The Fog Knows Their Names
Isaac froze mid-step, his breath catching.
โShh. I heard something,โ he whispered. โIf itโs that crowโฆ I donโt want it to find me. I donโt even want to imagine what it would do to meโฆโ
Nicky shifted nervously, hugging his arms.
Isaac blinked. โWhat?โ
โThatโs his name,โ Nicky murmured. โI met him once. It wasโฆ terrifying.โ
A harsh scrape echoed through the undergrowth โ metal against dirt.
Nicky instantly tensed, panic surging through him. His breathing quickened, hands trembling.
Isaac reacted fast โ he stepped closer and gently took Nickyโs hands, holding them firmly but carefully.
โHey, heyโฆ look at me,โ Isaac said softly. โBreathe. Youโre okay. Iโve got you.โ
The scraping continued somewhere in the fog.
Nicky whispered, voice shaking:
โNoโฆ not againโฆโ That soundโฆ the shovel.โ
He swallowed hard. โMr. Peterson. He was in prison. How did he get out?โ
Isaac frowned, still keeping his hands around Nickyโs to ground him.
โYes,โ Nicky breathed. โHeโs my neighbor. Across the street. And heโs looking for me. I donโt want to go back to the basement.โ
โThe vandals held me in a basement tooโฆโ he admitted quietly. โI know what it feels like.โ
The forest around them seemed to grow colder. The mist thickened, curling between the trees like living smoke.
โฆAnd neither of them realized
that Theodore and the Guest were already standing right behind them โ silent, unmoving, hidden in the shifting shadows of the fog.
Nicky squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying to steady his breathing.
โItโsโฆ itโs probably just my imagination,โ he whispered, almost convincing himself. โYeah. Justโฆ just the forest. Thatโs all.โ
Isaac didnโt believe that for a second, but he didnโt argue.
โWe should go,โ he said quietly but firmly. โNow. Somewhere safer. Before anything else finds us.โ
Nicky nodded, still shaken, and the two of them slipped deeper into the fog โ unaware of the figures observing them from behind the trees.
(I decided to combine the usual hello neighbor with the third part. I think the characters suit each other. Especially since they were both held captive in the basement.)
prguitarman
jbbartram-illu
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