed past him and headed towards the surrounding dark forest.


Charlie felt Manny's hand on his shoulder and spun to face him.


"Come on Charlie", Manny begged. "Let's get outta here now!".

"But -But what about Cole and Chuck and -?".

"Forget them man", Manny shouted as he pulled Charlie towards him. "They're probably dead!"

"You don't know that", Charlie shouted as he swung his arm away from Manny's grip.

Lightening brightened the forest in a quick flash and thunder rolled and for some reason, Charlie noticed that the rain drops were heavier than before.


Manny moved close to Charlie and looked him in the eyes.

"They are dead, Charlie", He hissed. "Dead".


"No they're not", Charlie shouted back. "..and I'm gonna find them".


"You idiot", Manny hissed as he started to back away. "Fine. Suit yourself".


The Manny turned and made his way towards the surrounding forest with his rifle lifted up again.

Charlie looked round him and realised that in just ten minutes, he was the Only person left in the camp.

He looked over in the Direction Cole had gone and Bobby was pulled, then he looked over at Manny who was jogging towards the woods.


At that point, Charlie's knew he had a choice to make.

He stood there in thought for a second, the rain pouring on him and soaking his clothes further.

He reached down into his pocket and pulled out something. He then raised the picture of his daughters smiling face and stared at it.

Charlie dropped his hand down and tilted his gaze in Manny's direction.


"Manny!", He shouted.


Manny stopped and Spun to face Charlie in the distance. "What?", He called.


Then the Creature saw it opportunity. It flew out the forest behind Manny and hit him with a force that threw them both about ten feet from where Manny was standing.

"Nooo!", Charlie Screamed as he raised his rifle and aimed.


As Charlie tried to get a better shot, He watched as Manny struggle for his life against the Creature that was now towering over him.

Charlie knew Manny had lost the battle when he saw the large paws of the Creature press his friends head to the floor in preparation for the final move

Manny Screamed and kept struggling helplessly, but the creature leaned in and dug it's jaws into the man's throat hard.

Charlie dropped his gun with his wide, watery eyes fixed on the sight of Manny's severed head rolling away from his body.


Charlie stood there frozen in the rain. In shock and unable to move.


The Creature looked up at him with its yellow eyes and snarled, exposing it's blood stained face and razor sharp teeth.

Still Snarling, it slowly walked off Manny lifeless body and began to move in Charlie's direction.


"Shit".

Charlie trained his fun at the approaching creature and fired.

He missed.

He trained his gun again and fired, He would have got it this time, but the animal did something that shocked him.

It's dodged the bullet.

With wide eyes, Charlie lowered his gun.

"No way".

The Animal then charged for the man.

Charlie threw his gun at it and darted straight into the dark woods.

He ran as fast as he could, with every strength he had left. He didn't want to know whether he was being chased or not.

He just kept moving, Stumping his feet in the soft, mushy soil below him.


Hitting his shoulders on trees as he ran by and leaves from nearby shrubs and plants whipping his face and even his eyes. He got scratches from some exposed branches, but none of these things stopped him.


He felt his leg hit something hard on the ground so hard, He fell to the floor and splashed his face into a muddy puddle.


Charlie shot his head up and quickly spun back to see what made him fall and to make sure the Creature wasn't on him.

He let out a loud Gasp that was drowned in rolling thunder as he saw the headless body that looked like Cole, laying below his legs.

In fear, He began Moving back with his hands and legs, kicking away from the corpse when his hand dropped on something.

Charlie froze in place because he knew what it felt like when you touch someone's face.

His index finger was in a warm wet hot opening.

He slowly spun and saw Cole's severed head, staring up at him with its widened eyes and its tongue handing out.


Charlie let out a whimper and shot himself away from the head, moving in another direction.

His breathing was heavy and his heart heating heavily.

He couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't believe what he had seen tonight in a matter of minutes and hours.


He had watched two of his friends get dragged away like rag dolls and one of his friends get decapitated, now, he was staring at the severed head of one of the strongest and toughest men he had ever known.

Charlie felt a lump in his throat and his arms started to tremble, but he knew he was not going to cry.

He was a man.

He rubbed down on his wet face and squinted In the Wet, Cold Darkness around him.


