When I returned to consciousness, I was sprawled out on a hill overlooking both lakes, my belongings thrown about below me. It appeared to be late in the evening. Clint was nowhere to be found. The lakes appeared perfectly untouched, as if the horrifying incident hadn’t happened. Dazed, I sat up and frantically ran my fingers through my hair, brushing out leaves and twigs. When I jumped to my feet I swayed slightly as I darted my eyes around the area. It was purely silent, something that rarely happened with Clint around. It highlighted his absence. What even was that?
Deftly gathering my belongings, the air around me was sickeningly sweet, a noticeable contrast between its normal stench. For once, with the smell of honeysuckles after a fresh rain, the path seemed slightly more fitting to hike along. Or maybe I just felt better without Clint. I nearly stumbled over myself as I clumsily made my way down the hill, blinking owlishly at the lakes nearby.
“Clint?” I called, uncertainty in my voice. I was only met with silence, save for the cry of an elk in the trees far off.
“The mountain got him!” A shout from behind me, belonging to the same man with the dark stories, brought a shriek from my lips and brought me to whip around and meet his eyes. He was wearing the same clothes he had worn the night before and carrying the same lantern.
“What are you talking about?” I mumbled. “Have you seen him anywhere?”
“Tabiat got him.” He repeated erratically. “He feeds on the souls that thrive off of the most misery!”
“That can only be funny for so long.” I snapped, turning around to view the lakes again and hopefully tune the man out.
“You ought to leave.”
“Without my husband? No, thank you.”
Despite my saying this, the idea wasn’t all that bad. But I didn’t feel like being the top suspect in his disappearance and having my arrest talked about by coffee-addicted mean girls on a podcast. When I wasn’t met with another loony response about the mountain being alive and whatnot, I turned to realize the man was gone. The print of his boots wasn’t left in the mud, as if he hadn’t even been there to begin with. I rubbed my temples, sighing heavily.
“Crazy people.”
Hearing my muttering, the mountain began to tremble violently again, sweeping me right off my feet.