Chapter 3: Fire in the Night

The house groaned with age as Kori collapsed onto the old, creaky bed, her muscles aching from a full day of cleaning. She stared up at the cracked ceiling, listening to the faint hum of the wind outside. Megan had finally settled into her new room, claiming it as her own after hours of scrubbing away layers of dust and dirt. It wasn’t much—just an empty space with a small window and a chipped dresser—but at least it was a start.

Kori closed her eyes, exhaustion pulling at her, but her mind wouldn’t let go. Thoughts of the rundown house consumed her. The place needed so much work, more than she had ever anticipated. The roof leaked in several spots, the floors creaked with every step, and the walls had long lost their luster, covered in layers of grime from years of neglect. Even worse, there was no running water. Frank had mentioned the possibility of getting it restored, but that would cost money—money Kori didn’t have.

She sighed, turning over on the lumpy mattress that had come with the house, its springs digging into her side. Frank had said there was no money left with the property, no inheritance beyond the house itself. But something in his tone had felt off, like he was holding something back. Kori couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story than he was letting on.

Maybe it was just her paranoia talking. After everything with Matt, she found it hard to trust anyone. She still couldn’t believe he’d left her and Megan with nothing, fleeing in the dead of night like a coward. Kori’s fists clenched at the thought. If Matt hadn’t abandoned them, they wouldn’t be here. She wouldn’t be lying in some crumbling old house, trying to figure out how to survive on her own.

As she began to drift into the haze of sleep, a sudden explosion shattered the stillness of the night.

Kori bolted upright in bed, her heart hammering in her chest. Her head whipped toward the large window on the right side of the room. Through the grimy glass, she saw it—bright orange flames licking the sky in the distance.

A fire.

Her pulse quickened. She scrambled out of bed, her bare feet hitting the cold, uneven floor. She yanked open her bedroom door and rushed down the hallway. As she passed Megan’s room, she called out, “Stay in your room, Megan!”

Megan’s muffled voice came from behind the door. “Mom? What’s happening?”

“Just stay put!” Kori shouted back, her voice strained with fear. She didn’t have time to explain. She had to get outside, had to see what was burning.

Kori raced down the stairs, her silk nightgown billowing behind her, barely noticing the chill of the night air as she burst through the front door. The wind bit at her skin, but she didn’t stop. Her eyes locked onto the flames.

The old shed—the dilapidated structure that had sat to the right of the house—was engulfed in flames. Kori stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening in shock. How had it caught fire? It had been barely standing as it was, its roof half caved in, the wood rotting.

But now, it burned fiercely, the fire consuming it as if it were kindling.

Kori’s breath caught in her throat as a wave of unease washed over her. The cool night air felt thick with something else, something darker, something watching. A prickling sensation crawled up her spine, making the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She turned slowly, her eyes scanning the edge of the woods surrounding the property.

That’s when she felt it.

Eyes. Eyes watching her.

Her gaze darted from shadow to shadow, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment, she saw nothing but the dark outline of trees swaying in the breeze. Then, just beyond the reach of the flickering firelight, she caught a glimpse—something moving, something…lurking.

A shiver raced through her, her breath catching as the howl of a wolf echoed in the distance. The sound pierced the night air, setting her nerves on edge.

Kori’s mind raced. She needed to put the fire out. But how? There was no running water, no hose, nothing to stop the flames. She stared at the burning shed, paralyzed with fear, unsure of what to do next.

Just as panic began to grip her, a loud crack of thunder rumbled overhead. The sky, which had been clouding over, split open, and within moments, rain began to pour down in heavy sheets. Kori gasped as the cold rain soaked her to the bone, but relief washed over her as she watched the flames begin to die down under the onslaught of the storm.

The fire hissed and sputtered, the rain smothering it, until all that was left were smoldering embers and the charred remains of the shed.

Kori stood there in the rain, her body trembling from the cold—and from fear. She turned her head toward the woods again, her eyes narrowing. For a brief second, she thought she saw something…or someone… watching her from within the shadows. Something glowing. Eyes.

Her heart pounded faster as she took a step back toward the house. Her feet slipped on the wet earth, but she forced herself to keep moving, her eyes darting to the trees once more. The shadows seemed to shift, shapes moving just out of sight. And then she heard it—a second howl, followed by more, a chorus of wolves calling through the night.

Fear gripped her, twisting in her chest.

Kori spun on her heel and ran, her feet pounding the slick ground as the rain drenched her nightgown. She reached the front door, her hands fumbling with the doorknob as she shoved it open and slammed it shut behind her. She locked the door quickly, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Dropping to the floor, she pulled her knees up to her chest, her heart thundering in her ears. Her nightgown clung to her body, soaked through, but all she could think about was the fire—the fire that had started for no reason.

It was just lightning, she told herself, trying to calm the rising panic. But deep down, she knew better. The fire had started too suddenly, too deliberately. Someone—or something—had lit it.

She wiped her wet hair away from her face, her mind racing. This wasn’t just some random accident. Something was wrong with this place. And whoever—or whatever—was out there in the woods had wanted her to see the fire.

A shiver ran through her, and her eyes flicked to the window, where the rain continued to pound against the glass. Kori tried to shake off the lingering fear, tried to tell herself it was just the stress of the move, the exhaustion. But deep down, she knew the truth.

The fire had been no accident.