Hoof

Expedition

Dwain's heart raced as he led Dave back towards his park ranger office. He was afraid of what the night had in store for him. As soon as they got into the woods, Dwain quickly moved to his desk and began rummaging around, searching for something important that he didn't want Dave to see. In a frenzied rush, Dwain grabbed a stack of papers and threw them into a nearby filing cabinet before turning back to Dave with an anxious look on his face. Dwain had grabbed Indian war paint and started putting it on and motioned Dave to do the same.

Dave's heart was pounding as he watched Dwain secure the Indian war paint onto his face, their eyes locking in a moment of fear. They both readied themselves for what was to come, no longer sure that they would be able to make it out alive. Dwain then grabbed a spear and two rifles from the wall behind them and Dave knew in that moment that there was no turning back.

Dave and Dwain nervously glanced around as they drove their quad into the woods. A cold chill seemed to stretch from tree to tree, leaving goosebumps up and down both of their arms. As they approached the crash site, an eerie feeling enveloped them like a blanket. The peace that usually accompanied nature was nowhere to be found in these haunted woods, replaced instead by something dark and unsettling. Dave swallowed hard as he crept off the vehicle, his heart racing faster with every step.

Dave just then received an angry phone call from his wife, Mary. She hadn't even given him a chance to hear what he was about to say before she angrily cut him off and hung up. When he tentatively tried to call her again he said, "Mary, I am going to be late because I'm currently busy saving the town from an alien infestation." Silence seemed to fill up the line and then suddenly Mary's voice rose sharply, "What do you mean 'saving the town'? Are you drink with that jerk friend of yours, Mike? The laundry isn't even done and the trash isn't taken out. " Dave hung up and threw his phone into the woods. Dave turned to Dwain, "Look we need to kill this buck because if I don't have proof my wife is going to kill me. "

Just then Dwain whirled around, heart pounding in his ears. His knuckles clenched tightly around the spear he held protectively up to face whatever stood behind him. He heard Dave sharply intake a breath at the same time, and he knew they must have both heard it: a low branch snapping under weight and an undoubtedly large animal panting heavily nearby.