"I've gotta be strong".

"I can-".

"ARRRRHHHHHHHHHH FUUUUCK!!!",

Charlie heard his own bone crackle and found himself Scream, as white hot pain tore through his left shoulder.


"Bleep!!", The man Screamed and heard his voice echo in the darkness around him.

Then, he felt a powerful force pull him away, and waving him from side to side, Slamming him into one tree and then another.

Everything smelt metallic and burnt and the world around Charlie was moving fast.


When the vice-like grip on his shoulder tightened, Charlie heard another bone crushing sound, followed by an excruciating pain.


He knew he was about to die.


The reality of what was happening, hit the man as hard as the trees he was being slammed into.


If he didn't do something, He would never see his daughter again.


"Ruby".


The sound of his daughter's name and the vision of her face smiling up at him suddenly strengthened him.


Charlie caught sight of what looked like a lean tree stump passing by as he was being dragged.

With a loud roar, He reached over and wrapped his palms around it, and then realised he had stopped moving.


The grip on his shoulder tightened more. More bones crushed, but Charlie didn't let go.


He heard the Creature growl beside him as it too, had no intention of letting the man go.


Charlie's entire body was held in tension between the tree stump and the jaws of the animal.


"God, Help me!", The man raised his head and Screamed into the air.


The Animal kept pulling, while Charlie pulled himself towards the stump, and at some point, Charlie could swear he was going to be torn into two.


Then suddenly, He was free from the animal's grip.

Charlie didn't know how it, or what happened, but he was free.


He felt himself hit the tree stump, hard, and without looking back, He stood to his feet and threw himself into the woods, running as fast as his legs could carry him.


Panting loudly and heavily, the injured man ran through the darkness, blades of leaves and twigs slapping at his face ,with branches tearing at his sides.



He then tripped over and fell, his body hitting the muddy ground.


He laid there for a while and then pulled himself up to his knees against the mind blowing pain that was tearing at his body.



Still Panting, He began blinking at the world around him. He spun to make sure nothing was behind him and the looked forward. The rain drops had reduced in intensity and rolling thunder could be heard in the distance.



He knew he wasn't safe, not until he had left these woods entirely.


"Have to keep moving".


Still on his knees, Charlie felt something hot flowing down his left side, He knew it was blood, but he didn't think it would be that much.


He titled his gaze to the left side of his shoulder and let out a loud Gasp at what he saw


"He's left arm was gone".


Charlie gave out loud sobs at his limbless left side, staring in disbelief.


The Bastard had torn out his left arm. That was why he was able to break free of its grip.


A loud and distant roar made him jump and then he spun round to hear the rustling of grass and shrubs getting louder and closer.


It's Coming.


Charlie figured the way he was Bleeding profusely, there was no way the animal would not have followed his scent.


At that point, Charlie dropped his shoulder and sighed. He could feel his body giving up on him.



He was weak, had lost a lot of blood and didn't think he could run any further.



"Ruby".


The thought flashed again.


"I'm not dying today".


Charlie looked back as he heard heavy thumping on the ground. The rustling of the shrubs getting louder. He looked forward again and Clenched his jaws.


"I'm not dying...today".


He suddenly mustered up strength and pulled himself up. Hot and excruciating pain tearing through him as he screamed out loud.


"I'm not dying today!!".


Then the injured man began staggering forward once more.

heniford2:
Hey! Why dn't you finish ur trend here then creating another post

Lol. I'm really sorry about that. I'm new to Nairaland and so I don't really know how things work here. Posting these stories alone where challenging for me.

....and besides, the chapters are a lot.

"Damn", The Fat guy said in a husky voice and a chuckle as he turned a certain page of an adult magazine to face his colleague. "Just Look at them titties on this doll right here,".



Charlie slowly looked up at the half naked Playboy Centrefold staring back at him from the paper, seductively.


"You brought an Adult magazine to a hunt camp", Charlie uttered.


"I like to have fun, So what?", The fat man shrugged.


"We're here to hunt, Bobby", Charlie said. "...not jack off".


"Er-Whatever", Bobby waved him off an turned the Magazine back to himself. "You're no fun".


