#Chapter 135: The Dead Hiker

Aria The moment we found the body, Darren and I froze. My stomach churned, bile rising in my throat as I stared at the mangled remains of the hiker. His face was unrecognizable, torn apart by what could only have been claws. His throat was a mess of shredded flesh, and the metallic stench of blood hung heavy in the air. It cloyed into my mouth and nose, the scent of rot and decay and the buzzing of flies. How long had this man been dead? Hours? Days? I turned away, unable to look any longer, and immediately retched into the bushes. Darren held my hair out of the way as I vomited. “We need to call the authorities,” he said quietly. “This man is—was—a human. It’s only right to get the human authorities involved.” I nodded, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what we were seeing. Who could have done this? And why here, in the middle of the forest? We quickly decided to contact the chief of police. Since this