We finally reached the bottom of Mt. Boulder. Luckily, we only encountered a few of them along the rocky path down. As Candace had theorized, these creatures couldn't see us during the day, although their hearing was good, it was easier to kill them. The more we killed, the more I grew accustomed to the sight of blood. But I could never get used to the rotting smell.

  Candace ushered us to stay on the same path as we skewed away from the roads and into the woods. It would take longer if we followed the windy road, so we took the shortcut deep into the wilderness. I glanced over at Peter. He was focused on what was ahead. I wanted to check up on him and ask if he was doing fine, but somehow, I didn't have the courage to walk up to him. I realized that his pace had also increased since we reached the bottom of Mt. Boulder.

  Maybe he was sulking over the event last night when he lost control and aimed his shotgun at Dylan. Peter had never shown that side of him before, at least not in front of me. He never ranted in front of me, and he never really wanted to talk to me about his personal feelings whenever I wanted him to.

  "Hey, you okay?" Reina's hand reached for mine and looked at me. Her brows were raised in a worried state. I told her that it was nothing and that I was just getting tired from all the walking. It was going to take us a long time until we reached Waterfront. Mr. Flounders and Candace had informed us that it would take a little more than a day to get there on foot. Besides the two, the rest of us were unfamiliar with the southern part of the county since there weren't many things out here. Only park rangers who run Mt. Boulder and field guides like the ones who volunteer at Camp Navier would often run errands, so they were familiar with the road.

  We walked for what felt like hours until the majority of the group began to slow down. Candace turned back to look at us and agreed that we should take a break so that we could catch our breaths and regain some energy to keep going. I walked over to where Peter was standing alone a few feet away from the group. I offered him my water bottle since he had lost his back at the campsite. He took it and thanked me. I could tell he was finally calm.

  "Yuri. I'm sorry...about earlier. I didn't mean to let my frustrations out. I never told you, but Dylan and I used to be close friends. And ever since—." Peter paused and hesitated. I could tell he was nervous about what he wanted to tell me. "He changed ever since his father passed away from saving me one day when our families went camping together. Dylan and I were playing near the river. I couldn't remember much but suddenly I found myself drowning in the rapid water. His father jumped after me and saved me but when I woke up, Mr. Pike had already passed. Dylan blamed his father's death on me and ever since then, he's always reminded me that it should have been me." Peter looked down on the ground with a sorrowful expression.

  "But—. But even then, he shouldn't be doing this to you. Tormenting you when it wasn't even your fault. You were just a kid and his father just wanted to help! It doesn't give him the right to treat you like this!" I cried.

  "Yeah...but I still have to live with this guilt. Maybe the river should have taken me then so I wouldn't have to feel this burden." Peter turned to face me and apologized for letting me hear him out.

  "Don't say things like that. And don't apologize for telling me. I'm glad that you're opening up." I smiled at Peter, and he slightly smiled back. We headed back to the group, and it looked like they were getting ready to move again.

  "We need to head out and find somewhere safe to stay before it gets dark." Candace looked at her watch. We didn't have our phones with us since they had been confiscated early on at the campsite. I guess it wasn't just students but the chaperones too. It also seems like Mr. Flounders and Candace lost their radios during the events at the site, so we had no form of distant communication.

  It was way past noon and we reached a nearby river. Candace informed us that this was an extension of Lake Muir but that this river was going to be heading west from here and not towards Waterfront. There won't be any rivers ahead once we pass this one until we reach the town.

  Mr. Flounders suggested that we refill our water bottles from this river, so we did. Cain and Dylan had refilled their empty bottles since they offered theirs to Tom and Sally during the break. I helped Reina refill hers and then we moved further to the other end to wash the blood away from our arms and faces.

  I looked over at Reina who stood on the other end of the river. I told her to stay close and to be careful in case she slipped.

  "Yuri, look! There's huckleberries right here!" She stood right next to a branch of huckleberries that grew near the river. "My parents and I used to grow these when I was a kid. We had hundreds of these back at my old home." She started picking out a few of them and placing them inside the pockets of her backpack.

