The car ride dragged on for what seems like years, but one glance of the clock told Dwight it had only been ten minutes. The street was bathed in the early morning glow of the sun; made even brighter by the harsh reflection of passing cars. It was the first time Dwight was out of the house since his return and that terrified him.

Everything was so open. Too many corners to check, too many openings for a stray hatchet to come flying into his head, and not enough cover to hide behind. At home he had at least the illusion of control. He knew the escape routes, he'd practiced them in his head. He thought about how when cornered he jumped out his bedroom window into the yard below, maybe even pulling off that tuck and roll trick Nea taught him that he never seemed to get the timing right.

Nea… The name dug up memories of the two practicing that balanced landing. Countless times Dwight had thrown himself off a tree or building and countless sprained ankles later he was getting the hang of it.

"The key is to roll the moment you hit the ground. Land flat on your foot and immediately spring forward. Give that momentum somewhere to go or you'll just break your legs." She made it seem so effortless. There was no height that Nea couldn't fall from to make a speedy get away. That cockiness only further enraged the beasts of the fog. On one hand that anger made them sloppy. It made them make more mistakes in a blind effort to catch the colorful street artists. On the other hand, if they couldn't catch her they would inflict the burden onto the next unfortunate soul. Dwight felt both ends of this double edged sword and the reminder made him shiver.

"Cya at recess, bro!" Derek waved before shutting the car door behind him. Dwight shook his head and quickly scanned his surroundings. The car ride was over. He was sitting in the middle of the school parking lot. Packed like sardines in a small square of concrete.

The middle school was a relatively small building. A big brick block with a small concrete growth sprouting out of it. The playground lied beside it, separating itself from the parking lot by a small chain-link fence. Dwight was thankful it didn't resemble another school he was similar with. One back at the place he didn't want to dwell on any longer.

Dwight waved back at his little brother. "Cya… bro."

"Dwight sweetie," His mother began, pointing to the gathering of adults behind them. "Me and some other parents are going to be over there. You want to come with us? There'll be snacks and I'm sure there'll be some of your old friends waiting for you there!"

"Go… out there…?" Dwight swallowed. The thought of leaving the safety of the car terrified him. His one bit of shelter between him and the outside world.

"Yea, it's a little community gathering! I know everyone is eager to see you again!"

"Are they?" Dwight muttered to himself as quiet as he could muster, wanting to spare his mother his pessimism. A quick look out the window didn't ease his doubts. Faces that were vaguely familiar but all blurred together into one uncaring group. Names long since lost to memory failing to surface, leaving Dwight staring at a neighborhood of strangers.

"They've all been waiting a really long time for you! You'll have a great time!"

Dwight swallowed nervously. He hand gripped into a fist, his fingernails digging deep into the palm of his hand. His house was only a mile or two away. If he ran, he estimated it would take him fifteen, no twenty minutes minimum to make it there. If he sprinted all the way there, he'd make it in no time. His leg tapped nervously against the car floor. An easy burst of speed would give him a head start. Dwight was already rehearsing the great escape in his head.

Then he stopped. He looked out again to see those blurred faces. The crowd of adults were ripe with laughter and pleasant conversations. They're faces weren't deformed by rusty metal and spiteful whips. Not hanging bits of gore or sunken empty eyes. These weren't beasts, they were people. People he had known once upon a time. It was a year for them, but an eternity for him.

A tear welled in Dwight's eyes, but he didn't dare take off his glasses to wipe it away. He wanted to savor the scene. It was as though a part of him feared that the moment he looked away, it would all vanish without a trace.

This was his second chance. He was home, with people. Real living people. No masked monsters running through the woods. No shriveled corpses digging in the mud or pale ghosts appearing from thin air. That nightmare was so far away now. The thought made him giggle. He giggled like a criminal who escaped punishment. His victory was unearned, but welcomed.

"Dwight? Honey, are you alright?" His mom asked, witnessing the emotional rollercoaster of her son.

Dwight quietly nodded. "Yea… Yea I think I'm going to be okay." He placed a trembling hand on the car door and pushed it open. Out in the sunlight, not a hint of fog to be seen.

