The next morning, Frederick lounged on a bench outside the church. Aside from some early commuters and joggers, the lack of activity kept the atmosphere peaceful. Between the sunrise and warm weather, he thanked his flexible schedule for allowing this opportunity.

Per Lian Hai’s advice, Frederick had returned to his physical body after his trip and slept like normal. He’d also taken steps to stay relaxed in the morning. Amara had noticed and asked what caused his mood change. He’d smiled and said that his most recent trip had reminded him to remember what mattered most.

At least, that had been the truth no matter how he analyzed it.

Now, he was waiting to meet another retreat center employee who was visiting town and emailed him about meeting up. Any skepticism disappeared when he sent his webpage with a headshot, and Frederick recognized the new man who had visited the church. Their introduction had gone well, minus the shadowy beast attack, so he adjusted his schedule to fit another meeting in. Plus, the more employees he clicked with, the higher chances he had of cementing the retreat center’s status as a repeat client.

While Frederick was reviewing his notes on his phone, footsteps made him glance up. A familiar middle-aged man with glasses and a button up approached. He slicked his hair back until it shined, and his skin looked a shade lighter than his picture depicted.

Then, the man smiled and held a hand out. “Hey, Frederick. Good to see you again. Thanks for meeting with me on such a fine morning.”

The familiar greeting erased any doubt in Frederick’s mind. After all, they’d met inside with different lighting, and he’d diverted half his attention to tracking the shadowy beasts.

Frederick stood and shook his hand. “It’s no problem. Nice to see you again. Can you remind me of your name? Sunday was hectic, and a few people’s names slipped my mind.”

“It’s no problem,” he replied. “I go by Nicholas Stuart in most of these meetings, but you can call me Nick.”

With introductions done, they strolled around the church and discussed what drew them to the retreat center. According to Nicholas, he wanted to connect with people who shared the same goals as him. Although he’d met fine individuals and groups elsewhere, they lacked the drive to pursue what he saw as the great mission first. That changed when he started working at the retreat center and found others who also wanted to dig deeper into their beliefs.

“And that’s how I ended up working here. I even met my wife.” Nicholas paused at the enormous sanctuary window and stared inside. “I’ll admit the job has had some challenges, but I’ve risen to a position I enjoy, and my work matters.”

“That’s great to have work you value,” Frederick said. “It’s why I’m a transcriber.”

Nicholas nodded. While he examined the church and people inside, Frederick checked his phone. Notifications from Lian Hai, Amara, and a retreat center employee filled the screen. He skimmed them and sent quick updates on his meeting with Nick before putting his phone back.

Eventually, Nicholas pulled back. “Sorry, I got sidetracked. That’s a beautiful sanctuary. I also like that the church has so much natural landscape around it. Would you mind if we walked around?”

Frederick was about to agree until he remembered the pond. Lian Hai’s warning about avoiding large water bodies filled his mind, and he was about to object until his rational side kicked in. How could he justify avoiding water features when he showed no such qualms around them while touring the retreat center?

His demeanor must’ve reflected his thoughts, for Nick said, “Then again, after the past Sunday, we should be careful. Anywhere else we can talk?”

Frederick relaxed before replying, “There’s a small park a few blocks away. I can walk you over.”

”Wonderful. Lead the way.”

With that decided, Frederick circled around the property toward the parking lot, and Nick followed. The sidewalk ended, and they waded through waist-high grass. While navigating it, part of Frederick mulled over whether the park retention pond would pose a threat. With its position in the far corner opposite the entry, he could avoid it while enjoying the rest of the park. However, Lian Had hadn’t specified how much distance to put between himself and water bodies.

A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. Frederick was about to fight back, but Nick’s voice cut through his budding fight-or-flight response.

“Watch out there,” Nick said. “Those snakes are sneaky fiends and will bite you before you even see them.”

At the mention of snakes, Frederick started searching the grass. Either the snake had escaped or hidden better than he expected, for he found none. He was about to ask Nick what he’d seen when he noticed how his eyebrows were furrowing.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“That’s strange. I could’ve sworn I saw a snake.” Eventually, Nick shrugged. “Sorry about the scare. I guess I’ve been on edge since Sunday. It doesn’t help that though we try to keep the retreat center as safe as we can, it’s still in nature and poses some risk.”

Frederick said, “It’s okay. Mistakes happen, and it pays to be cautious.”

Fortunately, they reached the parking lot without issues and continued to their destination. As expected, nobody lingered in the park or even walked around nearby. Part of Frederick thanked the emptiness, as it provided a chance to speak with Nick without distractions. However, he couldn’t deny the uncanny sense of seeing a usually busy neighborhood spot without any activity. 

From Nick's smile, he either didn’t notice or didn’t mind. Frederick waited to see whether he’d sit on a bench or walk the trail, ignoring the prospect of him choosing the retention pond as their meeting spot.

Nick pointed at the pergola near the playground. “How about we talk there? It’ll be nice in the shade, and we can see most of the park from there.”

“That sounds good,” Frederick replied, hoping he sounded more casual than he felt.

As an added bonus, the pergola provided seating via picnic benches. Once they settled in, Frederick scanned his surroundings. His spot allowed him to view most of the park, ranging from the playground a short walk away to the retention pond and small grove on the other end of the property. He would’ve looked more, but he focused on the meeting.

“Just as I thought. This is the perfect view,” Nick said. “I’m glad you chose this park.”

“Thanks,” Frederick replied. “I’ve visited this park with my family several times since moving here, and I have many good memories about it.”

He smiled before leaning closer. “Speaking of which, I’m interested in getting to know you as a person. You already shared some of your story as a transcriber and churchgoer, but what makes you Frederick Quinn?”

