Chapter One:A Glimpse of Shadows

I loved the quiet mornings in Hazelwood. The small town, surrounded by hills and forests, offered a peaceful escape from the busy world. Every morning, I went for a jog along the trails, enjoying the fresh air and the chirping of birds.

This morning felt different, though. As I jogged, felt like someone was watching me. I looked around but saw nothing unusual. The recent reports of strange animal sightings and attacks had made me uneasy. Shaking my head, I tried to focus on my run said Raymond walker.

As the sun began to rise, Raymond returned home. His wife, Claire, was in the kitchen, making coffee. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her smile seemed forced.

"Morning, love," Raymond said, hugging her from behind. Claire stiffened before relaxing in his arms. He noticed how tired she looked.

"Didn't sleep well again?" he asked with concern.

Claire turned to him and smiled weakly. "Just a bit restless. How was your run?"

"Same as always," Raymond replied, trying to sound casual. "But I can't shake the feeling that someone was watching me."

Claire's smile faded. "It's probably just your imagination. People have been talking about those animal sightings, making everyone paranoid."

Raymond nodded but couldn't ignore the doubt in his mind. "Maybe you're right."

The day went by uneventfully, but Raymond couldn't stop worrying. Claire seemed distant and distracted. That night, as they lay in bed, Raymond found it hard to sleep. He knew Claire was awake beside him.

The following day, Raymond decided to visit his friend, Tom, who lived a few houses down the street. Tom was a retired police officer and often had a practical take on things.

"Hey, Tom," Raymond greeted as he walked into Tom's garage, where Tom was tinkering with an old motorcycle.

"Hey, Raymond," Tom replied, wiping his hands on a rag. "What's up?"

Raymond hesitated before speaking. "Have you noticed anything strange lately? Like, people talking about animal sightings?"

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I've heard a few things. Mostly rumors. Why do you ask?"

Raymond told Tom about his feeling of being watched during his morning jog. Tom listened carefully, then nodded.

"Could be nothing, but it never hurts to be cautious," Tom said. "I'll keep an ear out, see if I hear anything more concrete."

"Thanks, Tom," Raymond said, feeling slightly better. "I appreciate it."

That evening, Raymond and Claire were having dinner when the power suddenly went out. The house plunged into darkness, and Claire let out a small gasp.

"Must be a power outage," Raymond said, getting up to find a flashlight.

Claire stayed at the table, her fingers tapping nervously on the surface. When Raymond returned with the flashlight, he saw the worry in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, shining the light around the room.

Claire forced a smile. "Yeah, just startled me. Let's light some candles."

They found a few candles and lit them, filling the room with a soft, flickering light. As they finished their meal, the power came back on. Raymond looked at Claire, who seemed lost in thought.

"What's on your mind?" he asked gently.

Claire shook her head. "Just tired, I guess. It's been a long week."

Later that night, as they were getting ready for bed, Raymond heard a strange noise outside. It sounded like a low growl. He went to the window and peered out into the darkness but saw nothing.

"Did you hear that?" he asked Claire, who was brushing her hair.

"Hear what?" she replied, not looking up.

"That noise, like a growl," Raymond said, straining his ears.

Claire paused, then shook her head. "No, I didn't hear anything. Maybe it was just an animal."

Raymond nodded, but the uneasy feeling lingered. As he lay in bed, he couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong. He fell into a restless sleep, his dreams filled with shadows and glowing eyes.

The next morning, Raymond woke early and decided to take a different route for his jog. He wanted to explore a trail that led deeper into the woods. As he ran, he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder, half-expecting to see someone or something following him.

The forest was quiet, the only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the occasional bird call. Raymond tried to focus on the peacefulness of the surroundings, but the feeling of being watched persisted. He quickened his pace, eager to finish his run and get back home.

As he neared the end of the trail, he saw something that made him stop in his tracks. On the ground, were large paw prints. They were too big to be from a regular dog and seemed to lead deeper into the woods.

Raymond heart pounded as he stared at the tracks. He knew he should turn back, but curiosity got the better of him. He followed the prints for a few minutes until they suddenly disappeared.

Feeling a chill run down his spine, Raymond decided it was time to head home. He jogged back to the house, his mind racing with questions.

When he returned, Claire was waiting for him in the kitchen. "How was your run?" she asked, her smile not reaching her eyes.

"Fine," Raymond replied, trying to sound casual. "But I saw some strange tracks in the woods. They looked like big paw prints."

Claire's expression grew tense. "Maybe it was a bear. We do have them around here, you know."

"Maybe,"Raymond said, though he wasn't convinced. "I'm going to take a shower."

As he showered, Raymond couldn't stop thinking about the tracks. He had a nagging feeling that there was more to this than a simple bear sighting. But what could it be?

That evening, as they were watching TV, Claire suddenly got up and went to the window. She stood there for a few moments, staring out into the night.

"Everything okay?" Raymond asked, joining her.

Claire nodded, but her eyes remained fixed on the darkness. "Just thought I heard something."

Raymond put his arm around her. "You're probably just tired. Let's go to bed."

They went to bed, but sleep didn't come easily. Raymond lay awake, listening to the sounds of the night. He could hear the distant howl of a wolf, which was unusual for this area. He turned to Claire, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

The next few days passed uneventfully, but the feeling of unease linger in his heart couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong. He continued to visit Tom, who shared his concerns.

"I've been hearing more reports of strange sightings," Tom said one afternoon. "People are getting scared. We need to keep our eyes open."

Raymond agreed, feeling grateful for Tom's support. He decided to be more vigilant, keeping an eye out for anything unusual.

One night, as they were getting ready for bed, Raymond noticed Claire seemed particularly anxious. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, worried about her.

Claire nodded, but her eyes were filled with worry. "I'm just stressed. There's a lot going on."

Raymond took her hand. "We can handle anything together. You know that, right?"

Claire smiled weakly. "I know. Thank you, Raymond

They went to bed, but Raymond couldn't sleep. He lay awake, listening to the sounds of the night. Just as he was drifting off, he heard a noise outside. It was a low growl, like the one he had heard before.

He got up quietly and went to the window. Peering out, he saw a shadow move near the edge of the yard. His heart raced as he watched, but the shadow disappeared into the darkness.

Raymond went back to bed, his mind racing. He knew he needed to find out what was going on, but he didn't want to worry Claire. He decided to talk to Tom the next day and see if they could come up with a plan.

The next morning, Raymond told Tom about the shadow and the growl. Tom listened carefully, then nodded. "We need to be careful. I'll do some digging and see if I can find out more."

"Thanks, Tom," Raymond said, feeling a bit more at ease. "I appreciate it."

That evening, they both decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. The cool night air helped clear his mind, and he hoped it would help Claire relax as well.

As they walked, they talked about their plans for the future. Raymond loved listening to Claire's dreams and ideas. Despite the recent tension, he felt hopeful for what lay ahead.

When they returned home, Claire seemed more at ease. They went to bed, and for the first time in days, Raymond slept soundly.

The following day, Raymond and Tom met up again. Tom had some news. "I talked to a few people, and it seems like there have been more sightings of strange creatures in the woods. We're not the only ones who've noticed."

Raymond felt a chill run down his spine. "What do you think it is?"

Tom shrugged. "Could be anything. But we need to be careful. Keep your eyes open and let me know if you see anything else."

Raymond agreed, feeling a renewed sense of determination. He knew he needed to protect Claire and figure out what was going on.

That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Raymond couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them. He went to the window and peered out into the darkness but saw nothing.

"What's wrong?" Claire asked, coming up behind him.

"Just being paranoid, I guess," Raymond said, turning to her. "Let's get some sleep darling