Darkness fell heavily over the Oak Creek valley, bringing with it the cold, but in the center of the camp, a bonfire roared with life, creating a bubble of warmth.
The flames danced forcefully, casting shadows against the surrounding trees, while the sound of burning wood mixed with the constant murmur of the nearby creek.
John was in his element, standing in front of the portable grill and on the hot grate, several fresh bass sizzled loudly.
"Pay attention! What you are about to witness is not a simple dinner," he declared waving a basting brush while coating the fish with a thick sauce.
"This is the famous 'Connor Bass'. The recipe for this sauce has been passed down from generation to generation under a blood oath. It is impossible to find something like this in any five-star restaurant."
He turned to his audience with a proud smile.
"When you taste this, you will understand why your ancestors fought for these lands. It is a divine delicacy."
Sarah rolled her eyes with a smile, accustomed to her husband's childish speeches.
"Yes, yes, the great chef has spoken," she joked taking the paper plates and plastic cutlery out of the basket. "Carrie, will you help me with the napkins?"
"Sure, Mrs. Connor." Carrie helped pass the cutlery.
Surrounded by the warmth of the bonfire and the aroma of homemade food, she felt the knot of anxiety in her stomach loosen.
On the other side of the fire circle, the three sisters had their own forms of entertainment.
Holding a long stick with absolute concentration, Lillith was squatting near the flames and on the tip, a marshmallow turned slowly.
Next to her, the rhythmic sound of wood being cut broke the silence.
Emma had a Swiss Army knife in her hand and was carving a thick branch she had found.
Her face showed no emotion while the wood shavings fell onto her boots and what had started as a common stick, was now taking the unmistakable shape of a lethal stake.
And a little further from the group, on the edge where the firelight began to lose the battle against the darkness, was Esther.
She was sitting on a folding chair, with her knees hugged against her chest and her gaze lost in the fire.
Soon the first batch of grilled fish was ready in record time and John, with solemnity, served the largest and juiciest piece on his wife's plate.
Then he distributed generous portions to each of his children.
"Come on, Carrie! Let's see if I still have the touch!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm, placing a piece with a perfectly golden crust on the girl's plate.
"Thank you very much, Mr. John," Carrie nodded, feeling immensely flattered by the attention.
The fish was spectacular.
Crispy on the outside and flaky and tender on the inside, with a spicy flavor that had melted deeply into the meat.
After enjoying the feast, John cleared his throat, feeling that the time had come to move on to the essential part of any camping night.
He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Now that we have full stomachs... how about we stoke this fire with a good scary story?"
He cast a glance around, looking for a sign of expectation but realized with a bit of pain, that, apart from Lillith who showed a small grimace of anticipation, the reactions of the others were lamentably nil.
But his enthusiasm wasn't something that could be stopped by reality.
"Ahem, ahem... This is an ancient legend about this very Oak Creek stream," he began his narration with a deep voice, leaning forward. "They say that, many years ago... a bad-tempered lumberjack lived in the forest. He always abused his family. Finally, one night, his wife and children couldn't take it anymore and while he was drunk, they tied him up and dragged him to the bottom of the creek to drown him..."
He made a dramatic pause, waiting for the tension to take hold.
"... But that man's hatred was so intense that his soul refused to cross over. His body rotted and mutated underwater, transforming into an aquatic creature covered in pustules and endowed with monstrous strength. Now, every night of the full moon, he emerges from the creek... looking for any unsuspecting camper to drag into the depths and turn into a monster, just like him…"
But the silence that followed wasn't one of fear.
Sarah just took a sip of water from her thermos and offered an indulgent smile. "The story is good, John, but the plot of the lumberjack and the resentment is a little worn out. You should update the script."
Lillith yawned loudly, and Emma and Esther didn't even bother to look up.
Even Carrie just huddled a little closer to Sarah without showing real panic.
Compared to what she had witnessed in her life, these kinds of tales were simply trivial anecdotes.
"...What an ungrateful audience," John murmured, feeling hurt.
He stood up reluctantly. "You no longer have respect for art. Forget it, I'm going to check the fishing rod. Maybe another specimen has bitten that does know how to appreciate my talent..."
Having said that, he took a flashlight and walked toward the creek, with his back radiating the loneliness of "nobody understands me".
"..."
After observing her husband's departure with a faint smile, Sarah focused her attention on Lief while he cleaned the wrappers.
"Lief," she said with a natural tone, but with a look that left no room for doubt. "Please, take Carrie for a walk along the creek bank. The night sky is beautiful, and I don't want you to stay cooped up so early..."