The sudden name drop took Frederick off guard until he realized the retreat center probably told him his full name before the meeting. To regain his footing, he considered what story to tell.

“Well, there’s a lot I could say,” he began. “I grew up in a big city, then moved to this town when getting my degree. I met my wife when she was studying to be a nurse, and we chose to raise our family here because it’s a safe and affordable place to live. Plus, it has plenty of community activities and spots.”

Nick nodded. “That sounds lovely. I’m guessing you haven’t run into any real dangers since moving here, right?”

“For the most part, yes. Why do you ask?”

“I can imagine how startling the attack this past Sunday must’ve been for you and your family.”

The hairs on Frederick’s neck stood, and he suppressed a shudder as a chill ran down his spine. Even in the shade, the mid-morning air should’ve warmed him. What caused the sudden cold?

Swallowing back unease, Frederick replied, “It was scary for sure. Amara was especially worried and even grilled me about a possible rabies vaccine. Nonetheless, I’ve been fine so far, and nothing like that has happened since.”

“I see.” Nick pursed his lips before continuing, “If you don’t mind, may I ask you a few questions regarding that? It’s important that I pass on information to the other so we can update our protocol for future encounters.”

He gulped but said, “I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks. That’s all I ask.”

Nick grabbed a notebook and pencil. Likewise, Frederick grabbed his phone and said he’d use it to take notes. In reality, he was trying to check his messages for any updates. His rational side insisted that monsters wouldn’t attack so early in the morning. However, his few interactions showed not to underestimate them.

Amara said, “Good luck with the meeting. You’ll do great.”

To his surprise, Lian Hai said, “Hope you’re feeling well. I can send cute animal pictures if that’ll help.”

He was about to open the third message from the retreat center when Nick’s words snapped him back to the present.

“Firstly, what animal attacked you?” he asked. “I remember my wife said that you couldn’t answer due to shock. Not to pressure you, but have you had time to reflect?”

Not even one question in, and mental images of the shadowy beast charging him flooded his mind. His hand shook as a slow chill creeped through his muscles, but he took a deep breath and willed himself to relax. Eventually, he gathered his nerves enough to reply.

“I don’t know,” Frederick said. “It looked like a wolf, but it was pitch black. I’ve only heard of gray wolves, and though I wouldn’t be surprised if black wolves existed, I wouldn’t expect to find any here.”

His answer must’ve sufficed, for Nick replied, “I see. And why do you think it chose to come here? Generally, wolves avoid humans. If one chose to attack you, it could be infected.”

Frederick shrugged. “Well, I don’t know for sure if it was a wolf. That’s just what it looked most similar to.”

“Do you think it might’ve been another canine? Coyotes and foxes are part of the same family.”

“Maybe.” Frederick rubbed his neck. “Sorry. I’m not an expert on animals.”

To his relief, Nick said, “No, that’s fine. We can switch to a different topic if you’d prefer.”

“Thanks.”

Some tension faded, but the heavy chill persisted. Based on Nick’s demeanor, he didn’t notice or didn’t mind. If it was the former, Frederick suspected the cold didn’t come from natural causes. 

Nick scanned his notebook, and Frederick used the pause to sweep the park for black splotches. He didn’t spot any, and though he suspected traces might’ve lingered within the grass, he didn’t want to interrupt this meeting to check.

Eventually, Nick said, “My next question is how did you know that this… unknown animal was lurking around the church? Did you hear or see anything nearby?”

By this point, Frederick just ignored the chill around him. The events of the past few days plus the questions must’ve been messing with his nerves. Plus, he didn’t want his fear to prevent him from helping a good cause. Despite that, he struggled with how to reply without delving into interdimensional talk.

Eventually, he replied, “Nothing tangible. I just had a gut feeling.”

“That’s interesting.” Nick’s eyebrows furrowed. “Generally, people don’t notice these things are upon them until it’s too late. You have a good instinct for detecting them.”

Frederick smiled, hoping it didn’t resemble a grimace. “Thanks, I guess.”

“On a similar topic, how did you defend yourself against them?” Nick leaned forward until their noses almost touched. “These creatures are known to strike and kill people from multiple layers, yet you managed to hold your own and even drive a few off. What’s your secret?”

Frederick leaned back with his hand raised. Although Nick hadn’t done anything wrong, the sudden breach into his personal space put him on edge. Worse, when he stared into Nick’s eyes, his skin prickled as though thousands of sharp needles jabbed him at once. Now that he’d put distance between them, the feeling subsided, and Nick’s eyes looked normal. Nonetheless, the look and sensation stayed burned into his memory.

After regrouping his thoughts, Frederick said, “What do you mean multiple layers and secrets?”

“The exact phrasing doesn’t matter. What I mean is how did you survive?”

To delay having to respond, Frederick asked, “Are you planning to teach retreat center employees how to defend themselves against wildlife?”

“If that’s what you want to call it,” Nick replied. “So, what’s your secret?”

Despite the crushing cold threatening to paralyze him, he mustered a response. “I don’t feel comfortable answering that. I hope you understand.”

Nick’s expression went blank. Frederick muttered about taking notes before switching to his phone. While watching Nick in his peripheral vision, he checked the last message from the retreat center employee. It contained a single statement, but Frederick’s heart stopped.

“We don’t have an employee named Nicholas Stuart.”

When he glanced back up, Nick was leaning back with a smile, but it stretched too wide, and his eyes narrowed. 

“I understand. If I may ask, I have one more question.” His voice lacked any of his earlier friendliness. “Did you really think those shadowy beasts were the only ones hunting down your kind?”

When Frederick switched to his spectral vision, inky black goo poured off Nicholas in thick streams, and his eyes glowed.