It's Only Skin Deep

Chapter 4: What Just Happened?

October 31st, 11:47 p.m.

Allison, Hannah, and I all stared at each other in shock. "What the hell just happened?" I asked.

Hannah and Allison shook their heads, both too startled to answer. I turned, preparing to go find Georgia, and slammed into something. I looked up and met a pair of amber eyes.

He was taller than me, with sweeping coffee hair, a sharp jawline, and piercing amber eyes. Allison pulled me back from the stranger and we stared at him in awe.

"What do we have here?" he tilted his head, "A fairy, banana, and a gypsy?" His gleaming eyes flicked over each of us.

Hannah spoke first, "Our friend disappeared."

His eyes sliced to her. "People disappear," he shrugged.

Allison tried, "Our friend, Georgia, is missing. Have you seen her?"

"If I had, why would I tell you?" he replied coolly.

I had had enough. I poked him in the chest, "You listen here, buddy. Georgia is out there all alone, and she could be dead or close to it. Now if you're not going to help, get out of our way. We have a missing person to find!" He stepped out of our path.

As we were walking away, he spoke. "The only thing," he said, "you're going to find is an early grave."

I stomped back to him and jabbed my finger in his face, "Who are you?!"

He flashed a smile, "The name's Salem."

"Salem?" I questioned, "Like the Salem Witch Trials?"

"Yes," his eyes swept over me.

"I'm Karina." I offered absently.

"Your friend has been taken over by a shape shifting beast known as a skin-walker." Salem stated, not acknowledging my statement.

"Is that why it looked like her?" I asked.

He nodded, "This particular one is called Essex and I have been tracking it for awhile now. It is quite powerful and enjoys taking the form of teenage girls."

We all listened, transfixed as Salem explained the monster that had our friend like someone would tell a bedtime story.

"Is there a way to save her?" Hannah asked, determined to do whatever it took to save Georgia.

"We have to find Essex." he explained, "Once we do, the skin-walker will lead us to her." He pulled a small leather bag out of his pocket and tossed it to me.  "We'll have to surround her in salt and then burn the skin-walker to kill it."

"Why salt?" I questioned.

He pulled two more bags out and handed them to Allison and Hannah. "The salt is to protect Georgia and keep Essex from ripping, or absorbing, her soul and killing her."

I examined the small bag of salt in my hands, thinking over how scared Georgia must be right now.

***

October 31st, 12:13 a.m.

"Salem!" I whispered from my hiding place. Hannah and I were on one side of the path that twisted through the forest, while Allison and Salem were on the other.

"Patience," he whispered back calmly.

I rolled my eyes, "Patience is not a virtue I posses." He stayed quiet. "What exactly are we doing?" I asked.

"Waiting," was his hushed reply.

"Allison, switch places with me." I was not in the mood to deal play these games. I was going to tell Salem what I thought, whether he listened or not.