"....Okay."
Lief held his mother's gaze for a few seconds, before standing up and shaking off his pants.
"Go on, Carrie. Go stretch your legs," Sarah encouraged her, putting a hand on her back and giving her a small push. "Don't worry about cleaning up, I'll take care of this."
"Mmm... Thank you."
Carrie's cheeks turned a pale pink color, knowing that she would be alone with Lief.
She stood up, smoothing her jacket, and followed Lief.
Together, they moved away from the circle of light and warmth of the camp, entering the dirt path that bordered Oak Creek.
As their steps took them away, the darkness closed softly around them. The noise of the crackling firewood was replaced by the night symphony of the forest: the rhythmic song of the crickets, the whisper of the wind among the pine tops and the constant and relaxing murmur of the water.
They walked in silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence.
Lief walked with his hands in his pockets, setting a calm pace and Carrie was a step behind at first, but little by little she began to walk by his side.
Above their heads, far from the pollution, the stars extended like a scar of diamond dust crossing the night.
"This... this is incredible," Carrie broke the silence, looking up at the sky, "I had never seen so many stars..."
Lief looked up briefly. "Yes... It is one of the advantages of being in the middle of nowhere."
Carrie turned to observe him, seeing that in the darkness Lief's profile looked more serene... which prompted her to stop walking abruptly.
"Thank you, Lief," she said suddenly. "I know that... I know it was your mother's idea to invite me, but... thank you."
Causing Lief to also stop to face her just when the reflection of the moon on the creek water illuminated their faces.
"Hey, hold on," he replied with sincerity. "Yes, it was Mom's idea, but that doesn't mean that I don't want you to be here."
"It's nice to have someone normal to talk to. My sisters are... intense. And you needed this more than anyone. So, I'm glad you came, Carrie. Really."
"..." This left Carrie speechless for a few seconds, only to then nod, "Mmm" While she felt a warmth expand through her chest before they resumed the walk in a much more relaxed atmosphere.
However, their bubble was about to burst in the rawest way possible.
Upon rounding a dense thicket of bushes that blocked the view of the path, they came face to face with a scene that stopped them dead in their tracks.
On the opposite bank of the creek, about thirty meters away, there was a small clearing and a solitary tent was set up near the water, but the action wasn't happening inside.
A double sleeping bag was spread on the grass, illuminated by a flashlight lying on the ground and inside the bag, two intertwined shapes were moving with a clumsy rhythm.
There was no room for imagination.
The sounds of slapping, gasps and moans that didn't try to be discreet, cut the tranquility of their night.
"Ah!"
Unable to stop the scream that escaped her throat, Carrie turned sharply turning her back on the spectacle while the blood rushed to her head.
Her face was burning. In her entire life, she had never witnessed something so explicit.
On the contrary, Lief only arched an eyebrow.
'What a place they chose', he thought, feeling only annoyance at the interruption.
He was about to touch Carrie's shoulder to indicate that they should leave, when the frenetic rhythm on the other bank stopped dead.
It was an abrupt and anticlimactic ending.
And then, a woman's voice broke the silence, loaded with clear frustration.
"Are you serious, Daniel? Is that it? You are fucking useless!"
Immediately after, the sleeping bag opened violently, revealing a woman with messy golden hair, stumbling while trying to pull up her pants furiously.
"Incredible! Simply incredible!" she shouted looking for her T-shirt on the ground and putting it on. "I must have been blind to come to this mosquito-infested hole with you! You are premature, Daniel! You always have been!"
The man inside the bag, Daniel, barely flinched at her comments and opted to turn around lazily to turn his back on the girl.
"Shut your mouth, Aniela... I'm sleepy," he murmured with total disinterest while zipping up to his chin.
That was the last straw.
"Fuck you! Stay here and rot!" she shrieked.
She grabbed her backpack from the ground, put on her boots and, blind with rage, began to walk with heavy steps directly toward the thicket of the dark forest, moving away from the camp and safety.
Lief watched how the woman disappeared among the trees, and his eyes narrowed.
He was about to touch Carrie's shoulder to suggest that they return, when his alerts went off.
A viscous sensation began to seep from the thicket of the forest on the opposite bank.
A primitive gaze that aimed like an arrow toward the inert lump of Daniel, who was already snoring loudly inside his sleeping bag.
Without saying a word, Lief wrapped one hand around Carrie's waist and with the other covered her mouth and dragged her gently backward, hiding behind the dense bushes.
!
Carrie, surprised by the sudden movement and the physical contact, felt the heat rising to her cheeks.