  "Reina, be careful and get back here now!" I tried my best to be as quiet as possible so that I wasn't shouting. But Reina continued to pick out some more. She started going on about how these were her parent's favorite berries because of how sweet they were.

  The sound of the water wasn't helping so I decided to walk through the shallow waters to get to her on the other side. But before I took the step forward, I stood frozen in place and my eyes widened in fear.

  "Reina, don't move." Reina finally turned her head to face me as she finished picking out some huckleberries. She looked confused at my expression and then she heard the footsteps of something behind her. It was one of those creatures, only, it didn't look like a student or one of the field guides we had only seen. It was a man wearing a red plaid top and jeans covered in blood. Its eyes were white, and its jaw appeared to have been dislocated.

  I pulled out the pistol that I stored in the pocket of my backpack and aimed it right at the creature's head. Reina attempted to move away as quietly as she could but panicked and slipped on the side of the river. The creature heard her scream and began making its way in her direction. I was shaking and it was hard for me to aim at their movement. I fired the pistol but missed its head. I shot multiple times but continued to miss.

  The creature was getting close to Reina who had been sitting on the muddy ground from slipping. No, please don't get close. I continuously panicked. Then the sound of another gun had gone off and, in an instant, most of the creature's head went missing.

  "You outta be careful in these woods. Those monsters will come huntin' for ya." An old man stood on the other side of the river holding a shotgun. Candace and the others came rushing to where Reina and I were located after hearing the gunshots.

  "Yuri! Reina! What the hell!" Candace grew furious. She had been looking for me and Reina this whole time and stopped her tracks when she noticed the old man on the other end of the river. She yelled for us to come over, so I quickly ran up to Reina and helped her up. But before we could get back, we heard some rustling from a distance, and we could see some more of them running in our direction.

  "This way!" The old man gestured for us to follow him. Mr. Flounders ran up to where Reina and I were standing, and he carried her in front of him. We ended up following the old man as we continued to shoot at the horde behind us. I turned around and realized that there were no more signs of them chasing us. He eventually led us to a cabin nearby and we all made it inside.

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  We all stood inside panting from all the running. I bent down on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. I looked over at Reina who had been holding her ankles. It seems like she sprained it again, but it looked worse this time.

  "I thought I myself clear when I told everyone to stay as a group. Why did you two run off somewhere else!?" Candace shouted at me and Reina.

  "You don't have to shout you know!" I responded while gripping the zipper of my jacket. The guilt dwelling within me. She didn't have to be this angry. But I understood her concern for us. I know it was risky, but still, I couldn't stand her growing furious at Reina. We just wanted to feel a sense of freedom from the crowd.

  "Do you know how risky that was? What would've happened if this old man hadn't been there to save your asses?!" Candace continued.

  "I had it there okay! I-I almost had it..." I trailed off and then stared at the pistol I was holding. I didn't have it. I couldn't handle the situation. I panicked. I didn't realize we had gone that far. Candace was right. If the old man hadn't been there for us, Reina could've been dead. I glanced over at Reina and then at Candace and apologized to her.

  Candace eventually walked up to me and sighed. She apologized for shouting and blamed herself for losing sight of us early on. She told us that she was glad we were okay but to never leave her sight again next time. Reina and I promised and then she asked the old man if he had any ice packs.

  The old man introduced himself and told us that his name was Wilbert and that he lived with his wife Mary who had fallen sick the last couple of days. She was upstairs in their bed resting and he asked if we could keep it down. This was their house and he told us that he had been fighting off these creatures since yesterday when he noticed one had chased him and tried to bite him, but he shot them in the forehead before they could get the chance.

  We looked out the window and could tell that it was almost getting dark again. Those creatures out there will eventually act differently, and it'll be harder to survive the night.

