Chapter 33

Chapter 33
THE GROWL IN THE DARK

Point of View: Luna Hart

I crouched behind the tree, breathing quickly and shakily, my heart thumping like a rabbit fleeing a fox. The leaves tremble as the deep, menacing growl rumbles through the pitch-black forest. Aunt Clara's piercing gaze shifts from me to the darkness behind her as she stops. She's so near, clutching a rope to catch me, and her grin is evil in the moonlight. Mia is waiting in a vehicle, yelling my name as the guy from the chopper takes my mom, limp, toward it. I feel like my stomach is twisted and full of pebbles. My secret is out; I'm Luna Hart, the missing girl from Hart Global. Clara is the "real boss," Mia deceived me, and now this growl—what is it? I hold my breath, afraid to move, and grip my locket, the metal cold in my fingers.

Clara takes a step back, letting her rope fall to the floor. With a crisp but shaky voice, she asks, "Who's there?" The man's damaged visage darkens as he stops pulling my mom. With wide eyes, Mia rushes up. Her tone has softened, and she says, "What was that?"

Like a large dog or worse, the growl returns, this time closer and louder. I tighten my grip on the tree as my skin prickles and the bark feels rough on my back. My mother's eyes briefly contact mine as they flutter open. "Run," she mouths, her face white and terrified.

Tears burn my eyes as I shake my head. I can't abandon her. Never again. Clara whirls, looking around the trees. “Show yourself!” she shouts, clenching her fists.

With a revolver drawn from his belt, the guy drops my mother. "Remain back!" he yells in a loud voice. With her hands in the soil, my mother slowly and feebly creeps toward me. My bones tremble as the growl roars again, preventing me from running to her.

A massive black dog with yellow-glow eyes and snapping jaws emerges from the forest. Clara staggers back and yells. With a loud boom in my ears, the guy fires, but the dog jumps at him and avoids him. He shouts as he falls and his rifle flies into the woods. Mia disappears into the darkness as she runs, her sneakers sliding in the dirt.

With trembling hands, I move over to my mother and grip her arm. I say, "Mom!" and lift her up. Her face is scraped and her breath is rapid as she leans on me. "We must leave," I remark in a low voice.

Her legs are unsteady as she nods. We stagger away from Clara and the dog and into the forest. Clara cries, "Get it off!" blend with the man's screams and the dog's roar. As we run, twigs crack under our feet, my legs burn, and my pulse beats.

When we get to a tiny slope, we slide into a ditch. Cold and sticky, mud adheres to my hands. My mother is holding my hand tightly as she breaths heavily. With a feeble voice, she murmurs, "You're okay." "My courageous girl."

I nod, tears in my eyes. "Who is the dog?" With a weak voice, I ask.

She gives a headshake. "I'm not sure. However, it aided us.

The noises fade behind us as we hide in the ditch. The buzz of the aircraft has stopped, and the only sound in the forest is crickets. The thought of Mia fleeing, Clara battling the dog, and the guy being taken down makes my stomach ache. Mr. Cole, where are you? He rescued us by shooting at Clara, but I never saw him again.

With her palm on my face, my mother says, "Luna." "We must locate a road. Seek assistance.

I assist her in standing by nodding. Her steps are sluggish, and her arm is heavy on my shoulder. The moonlight illuminates our path as we stroll among the woods. The photo of me, my mother, and Ms. Linda within my locket makes me sad as it bounces. Did Mia always have a terrible attitude? Or was she made by Clara?

We discover wheel marks in the mud and a dirt path. My mother, breathless, leans on me. "It's almost there," she adds softly.

My legs hurt as I nod. The trail ends at a road with a town sign. I feel a bit better. Perhaps we can locate Mr. Cole, a phone, and police. Then we see a vehicle rushing at us with flashing headlights. My stomach turns around. With unsteady hands, I drag my mother behind a bush.

Doors bang as the automobile comes to a halt. Low, cruel voices ring out. One remarks, "They're close." Not Clara or Mia. A fresh, frightening voice from a guy.

My mother's eyes are wide as she covers my lips. With thorns sticking out of my arms, we stoop low. On the road, footsteps crush closer. A beam of light from a flashlight flickers across the foliage, inches away from us. My breath is stopped, and my heart pauses.

Another voice, a woman's, keen like Clara's but distinct, adds, "They can't be far." "Her survival is what the boss wants."

My stomach turns. The manager? Clara? Or another person? My mother's eyes are moist as her hand trembles over my lips. Down the way, the footsteps fade. The vehicle restarts and leaves. I exhaled, my whole body shaking.

My mother stands slowly and murmurs, "We have to move." We remain in the shadows as we go along the street. Even if my legs are like jelly, I continue. My mother's face looks pallid in the moonlight, and her arm seems heavy.

We arrive at a petrol station with flashing lights but no one inside. There is a "Closed" sign and the door is locked. My mother sags against the wall, panting heavily. With a feeble voice, she replies, "We'll wait till morning."

I sit beside her and nod. My clothes are wet from the mud, and the ground is cold. With numb fingers, I grip my locket tightly. "Who is pursuing us?" I inquire in a low voice.

With mournful eyes, my mother shakes her head. "I'm not sure, Luna. However, we'll stop them.

I lean on her and nod. The stars above sparkled in the stillness of the night. My body is exhausted, so I shut my eyes. Dreams of the dog's growl, Clara's piercing eyes, and Mia's cruel smile. A faint sound, like a car pulling up, wakes me up. My heart is pounding as my eyes open.

My mother is sleeping next to me in the petrol station, which is still dark. In the lot is a black vehicle with its engine off. A tall, slender person emerges as a door opens. Not Mia or Clara. A guy with a cowl over his face is seen carrying a shiny object, perhaps a key similar to the one in Ms. Linda's notebook.

"Luna," he murmurs softly as he approaches. "I am aware of your presence."

My belly aches, my breath quick. I shake my mom, but she doesn’t wake, her face too pale. The guy advances toward us, his key glinting. I backed up, my hands shaking, nowhere to go.

Then a fresh sound—a loud bark, the same growl from the forest. The black dog lunges from the shadows, its jaws biting at the guy. He shouts, dropping the key, and dashes back to the vehicle. The dog barks loudly as it pursues.

My hands are chilly when I grasp the key. Like the button I discovered, it is substantial and has a little bird imprint on it. My mother opens her eyes and stirs. "Luna?" she whispers.

With a faltering voice, I raise the key. "This was dropped by him."

Her hand grabs mine as her eyes widen. Her voice breaks as she continues, "That's... your dad's."

Headlights flare and another vehicle speeds into the lot before I can inquire. A lady with short hair and a pallid complexion emerges when the door opens. She gives me a kind but odd grin. "Luna," she adds in a voice that sounds familiar. "I'm the sister of your mother."

My heart stops. One more family? My mother tightens her grip on my hand as she gasps. The dog growls once again and circles back as the lady approaches. Her grin fading, she pauses and takes out a phone, typing quickly.

The van's engine
then roars as it accelerates in our direction, its headlights blazing.