Criminal Minds: Danika

Woods

I hear a shout, someone yelling for help and something inside me tells me that it's a trick.

"Who's there?" The ranger asks and I grab his arm, stopping him from running off to find them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing."

"Don't fall for it." I say and he furrows his brows.

"There's someone out there! I'm not gonna just leave-."

"It's not a person." I say more to myself than him.

"What are you going on about?" He scoffs.

"Help!" The shout is closer and I grab Gibbs before he runs off.

"Please, trust me." I beg, pleading with him and he gulps but nods his head.

"Then who the hell is yelling for help?" The ranger scoffs.

"It's trying to lure us away from one another. We need to stick together. I told you, it's too dangerous in the dark." I say and the ranger rolls his eyes.

"We'll set up camp here for the night." Gibbs says and finds a clearing.

"We all need to get some sleep." He adds and stares the Ranger down.

The ranger huffs and puts his back pack down and I start making a fire. The words of the old man go through my head as I use his lighter to light it.

"Where'd you get that?" Gibbs asks.

"That's crazy Sam's." The ranger scoffs.

"He gave it to me." Is all I say.

"You listened to his ghost story?" He mocks.

"I saw the marks on his abdomen. They weren't from a bear." I say, searing my stare into the ranger's eyes.

"And how do you know that?" He scoffs.

"Because they would've looked more like this." I say and show him my scars and his face goes dark.

"Tiger, but claw marks are similar. Except this Tiger had an extra toe." I state.

I start drawing designs in the dirt that pop into my head.

"What are those?" The Ranger asks.

"I don't know." I admit but keep making them until we have a circle enclosed in on us.

Gibbs looks at the design and goes to make a mark but I grab his hand stopping him. I just shake my head and he doesn't do it.

"So, you believe in the demon of the woods too?" The ranger scoffs.

"I trust my agent." Gibbs says and I can't help but feel safe.

"Help! Help me!" The shouting starts again and this time the Ranger makes a run for it.

"No, get back!" I shout but it's too late, I hear an agonizing scream and then nothing.

"What the hell just happened?" Gibbs asks.

"We need to get back to the truck. Now!" I say.

"Dani-." He starts saying.

"It's not a bear." I say and he looks worried, but for my sanity more than anything.

"Let's get back to the truck." He sighs and we start going through the woods.

"The girls are still alive." I say and he looks at me confused.

"How do you know?" He asks.

"Because they hibernate. Store their food."

"What?" He asks.