  Mr. Flounders attended to Reina's ankle and applied the ice pack that Wilbert had provided. We eventually applied an ointment to help reduce the soreness and I helped him wrap the bandage around Reina's ankle. Candace grew curious about Wilbert's wife and wanted to know her case, so Wilbert led her upstairs to take a look. Tom had followed them upstairs as well.

  Everyone else was exhausted but grew cautious as the night was approaching. I looked over at Sally who was sitting on the couch. She looked a bit better than before, but she was still struggling to properly walk on the leg that was bitten. I gave her the ice pack that we used for Reina to help ease the pain a little.

  "Mr. Flounders, do you think we'll see our families again?" I asked after the thought of the smoke coming out of Waterfront replayed back in my mind. Somehow, I had this bad feeling that those creatures had already reached the town. And those voices continued to cloud my mind.

  "We can't start thinking like that. At a time like this, it's important to imagine they're safe out there waiting for us." Mr. Flounders paused and then chuckled. "You know what keeps me going? Imagining the smiles on my wife and my little girl. They give me the strength I need to keep going. Sometimes, thinking positively will get you where you need to be." He sat down and placed his shotgun on the floor. "Don't lose hope, Yuri. Your family is safe. I promise." Mr. Flounders smiled as he turned to face me.

  "Yeah," I responded while thinking about Jason, my mother, and Ernie. I know that they were probably anxious about my return. I imagined them standing at the front door of the cabin, anticipating my figure showing up on the pathway. Jason would be crying and begging for me to hold him. He never really wants to admit but he's taken a liking to me more than my mom or Ernie. My mother would be smiling with relief that I hadn't forgotten the way back and Ernie would just be glad that I survived and made it alive. I wanted to relax as I sat next to Sally on the couch but when it felt like I could finally close my eyes to rest, we heard a sudden gunshot upstairs followed by an agonizing scream.

  The sound brought everyone on their toes, and I could hear the stir of panic and confusion in the room. Everyone stayed silent and stood in place. Our eyes instantly shot in the direction of the stairs where we could hear the sound of footsteps running down. Candace and Tom appeared; fear had struck their faces as they kept looking back at what was behind them.

  "Candace! Tom! What's going on?" Mr. Flounders screamed as both had finally made it down to the first floor.

  "That old woman is—." Tom tried to catch his breath as his eyes stayed fixated on the stairs.

  "She's turned into—and her head is—." Candace panted and began to aim her shotgun in the direction of the stairs.

  "What about Wilbert? What happened to that old man?!" Mr. Flounders looked in the direction of the stairs searching for the old man to have followed them down.

  "She...ate his entire body." I could hear the fear coming out of Tom's words as he tried to explain. His face looked traumatized from what he saw.

  "What?!" Mr. Flounders was shocked then suddenly, we could hear what sounded like really heavy footsteps upstairs. It walked in several directions as if it were trying to find its way down but didn't know how. I could hear my heart begin to pound the closer the footsteps walked towards by direction from above. The sound grew louder the closer it got to where I was standing right below it. Then everything went silent as if it halted its movements. I tilted my head up and looked at the ceiling right above me. I stood still, my body trembling in place, anticipating for something to happen.

  I slowly tilted my head back to face Candace who was digging for something in her backpack. She pulled out what appeared to be a grenade. She must've packed some from the firearm storage when we were under the radio tower. She caught my eye and gestured for me to move away. She then gestured for everyone to stand over by the doorway, so we quickly followed suit.

  "Hey, you understand that that can blow up the tire cabin don't you?" Mr. Flounders reacted after seeing Candace hold on to the grenade in one hand.

  "Just what did you guys see up there?!" Mr. Flounders aimed his shotgun at the ceiling.

  "That won't work. It's...it's not like one we've encountered before!" Candace screamed sounding nervous, and everyone grew even more confused and frightened by her words. What did she mean? What exactly is that thing upstairs and why was Candace so terrified by it? She's never looked this anxious before whenever we've fought against them. The sound of the footsteps moved again, and it began to make its way toward the stairs.