Bright Wake Middle School. Julie read the big bold letters greeting her at the front entrance. A small suburban building perfect for parents that don't want to send their kid to an inner city school. It was clean, pristine, and above all: boring. Julie hated just looking at it. So many clean walls that have yet to be tagged. So many windows yet to be broken. It was a house of cards that was begging to be knocked over and Julie hated that she couldn't break it.

Susie was reading her Japanese comic book or whatever they were called. Julie never paid attention nor cared to learn. Leaning back in her seat, feet kicked up over the dashboard without a care in the world. Joey was moping in the back. Always moping. She liked him better when he was angry. He was more fun when he was angry.

"So what's the plan?" Joey asked. "Do we just run in there, find him and stab the guy? It wouldn't be too hard!"

"We don't even know what he looks like, block head! How will we know which one of them is Fairfield? Or do you plan on charging in there like an idiot?" Susie retorted.

"Better than sitting in this crappy van." Joey snarled. He raised his knife and plunged the hungry blade in the arm of his chair. White, moldy cushion oozed from the wound.

Julie looked around. A group was forming near and in the parking lot while the children were huddled in the building. It wasn't a lot of area to cover, but it was dense with problems.

Too many adults. Some might be cops. Julie glared. She turned to Joey, her eyes burning with resolve. We'll split up.

Julie jumped out of the van to which Susie and Joey did the same without question.

This would be so much easier if Frank was here. Julie silently sighed. It was easier when Frank was around. Even when they were both calling the shots, Frank was always the one steering the ship. Up until now it was simple: Find Fairfield. But now she wasn't sure how to proceed.

Julie reached into her pocket and held up a piece of newspaper. Despite only having it for a short time, the paper had yellowed and the edges were crumbling away as if it had sat in her pocket for years. She held up the folded piece of paper with a faded picture of their prey. The headlines read "Teenage boy found after being missing for a whole year!" Julie held it up to the pair. Her eyes still alit with a cocktail of determination and pure rage. Study this face. Burn it into your minds. We're not leaving until we find him.

"What do you want us to do after that, Jewels?"

Julie pointed to herself and the message was crystal clear. Find me.

Joey and Susie nodded in unison and the pair stalked into the background. Susie lingered near the entrance, somewhere between the fence of the playground and the front entrance of the school. She held up her little anime book and pretended to read. Julie could see differently however. She wasn't looking, she was listening. If anyone said the name: Dwight Fairfield, she'd hear it.

Joey had a more direct approach. He mingled in the parking lot, keeping a respectable distance between himself and the adults. Up too close he would stick out like a sore thumb, so he circled the edge, peering into the small forest of talking heads for one with a familiar set of glasses and jet black hair.

That only left Julie, not exactly sure where to go. She leaned up against the van. Her dirty shoe left a dirty imprint on the faded paint. She half expected Frank to come spilling out of the van. Mask on and ready to go. She blushed at the thought. Her confidence was just a shallow imitation of his. She placed her hand over her heart wishing for his return.

Find the prey, you'll find the predator. She reminded herself. Find Fairfield and Frank will come to you.

"So Dwight is really here? You didn't make him up?" Asked a short haired redhead child walking past her.

"No! Of course not! My big bro was captain of the basketball team! He's the coolest!" Retorted the child in the sports jersey.

"There's no way he was the captain of the basketball team! My sister goes to high school and she's never heard of him!" Another kid snorted.

"That's cause your sister is a lame-o! She wishes she could be as cool as Dwight! He was gone for a long time but now he's back!"

"Where has he been all this time? Did he run away? My dad says older kids runaway to join gangs!"

"That's a mystery! He won't tell anyone where he went, but it must have been scary! He's got all these cool scars all over his body! He looks like an action hero!"

"Wow." The other kids awed in unison.

The redhead playfully nudged the sports kid in the arm. "So when do we get to see him?"

"That's the best part: he's here! He's waiting for me at the playground! You'll see! He's the big kid with the glasses and red pizza beanie! I can't wait for the recess!"

Julie grinned from ear to ear. She wheezed a dry, silent laugh. It was almost too good to be true. It took every ounce of willpower to not bolt outside right then and there.

Follow me. She waved and the gang silently followed.

"Is it showtime?" Joey asked. "We doing this?"

