Chapter 4

There was a lightly mist falling down, and the shadowy figure roamed the quiet streets of the small mountain town, and then a sound caught its attention, so following the sound the shadow came across the park.

Going into the thicket of trees the shadow figure saw her, a lone jogger, running on the trails and it just waited until the jogger pasted it before it made its move. And before the lone jogger knew it the beast attacked.

" Hey Gram am on my way home." Bridgette told her Grandmother as she walked out of the hospital and through the parking lot to her car.

" Ok, see you in about an twenty minutes then and whatever you do be very careful." Robertta said as Seth came into the house.

" I will, oh did Seth find anything in the forest?" Bridgette asked as the hairs on her neck began to stick up.

" He just came into the house, let me talk to him and see if he found anything in the forest." Robertta looked at Seth as he hung up his coat.

" Um . . . ok . . . bye for now." Bridgette looked around because of the feeling that she was being watched.

They hung up with each other, and Bridgette got into her car, and just as she locked her doors and started up the car, she thought she saw a movement in the dark shadow of the parking lot, and what she saw what looked like a huge dog . . . but then she also caught the face, just before it took off running away from the parking lot as a couple of other people came to their cars.

" Oh Shit!" was all Bridgette said before putting the car into drive and leaving the parking lot and hospital.

The shadow figure ran away from the hospital parking lot and headed for the forest and going deep into the forest before coming up to the cottage that was in the small clearing.

The dark figure hung out in the shadow of the huge tree, and it watched the two figures inside the cottage, one was a young man and the other one was an elderly lady.

" What did you find out there?" Robertta asked her Grandson as she handed him some hot coco.

" I did find tracks but lost them in the river and it looks like it has been circling the cottage, oh and one more thing, and whatever you do, do not tell Bridgette this, because it might frighten her, but this thing has been watching her very closely, and that is because I have found its prints just outside her bedroom window." Seth took the cup from his Grandmother before going over to the love seat and sitting down.

" Oh my, you know I thought I heard something moving around the other night outside the cottage." Robertta sat down in the chair next to the love seat.

" Gram when did you hear those noises, it was not the same night when that body was mauled on our property?" Seth took a sip of his coco.

" Yes that was when I heard the noise, I did leave the cottage after Bridgette came home and went to bed, and I did look around in the forest close to the house, and when I came around the front, that is when I saw it a shadowy figure standing behind a huge tree and it was watching the house, but when I stepped on a twig it caused the creature to look my way before running off deep into the forest." Robertta tried to remember that face that looked straight at as she came up behind it.

" Grandma . . . what was it?" Seth ask as he took the cup from the older lady's hands as they began to shake.

" It . . . was . . . oh good Bridgette is home." Robertta came out of her shock as they heard the car pull up to the cottage.

Bridgette pulled up to the house and saw that Seth's car was still parked next to her Grandmother's car.

Bridgette shut off the engine and gathered up her bag before opening up the car door. Getting out of the car and closing the door, and she was just about to turn towards the door of the cottage when there was a movement coming from the forest caught her attention.

"What the hell . . . who is there?" Bridgette called out to what she saw moving behind a huge tree.

"Bridgette good you are home come on inside and I will fix you some hot chocolate while you relax in the tub." Robertta opened the front door and got Bridgette's attention from whatever she was looking at in the forest.

"Um . . . Sure Gram that sounds great." Bridgette looked at her Grandmother and then she noticed that she was looking towards the trees that she was looking at too, but the thing that she saw was now gone.

Bridgette turned back to the front door, and headed for the elderly lady.

"Good to have you home, now come inside and relax before going to bed." Robertta held the door wider, before hugging her Granddaughter.

"Ok I will, and it has been a very long day, and I will take you place tomorrow afternoon at the shop after lunch." Bridgette walked past her Grandmother and came inside the cottage.

"Hey sis welcome home." Seth watched his sister come into the cottage.

"Hey bro thanks. I see you are staying the night tonight." Bridgette put her bag down on the floor so that way she could take off her cloak and hung it up on the peg next to Seth's coat.

"Yes, and I will be staying here for the rest of the month, until my house can be rebuilt." Seth took another sip of his hot chocolate.

"That is great to hear, well am going to soak in my tub, so if I do not see you when I get out of the tub, then I will see you in the morning." Bridgette picked up her bag and headed for her bedroom and then to her bathroom.

Bridgette walked into her bedroom and put her bag down in the arm chair before going over to the oil lamp and lit it before going over to the curtains, this time she shut them.

The other night Bridgette got this strange feeling that something was watching her, and it was looking at her through her bedroom windows.

Getting undress and grabbing her robe before heading to the bathroom, once in the room Bridgette went over to the tub and leaned over and turned on the water faucets and then putting the stopper into the tub so that way the tub could fill up with hot water.

She was pouring in the liquid bubbles to the water just as there was a light knock on the door.

" Come in Gram." Bridgette came up to the door and opened it up for her Grandmother.

