Ugh. She couldn't sleep. That hadn't happened for a long time; sleep usually came naturally to her. But whatever, she had a phone to keep herself entertained.

She had exhausted all of the phone's entertainment by about four o'clock, however. Cat pictures could only keep her busy for so long. And, as such, she put her phone down and lied back down in bed. She closed her eyes, hoping that now she could finally sleep. But, that hope was all destroyed when a sudden thought popped into her half-awake mind.

'And they've been working only at night.'

Mae jumped up from her bed. She couldn't believe she had forgotten that Germ had said that. They only worked at night. If four in the mornings was still considered night to the construction workers… fuck it. She'd try it anyway. She had to at least try.

Mae grabbed her phone and out on her shoes before quickly rushing out of the house. She began running towards the mine. If she could get there before the construction workers stopped construction-ing, then she could figure this out once and for all.

She ran through the woods as fast as her short legs could go. She used the light from the moon to dimly light her path, and before long, she had made it. She slowed down as she came up to the site, hoping to, from a distance, catch sight of the workers.

The rubble in front of the opening wasn't there. The construction equipment was there, however. Well, that would be true if the digger thing was there.

She slowly stepped closer to the mine, being sure to stay hidden behind trees and stuff. Mae hoped to see faces that she didn't recognize. To see people she didn't know from a construction company she hadn't heard of. To see an innocent scene of hard-working employees doing their jobs. She hoped for that. Too bad that wasn't what she saw.

Cloaked figures continuously walked into and out of the mine's opening. The elevator's rumbling clearly echoed out of the opening. Soft, prayer-like mumblings were exchanged betwixt the figures. The digger machine came out from the mine, unloading a large pile of rock and dirt.

This wasn't the scene Mae wanted to see. The cult was back. She stood still, practically frozen with shock and fear. Her eyes darted from person to person. She wanted to bolt out from the site, but yet she was unable to.

The construction continued, until one of the figures noticed the still Mae. The figure turned to look at her, and stared at her. The figure's face was cloaked in darkness, and couldn't be identified. But regardless, it was enough to remind Mae's legs what they were supposed to be doing. Mae began sprinting back towards town. She stumbled over rocks and branches, but continued at a quick, steady pace. Her breathing became fast and shallow. Her thoughts raced twice as fast as she did.

The cult really was back. She was right. Her dreams had predicted this. The god did cause her headaches and nightmares. The cult hadn't died in the cave in. She was right to be nervous.

Mae made it back to town and slowed down. Her legs were sore from running and her fur had matted to her body. Fuck, she was out of shape. But more importantly, the cult still existed. The same cult that had killed Casey was back in town. The mine was getting cleared out and the cult was making it back to their sacrifice hole. Mae couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it.

She had to tell Bea about it. She had to fill Germ in. She had to get Gregg and Angus. She had to get as many people as she could to help. They had gotten back in her head and she needed to save both herself and the town. But now wasn't really the best time to do that. The murdercult knew that Mae had seem them. Also, everyone that she wanted to get help from was asleep. Also also, she really needed to take a shower. She smelled like shit.

She opened the door to her house and she walked up to the bathroom. She would probably end up waking up her parents, but it didn't really matter. The sun was beginning to rise, so that meant that people's morning routines were starting. Hers happened to start now and included taking a shower. She could justify her four in the morning shower, so that meant she could take it without consequences.

Mae undressed and turned the water on. She needed this shower. One, she had to make herself not smell so bad. And two, she had to sort out her thoughts.

Mae stepped into the shower and closed the shower curtain. The hot water washed over her, instantly making her feel sleepy.

So, the cult was back. She had solid proof that they were back. But, what did that mean? Were the planning to sacrifice innocent kids again? Were they gonna kill Mae and her friends for causing the mine to cave in on them? And, how far had they dug into the mine? Had they made it back to the god pit? Well, it would make sense if they had. Her dreams had clearly been made or sent or discovered by the god goat, and it would make sense if the cult finding him caused that activity.

Mae finished her shower and turned the water off. She grabbed a towel and began drying herself off.

What if the cult tried to sacrifice Mae or her friends? Jeez, Mae couldn't stand the thought of the murdercult killing Bea. Or Germ. Or Gregg. Or Angus.

Mae began dressing herself back up in her single outfit.

How much power did the cult have? They were made up of Possum Springs residents, and so clearly they had some sort of control over the town. They were definitely old people, and some of them probably owned businesses. If some of them had a role in the town's governing, them they had the potential to do whatever they wanted, didn't they?

Mae opened the bathroom door, turning off the lights behind her as she stepped out. She walked back upstairs, into her room.

The sun had risen, and was shining over the dull, cult infested town. It was almost ironic.

If the cult was able to get their hands on construction equipment, then what else could they get their hands on? They had guns when they met in the mine. What if they went out into town and searched for Mae? What if they just shot her when they found her? Was Mae safe? Was Bea safe?

Mae shook the thoughts from her mind and picked up her phone.

"bea im gonna have to talk to you as soon as possible"