A ghastly bird swooped down at Katie, who ran shielding her head and face from the onslaught of beak, talons, and black feathers.

My head started spinning, and everything started moving in slow motion.

It’s going to get me!

I crouched down low and gasped for breaths—I was hyperventilating. That wasn’t the worst of it. Out of nowhere, another bird from hell swooped over and fiercely tried to rip Katie’s map out of her hands.

I can do nothing. I can’t. I can’t.

Fear crippled me and I couldn’t move. I curled on the ground and held my legs tight to my chest, struggling to breathe. I wanted to help, I should help, but I couldn’t. My paralyzed state made it impossible for me to do anything else other than cower.

In a blur, Martin fearlessly dashed over to Katie’s side, but struggled to reach the bird in time before it flew off with the map in its large beak.

“Katie! Katie, are you okay?” Martin had his hands cusped around his sister’s face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She nodded. “Ell, stop freaking out and get over here!”

I sat upright—still on the ground.

“Ellis Ann Moore, the crow is gone already,” he said sternly.

I forced myself to stand, then walked over. I stood next to Martin and Katie, a little unstable and saying nothing at all. Katie had nearly been mauled, and I was too caught up in my own fears to help.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “That bird was attacking and, I just… You see why I don’t like them? I knew birds were crazy.”

“They were just crows. We’re probably in their territory; maybe they have a nest nearby.”

“Crows, seagulls, sparrows are all the same,” I said under my breath. I cleared my throat, then continued, “You guys want to start heading back?”

I looked at Katie, who was mopping the tears off her flushed cheeks with the sleeve of her jacket. After a final sniffle, she turned to Martin and shook her head. Her bravery was admirable.

“If she doesn’t wanna give up, let’s keep going.” Martin beamed proudly at Katie. “You wanna be in the middle this time, Katie? Let Ellis be in the back to defend you from the crows?”

My face must have lost its color when he said that, because they both started laughing. Katie stood behind me, holding my hand.

“Looks like Katie is gonna protect you, Ell.”

“Thanks,” I squeezed her hand, as she valiantly flashed her pearly whites at me.

✽✽✽

By now, the flashlights were our main source of light. Martin led the way, while I could see the beam of Katie’s flashlight bouncing merrily over the ground.

“Hey guys, look!” Martin exclaimed.

Before us was an odd-looking patch in the middle of the woods. There were no trees, no shrubs, and no grass. It was a circular patch of dirt the size of a small theater auditorium.

I scrunched my nose at the scent of upturned earth, intermingled with an acrid burnt smell. I dragged the back of my hand across my nose as if it would make the smell go away.

Martin walked to the middle of the patch and I followed closely behind him.

“What is this?” he whispered. He shone his flashlight around the edges of the clearing. “See the surrounding trees? The sides of them have been sheared where the clearing ends.”

“Why would anyone do that in the middle of the forest?”

“Couldn’t tell ya’.”

I wanted a better look at it, and I found myself squinting to see. “We need more light. I can barely see—”

I stopped abruptly and all I could hear was the rustling of leaves overhead.

It was too quiet.

Martin and I realized that we hadn’t seen Katie’s beam of light for a while. We spun around to where Katie had been standing, but she was gone. A distant, grim caw sent a sinking feeling to the pit of my stomach.

“Katie!” Martin yelled.

“She must have gone after the crow to get the map.”

“Stay right here, Ell.” Martin dropped his backpack on the ground beside me and bolted into the woods.

I stood alone in the darkness for only a few seconds before I followed.

“Martin, wait!” I cried.

“Katie! Answer me!” he hollered even louder.

I was out of breath by the time I caught up to him.

“Martin, do you even know where you’re going?”

He didn’t answer. He turned around, holding Gwendolyn in his shaking hand.

My mouth fell open, but I quickly recovered and thought of something encouraging to say. “She’s nearby. She’s got to be nearby,” I said. “Katie!” I looked around and realized I had no idea where we were.

“She’d never leave Gwendolyn behind,” he said. “Katie!”

“That’s it. I’m calling the cops.” I took out my phone and was met by a ‘no service’ notification. “There’s no service on mine. Try yours.”

Martin pulled his phone out of his pocket, but his had the same issue.

“How could both of them be out of service? It’s not like we’ve left the country,” he fumed. After a few curse words, he exhaled with a heavy sigh. “All right, let’s get back on track. We’ll return to the clearing, and we’ll go from there. Maybe she went back there to find us.” He spoke calmly, but I knew that his mind was probably a mess.

“I don’t know which way we came from.”

Martin clenched his jaw. “I do.”

There was a crackle in the air and the rumble of thunder just as we started heading back to the clearing. It was as if someone was playing a twisted, contrived joke on us, when heavy rain began to fall in a continuous bucketful-assault.

We trudged through the increasingly muddy forest and the sound of the leaves rustling was drowned out by the heavy barrage of rain. As we continued, I began to hear branches snapping behind us. At first, I ignored it. Perhaps it was just the rain hitting the ground—the storm was certainly loud enough.

But then it got closer.

And louder.

No, this snapping was too heavy and much too calculated.

Someone was following us.