They Wait in the Woods

Chapter 3

"There was a crash," she started cautiously still hearing the sounds of creaking metal and tires skidding on gravel in her ears.

"We found the wreckage this morning," the young officer cut in confirming. "I'm actually surprised you were able to walk out of it," he joined the two of them at the recreation corner and leaned against a short cubicle separator. "The car's totaled."

"We hit something," she frowned trying to see in the eye of her mind what exactly the dark mass had been. There was no way it could have been an elk not to mention a deer. A bear was out of the question as well. It must have been one of the beasts that had attacked them. If she strained hard enough, she could almost see the same burning eyes stare at them right before the impact.

"I don't know what it was, but it pushed us into the creek," she took a long sip of her drink, trying to suppress a shiver that was persistently creeping up her spine.

"Us?" the older ranger reached for a notepad in another uniform pocket. She heard the click of a ball-point pen. He was close enough for her to be able to read the nametag on his chest. She apparently had the distinct pleasure of speaking to a Captain R. Coleman, several times decorated if the diplomas on the walls had anything to do with him.

"Yes, me and my friend Eric Lewis," she clarified watching the young officer place a plastic bag between them on the table. Inside were the soaking remains of hers and Eric's respective wallets, folded to reveal their driver's licenses. The rangers nodded in agreement. They had a positive ID on their crash victims.

"Was there anyone else with you?" Ranger Coleman scribbled a few more notes into his pad straining to see without his glasses.

"No, no one else," she confirmed feeling a shiver run through her. The issue with Mac was none of their business, not yet anyway.

"Do you have any idea of where... Eric might be?" Ranger Coleman continued, giving up on his vanity and reaching back for his glasses. His eyes had had enough of straining to see small print.

"No," she shook her head. "He injured his ankle, and I went for help at the cabin I saw, but then I don't remember much," she mumbled taking another long sip of the coffee that now had a more bitter taste to it. She certainly remembered every gory little detail about the beast attacking Eric and almost getting torn to death herself, but at that point in time, she preferred not to have to think about it.

The ranger took another look at the driver's licenses.

"Lewis..." he muttered as if thinking aloud, but then with a glance to his junior partner he decided to drop the bomb on her.

"You do know his family owned that cabin, right?" His stare seemed to go right through her. She did not need to reply.

"It was the scene of a triple homicide just a few days ago," he continued placing his pen and notepad calmly on the tabletop. "One of the victims was a Lewis, judging by his age, most likely your friend's brother, am I right?" She nodded cautiously into her mug.

"According to the local police that came over and turned the place upside down it was, and I quote, 'an open and shut case'," Ranger Coleman flipped through his notes. "One of the boys had a little too much to drink or smoke, went nuts and then it was all over. If he didn't take his own life in the end, I'm sure that the recent weather we've had here took care of that for him," he slapped the notepad shut and leaned against the table.

"But that still leaves you," he concluded. "What were you doing there, in the middle of the night?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but she was interrupted by the station's front door that suddenly opened with another one of the local rangers peeking his head in.