Charlie shook his head and went back to cleaning his Hunting rifle.

He was beginning to question why, of all the people to share a tent with, it had to be Bobby. Hell, Bobby was the type of person who could just take off his pants right there and start masturbating. He didn't really care.


Charlie cringed at the thought.
They had gotten a camp site near West-point, the area where the college student were killed and thought if they were going to get any action, it would have to be there or anywhere near.


The Six men all shared themselves into pairs to share a tent, sharing the food ration and water among themselves too.

They were supposed to have begun the hunt that Night, but the showers outside were going to make things a bit challenging. They all had their raincoats and all, and hunting in the rain wouldn't be a problem, but they just thought if there was actually a man-eating predator out there, it wouldn't go hunting in the rain, plus, they all thought, since this was their first night out, they could sit this one out.


The loud sound of rolling thunder pulled Charlie out of his thoughts.

At that same moment, a silhouette of someone materialised right infront the tent. "Hey, Bobby", Someone called. "Open up".


Bobby pulled himself up from his sleeping bag and stretched for the zipper, and then a man with a heavy moustache and a beanie over his head peeped into the tent with a smirk.

"Come on in Vince", Bobby uttered. "Water's getting in."


Vincent lowered his head and walked into the tent, his eyes darting straight for Charlie.


"Hey Charlie", Vincent called.

Charlie smiled and gave him a curt nod.


"Hey Vince", Bobby called as he faced the playboy centrefold to him. "Check it out".


"Holy Shit", Vince hissed as he hurried over, leaned in and held the magazine in place; eyes wide.


"Hell, I could suck on those Titties for days", Vince Chuckled,then Bobby followed.


Charlie held himself from rolling his eyes as he shook his head, then gazed down at his gun below him.


"Say-eh-", Vince uttered as he stood up straight. "Any of you boys got a smoke?".


When Charlie saw the Bobby wasn't moving, He reached over and grabbed his backpack, pulling out a packet of Cigarettes and threw it to Vince.


"Thanks man", Vince said as he caught it in mid air.


He pulled out a stick and threw back the pack to Charlie.


Vince went over and sat near Bobby and the two of them were snickering about something Charlie sensed would not go beyond, women, breasts and hot asses.

They talked and laughed and Whistled alot for a while, before Vince turned and looked at Charlie.


"Hey Charlie", Vincent said after blowing smoke into the air. "That hot doctor lady of yours call you yet?".


Charlie raised his eyes and glared at the two men who had mischievous smirks on their faces.

Without a response, He glanced back down to his gun.

"No", Charlie finally uttered.


"Well, Why not?", Vince asked.


Charlie sighed and dropped his shoulders and looked up at them. "I don't know", He hissed through gritted teeth.


Vince took another drag and blew. "I don't about you, but she is one hot piece' a Ass".


Charlie suddenly shot his head up and glared at Vincent. "Shut the Bleep up", He growled.


Bobby raised his brows in surprise and Vince raised his hands in surrender.

"Hey man", Vince uttered. "I was just-".


"Drop it,Vince", Charlie thundered.


"Okay...Okay..Okay", Vince whispered, his hands still up in surrender as he pulled himself up from beside Bobby. "Jeez".

Vince gave the men a curt nod. "Later boys", He said. "And thanks for the smoke".

He turned and went out the tent and disappeared into the night.


Charlie turned his gaze from the unzipped entrance and caught Bobby giving him a suspicious look.

He ignored the fat dude and turned his attention back to cleaning his gun.




Vince made his way out of Bobby and Charlie's tent and headed straight for his tent, his head lowered down against the raindrops hitting his head and his face.

He then stopped half way when he remembered he was pressed and that it was the main reason he had even left his own tent in the first place.

He turned to the side and made his way to the surrounding forest of trees a few yards away.

Vince walked quite a distance from the site, found a reasonable spot within the trees and started to unbuckle his leather belt.

The loud sound of a stick snapping made Vince shoot his head up to the green-darkness before him. His eyes darting left and right.


"Hello?", He called.

Nothing.

Then, he reluctantly returned his attention to his trousers, unzipped it and pulled out his member.

He stood there, sighing in relief as she emptied his bladder.




