To my utter horror, I realized how late it was when I stepped out of Akesuk’s house. Darkness was already creeping down, covering the town and forest with its melancholic ambient.

I felt uneasy as I had to walk through the woods to reach the safe haven of Atsanik. My eyes nervously darted left and right as I intently listened to the murmurs of old conifers.

But it was oddly quiet. Even animal noises died down, almost as they sensed the threatening presence of the predator among them.

The long road I walked on seemed to stretch into infinity and I sped up as my nerves prickled with alarm.

Closing my eyes, I gulped down the nausea when my sixth sense screamed at me to turn around.

I grabbed my bag with my shaky fingers, pressing it against my chest. Rummaging through the contents I clasped my fingers around the cold steel, flipping my pocket knife open.

I could almost swear I heard the quiet footsteps, following me relentlessly, taunting me.

My whole body quivered as I slowly turned around.

But the endless dark road was empty.

“Calm down Faina. This isn’t real. Tapeesa is trying to get into your head.” I murmured to myself, taking deep breaths. But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that everything was just an illusion, my gut told me otherwise.

“I have to get the fuck out of here.” I turned around, picking up the pace. Tears of sheer horror spilled down my cheeks as I once again heard the steps trailing behind me. Panic forced my body to move faster as I sprinted forward.

But the snowy blanket was too thick and my every step seemed painfully slow, almost like my boots were made of concrete.

As I was hurrying forward my boot slipped and I plummeted face first into the cold, wet ground.

The crackling voice behind me grew louder, accompanied with my terrified sobs as I spun my head towards the pursuer.

Only this time I could see him clearly.

The large shadow slowly moved towards me, stalking me like a pray. The grotesque clicking and wheezing sound grew louder, turning my body into ice.

I screamed as loud as I could, calling for help, hoping someone would hear my raspy screams.

I was so close to the town. If I stretched my hand, I could almost touch the lamppost in the distance.

“No!” I whimpered, pushing myself away from him “What do you want from me?” I screamed petrified “Leave me alone!”

I heard my voice crack as he edged closer. His face still wasn’t visible, for the darkness and his parka sheltered his features from me.

“I haven’t done anything to you!” I cried out, tears spilling down my cheeks.

I felt my fingers freezing since they were buried in thick snow, holding on to the earth for dear life. But I didn’t care. I needed to get away. I needed to live.

Bright headlights illuminated my face when Josh’s snowmobile abruptly stopped in front of me.

I still stared at the black silhouette, standing not far away from us. I was barely aware when Josh lifted me under my shoulders, pulling me up.

“Faina! Faina!” I clearly heard the panic in his voice “What is wrong with you?” But I didn’t give him an answer since my eyes were still glued to the monster.

I had to run.

“Josh! Josh, we have to go!” I awoke from my paralysis, now screaming at the flabbergasted man standing in front of me “He’s going to kill us both Josh!”

“Faina!” He roared to my face “Enough!”

“He is there! We have to run!” Screeching I tried to grab the handlebars on his snowmobile.

“I don’t see anybody for Christ’s sake!” He screamed, getting hold of my frenzied body “Fuck! You’re freezing!”

The black shadow took a step closer. My cries became even more crazed as I fought Josh, trying to break free from his clutch. I accidentally hit him across the jaw, shoving his body to the ground “No! Let me the fuck go!”

“Faina!” He roared, nursing his bloody jaw “Fine! We are going! Just step away from the snowmobile!”

He revived the engine at the last possible second because the shadow jumped forward, its gruesome cry echoing in my brain. A fear like no other enveloped my soul, turning it into dark, empty void.

I slumped against Josh’s back, feeling the consciousness seeping out of me. Unable to move, I helplessly watched the shadowy figure tirelessly trailing behind us, until it eventually disappeared into the woods.

I didn’t know why the creature chose to stalk me, but I was certain it was my soul it wanted.

***

“Alasie get Amaruq and Betty to Faina’s house right now! There is no time, I will explain later, OK? Just please, hurry!”

I heard Josh speak somewhere in the distance. My mind was wrapped up in a mist, and I felt like I was in a strange daze. Almost as if my head was submerged under water, odd whooshing sounds echoing in my ears.

