The Alpha In The Pines

y. Lex kept both hands clenched on the wheel, knuckles bone-white, eyes wide and too dry. Ava stared out the w

said anything

too far. When Lex finally spoke, it was in a

lieve m

used on her own reflection in the side mirror.

said. "I b

veway behind her trailer, the tires crunching slow

half-dead succulents on the por

idn't

he silence that followed w

u o

us," Ava said softl

ovebox, pulled out a bottle of rubbing alco

smelled faintly of cedar, cigarettes, and old coffee. Lex didn't turn on the over

ket and stared at the

d cha

ht to a sickly gray-purple. The skin around it was inflamed, pulsi

examine it. Ava flinched. She did

"It wasn't li

N

d it was

lie

nd lit a cigarette with trembling hands. "You

s make the

slowly. "P

in sile

eed help. Someone wh

She tapped ash into an emp

ked up.

ger. Lives up past the

d to nail crosses to trees and shout

's th

really going to t

the mug. "If anyone knows w

cell signal vanished completely. Elijah Greene's cabin looked like it had grown out of the earth

ng crooked on the gate, bullet ho

t of the t

rms and sigils carved into the doorframe.

knoc

ans

again.

wered from inside. A

open. An eye ap

e dead," said a vo

"I could sa

r opene

with time. His beard was shot through with gray and pine needles. Hi

w it,"

ques

no

st her at Le

ated, the

de. "Then come in.

pinned to the walls. There were photos too grainy black-and-white prints

fireplace. A drawing of the creature.

it an Alph

ecause that's what it is. The first. The

wned. "

st kill. It chooses. It marks. You don't get away from it u

d at him.

ows what you are. What you could be. It s

I'm n

started with you long before that b

r dad just vanish

d they never found a body

hill crawl u

our father, and now it's marked y

t cy

erit

he air like a

upposed to beco

just anyone. It waits for one

that game. I'm not some chosen blo

argue. He ju

r reflection tonight. If your ey

too. "We

e wrapped in hide. Inside: a ch

illow. It won't stop it. Bu

it withou

t fall asleep," Elijah added, "call me. And

y l

ched them all

when she looked in the mirror at 2

gl