They turned, scrambling up the muddy slope. The rain made the ground treacherous. Mara slipped, her knee hitting a root. Leo grabbed her arm, hauling her up. Jax was behind them, his heavier footsteps squelching in the mud.
"Yeah. Old wood. Looked hand-carved."
"Hevc," the thing outside rasped, its voice muffled by the glass but audible. It wasn't speaking English; it was mimicking the sound of the engine. "Heeevccc..." wrong turn hevc
"We can't stay here," Leo said, adrenaline finally overriding his fear. He reached for the glove box. "The flare gun. We brought the flare gun." They turned, scrambling up the muddy slope
They gathered their packs. The air outside was biting, smelling of wet pine and something else—something metallic and stagnant, like old copper pennies. They locked the jeep, leaving the heavy bags inside, taking only flashlights and a few essentials. Leo grabbed her arm, hauling her up
The rain intensified, drowning out the sound of the dragging footsteps, but Leo knew they were there. Just beyond the tree line. Matching their pace. Waiting for the car to stop moving, or for the humans to panic and flee into the woods.