Chapter One: The Woods
The last glow of daylight bled through the treetops, staining the sky orange as Pinehurst Woods settled into a sleepy hush. A small fire crackled at the center of a makeshift campsite, its flickering light dancing across two bundled-up figures nestled in a shared blanket.
Cassie Monroe leaned into Dylan Carter’s side, a half-smile curving her lips. She sipped from a chipped enamel mug, the steam curling up into the cool evening air.
“This was a good idea,” she murmured, eyes half-lidded with contentment. “I needed this. No phone. No drama. Just peace.”
Dylan grinned, the firelight catching in his warm brown eyes. “Just you, me, and a highly flammable forest. Romance.”
Cassie rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a laugh. She bumped his shoulder gently, then tucked herself closer against his chest.
The fire popped.
“You’re losing your caveman skills,” she teased, watching the flames shrink low.
“Pfft. Please. Fire is an ancient art form, and I’m a master.” He stood with exaggerated flair, giving her a dramatic kiss on the cheek. “Stay here. I’ll get more wood and save our romantic evening.”
Cassie smirked as he wandered off into the trees, muttering something about raccoons being easier to fight at dusk.
She watched until he vanished behind the thick curtain of pines, then let out a breath and settled in, the quiet pressing closer around her.
Seconds passed. Then minutes.
The woods deepened in color, blues and purples swallowing the light. Cassie reached for her phone out of instinct, thumbing through old photos and texts until—
Buzz.
A message popped up on her screen. It was from Dylan.
> Wanna play hide & seek? Come find me.
Her brow furrowed.
“Very funny,” she muttered. “Dylan? You better not be hiding in a tree or doing some Blair Witch crap...”
She stood, grabbing the flashlight from beside the log and clicking it on. The beam wobbled in her grip as she stepped into the tree line.
---
The woods swallowed her quickly. Tall shadows loomed. Tree limbs clawed the sky.
Cassie’s flashlight flicked across the underbrush, scanning for signs of her boyfriend—and maybe, just maybe, signs she wasn’t alone.
“Dylan,” she called, voice shaky but trying not to sound it, “this isn’t funny anymore!”
A gust of wind rustled the leaves above. Somewhere to her right, something small darted through the brush. Probably a squirrel. Probably.
Then her phone buzzed again.
Another message.
> I see you.
She stopped cold.
“Nope,” she whispered, heart starting to hammer. Her eyes flicked up from the screen, scanning the trees.
“Okay. Seriously—come out before I start screaming.”
Nothing.
And then—snap.
A twig cracked behind her.
Cassie spun. Her flashlight flickered once, then steadied. The beam caught only trees and fog.
“Dylan?” she called again, breath catching in her throat. “This isn’t—”
Movement. Something darted just at the edge of her vision.
Her pulse thundered in her ears. Her grip tightened on the flashlight. Then—
A figure.
Black. Fast. Silent.
It lunged from behind. Cassie barely had time to scream.
Smash to black.
JERSEY REAPER.