Susie pulled her hood over her head. Her wavy picky hair draped down her shoulders like a cotton candy waterfall. "You already know the answer to that."

"Good." Joey reached down and pulled his dark handkerchief over his face. "It's about time we get some action going!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small Walkman. In a single effortless motion, he slammed a cassette tape labeled "Knife Party" in the tiny player and cupped the pocket headphones over his ears. His head bobbed up and down to the thunderous drums and blaring guitars. Music distilled adrenaline. Got his heart pumping. Julie could hear the faint melody escape to reach her own ears. A perfect mixtape for murder.

Meg planted her foot on rhythm with her heartbeat. She wasn't scared, she was ecstatic.

She wasn't taunting a man. No, that monster long lost the right to call itself human before she encountered it. A twisted figure with a limp leg that stared at the realm No, it was a beast of the fog and a dumb one at that.

It mindlessly followed her around almost following Meg step for step.

"What's wrong, freakshow? Can't catch up to little ol me? I'm just a helpless little-" The teeth of the harpoon cut her taunt short. Meg let out a wailing scream as she collapsed to the ground. Her own momentum selfishly continued to push her forward causing the jagged metal to cut deeper into her flesh. Muscle torn from bone. A wave of warm blood washed down the athlete's torso.

Meg gripped the harpoon that wormed in between her ribs.

Meg clutched her leg as the twisted beast only grew closer. Between the aged white whiskers beamed a set of rotten crooked teeth. The limp jaw convulsed and twisted itself in what Meg could only loosely interpret as a smile.

"That's not fair!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "I looped him for three generators! You'd all be hooked meat if it wasn't for me! You can't do this to me!" Meg was helpless but to watch as one by one her friends sprinted for the exit gate. "You can't do this to me! Claudette, help me out of here! Jake, get me down! Dwight-" The name caught in Meg's through. He was gone.

How long has it been? A week? A month? A year? Maybe more? Meg couldn't place it that terrible day where the ground erupted open and a great cataclysm of light yawned to swallow up her friend.

No. More than a friend. He was a leader. She was an athlete. Jake was a survivalist. Claudette was a herbalist. David was a brawler. Bill was a soldier. Meg could list all of their traits, all their skills, their strengths, their weaknesses, their hopes and their fears. They were all survivors. Each one looking to avoid swaying in the breeze as she was now. A team is a collaboration of pieces forming together not unlike a puzzle. Each piece has their role. By themselves they were small, easily confused and thus easy prey. Despite his meek appearance, Dwight was their leader.

Always looking on the bright side. Always with a motivational speech in his pocket. Always another way of looking at things. "Trial by trial. Day by day. We'll get out of here as long as we stick together." His voice whispered in Meg's ear. It made the thought of her teammates abandoning her all the more bitter.

Dwight wasn't the smartest, he made many mistakes but he always learned from them. He was never afraid to ask questions. While other leaders let their ego steer the ship, Dwight trusted those around him to help lead the way. Now Meg and the others were running blind. The threads that bind quickly faded and it became every man for himself.

Meg's legs swayed with the howling wind through the trees. The hungry meathook dug deeper into her flesh. The spark of hope faded as the great black tendrils of their warden oozed from the sky. There was no end. She'd wake up back at the campfire and they'll play this whole song and dance again and again and again and again...

Dwight was never a fan of social gatherings. He didn't even have the luxury of being able to orbit other teenagers. The only people that were here were adults: aged fathers and middle aged mothers talking about spelling bees and afterschool clubs. Comparing the accomplishments of their children. They weren't them.

Dwight's heart filled with a deep longing. He wished his friends were here. At least he would have someone to talk to. Dwight could already hear them in his head. Meg would be bragging about how close she'd be to beating a personal record. Claudette would talk about plants and flowers that Dwight had never even heard of, but the sheer passion in her voice made the conversation engrossing. And Jake… Jake wouldn't talk much, but his stoic presence would give Dwight some comfort.

Here he was a stranger in an ocean of other strangers. Practically invisible. Years of hiding in plain sight made it second nature and it wasn't that long ago before that skill literally saved his life.

