A/N Edit: I will not be finishing this remake. Why? Because, honestly, I did a bad job writing it. I'm really not satisfied with this story, but I'm leaving it on this site anyways because, for whatever reason, it gets a lot of views. I guess some people see something in this that I don't. Maybe you're one of those people. If so, I'm sorry, and I hope you don't let my opinions affect your enjoyment of the fic.

And no, I'm not fishing for compliments. I'm just trying to be transparent with y'all.

Part One: Roadkill

I don't know how long the shadows have reached for me. I never thought I would be one to tremble from the night's soft creaks and moans, or run from every rustle of leaves as the wind glances past. Things started out so simple, so sickeningly simple. Now, though it has been long since that last true encounter, I fear my time may be growing short. He watches me with hollow eyes as I sleep, as I wake, as I breathe. I know he is real. I know he is waiting.

The trees outside my window beckon me to join them, to become lost in them, to become lost for him. I hope that if, god forbid, anyone finds themselves staring at the same hell I do, this message can help in some way. I wish I could do more, but I know that he is still here, outside my window, just out of my field of vision. My time is nearing the end, and I know that, by the time anyone cares to read this, I will be dead.

But perhaps I should start from the beginning. Back when things were so, so simple.

"Are you seriously doing this right now?"

I heard a heavy sigh come from behind me, though I knew he was still smiling. I refused to turn around and acknowledge him, knowing I would only receive more of his playful scorn, and instead looked down at my camera as I adjusted it accordingly. I knew a good picture when I saw one, and I wasn't about to just let him pass right by it.

"You know you're gonna drive down this road every day, right? It's literally the only way into town," he whined as I held the camera up to my face and began snapping pictures of the thick forest that threatened to swallow us. I made sure not to include any traces of the beaten road we drove on, trying to make it seem as untouched by man as it was meant to be. With the speckled grey clouds looming up above and the slight fog that cut through the trees, this place seemed to encapsulate the atmosphere that every half-decent horror film strives to achieve.

"I fail to see your point, Edwin," I muttered, feigning disinterest in what he was saying. I was more than grateful that my back was turned to him, or else he would have definitely seen a ghost of a smile trying to form on my face. Being the younger of the two of us, it was my duty to annoy him at any opportunity, and I think I was living up to my duties at that moment. Even if neither of us were actually mad at the other, I doubted my brother was appreciating our unexpected pit stop.

I could almost hear his eyes rolling in their sockets. "You'll be seeing this place all the time. Taking a picture is absolutely pointless!" I took one last picture before turning my body around around to face him. Edwin was leaning against his beaten car nonchalantly, holding his head in his hand. Like I expected, his face held a small smirk, betraying his words completely.

I grinned back at him cheekily. "You're just mad that I made you pull over, aren't you?" I teased. He shot me a look that seemed both icy and amused, obviously unable to deny my statement. It seemed that I had won this argument, or at least for the time being. I widened my smile, just to make sure he knew I only kidded.

Edwin only chuckled and rolled his eyes once more as he strolled back to the drivers seat. I quickly climbed in beside him, setting my camera aside. I never left it too far away from me, always ready for that million dollar shot. Having it with me also made the trip less boring, and gave me and my brother a petty conflict to help ease the discomfort.

You could claim that I was acting immature, that I should have shown my elder brother more respect after all he'd offered to me. But after going nearly a decade without properly interacting, I needed some way to break the ice. We'd been children back then, so it makes sense that we would still act like children years later. People love familiarity, I have learned in recent times.

The car started up again, and we continued moving steadily. "If you ask me to pull over one more time, I swear I'll punch you in the face," Edwin lied. I looked out the window, watching as we bypassed an unlimited amount of forest scenery. All of it picturesque, the gnarled branches reaching out from the fog to beckon me nearer, but I knew my limits.

"Not if I punch you first," I threatened, also lying. Truth be told, I doubted we ever had a real fight before, even as children. Most likely due to our large age gap, but I was still proud of our ability to poke harmless fun at one another even after so many years. It was not something I could accomplish with many others from my past.

Edwin smirked. "I'd like to see you try," he commented, glancing away from the road. Not very comforting, but he must have drove that path many times before, so I said nothing, focusing on his words instead.

And in response to his words, I crossed my arms snappily. "What's that supposed to mean?" I whined in mock offence. Of course, I knew exactly what he meant. All my life I had existed inside a thin, scrawny body due to my lack of real physical activity. I would never hold my own in a real fight with him, who took his health into much closer consideration. Of course, I am paying for this now. I doubt I can survive long with weapons alone, especially against that thing. My luck cannot be tested much more, but I know it will be nonetheless.

"Nothing," his words stumbled out hurriedly, though I am sure he knew the line had been far from crossed. I responded by turning my back to him, or at least as much as I could while fastened to the passenger seat. Pretending to be too offended to look him in the eye, I stared out the freckled window where the scenery blurred past us. Going so fast, yet the world seemed all the same.

Being engrossed as I was in my vaudeville-worthy performance, I paid little notice to the actual scenery. Which is why, though not at all a commendable excuse, I nearly overlooked that first key to the unearthly puzzle. Though I suppose it didn't matter in the end, as none of it really did, save for the struggle that now wears me to the bone.

There was something on the side of the road.

No, not quite on the side of the road. It was closer to the edge of the forest, though poking out enough for it to be barely noticeable. Whatever it was, there was a lot of it, since it left a trail leading from the actual road to the edge of the trees. It was gone to fast for me to catch a good look at it, but there was something about it that made my stomach churn. If I had to guess, it was probably the fact that it seemed to be dragged from the road to the grass, but by what, I could only tremble at the thought of knowing.

"Did you see that?" I muttered softly, my voice becoming weaker. Something about what I saw, although unidentified, captured the attention of every part of my consciousness. It nagged at me, tugging at the back of my head like a sudden unreachable itch.

Still entranced by our foolish argument, Edwin sighed heavily. "Mitch, I swear to god, I-"

"No," I interrupted, trying to convey my seriousness. "No, I seriously saw something. On the side of the road." I glanced out the window again, scanning the edge of the forest for anything that resembled what I had seen before. Nothing. Just fallen leaves and jutting tree roots.

Edwin's brows furrowed slightly in thought, now seeming to hear the unease in my voice. "What was it?" he asked me. He sounded more curious than alarmed, to my annoyance, but at least I now had his attention.

I shrugged my shoulders dispiritedly. "I don't know..." I admitted. A small trickle of embarrassment began to surface, now realizing how insignificant this all was. "It looked like it'd been dragged from the road." I tried save myself, to make this tiny thing in a ditch seem worth his acknowledgement, but at this point I already couldn't convince myself.

He didn't skip a beat to reply. "It was probably roadkill or something. Got carried away by a coyote," he told me dismissively, his voice distant. I could hear his investment slowly waning, his thoughts drifting away for reality. I couldn't blame him.

"Yeah, you're probably right..." I trailed off, regretting ever bringing anything up. I tried to let it go, to just enjoy the rest of the trip with my brother, but I didn't. I couldn't. The thought lingered in the back of my mind, lurking like a restless spirit in the dark. Now, I realize that I had chosen to ignore my first warning, my first excuse to escape and live my simple life. For what lied on the side of the road was my own fate.

We spent the rest of the car ride in silence.