Near the Bone by Christina Henry

Author:Christina Henry [Henry, Christina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780593199763
Google: h1slEAAAQBAJ
Amazon: 0593199766
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2021-04-12T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Mattie stumbled along in the wake of the other three. They were moving along the cliffside, and they could see the cliff continuing ahead for quite some time.

Why didn’t they attack us back there? We were vulnerable, injured—surely an animal smart enough to stalk us through the forest would be smart enough to see that.

She didn’t have any answers. She only knew that it had let them go. She couldn’t shake the feeling, though, that it was somehow worse that it had—that there was something more terrible waiting in store for them.

“It’s getting dark,” C.P. said. His breath was ragged. “I don’t want to pitch the tents by moonlight.”

It was getting dark. Mattie hadn’t even noticed the sun going down. Her mind was full of what she’d seen, or thought she’d seen.

Two creatures? How?

And where had they come from in the first place? Mattie and William had lived on this mountain for years and never seen any sign of such things. How could two such enormous animals suddenly appear out of nowhere?

You know what William would say. They are demons, sent to test you.

But Mattie didn’t believe in demons.

A rifle shot pierced the air.

The four of them stopped dead simultaneously, as if given an order—or rather, three of them stopped and Griffin lolled in between Jen and C.P. Mattie spun around, certain William would be right behind them.

There was nothing and no one, only the broken trail of snow and the cliff and the trees that never seemed to end.

“I don’t think it was nearby,” Jen said, and pointed. “It sounded like it came from that way.”

If William was strong enough to go back to the cabin for his rifle, then the creature must not have harmed him as much as Mattie had thought—or hoped.

(Die why couldn’t you just die you killed my mother and you stole me away I wanted you to die)

“Hurry,” she said. If they got a little farther then maybe the dark would cover their tracks, make it harder for William to follow them.

“We really can’t hurry,” C.P. said. “In case you hadn’t noticed, our friend has a head injury and can’t walk.”

“Stop being such a sarcastic jerk,” Jen said. “She’s only worried.”

“And I’m not?” C.P. grumbled. “We came up here to do some research and now we’re in a horror movie with a monster and an unkillable redneck with a gun.”

Jen retorted something but Mattie wasn’t really listening. She couldn’t stop herself from checking behind them frequently, looking for William’s silhouette on the trail.

The air was getting colder as it grew darker, but Mattie still didn’t see any sign of clouds. The only way they could hide their trail from William was if snow fell in the night. Without the cover of a fresh layer, then all he’d have to do is follow their tracks.

And the creature can probably track us by sound or smell, so there’s nothing we can do to keep it from us.

Her stomach churned. The thought of William or the creature catching up to them made her want to throw up.

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