The Wrong Person Was Transported to the Horrific Lost Village

We were walking through the picturesque forest as we recounted the enemy we faced in gory detail.

"A monster deer 'ey?" Pitter asked. "Can't say I've ever heard of that, but then again, I don't think any of the people in town ever stayed in the woods you folks did."

"You're right, Pitter," Dampee said. "No one in town now has ever done it, but there were a few folks that did it once upon a time. Those folks were the challenging sort, however, and their luck ran out... Can't remember their names for the life of me now, though..."

"But you have never heard of the deer?" I asked.

"Never," Dampee replied. "Lorio," Dampee called, getting the attention of the guy leading the group with Susy. "I doubt this thing was an irregular one."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same. The monster deer might be the one that hangs around these parts."

I cocked my head. "Do the creatures of the forest have a territory?"

"Sort of. It's more like they will only appear in certain spots and never venture out... It's how we can survive them if things get desperate. The ones that chased our group--they only appear on the road and bushes surrounding the road. We know that because of an incident where someone barreled through the brush and successfully got away from the hounds when they had no business doing so. That person got into these denser woods, but they were close enough to town that they could get to the valley without seeing the monster deer."

"Ahh, so the ones that chased you all were the howling ones?"

"It was crazy, Mari," Mitch said. "You'd hardly believe it."

"We can fill her in on those ones later. I'm still interested in hearing about the new monster," Lorio said.

I looked out the corner of my eye at Annabelle, who nodded. "Yeah, Mari..." She eyed me and then the woman who was sticking pretty closely to my other side. "You two seemed to have gone through a harrowing experience... But how did it come about? You were running in the woods, and then? I just wonder how you could get away from such a monster."

"I do too," Dampee said. "It sounded fearsome from the description. I doubt I could escape unless it had some unique rule governing its behavior."

"Well... Maybe..." I replied. "Yeah, it's all a little bit of a blur because of all the adrenaline but..."

I collected myself. I had to make sure that I wouldn't give away any of my actions. If I just played up how much of a victim I was, it would be fine. 

"The monster appeared from deeper in the forest, and the moment I saw it--I'm not the type to be scared easily. My work put me in many dangerous situations, and I was also a butcher's daughter, so I'm not squeamish, but when I saw the deer, my body trembled. It took a little to realize that I was afraid."

Pitter nodded. "Aye. Some monsters can drive a person mad if they look at them for too long. You probably came across one of those types."

Mitch audibly gulped.

"I see... Kaz was with me at the time. He freaked out worse than I did and fell... or maybe he had gotten his foot caught on something?" I shook my head. "I don't remember well, I just know that when it sprinted at us, I ran away like a child--I have never run like that before. Didn't think I was capable of it, even..." 

"It's okay, Lass," Dampee said, a sympathetic look on his face. "This place will make a child out of the burliest of men."

I closed my eyes. "Kaz... That was when Kaz died... I won't lie to you all. Kaz... I was able to get a headstart because of his... misfortune. I'm sorry."

"I can't say anything about the people on the bus but..." Pitter nodded at me. "No villager will judge you, Mari."

"That makes me feel better, thanks... Anyway, I ran and ran..." I touched my forehead. 

"Did you get that from the monster?" Anabelle asked. "That wound?"

"Yeah? I guess I did... I don't know. It didn't make sense to me. It grabbed me and slammed me into a tree, but I swear it let go at the last moment. I feel like it could have splattered my head if it really wanted to." I forced a shudder out. "I don't really understand what happened."

"Hmm..." Anabelle said, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Some monsters are sadistic," Pitter said. "They want to see you cry sometimes. It can be torturous, but if you keep your wits about you, you can escape."

Pitter said what I was thinking--I'd like to be able to talk with the experienced ones at length, but I couldn't be too careful at the moment.

