Chapter 1 School Trip (1/2)

Chapter 1 – School Trip

It was a dark, stormy night. The quiet mountainside was covered with the darkness of the night, the trees and wild grass slept quietly beneath the gentle shine of moonlight. Apart from the occasional rabbit or some other small wild animal that passed through the grass making almost inaudible rustling noises, no other sound could be heard.

“It’s broken down.” The man stood up, looking despondent. He hit the hood of the car once in frustration, his expression full of incomprehension. “This doesn’t make any sense though. I checked and the tires are fine as well the engine. Why would it break down?”

At this point, the car window rolled down slowly and a middle-aged woman stuck her head out. “Is the mountain road too steep? Maybe the wheels got stuck?”

“I don’t think so.” The man muttered, confused. “Maybe another part of the car is acting up.”

“Did you call for a tow truck?” The woman asked again.

“I’ve already called, but they’ll only arrive after dawn,” the man said, dejectedly. “Such bad luck, how did we get stuck in this godforsaken place in the middle of the night?”

The woman was just about to reassure the man when the high, thin sound of a young girl’s voice sounded from inside the car.

“Daddy, it’s really cold outside. You should come back in.”

Hearing his daughter’s voice, the man seemed to be slightly more reassured. He nodded and put the tools in his hand down, preparing to get back in the car.

However, just as he was about to pull open the car door, he suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong now?” The woman asked, confused.

“Nothing… I just thought I heard a strange noise just now.” The man replied, wary.

“Can it be some animal?” The girl asked. “We’re in the mountains, there must be animals.”

“Maybe.” the man forcibly replied, but he still didn’t seem assured. “I should go take a look. If there are wolves or the like on this mountain, there might be trouble.”

Saying this, the man left the car, heading towards where he thought he had heard the strange noise.

The ground beneath his feet was soft dirt and either side of him were lonely trees and wild grass. The moon hung high in the sky, and no matter how he looked, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

The man let out a sigh of relief, figuring that he was thinking too much of it. He shook his head and then prepared to go back.

It was at this time that the man heard a very strange noise.

It was a low, rough-sounding breathing, in the midst of it were also a few snorting sounds.

The sound was very close to him. It was basically behind him, not even a centimeter behind his waist!

All the hairs on the man’s body stood up, and as he turned around —

“Ah — !!!”