Using that route one that seemed like the only road in existence in such all-consuming darkness, Lukas drove home.

He kept the window down, letting the breeze run over him, the cold air turning freezing with the speed. This did wonders for staying awake, but road hypnosis was a powerful thing. It could overpower cold air, caffeine, and loud music, and all of the above at once even. But that wasn’t helped by the blur of mundanity; the empty-headed period of time where you do something so regular and easy that the world fades out.

Even the greenish color of the lights in the sky was a blur in his mind.

He felt a pull. A pull like that strain in the back of your eyes you might feel after playing VR for hours on end. A pull like a ball of anxiety in your chest. A pull like… like before he knew it, he was parked in a dirt lot off the side of the road.

Lukas rubbed his eyes in confusion, a grimace planted on his face. What the hell just happened? Why was he here? Where was he?

He supposed it was probably a good idea to pull off the road if he couldn’t even remember getting here. That was more than a little concerning. Looking at the time, he got even more concerned. It was late.

Aeva would be worried. He got his phone out and called her, but there was no answer. She must have been streaming. It was fine. He’d be fine. He just needed to stay here for a little bit, and then it’d be okay.

He just needed to stand outside for a bit. Just like at work. Maybe take a little bit of a walk. That wouldn't be too bad if he didn't go far, right?

It was thirty minutes later, and he couldn't stop. His feet wouldn't stop moving. Every time they did, the ball of anxiety in his chest became a boulder, threatening to eat him alive. He felt like he'd have a heart attack, or something truly dreadful would happen if he went back right now.

He wasn't dressed for this. His clothes weren't light by any means, but he didn't have anything heavy on either. The cool night air that was so pleasant when driving with a blasting heater was chilling him to the bone now.

Worse yet, he wasn't sure if he could return to his car now even if he mustered up the willpower. He was deep in the woods and hadn't marked a path. He didn't bring any tools, either. No map, no GPS, not even the big knife or bear spray he kept in the car just in case.

Worse comes to worst, he could track his own steps back. But that took far too much focus for the dread that consumed him at the thought.

Speaking of dread, Lukas began to feel something out here with him. There weren't any bear tracks, the moon was bright and full, and the woods weren't so dense they dampened the light of the stars and moon. The Aurora was particularly bright tonight, as well.

Well, if he was stuck out in the cold, at least he had a pretty view tonight.

There were worse places to die.

The thought made him shudder, edging away from the direction he now felt the most hostile dread.

He'd been doing that for a while now. Lukas wasn't sure if he was being hunted or herded, or maybe both, but he pulled out the Raging Bull Model 444 Ultralite he carried concealed. He mechanically checked the cylinder, seeing it was fully loaded with the .44 rounds he used for bear defense. Not that he has ever had to, thankfully.

Never hurt to be prepared, though.

Clicking the six-chamber cylinder back in place, he took a steadying breath.

There were worse places to die. But Aeva would never forgive him if he left her, too. He cocked the hammer and continued, really wishing he'd brought his spray. It was hard to miss with spray. He was no slouch with his revolver or his Ruger guide gun back home, but a cloud of pain was way more effective.

Then, he got the sense this wasn't the kind of thing that even more potent pepper sprays would help. He didn't know what this terrifying presence driving him forward was, but while he wasn't a very superstitious person, he knew deep down this wasn't something natural.

Whatever this was, it didn't belong.

By the time an hour had passed, he was almost wishing the damn thing would just show itself. When it did, he'd know if he was getting out of this thing alive. It was damn cold, getting late enough in the year that it was a very poor idea to be out like this unprepared, but he could last a day or more in this weather before hypothermia took him out.

The creature, though. That was one mystery that stubbornly refused to unravel.

Slowly, frustration began to mount. An hour and a half passed. Then two.

When two and a half hours had passed, Lukas was done. Dread, no matter how deep, lost its impact without some variation or a solid reason behind it given enough time and a sound mental state.

He couldn't always boast the latter, but he'd had more than enough of the former.

Stopping in place, he took another deep breath. Then turned.

He saw nothing. There was nothing there. Hah… nothing there at all.

Maybe he needed to see a therapist again. Shuddering as he rubbed his arms and hugged himself, he gradually started back. He definitely needed to get in touch with his therapist again. If driving two hours both ways was what it took to not kill himself in the middle of winter in the woods, so be it. He was just lucky it was summer.

Then he stopped.

Then started.

Every step set his mind screaming. But focusing on keeping his tracks in sight helped.

Sometimes the terror surged, but that was losing its edge too. He'd freeze, for sure, but it wasn't making him turn around. He was making progress. Slow, faltering process, but all the same.

It took him an extra thirty minutes to get back to the car, having been out here for nearly five and a half hours now. He had to check his tracks occasionally, plus the stops for the micro panic attacks that were happening. But that was okay. He'd dealt with way worse, even earlier this same night.

A sense of triumph mingled with the dread. He did it. Lukas wasn't so sure now if the fear was in his head or not, but soon it wouldn't matter.

He hesitated, touching the door handle, tensing. He checked the back seat, the trunk. Even under the car. Nothing. The dread didn't go away, but it helped. Especially the normal thoughts like realizing two of his tires needed more air and one was beginning to run thin on treads.

He didn't let the wave of terror stop him this time. He opened the door. He got in.

The fear, the cold, it all fell away as he clicked his key in the ignition. There was a moment before of worry it wouldn't start, he'd left the AC on somehow, but it did just fine.

Lukas, one. Terror monster/mental illness, zero. He grinned stupidly, so relieved that weight finally fell away. He had to give Aeva a hug when he got back, then call and leave his therapist a voicemail while it was fresh in his mind.

So relieved was he that he didn't realize the pressure pushing his foot onto the gas pedal until a tree loomed above him, going easily forty-five.

The only thing he had time for before the impact was confusion.

When he next woke he was somewhere else. Somewhere deep in the woods where the foliage is fairly dense. The fear returned tenfold, paralyzing him. Not just because of the fact he was thoroughly lost in the woods with no sense of direction out, but that same supernatural horror.

But that sense before was but a taste of the certainty of a terribly painful death that filled him now.

This was where he would die.

It was over. His sight went black.