  "Everyone get down!" Candace shouted and I immediately covered my ears as I dropped down like everyone else. I could see Candace throwing the grenade in the direction of the stairs far enough so that it made its way up to the second floor.

  Mr. Flounders rushed over to where Sally and Reina had been standing and covered their ears. Everyone fell to the wooden floor, our bodies lying flat as our ears began to ring from the sound of the explosion. After a moment everything went silent. No one moved or made any sounds, and we could no longer hear the heavy footsteps on the second floor.

  I looked in the direction of the stairs, anticipating any signs of the creature but there was nothing. Was it dead? Did the grenade work? Candace and Mr. Flounders stood up from their spot and looked at the stairs. Then everyone diverted their gaze in the same direction.

  "Did it work?" Dylan stood up and looked around. He grabbed his metal baseball from the floor and decided to walk towards the stairs.

  "Stop. We can't be sure." Candace held her arm out and stopped Dylan from going further. Then a moment later, the sound of heavy footsteps continued and began to make its way down the stairs. I could see the terror in Candace and Dylan's expressions as they immediately backed away from the steps. The creature was making its way down quickly and I could hear the gunshots firing. As it finally made its way down to a level we could see, fear struck our faces as we were now looking at what appeared to be a nearly headless creature. It was moving without a brain and its body size was triple that of a human. Blood was dripping down its mouth and leaking onto the wooden stairs. As it moved, it left trails of sticky fluid on the floor. Nothing was stopping its advances. What was this thing?

  I noticed Cain in front of me shuffling around. He grabbed his backpack and began digging for something. After a second, he immediately pulled out a lighter and ran into the kitchen. What was he up to? We backed away from the creature as it made its way to the first floor. Peter, Tom, and I all aimed our weapons and shot at the moving thing, but nothing seemed to weaken it.

  The creature stood still for a second until it targeted Candace who was panicking as she reloaded her gun but before she could react, she slipped and fell on the sticky fluid. It grabbed her by the arms, attempting to bite her. Mr. Flounders tried to shoot its mouth, but it didn't seem to affect the creature. Dylan ran up to it and shoved his metal baseball bat in between its teeth to prevent it from biting Candace, and she was able to loosen herself from its grip.

  "Hey, over here you bastard." Cain suddenly appeared and was holding what looked to be a glass bottle of alcohol with a damp rug sticking out of the hole in the bottle. He held his lighter next to the rag and began to light it up. The creature immediately diverted its focus on Cain and ran in his direction. Cain reacted by throwing the bottle right at the moving figure and as it landed on the creature, flames emitted out of the bottle surrounding its entire body. We could hear the screeching sounds coming out of its mouth as its movements rapidly decreased and fell to the ground drowning in its own fluid.

  It eventually stood in place, and we could no longer hear its screeching sounds. We stared into the burning flames as they began to diminish. After a moment, the creature turned black. Its body lay motionless on the floor. Luckily the fire didn't spread far enough as we tried our best to contain it.

  "What the hell." Mr. Flounders panted as he took notice of the sticky fluid that surrounded the creature.

  I rushed over to where Candace had been sitting down. Her right arm was badly injured, and I could see blood dripping down her sleeve. She ripped out a piece of the fabric from the shoulder part of her top and held the other end with her teeth. I quickly pulled the alcohol out of her backpack and directly poured some on the affected skin. I noticed how deep the markings were and the more I looked at it, the more I felt like fainting seeing so much blood flowing out. But I tried my best to stay composed.

  She began tightening the fabric around her arm and afterwards, the look on her expression appeared as if she wasn't in pain. Candace seemed so strong. If I were in her shoes, I don't think I'd be as calm as she is at this very moment.

  "Guys..." Tom's voice trembled as if he was nervous about something he had seen. I noticed he was staring out the window and when my head traced the same direction, we could see them. The same creepy smiles as the one we saw back at the radio tower. Their palms painted in sweat and blood and their eyes were as clear as a human's. This time there were multiple figures, their heads tilted, and their eyes locked on us from outside.

  This was bad.