A hiding place

A hiding place
Dawn neared in the middle of the woods. And at the porch of the like cabin in the middle of the clearing in the depth of the woods, a figure stepped out from the wooden front door to the two-storey cabin.

The tall lean figure stepped on the porch and turned around to face the door shutting it close gently. Even under the dim lighting of twilight, his well-outlined, handsome face had a heavy heart worn expression donned on.

Just like the heavy clouds in the sky.

He stood in front of the door with his head lowered for several seconds. His hands latched unto the door handle as though unwilling to let it go.

" I promise to be back before you even know I'm gone..." Darren muttered to himself before turning around to leave the porch and head into the woods, shifting into a rall beast with dark shaded furs that ran into the wilderness on its hinds...

Kyley had long stopped worrying about Darren not being home when she woke up. Since she knew about his curse now, she had no reason to pester him any longer and just let him do whatever suits him best without questioning his whereabouts any longer.

Besides, she was certain that he'd always come back no matter what.

Hence, it was the same usual this morning when she woke up. Darren wasn't beside her by the bed.

However, she didn't fret about it and just yawned casually before stepping out of bed to go wash her face and clean herself up in the bathroom.

The first light of the morning sun has broken through as it peaked from the horizon, bathing the leaves and barks of the tall trees golden shine.

But still, Darren wasn't back yet.

" Strange he's always back home by now" Kyley muttered to herself as she entered the room which they now shared- Darren's room.

Just as she wondered, her gaze caught sight of a white paper on the bedside table with a pen holding it down in place.

Kyley frowned and calmly approached the bedside table, wondering why a paper and pen was there.

It wasn't there before they went to bed the last night...

However, reaching to pick up the paper, Kyley slowly unfolded it with her mind racing in thought. She flipped it and furrowed her brows even deeper when she saw that it was a letter.

" Dear, Kyley"

More so, it was addressed to her!

Kyley began to panic seeing this as she instantly realized what was going on. Nonetheless, she decided to read through the content first.

However, Just as she read the first line, her eyes widened in shock and her heart trembled in distress. She stared at the line for several seconds, reading it over and over again as terror dawned on her face.

Her eyes shook and glinted in panic as she frowned and forced herself to start all over again to read the whole content of the letter.

" Dear Kyley,

I'm sorry that I have to do this to you, yet, once again. But by the time you find this letter, I've probably left the cabin.

I know I should have spoken to you about this beforehand but I just couldn't bring myself to face you.

Although I know you're not gonna be happy with my selfish decisions, I hope that you find it in your heart to forgive me... And if not, you may hit me as many times as you wish when I return.

I know you're probably wondering just why I'm hiding this from you. But Darling, even now as I write to you, I cannot tell you what the matter is, for I fear that it'll only bring harm to you and our relationship.

Nonetheless, the truth stands that I cannot tell you where I've gone now as it might endanger you and my baby. Just know, love, that it's best that you do not know about this. And I'm sorry that I might sound like an asshole, but I really want the best for the both of us.

I only urge that you trust me, and promise to stay home and wait for me. I'll be back before dinner in four days, till then, know that I love you with everything I have in this world.

Yours, Darren.

And oh, here's some recipe for meals that..."

Kyley's heart tinged in fear and hurt as she read the letter, her eyes watered and a tear dropped falling from her eyes.

She held the piece of paper in her hands as she stared at the bed, specify the spot where Darren had slept right beside her the previous night. For the longest while, Kyley was lost in thought.

However, she didn't take long to make a decision for herself. Of course she was hurt by Darren's act of selfishness. She was mad that he left her like this.

But this time, she didn't let her emotions get a hold of her. She trusted Darren to keep to his words, and she knew that Darren probably has a reason for not telling her about his departure as he kept reiterating in the letter. It was probably as he said that it was pretty dangerous for her to know about the reason why Darren had left or where he'd left for.

And thus, she decided to just do as he said.

' It's just for four days...' She would wait for him until he returns.

Kyley nodded her head resolutely and placed the paper to her thrumming chest.

Those four days felt like eternity to Kyley, having to live it out without Darren being around. She misses him already!

She is wanted him to come back. She needed him back with her in their cabin... Their home.

However, Kyley knew that she wouldn't be seeing him until after four days. She felt a mix of emotions weigh on her heart and she put down the letter before turning around to stroll out of the room, lost in a daze.

As she walked down the stairs and towards the front door to the house, Kyley looked around, observing the desolate home as if estranged with it.

The smell and aroma of breakfast were nowhere around, and the clanking of kitchen utensils was lost in memories.

More importantly, that tall man that she so loved to see wasn't anywhere around. Darren really wasn't at home...