When I lifted my hand to inspect it, I couldn’t feel it move. Objects which were placed right next to me seemed miles away.

I heard more noises as people seeped through the front door, encircling me.

“What happened?” Amaruq asked in his commanding tone.

“Poor girl!” I heard Betty say. I saw how she clasped my hand in her bigger ones, but I didn’t feel a thing.

“I heard her screaming in the distance. I knew there was something wrong, she was acting so off lately.” Josh shared a look with Alasie who nodded in confirmation.

“I found her lying in the snow, staring at the darkness. She was repeating that something was after her and screaming we have to run.” He said confused, turning to Amaruq “What is going on here?”

“Where was she coming from?” Amaruq asked ever so slowly intently staring into my blank eyes.

“I don’t know! From the woods.” Josh shrugged.

“Was the Akesuk’s house in that direction?”

“Yeah … I suppose. Why?” Josh sounded even more confused.

“Betty and I need a word with her. In private.” Amaruq sent a stern look in Josh’s and Alasie’s direction.

“Grandpa?” Alasie inquired him softly “What is wrong with her?”

“I’m afraid it’s nothing good, girl. Nothing good…” His deep voice trailed off as his eyes connected with Betty’s worried ones.

When they cleared the room, he and Betty knelled before me.

“I know you have gone to see Akesuk’s brother. What did you find out Faina? I have to know in order to help you.” He said with a gentler voice, placing his hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

I wanted to speak but nothing came out of my mouth, only a strange gurgling sound.

“It’s all right. Take your time.” Betty said patiently.

I tried one more time and succeeded “It was there.” I said with barely audible voice. They had to strain their ears to catch what I’ve just said.

“Who, honey? Who was there?” Betty placed her arm around me, leaning my shivering body against her strong frame “She’s in complete shock. Should we take her to the hospital?”

“So they can lock her up? Declare her insane?” He raised his voice “We both know the truth, Betty,” this time his voice was only a whisper. His eyes darted to the door in case someone overheard him.

“Who was there Faina? Say it.” He urged me on.

“Kalluk.” My eyes widened as I said his name out loud. I willed my heart to slow down but it kept racing, almost as it expected the monster to appear again.

Amaruq leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply “The history is repeating, there is no doubt.”

“What do we do my friend?”

“I don’t know Betty, I don’t know.”

“Honey.” She said, her motherly figure giving me as much comfort as it could “What did you find out at Akesuk’s house?”

I cleared my throat, sipping warm chamomile tea Alasie had brought me earlier “Nothing much. He kept a diary, but it’s old and barely readable. One thing is clear though, he saw Kalluk. He also wrote some strange warning about how he’s supposed to be blind.”

“What?” Amaruq laughed, his eyes darting to Betty “Blind you say?”

“Strange indeed.” She said, tapping her chin with her finger.

“Why?” I furrowed my brows “Why would it be strange?”

“It’s just that we imagined him differently that’s all.” Betty plastered a smile on her face “Just forget about it, all right? You have enough on your plate as it is.”

An uneasy feeling swept over me as I watched them. They knew more then they led on. And once again I was kept in the dark.

“Look, just take this.” She placed a small pill on top of my hand.

“What is it?” I watched the pill suspiciously.

“A sleeping medication.” She smiled “It will help you calm down and rest.”

My eyes widened in panic at the thought of sleeping “No! He will come back and kill me in my sleep! And the nightmares… No!” I pushed the pill back at her, but she shook her head.

“There will be no nightmares, trust me. This pill is very potent. And somebody will stay here with you until you wake up, I give you my word.”

I stared at the pill hesitantly, then I swallowed it down, rinsing my throat with the rest of the tea “Thank you.”

Betty led me to my bed, pulling the covers over my still half-frozen body. I knew I wasn’t cold from being outside, I was cold from the bloodcurdling emotions I felt.

Alasie and Josh entered the room minutes after that, sitting at my bedside “Don’t worry alright? We’ll be here through the night,” she said to me, gently caressing my locks “Just take some rest.”

Despite the dread that I will have to go through another set of nightmares my eyelids were heavy and I couldn’t fight the strong effect of the medicine.

“Good night.” Was the last thing I heard before I drifted off.