Alisha was kind enough to extend her long coat on the floor, thus giving Judy a clean seat. Nick removed the suitcase he had on his back and opened it. The emergency kit was removed.

Still visibly shaking, Judy was trying to figure out what had happened. That ghost or creature, so horrendous and frightening, really made her afraid. An overwhelming fear never felt before. Again, the words that were spoken to her. Yae? Was she really one of the twins? And who was Natsuhiko? Was it the wolf who was with them? No, there was something else, something else...

"Ouch!"

The tears came in force to fill her eyes. The pain was immense.

"Hang on!" asked Nick, who after cleaning the wound with alcohol and a dressing, was now trying to unroll the bandage to put around the wound. "How?" he questioned, but didn't face her, remaining focused on what he was doing.

"I found a notebook on a small table."

"That's not what I meant."

"If you want to know what happened, you have to know from the beginning." Judy bowed her eyebrows in an angry expression, causing Nick to turn his eyes in an angry tone, but shut up so that Judy could continue the conversation. Meanwhile, Alisha and Jack listened attentively to everything that had happened.

Minutes later, silence was the answer to everything Judy had just told. In those minutes, Nick had finished putting the bandage around the wound and tidying up the emergency kit back in his backpack.

"You guys don't believe me, do you?"

"It's a little hard to believe, to be honest with you." Alisha responded by passing a paw over her fur in order to make her frustration go away.

"I'm not asking you to believe me. I ask you to bear in mind that we are not alone."

"We'd better get going." Jack said, "We can't stay here all the time. We have a lot to investigate before the scheduled time to hand over the key to the police."

Taking the backpack, he put it on his back and started to walk around the same place they came in. Alisha did the same. She was tired of being locked in there and needs fresh air.

"Nick?"

With a trembling voice, she stared at the fox. The one who had listened to the story very carefully. And who could see the concern on her face. Something that made Judy relieved to know that he would believe her.

"I just don't understand one thing?"

"What?"

"Why only us?"

He had a good point. Ever since they entered the village, both she and he were the only ones who could see and hear things. Already Alisha and Jack had no idea what was going on, and Judy knew that deep down, the two of them were beginning to think that both she and Nick were going crazy.

"Let's go. We need answers."

Nick stood up and stretched his paw to help Judy. She accepted without complaining and the two of them left the house.

Once outside, without any explainable reason, time changed radically. The thunder could be heard from afar and the big thick, dark clouds would soon begin to unload.

"We need to be quick!" demanded Jack with his patience almost exhausted.

"A path is divided on two sides. Following the path on the left, further ahead there would be another path to the right."

With the map stretched out in front of her, Alisha spoke as her paw's fingers ran through the drawings.

"We'll have to split up," Judy suggested.

"What happened to you?" Jack faced her with an angry face. "We'd better stick together."

"It'll just waste us more time," Judy insisted. "Besides, we have the walkie-talkie with us. Something, we communicate around".

Arguing with her would be a waste of time. Besides, she had a certain reason.

"And the map?" asked Alisha.

"No problem" said Judy, showing her cell phone.

"Okay. How long?" Alisha rolled her eyes.

"To meet here." Judy pointed to an image where it was a rock and two butterflies were drawn. "It's the center of the road. After an hour. Deal?"

Jack and Alisha agreed positively with the head.

Alisha, as always, will be pouting. Nick insisted on going with Judy instead of her and that was already letting the vixen get its fur eroded. Ever since they entered the village, Nick was more concerned about the rabbit than about her.

"That sullen face won't make Nick like you!" Jack said, when the four had already separated.

"There's something between the two of them, I know it!"

"You see things where they don't exist." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Why is it that only they see things?"

"I don't know and I'm not very curious to see them either."

"But I do. Argh!"

Shaking his head, Jack paid attention to the path in front of him. Around them was only home, and they were destroyed by time. Nothing very interesting at that moment.

On the other side, Judy's ears were on alert at any sound. They had already crossed the path that was dividing to their right side and in there, was a small stone with the butterflies engraved on it.

"Do you mind letting go of that thing and walking faster?" With her hands on her waist, Judy's patience was end.

"Calm down, carrots. You can't imagine what a relic this camera is."

On his paws, the small camera turned from side to side. Ancient, different from today's digital, but entirely fascinating. Without delay, Nick took the lens to his eye and shot it.

"Nicholas Wilde!" frustrated, Judy arched her eyebrows. She hated taking pictures.

"Relax, baby. Look. It still works after so many years!"

Playing with the situation, Nick took the photo out of the front of the camera. Shaking this one, the darkness disappeared, starting to give way to the image. It was then that the fox's expression, in a good mood, changed drastically.

"Nick, what is it?"

Worried to see the sudden change, Judy approached him and looked at the photo. Behind her image, the twins were visible.

"How?"

Her violet gaze met the emerald green gaze in confusion. Checking the image again, and in more detail, the wolf was also with them.

"Carrots?"

"Let's go! We'll go that way. Maybe we'll find answers," said Judy, stretching her arm to her left side.

Without delay, Nick put the camera away, but this time inside the backpack, and followed Judy around.

To be continued…