The cabin didn't feel like a home anymore without him. It felt like a cold hiding place, and Kyley couldn't help but wrap her hands around her as she felt the strangeness seep through coldly to her.

She walked away from the bottom of the stairs still in a daze and headed outside the house to stand by the porch railing.

Her gaze was latched into the distance as the nature-filled scent all around reminded her of her home that had left her now...

...

Paige woke up early in the morning leaving the camp she set the previous night and had crashed in.

It was just a stone boulder and a bonfire...

She'd been roaming these parts of the woods for several days, but there was still no sign of her finding Kyley. She'd just been going around aimlessly, from one place to the other all around the wilderness.

It was beginning to drive her crazy. But she still couldn't give up. Just not yet!

After roaming through the wilderness in the morning, she first found the stream to clean herself first before returning to her search around.

It was the same usual with her finding only trails of animals all around with no sign of motorbike trails or scent of Kyley around.

However, as she looked around, she suddenly found a small opening in a thick bush with a path that led through a deep clearing. In the clearing, there were several other paths after that which made it quite difficult to determine which route to take.

Paige sighed in frustration.

Nonetheless, she chose a path and decided to search about for clues around. After several minutes of walking around, she found something strange that left her shuddering in spot.

Without hesitating, she looked about, panicking at the sight of the huge claw mark on the ground which had dug out a huge pile of weed everywhere.

Paige couldn't help but swallow as she darted her eyes and moved on guard to look around, wondering just what sort of beast those claws belonged to, and if it wasn't nearby.

However, when nothing happened even after a long while, she slowly started to calm her trembling heart.

She looked towards the claw marks on the floor and cautiously moved closer out of curiosity to inspect. After all, she was already in the vicinity, it wouldn't hurt to take a look.

But she knew to be careful in doing so and stay alert as Paige didn't think that she could fight off a monster of such size.

However, when she got close and crouched, she noticed that the claw marks continued up ahead, leading to a small path that was covered with thick bush and lushness. Paige hesitated for a while but she decided to follow in trail of the huge claw marks.

The more she did the more she found out that the claw marks grew smaller and smaller in size, into paw prints.

At some point, Paige found herself in a small clearing, staring at the small footprint that was barely discernible. A tree fell to the side and there seemed to be a sign of someone having been around the clearing just recently as there were pieces of clothes around.

Paige's heart shook frivolously as she stared with widened eyes around, unwilling to admit the scary thought that came to her mind. She saw footprints!

Paige couldn't help but take few steps back, staring at the point where the footprints led to with a frightful expression. The tall bush right ahead seemed like the hornet's nest, and Paige felt like she had poked it.

However, nothing happened even after a long while. Then, Paige, curious though scared, decided to check things out. She slowly moved forward in trail of the footsteps and moved into the bush.

Rustle! Rustle!

Just as she walked out of the tall bush, Paige's eyes widened in shock when she saw it. She saw the peak of something that looked like a house.

' I-in the middle of the woods?' She was first confused before she suddenly gasped in shock!

' A house in the middle of the woods!' it was exactly as Ivan had described. She rushed towards it in haste, until she came to a spot around tall trees where she could see the tall cabin in the clearing, standing in the midst of the wilderness like a treasure that had been waiting to be found.

Paige expressed awe and shock at the same time. She couldn't help but frown however, when she saw someone whom she was very familiar with standing by the porch of the very same cabin before her in the middle of the clearing.

' That bitch!' it was Kyley. Paige had found her!

Paige clenched her teeth hard as the urge to rush at her and grab her by the hair to drag her back to the residence surged within her. However, she knew to be careful as Ivan had said that she was staying with a strange man.

And considering the footsteps that she had traced to this point just now, Paige couldn't be too sure. Those footsteps that was precedented by the huge paws and claw marks of some sort of monster made Kyley apprehensive of that man.

It was either he fought off the monster, or he was the monster! Either of those are likely... And neither seemed less dangerous.

What if Kyley was being held captive by that man. Wouldn't she be captured as well if she rushed in?

Hence, she decided to observe first.

Several minutes passed by. And Paige, still hiding behind the tall broad tree watched Kyley for the longest while, thinking of what to do next.

Now that she had found Kyley, she became impatient as she was looking at her chance at redemption right before her.

However, just as she contemplated, she saw Kyley walk back into the cabin. Seeing this, Paige looked about in thought as to what to do.

Her blood boiled as she became excited. She couldn't let this chance slip!

After a while, she creased her gaze at the cabin and soon moved away from.the tree. Since the footprints and claw marks led away from the cabin and there weren't any leading back, Paige realized something. And she decided to take the chance!