The forest swallowed them.
Branches whipped against their faces as Jackson and Mac ran blindly through the darkness.
Mac: "WHERE ARE WE GOING?!"
Jackson: "AWAY FROM THE LAKE!"
Mac: "THAT'S NOT A DIRECTION!"
Jackson: "JUST KEEP RUNNING!"
Behind them came another sound.
CRACK.
A tree snapped in half.
Both boys glanced backward.
Nothing.
Mac slowed.
Mac: "Did it stop?"
Jackson grabbed his arm.
Jackson: "Don't stop."
They kept moving until the sound of rushing water became louder.
Jackson suddenly stopped.
Mac nearly crashed into him.
Mac: "What—"
Jackson held up a hand.
They listened.
Rushhhhhh...
Water.
Jackson cautiously stepped forward.
The trees opened.
A river stretched before them.
But it wasn't an ordinary river.
The water was almost completely black, reflecting the moon like broken glass.
On the opposite bank stood another wooden sign.
FIRST RIVER
Underneath it, someone had carved:
WHAT LIVES BELOW DOES NOT FORGET.
Mac swallowed.
Mac: "That's... comforting."
Jackson: "We're going back."
Mac: "Back where?"
Jackson looked behind them.
The forest had changed.
The path they had just taken was gone.
There were only trees.
Jackson's face tightened.
Jackson: "That's not possible."
Mac: "Apparently we're having a really bad night."
A low growl came from the river.
Both boys froze.
Something moved beneath the surface.
A long shadow passed beneath them.
Then another.
Then another.
Mac whispered:
Mac: "Please tell me those are fish."
Jackson slowly shook his head.
Jackson: "Those are way too big."
A pale hand suddenly rose from the water.
Mac screamed.
Mac: "NOPE!"
Jackson pulled him backward.
The hand disappeared.
Silence.
Then—
SPLASH!
Something enormous burst from the river.
Jackson shoved Mac to the ground.
A creature crashed onto the bank where they had been standing.
It had the body of something resembling a wolf, but far too large.
Its fur was soaked and covered in strange glowing markings.
Its mouth opened.
Rows of jagged teeth appeared.
Mac stared.
Mac: "...That's not a fish."
Jackson: "RUN!"
The creature lunged.
They sprinted along the riverbank.
But the monster didn't follow.
Instead, it stopped.
Jackson looked back.
The creature was staring directly at him.
Not Mac.
Him.
Its glowing eyes narrowed.
Then it slowly lowered its head.
Almost like it was recognizing him.
Jackson stumbled.
Jackson: "Why is it looking at me like that?"
Mac: "I DON'T KNOW! MAYBE YOU OWE IT MONEY!"
The creature suddenly growled.
But beneath the growl was something else.
A whisper.
"Zion..."
Jackson froze.
Mac grabbed him.
Mac: "Did that thing just say something?"
Jackson stared at the monster.
Jackson: "It said Zion."
The creature turned toward the river.
Then it disappeared beneath the surface.
The water became still again.
Mac breathed heavily.
Mac: "Okay."
Jackson: "Okay what?"
Mac pointed ahead.
Mac: "I think we just found the first river."
Jackson looked at the sign.
Then at the dark water.
Then at the forest behind them.
Three paths.
Three rivers.
And somewhere out there, something had already started hunting them.
Jackson tightened his grip on his backpack.
Jackson: "We need to find the other two."
Mac stared at him.
Mac: "Why?"
Jackson looked toward the glowing river in the distance.
Jackson: "Because if that old woman was telling the truth..."
He paused.
Jackson: "...the lake isn't the dangerous part."
A distant feminine voice drifted through the trees.
"Jackson..."
Mac's face went pale.
Mac: "Please tell me that wasn't the lake talking."
Jackson slowly looked toward the sound.
Jackson: "...It wasn't."
From somewhere beyond the trees came a soft, beautiful melody.
A woman's voice.
Then another joined it.
Then another.
Mac whispered:
Mac: "Sirens."
Jackson nodded.
Jackson: "And they're singing."
The melody grew louder.
And somewhere in the darkness...
something began walking toward them.