The fog… Dwight bit into his fingernails. A nasty habit he picked up when he was just a kid. He shook his head, trying to pull his mind to the present. He refused to let his thoughts stray back to that dark place.

"Hey young man, are you alright?" A bearded man asked. His voice was gruff and deep. The very vistage of a heavy metal cover came to life. Just like Jeff.

"Sorry Jeff- I mean! Sir! Sorry sir! I'm… I'm okay. I'm fine. Just need some.. Fresh air!"

The bearded man tilted his head to one side in confusion. "You're… outside."

"That I am! Yes! Outside! Very nice! It's very… very nice outside! Hehe…" Dwight could feel more eyes falling on him. Watching him. Staring at him. Staring through him. Dwight felt small. He dwelled in the shadow of the bearded man. He could pick up Dwight with ease and snap him in half.

Dwight slinked away from the crowd. He had to get away. He had to recollect himself. To calm down. He spotted the playground. Yes, the playground. Sure he might be a little old to be spending time at the playground, but he'll be with his brother and a familiar face is just what Dwight needed.

Dwight hopped over the short metal fence separating the parking lot and the playground; taking comfort in the shade provided by a lonely tree. He took a sigh of relief. Everything was in clear view. This flat piece of land with the trees pushed far, far away. It was open and that had worries, but nothing could sneak up on him.

He gazed up at the clear blue skies. A moment of rest, true rest. No nightmares, no worries. Just him and the noise of laughter in the parking lot. He didn't realize when he fell asleep. The curves of the tree trunk cradled him like a caring friend. All that liquid stress drained from his body, leaving him empty and devoid of energy.

"Dwight! There you are!" Dwight's eyes shot open. Immediately he took a sigh of relief upon seeing Derek's bright and smiling face. The playground was filled with children. Recess had begun. The group of kids all gathered around the teenager, gawking at scars crawling down his hand.

"Where'd you get that one?" One asked.

"Wow, you must be tough!" Another pointed.

"Did you really run away from home?" A girl with red hair asked.

Dwight raised up his hands, trying to control their excitement. Their eyes were hungry for knowledge. Wide eyed in anticipation to be told terrible secrets. Derek was beaming with pride, like showing off a prized action figure.

"Well… um…" Dwight didn't know where to begin. The truth would be stranger than any lie yet his mind was barren of any. He looked down at his hand. He gripped his sleeve and pulled it up, revealing scars that painted a tapestry of pain.

"Wow!" The children awed in unison. Even Derek gasped at just how many scars his brother had collected, never getting a proper look until now.

Dwight placed his finger on the palm of his hand right over the pot where a cruel blade cut through, nearly severing his fingers. His finger wandered to his wrist where one scar circled around like the band of a watch. Dwight remembers this one: he was foolish enough to try and block a chainsaw with his own arm and the moving teeth and chain not only cut through muscle and bone, but wrapped around his wrists leaving this grisly reminder.

"Golly…" Derek gasped. "Dwight what happened…" Dwight's finger continued to glide across his arm. Over the cut where a series of hooks dragged through his skin, a valley of burnt flesh between twin canyons of crude cuts. Skin opened, closed and sealed only to be ripped open again. Even the tiniest cuts left scars. Dwight chose not to dwell on how many times that unnatural place split him open and sewed him back together.

"Big bro, what happened to you?" Derek asked. Dwight didn't even look at him, his eyes transfixed on his arm. He never counted the scars. He never stopped to look at them, to acknowledge all the suffering he went through. Not the suffering of being taken, not the suffering of being hunted like a wild animal, but the suffering he himself physically endured. Every cut, every burn, every scar was a reminder of a failure he committed in the trials.

"I was lost. It was foggy." Dwight muttered plainly. The other kids leaned in to listen to the start of this tale but Dwight didn't say another word.

A harsh ray stabbed at his eyes. Dwight raised his hand to shield himself when he spotted the source.

Suddenly, chill crept up his spine. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out the mundane conversations around him. The figure was behind the fence. A hood and mask concealed their face. A simple knife sharpened the sun's gentle ray into a blinding spear. Despite being so far away their voice clawed in his ears. Words colder than ice and sharper than any knife. It cut through the deafening pounding in his head and straight into his brain with two simple words.

"Hello Dwight."