Chapter 5: A Doctor in Brookfield

As soon as Aviana put on her glasses, she froze. A massive wolf was staring right at her, saliva dripping from its jaws.

When she saw it start creeping toward her, she slowly backed away. She wanted to scream and beg for help, but her voice was completely choked by fear. Trembling from head to toe, she whispered, "Please, good dog... Please don't bite me..."

Her desperate plea was useless. The wolf suddenly lunged forward and sank its teeth into her leg. Pain and terror paralyzed her voice, keeping her from even crying out. Summoning every last bit of courage, she kicked the wolf in the snout over and over until it finally let go of her leg.

Aviana scrambled to her feet and took off, but the wolf was right behind her. It leaped through the air to bite her again, but just as it struck, she slipped, causing the beast to overshoot its attack. She quickly crawled away and sprinted off. She had no idea where she was heading anymore—all that mattered was putting distance between herself and the beast.

When she spotted a storage area, a rush of hope hit her. She rushed over and frantically worked the lock, but no matter how many times she turned it, it wouldn't open. She scrambled to another door, but her heart sank when that one turned out to be locked, too.

As the giant wolf’s low roar drew closer, tears welled up in Aviana's eyes. Giving up all hope, she slid down against the locked door and closed her eyes. She could feel the beast nearing as its hot, bloody breath blew against her face. When she opened her eyes for a split second, their gazes locked.

The wolf had sharp, striking blue eyes that looked strangely captivating. Even facing certain death, Aviana couldn't help but admire them. As the wolf bared its massive fangs, she closed her eyes once more, bracing herself to be torn apart.

Suddenly, a loud gunshot snapped her back to reality. She instantly opened her eyes and let out a huge sigh of relief—the enormous wolf was gone.

"Oh God, you haven't abandoned me," she sobbed, breaking down into tears. Yet, trauma washed over her as the image of the beast's sharp teeth and vivid blue eyes remained burned into her memory.

Once she managed to compose herself, Aviana got up and limped back toward the main road. After walking for a bit, a car approached. She flagged it down right away, realizing the driver was one of her father's friends.

"What happened to you?" he asked, eyeing the blood dripping down her leg.

"I dropped my glasses and tripped," Aviana lied, forcing a faint smile.

Her father's friend clearly didn't buy her story, but he didn't push the issue. He simply let her get in, and Aviana spent the ride staring silently out the window. Before long, they pulled up to her house.

"Thank you, sir," Aviana said politely as she stepped out.

Heading inside, she went straight to the kitchen to grab the first-aid kit before retreating to her room.

Once Aviana sat down, she noticed just how large and deep the bite mark on her leg actually was. She began crying again as she started treating the wound, knowing it would almost certainly leave a permanent scar.

Meanwhile, Cassie was completely stunned.

"I hate you!" Cassie sobbed, wiping away the juice she had spilled on herself after being startled by Aviana's story.

"You were just way too invested in the story," Aviana chuckled, helping her friend dry off her wet clothes.

"Why are there stray animals at school anyway? Doesn't the administration realize how dangerous they are to students?" Cassie asked, exasperated.

"Don't worry, someone already reported the wild animals. In fact, that's the whole reason my dad isn't here right now," Aviana explained.

She stood up and pulled a first-aid kit from her bag to swap out the gauze on her leg. Cassie followed her over, leaning in to examine the bite.

"Oh my God! What kind of animal bit you? Why is the mark so huge? How are you supposed to show off your legs now?" Cassie cried out, staring in shock at the deep wound.

"The important thing, Cassie, is that I'm alive!" Aviana laughed, amused by her friend's dramatic reaction.

Deep down, though, Aviana was secretly upset. Her smooth, long legs were the one feature of her body she had always been proud of.

———

Meanwhile, Sheriff Stone and several officers were out in the woods near the edge of town.

"Sheriff, half of the victim's body is already being examined to figure out who it is," an officer reported.

"Only half the body?" Sheriff Stone asked as they walked toward the scene. "Have you talked to the person who found it?"

He crouched down, examining the trail of blood splattered across the leaves and dirt.

"The ones who called it in were a group of campers heading to the lake," the officer replied. "One of them actually tripped right over the body."

"Alright. Inform the team that we're launching a full search operation across the entire forest. We don't know if this is the only victim or if there are others out here," the Sheriff ordered, and the officers immediately sprang into action.

The search got underway, with ten officers splitting up to comb through different areas of the woods.

As they searched deeper into the forest, they stumbled upon an isolated house sitting right in the middle of the trees.

Stone exchanged a quick glance with his partner, and the two of them walked up to the house. It looked completely deserted, worn down by time, and gave off a foul stench.

They knocked several times, but no one answered. Stone’s partner walked around the side and peered through an open window.

"Sir, it looks empty, but there are boxes stacked inside," the officer reported.

Just then, both of their attention shifted to a pickup truck driving up toward them.

"Stay alert," Stone warned quietly.

The driver pulled up and stepped out. "Officers, is there something I can help you with?"

"Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" Stone asked. "Starting with your name?"

"Oh, right—where are my manners? I'm Kevin Chen."

"Is this your house, Mr. Chen?"

"It belonged to my parents. After they passed, it came to me," Kevin explained. "If you don't mind me asking, Officer Stone, what’s this all about?"

"A body was found nearby in the forest, so we're conducting an investigation," Officer Andres chimed in. "Mr. Chen, when did you get into town?"

"I just arrived yesterday. You can ask the movers who brought my stuff—they were with me the whole time. My parents always said this area was safe, which is why I decided to relocate here, but it looks like I might have made a mistake," Kevin said, sounding uneasy.

"Our town is safe, Mr. Chen. This is the first time anything like this has happened, and we aren't even sure if the victim was a local," Sheriff Stone reassured him.

"If it’s possible, please keep me updated. I'm a bit nervous about settling in if there's a killer on the loose," Kevin admitted.

"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on the area to ensure your safety. Here's my card—you can call my personal line if you need immediate assistance," Stone said, handing over his contact details.

Kevin reached into his wallet, pulled out his own business card, and handed it to the Sheriff.

"Well, we won't take up any more of your time—looks like you've got plenty of unpacking to do," Stone said, extending his hand. Kevin quickly shook it.

"I'll be waiting to hear from you," Kevin replied.

As soon as the officers turned their backs, Kevin's expression darkened. He let out a quiet sigh before heading inside.

Back at the patrol car, Stone mused out loud, "Kevin Chen... he's a doctor. What's a successful guy like that doing out in a small town, living all the way out in the woods?"

"I'll run a check on him, Sir, and verify if he really just got here yesterday," Andres offered.

Gilbert Stone nodded. "Yeah, let's see... I've got a bad feeling about this, Doctor."