Charlie stole another glance at Bobby and saw Bobby, still watching him, this time, he had a smirk on his face.

"What?", Charlie sighed and dropped his shoulders, not being able to bear it anymore. Bobby had been staring at him since Vince left and it was beginning to freak him out.


"You like her don't you", Bobby snickered.

"Like who?", Charlie asked.


"Oh Come on Charlie boy", Bobby teased with a malicious smile. "You know who I'm talking about".


Charlie knew, but he didn't want to say a thing. He knew that Bobby would never let him hear the end of it after he defended Claire Hayes like that.


"I don't know what you're talking about", Charlie lied.


"I have to say", Bobby said with an impressed nod. "She's pretty hot though. You've got taste".


"Oh shut up Bobby", Charlie said.


"Although", The fat man uttered, suddenly in thought. "I do think she's out of your league...a bit."


Charlie tried hard as he could to ignore that last comment, but he couldn't, and he was shocked at the fact that what Bobby just said sort of, annoyed him.


"What does that mean?", Charlie scowled.


"Dude, she's a doctor", The fat man chuckled. "...and you're just...well, you know,..a guy".


Charlie dropped the gun to the floor and glared at Bobby with his jaws clenched.


Charlie opened his mouth to say something obviously offensive to Bobby, but he was cut off by the loud Scream that echoed and cut through the air of the entire camp.


The two men froze at what they had just heard, staring at each other with wide eyes.


Bobby grabbed his rifle and made his way straight for the entrance as Bobby scampered for his gun under his sleeping bag.


Charlie made his way out of the tent just as the other men were shooting out of their tents with shock written all over their features and their guns in their hands.

"What the hell was that?", One of them called out.

"Don't know", The other shouted and then he stretched his hand and pointed. "..but it came from over there".


The entire forest flashed with the lightening overhead and then the loud rolling of thunder followed.

"Y'all sure it wasn't thunder", Another man said as he pulled out of his tent to join them.

The other man turned and gave him an incredulous look. "I think we all know what thunder sounds like ,Manny", He said. "That wasn't thunder".


"It's was like someone screaming", Another said.

"Exactly", Bobby uttered.

Charlie turned round and saw that the fat man was already out of the tent with his gun.


Charlie saw Manny darting his eyes around from the corner of his eye.


"Wait", Manny said. "Where's Vince?".


The men began scanning the area, looking at each other.


"Isn't he with you?", Bobby asked.


"If he was, I wouldn't be asking, Bobby", Manny hissed.


"He was at our room a couple of minutes ago", Charlie uttered as he blinked at the drops of water hitting his eyes. "Came to grab a smoke and left".


At that Moment, the men jolted and their eyes widened at sound of a loud Growl a few metres away from them.


The five men lifted their guns and trained them at the point from which they heard the sound.


"What the hell was that?", Manny gave a heavy whisper.


Charlie's eyes travelled side to side in the darkness of the forest beyond the camp. He could hear Bobby's heavy breathing beside him.


Manny nudged at one of the men called 'Chuck'. "Why don't you go over and Check it out?", Manny whispered.


Chuck turned and faced Manny, with his gun still trained. "Bleep you", He scowled. "I ain't going out there".


Another loud growl thundered from behind the men and they all jumped and spun, training their guns to the source of the sound.


"What the Bleep!", Bobby shouted in a trembling voice.


Charlie could hear the trembling breaths of all the men standing beside him.


They all had fear written all over their faces, shifting their weights from one leg to the other, thier uneasiness was clear.


"We-We should-".

Another growl echoed from the right side, cutting Manny off. It was Slow and menacing.


The men spun quickly to the side, guns trained and all breathing through their mouths. Thier faces dripping with water and their hair stuck to thier faces.


"You gotta be kidding me", Cole whispered.

"What?", Chuck asked.

"It's circling us", Cole hissed. "The son'ava bitch is circling us".


Another menacing growl from behind the men them turn again.


"Wh-what-what does that mean?", Chuck stuttered his eyes still trained in front.


"It's means we're no longer the Hunters here", Cole said in a breathy whisper with his eyes cold as ice as he scanned the woods in the distance with his rifle.


".....We're now the hunted.