The next morning, Abby and Melvin decided to investigate the thing they saw that night on their own.

They started by searching the woods around their house, but there was nothing. Not even a footprint.

So, they decided to widen their search.

They went deeper. And deeper.

The trees grew denser, the air colder.

Then—

Laughter.

Faint. Echoing.

They froze for a moment, then followed the sound.

It led them farther into the forest… until they reached the town.

It was deserted. Silent.

Only one place seemed alive: a small grocery store, still open, run by an old man named Eddie.

Abby and Melvin decided to explore the abandoned buildings nearby.

It was Abby’s first time in town—she had never been there before.

But Melvin had. Sometimes his father took him along on errands.

He showed Abby the places he remembered—the shop, the saloon, the restaurant.

It felt like a little adventure.

For a while, they almost forgot why they came.

Then Melvin paused. “Last week, when I came to the grocery store with Dad, the buildings were locked.”

Abby stopped walking.

Locked.

But now, the doors were wide open.

All of them.

Abby looked down. Broken locks lay on the ground, rusted and bent.

Someone had forced their way in.

They rushed back to the grocery store to ask Eddie if he knew anything—

But then—

Laughter.

Again.

They froze. It came from just around the corner.

They stepped forward slowly.

Silence.

No one there.

But then they saw it—

A goat, standing still, staring at them.

Its eyes were pitch black.

And in its side… a knife. Lodged deep into its ribs.

It wasn’t bleeding. Just standing there, watching.

Abby and Melvin stepped toward it slowly, hoping to help—

But the goat suddenly ran back into the woods.

They chased it.

It darted through the trees, then disappeared into a thick bush.

Abby and Melvin pushed through the leaves—

But the goat was gone.

Like it had vanished.

Melvin whispered, “Why was there a knife stabbed in its ribs?”

Abby shook her head. “Maybe hunters… but did you see its eyes?”

Melvin nodded slowly.

“They were the same,” Abby said. “Same as what we saw outside the window.

The same eyes Carl was talking about.”

They looked back toward the trees.

Abby grabbed Melvin’s hand.

“Let’s go tell Mr. Han.”