" Here is your hot chocolate and I thought maybe you would like to add this oil to the water." Robertta came into the bathroom and put the cup and saucer down on the counter and handed the young girl a small vital of bath oil.

" Thanks Gram, this is going to feel so great on my skin, oh could you please shut the blinds for me." Bridgette took the small bottle and opened it up before pouring the oil into the water.

" Sure." the older lady nodded and noticed that there was a little fear in her Granddaughter's eyes.

" Gram, I really do get a feeling that there is something out there and it is watching me." Bridgette said as the elderly lady sat down beside her on the steps of the garden tub.

" I know what you mean, because I too have been getting that feeling too." Robertta took the shaken up girl into her arms and held her as she tried to help the young girl lose her fear.

" I saw something as I was getting into my car tonight and then again as I got out of the car here." Bridgette pulled away from her Grandmother's hold.

" I know I saw it too as you got out of the car, and the other night when you came home from getting the flowers and mushrooms for me." Robertta moved a stray hair from Bridgette's face.

" I too saw it that night and even heard it, oh and he is back in town Gram." Bridgette warned her Grandmother on who she saw today.

" Really, I will tell Seth and then call Lionel to let him know. I will see you tomorrow afternoon, and sleep well." Robertta got up and walked to the bathroom door.

" Ok you too, and see you tomorrow afternoon after lunch." Bridgette kissed her Grandmother's cheek before closing and locking the bathroom door.

Taking off her robe and hanging it upon the peg on the back of the door before going to the counter and picking up her hot chocolate.

Putting the cup down on the edge of the tub before climbing into the hot water and sitting down, before laying back against the back of the tub.

" What's wrong Gram?" Seth watched his Grandmother come back into the seating area.

" She knows about the creature watching us, because not only did see it tonight but she also saw it the other night and even heard it too. And she also told me that HE is back, because she saw him today." Robertta sat back down in her chair.

" Really, did she tell you where she saw Him?" Seth got up and went over to the sink and put his cup and saucer into the sink before he began to pump the water from the hand pump that goes down to the well.

" No she did not tell me where she saw Him, you look tired so go to bed, I will be going to bed after a phone call to Lionel just to let him know that He is here." Robertta got up from her chair and came up to her Grandson and gave him a kiss goodnight.

" Yes ma'am, see in the morning love you Gram." Seth kissed his Grandmother's cheek and walked to the other bedroom door, and opened it up and going inside the room and closing the door behind him.

Once the door was closed Robertta went over to her coat and pulled out her cell phone.

Robertta dialed the sheriff's number and hoping that he was not in bed yet.

" Hey mom what is up?" Lionel answered his phone.

" Sorry to be calling this late, but I thought that you might want to know that He is back in town." Robertta closed the binds so that way whatever was out there could not see inside the cottage.

" Really, and how did you find out about this?" Lionel sat down at his desk and looked at the paper work that he needed to work on before heading home.

" Bridgette saw him, but she did not tell me where she saw him, but for some reason and I know this sounds strange but I have this feeling that he is not behind this killing, but I do have this feeling that there is something else that is behind it." Robertta walked to her room as the grandfather clock struck midnight before going silent for the rest of the night.

" Really, then I guess I will have to trust your judgment and your feelings, I need to go I have another call coming through the police radio." Lionel heard the crackling of the police radio as a call was coming through.

" I will let you go, and good night see you tomorrow then for dinner?" Robertta shut her bedroom door and going over to the window and closing the blinds, before going to the oil lamp and lighting it up.

" Ok see you tomorrow for dinner, are we going to be alone?" Lionel got up from his chair and going to the table that had the radio on it.

" No Bridgette and Seth will be with us and Nathan will be joining us and so will be Lynette." Robertta went over to her dresser and opened the top drawer and pulled out a night gown.

" Ok that sounds good see you tomorrow get some sleep love you mom." Lionel told his mother before hanging up his phone with his mother.

" You get to sleep soon too, love you too Lionel." Robertta told her son before hanging up her phone, and then she got undressed put on her night gown before climbing into bed.

Rolling over and blowing out the small flame on the oil lamp.

Bridgette got out of the tub and wrapped the towel around herself before opening the door.

She walked into the bedroom and went over to her dresser and opening the middle drawer and grabbed a tank top and shorts, then opening the top drawer and pulling out a pair of underwear.

Once dressed in her night clothes, Bridgette went over to her bed and climbing into the bed then she rolled over to her right side and reaching over she picked up the lamp and blew out the small flame.

" Lionel here." Lionel answered the radio.

" I hate to bother you sir, but we have another one." Michael looked down at the mauled body.

" Ok, where are you at and I will be there as soon as I can." the Sheriff looked at the Medical Examiner who just nodded as he held his medical bag in his hand.

" It is at the park and the body from what we can figure out so far is female." Michael looked up to the woods when he heard a twig snap.

" Damn that is too close to the town, ok me and the ME are on our way see you in ten." the Sheriff nodded to the ME, who nodded back.

" Ok see you soon." Michael said as the feeling that he was being watched took over his body.