"Then that must be what happened," I said. "It let me go and ran around me, then, when it lunged, I ducked away at the last moment and ran. That was when--"

"I found her!" Haunting declared, startling Anabelle enough that she jumped. "I called Mari and took her to the shelter--get ready for it--a cave! We hid in the cave, and the deer couldn't follow! It was like there was a magic ward or something!" Haunting grabbed onto my arm--

"Pardon me?" I said with a raised brow.

--and she looked over at Annabelle. "And we spent the night together, watching over Susy and keeping an eye on the monster. Together. Both of us. Very close together."

"I see..." Anabelle said, her brows knit.

"So a cave?" Pitter said with a laugh. "It all makes sense. You found a Hideaway!"

"You know what they are, Pitter?" I asked, sincerely curious.

"We all do by now. There are these spots that pop up in the wilderness--Hideaways. They're havens from monsters. You're lucky to find one here."

Dampee scoffed. "You say lucky, but that's how this place breaks you." Dampee looked at Haunting and I, his expression turning gentler by the second. "Here's the truth, girls. This place didn't want you to die just yet. It just wanted to tease you. It gave you the Hideaway, so that next time, when you're running around, you'll have that hope in your heart. 'There must be one here,' you'll think. 'If only we can find it!' you'll tell yourself. But it won't come. That's what this place does. It likes it when you think you have a chance."

"Dampee, that's not right," Pitter said. "This place always gives you a chance to survive. You just have to keep your mind open and receptive to the signals."

"Your optimism will get you killed, Pitter--and that'd be a real shame. I actually like you. Get with the program. The sooner, the better. I don't want to be left in that town without someone like you."

While Pitter and Dampee engaged, Anabelle pulled closer to me. "So... you were able to outrun the deer after dodging it?"

"Yes?" 

I was a little taken aback that she would ask, but then I noticed the look in her eye and was surprised. She was skeptical of me.

"Is something the matter, Anabelle?"

"No, no, I'm just overcome with worry," she said with a nervous chuckle. "I'm getting anxious just thinking about running from such a beast."

"Good thing they don't show up during the day, right?" Haunting blurted out, squeezing her chest further into my arm. "So, there's no need to bunch up so close together, you know? We can walk with some spaces between us. It's probably safer that way."

Anabelle and I both looked at Haunting.

""Speak for yourself.""

She looked at us with a completely innocent demeanor. "I'm wobbly on my feet. I have low blood sugar. If I let go of Mari, I might actually die."

"That's a little excessive," I muttered back.

"I'm safer with Mari than away from her," Haunting said without any shame.

I looked at Anabelle with a straight face. "She wasn't like this earlier."

"Right..."

Susy looked back at us. "Should we take them to the cave?"

"Oh!" Haunting said. "That could be good, right?"

But Pitter shook his head--the whole group, sans Mitch, actually disapproved, with Lorio clarifying. 

"That cave's probably long gone by now."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yup, once no one's got eyes on it, it leaves."

"That's why you shouldn't count on it," Dampee said.

Susy reacted with stunned surprise, but Haunting gripped my arm harder and looked at me with stars in her eyes.

"Oh my gosh, Mari! We were in a phantom cave!" She went serious and then peeked at Anabelle. "We were in a phantom cave together."

"I understand that," Anabelle replied.

"Oh! We're here!" Susy said. "We buried the body over there! Oh, but it didn't have a head. Will that be okay, Mister Lorio?"

"We've got to do what we can," Lorio said.

"I don't fear a head," Dampee said. "The body's the only problem. As long as we get rid of the body... That's all we need to get rid of."

And so, the group crowded around the burial sight, but I noticed Anabelle was lagging a little behind. 

"Are you okay, Anabelle?" I asked.

She looked at me and seemed to force a smile. "Yeah, I am... I just don't like these parts." She scratched her cheek as she chuckled. "I'm not very used to it."

"That's okay... I wouldn't expect anyone to be used to it."

I turned toward the grave, but something wasn't sitting right with me... I hoped Anabelle would be alright.