The contact of Lief's chest against her back and the strength of his arm caused her stomach to flip. But before she could process her own shame, she followed his line of sight.
And then, the blush disappeared, draining from her face to leave her pale.
A figure emerged from the shadows behind Daniel.
But it wasn't a spirit.
It was a man... or it had the appearance of one.
He was tall and robust, with a twisted build. He wore worn-out clothes and had a head with thinning hair, but the worst was his face... a mask of deformed flesh.
He walked with heavy but silent steps.
'Damn, he is ugly...' thought Lief. 'Is that the monster from Dad's story?'
And he lowered his gaze toward Carrie.
She was rigid, but after a few moments he noticed something incredible.
The initial terror in her eyes transformed and her expression hardened, crystallizing into determination.
Her body was trembling slightly, but Lief knew it wasn't from fear, but from the attention he was paying to her body.
Now this and remember that Daniel is a man and Lief is a man and Carrie is a woman:
Smiling slightly, Lief tilted his head until his lips almost grazed her ear.
"Do you want to try?"
Carrie pursed her lips and nodded.
Inhaling deeply, she raised her right hand with fingers splayed, pointing directly toward the deformed figure that was about to reach the sleeping bag.
!
Immediately the deformed monster froze in its tracks.
The muscles in his neck tensed violently and with a growl he fought against the invisible force imprisoning him.
He tried to move forward, tried to lift his arms, but nothing worked.
The sound of the growl and the agonizing struggle finally penetrated Daniel's sleep.
He stirred inside the bag, grumbling he sat up clumsily, rubbing his rheumy eyes.
"What the...? Who goes there? Aniela, if that's you, I swear..."
But his words died in his throat.
His vision cleared and he encountered the nightmare a few meters away.
He saw the scar-filled skin, the yellowed teeth and a monstrous face.
"SHIT!!"
With the shrill scream his drunkenness and sleepiness evaporated from his system, replaced by a lethal injection of adrenaline.
Panic took control of his body, while he tried to back away, crawl, flee, do anything to get away from that thing.
But he forgot where he was.
His legs kicked frantically inside the closed sleeping bag and the fabric pulled tight, trapping his feet. He lost his balance.
"No, no, no...!"
Thud
Daniel fell forward unstoppably until his forehead impacted dryly against a rock.
Silencing any attempt at a moan and leaving his body instantly limp to fall extinguished by unconsciousness.
"..."
Lief brought his hand to his forehead.
But there was no time to worry about drunks and he focused all his attention on what really mattered: Carrie.
She was fighting a silent battle.
Fine drops of sweat shone on her forehead and although her posture was firm, Lief could see the trembling in her shoulders.
Maintaining a telekinetic lock on a mass of that size and brute force was consuming her energy at an alarming speed.
"Now that you have him...", Lief whispered close to her ear. "Focus on the space he occupies... and close it."
Carrie listened attentively and her blue eyes darkened with intensity, visualizing what she wanted to do.
"Now."
Snap
Carrie's open hand slammed shut into a tight fist.
And with that the telekinetic force surrounding the monster collapsed upon him from all directions simultaneously.
There was no scream, because no air remained in the creature's lungs.
A dry and multiple crunch was heard, followed immediately by the bursting of tissues.
The humanoid body twisted, bones splintered and flesh folded upon itself in an implosion.
And in less than a second, the monster was reduced to a compact mass that fell heavily to the ground.
Silence returned to the forest.
"Sigh..."
Carrie exhaled all her air at once.
She staggered forward, but never hit the ground.
Lief's arm had caught her, holding her firmly by the waist and pulling her toward his chest to stabilize her.
Without saying anything, he placed his other hand gently on her sweaty forehead and a warm golden light flowed from his palm.
Producing a calming effect on Carrie and dissipating the exhaustion.
Carrie blinked, regaining clarity and looked up to meet his eyes.
"Truly impressive," said Lief with sincerity and delicately brushed a lock of wet hair from her face. "Your control is getting more and more precise."
A wave of comforting heat flooded Carrie's chest, erasing the horror of what she had just done and she smiled genuinely.
"Thank you..."
Lief returned the smile and then looked toward the direction of their own camp.
"Let's go, we have to go back," he said helping her up, although he kept his arm around her a moment longer to make sure she was okay. "If we take any longer, Mom will start to worry."
Carrie nodded vigorously, still feeling the electric tingle where he had touched her. She smoothed her clothes and, staying close to his side, followed him back along the dark path.
________
Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!
👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]
Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