Hunting Season

Devotion

Adira stayed the night at Kevin and Conrad's camp. A small tent with a few holes was pitched right outside the cabin- which was apparently off limits to her. Kevin told her Conrad was in there all day and didn't want to interact with anyone. He didn't bother him either, and pointed out he spent his nights outdoors in his tent.

"Will I ever get to see him?" The curious woman questioned, hoping to see another familiar face yet fearful of what she might discover. Conrad was enshrouded in mystery, and it made Adira feel uncomfortable.

"Maybe. When he wants to," Kevin commented, patting off leaves inside his own tent as he prepared to sleep through the rest of the night. Adira was already in her little fortress, grateful that at least she had some form of shelter. She waited for Kevin to take off his jacket and climb into the structure before thanking him.

"I didn't think I would ever find you all. It's like fate. Thank you for everything...and saving me. We should get you and Conrad back home soon. Tomorrow, okay?"

Kevin's eyes seemed to turn glassy as a rather sad expression appeared on his face. With a small nod, he crawled inside of his tent and gave a simple wave to the woman. She returned it, wondering why he wasn't as excited as she would have thought he would be. Perhaps it was because they were lost and couldn't find their way back. Was she lost also? How was she even going to bring them back home if they had most likely tried and failed?

Adira's thoughts wouldn't stop plaguing her mind as she crawled further into her tent space and zipped the entrance shut. She had nothing on her to distract her, not even her phone. With regret she realized she had last left it with God.

Where was God anyways? He had no problem stalking her before, maybe this time she managed to find a good hiding spot.

The woman tossed and turned for what felt like ages, thinking of Mitch, his friends, the cult, God, and the forest. Stepping into Whispering Winds was like stepping into another world completely. Nothing was quite like it seemed. Perhaps Whispering Winds was another dimension, a portal to a world like Adira's, but altered.

"Adira?" She heard the low voice of a man outside her tent, causing her to flinch slightly. She cocked her head, ears strained as she quickly responded with a "yes?". Something outside seemed to graze against the fabric of her small home, but Adira wasn't afraid. She recognized the voice, and with her heart in her throat she unzipped the entrance.

A man with a walking stick in his hand stood before her, one leg hovering over the floor while the other was planted firmly on the ground. Adira was caught off guard by this, and glanced up to see the face of the man. He was covered in shadows, however, and the dying firepit couldn't provide enough light.

"Conrad....," Adira muttered knowingly, carefully making her way out of the tent. She didn't mean to stare at his missing foot for too long but it was a sight that shocked her to the core. She didn't know what to say, trying to make out a small glimpse of Conrad's face in the darkness. She could've sworn she saw two, round, lidless eyes but knew her mind was playing tricks on her.

"You need to leave," Conrad abruptly spoke, his scratchy, fading voice a mere whisper in the night. Adira was taken aback, cocking her head in confusion as she attempted to understand what he had told her, "I didn't hear you. Did you-?"

Conrad pointed behind her, causing the woman to turn her head back. She didn't see anything at first, until a series of faint whispers caught her attention.

They said her name, over and over again in different voices she did not recognize. It was almost as if they were trying to grab her attention. Her eyes darted around the dark trees surrounding them. She was going to ask Conrad what he was pointing at until she saw him. It was only a dark shadow, but she recognized the  outline of the horns and body.

God was rising from the floor, bones cracking as his long claws twitched in anticipation. Adira unintentionally grabbed on to Conrad from fear, only to feel cold, hard skin. She flinched away from his hand and stepped back, aware of a familiar presence directly behind her. Icy breathe travelled down her back, causing her skin to come alive.

"He's been waiting for you, Adira," Conrad was suddenly twitching and bending at awkward angles, growing taller until he was just about as big as God. Adira couldn't describe how awful and deformed he appeared before her now. She screeched only after Conrad's long fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her closer to him.

His large, bloodied eyes that could not blink bore into her soul and thoughts. She heard his disfigured voice ringing in her head-

He's alive.

Adira didn't scream when her eyes popped open. She took in her surroundings, heavy breathing slowing down once she realized she had suffered a nightmare. When she had fallen asleep, she did not know. She was sure Conrad never came out- but the visions that played in her mind over and over refused to leave.

It all felt so real.

She could still feel Conrad's rough grip, and God's cool breathe traveling down her neck and spine. Adira felt goosebumps start to form and sat up, rubbing her arms to shake away the uneasy feelings.

A few birds chirping outside her tent let her know sunrise was imminent. She wrapped herself in her sleeping bag and laid back down, taking in the events her brain had imagined.

He was waiting for her...he's alive

What could it possibly mean?