The Alpha Curse

light hush of Ridge wood Woods. Beside him, Ethan's breath came in sha

called, weaving betw

ashed into view, an old farm pig, only half its bristles left, snorting in pan

tusks bare. He pivoted on one foot and sprinted off the path into

anged a look and br

ds?" Jake panted, scramb

umped. "I don't

e pig's path. But the animal veered around him, eyes locked ahead. Liam

silent, so silent it magnified the pig's franti

ion mixing with adrenaline.

fter the pig again, branches whipping his face. Jake

the ground. There, at the edge, stood an abandoned two storey house, its windows gaping like e

s. The creature's squeals faded into the house's dark mouth.

iam's side. "What

is on any map. He eyed the broken windows and

member something from the book.He dug into his backpack

a hunting lodge' later abandoned after an unexplained mass disappearance. Rumor

an you gonna stop reading books, even in dange

g fingertip. Part of it. The rest w

s around them, as if the house exhaled. We sho

n shrugged. "We

an to Jake, torn. I.

r. We stick together. Or rather you can st

g darted in front of them, then back out, squealing between breath

s flashlight. Its beam carved a narrow path into the darkness. I

ady for this adv

own a hallway lined with cracked

esced into long, claw like gashes. They climbed walls, doors, even the

ake murmured, voice b

lt at the base of the wall and pointed to a shard of something b

He lifted the broken piece gingerly. It felt im

ke hissed, grabbi

es... something lives.. or lived in these woo

deep it rattled the floorboards. A squeals erupted from som

d ran cold.

around the claw. His eyes

he rafters. Dust rained down around them,

han grabbe

than resisted, but Jake wrenched it free. Books and papers rustled in lai

fist. A dark silhouette filled the pane, broad shoulders, pointed ears, and glowing

screame

lintered behind them as the creature, whatever

ind him. The pig darted past again, ghosting into the trees. Beyond the porc

'd come. Ethan's pulse pounded in his ears, keeping pace with their sp

rked, grabbing

amiliar, safe. They spilled onto the gravel, chests heaving, shoulders

ooding back. "Did you see it?" he gasped, voice t

its edges gleaming in Jake's flashlight. "We can't le

mouth. The creature's howl echoed across the t

termined; Jake's hand twitching on the camera bag as if he wanted t

d, voice low. dectative

and nodded. R

s empty, porch still. But from deep inside, a single scratch trailed down one of the b

ull of something ancient, the weight of a story clawed into wood an