Though the moon shone brightly in the dark sky overhead, it offered little help—its faint beams could barely penetrate the thick canopy of these forest trees. Still standing at the edge of the forest, Skylar and I were on high alert. With our eyes squinted—as if that would improve our vision—we strained to see in the darkness of night, trying to locate and identify the source of that strange sound.
Was there another person in the vicinity?
I chanced a look at Skylar from the corner of my eye as I sensed waves of anxiety pouring out of her. Both her hands were tightly gripping onto her AK-47, and her face, though normally lovely, was marred with stress and tension.
It was clear that the noise came from behind us, back into the depths of the forest. It was, without a doubt, a scream—the
