So I hope you like the last one, 'cause more of this kind of thing will appear. Don't forget, Corbin is still understandably a bit, okay a lot, angry at The Creeper. She'll warm up to him, eventually. The Creeper and Corbin will have to learn to understand one another, as that's one of the foundations of a good relationship. 'Cause admit it, he dug a deep hole when he tried to take Darry away. As usual, blah blah I own none of this blah blah blah except my own Character and blah enjoy the story.

Creeper knows by the sight of the rolling plains shifting into wetlands that they arrived at their destination. He's given confirmation when he passes by a sign that says in big bold letters,

"Welcome to Myakka River State Park"

The Creeper grins to himself as could feel drool building up in his mouth in anticipation of the upcoming feast. He then drives over to a dry spot under the surrounding willow trees which serve nicely as cover for the imposing decrepit truck. The Creeper exits the driver's side, looking up to the top of his truck to find Corbin gathering a handful of willow leaves into her pockets. He raises a brow as brief confusion colors his features. The dark female speaks without looking away from her task.

"I have my art and you have yours."

The Creeper watches Corbin then pull off a piece of bark before he shrugs and moves to the back of his truck to throw open the doors. He holds out a finger as he browses his vast collection of blades of all shapes and sizes, all of his designs the Creeper can proudly say. Corbin idly takes a seat above the Creeper with her legs hanging over the side as he picks out one of his classic shurikens wrapped in human flesh, held together with string that seems to be made of hair. The inhuman woman observes the sharpened ends of the blade seemingly made from ivory, but it's all the more likely to be bone, perhaps a femur bone, she muses.

"Did you make that yourself?"

The Creeper feels himself puff up his chest in pride at his craftsmanship being recognized.

'Sure did, an art that's taken a long time to master.'

"I suppose... But I've seen better craftsmanship."

Immediately the eldritch creature deflates before glaring at his mate who gives the ghost of a grin in response, her amber eyes meeting his in silent challenge.

'Is that so?'

"Va, did you bring my bag?"

The Creeper nods in response to which Corbin gives a smug grin. She then hops down from the top of the truck, barely making a sound, before turning toward the inside of the vehicle to find the male creature is being honest. Corbin opens the bag and briefly rummages through it before picking out what looked like a hand scythe that's about a foot long but with three blades; one at the bottom, just above the leather handle facing Corbin, and two at the top with the second blade pointing upwards but forming a "v" where they meet. Creeper tries not to look impressed by the wicked and even malicious design of the blade. How has he never come across such a blade of this asymmetrical design?

'It ain't half bad, I'll give ya that.'

"Nais tuke."

Corbin doesn't miss the gleam in the male's eyes at the sight of the well cared for and wickedly sharp blades, no doubt getting some ideas for a new design. She then takes his hand into her to lead his pointer finger to trace the lower blade down to the handle. The Creeper's eyes widen in surprise and just barely managed to keep himself from flinching, instead, enjoying the warmth from his mate's hands over his cooler ones.

"The blades aren't for show, as each and every piece serves a functional purpose."

'And that is?'

The Creeper inquires, feeling a pleasant shiver going down his spine when spotting a spark of eager bloodlust that causes her to ever so slightly tighten her hold on his hand.

"To gut my enemies in battle with the power of a throwing ax but with nearly the same sticking potential of a shuriken."

Corbin, while she explains, leans closer to the male maneater to the point their shoulders are lightly pressed together and the Creeper could feel her warm breath brushing against the shell of his pointed ear. She then proceeds to pull out more knives with spear points, lethally straight daggers, and wicked clip finishes, with the strong metal shining as if newly forged. The Creeper notes some of them having teeth tied to the ends and the handles being intricately crafted with sigils he somewhat recognizes. He lets out restrained noise that comes out as a heavy puff of air through his seething teeth; too soon, his mate then drops his hand and pulls away.

Corbin raises an amused brow but doesn't comment before she pulls out her khopesh, the same one she used to gut open her mate. The male maneater doesn't make any comments as he finishes picking out his preferred knives and shurikens, all hand-carved with his gruesome design and decorated with human remains such as teeth. The inhuman woman traces a particular spear-point blade's design carved into the bone handle, resembling that of a serpent devouring its hapless victims. She won't give her fellow inhuman praise, lest his ego bloats to the point his head explodes, but she can't deny this is one of the more creatively intricate designs she's seen on a tool. However,

"Interesting design, a shame you had to soil it with human parts."

The Creeper turns toward Corbin to cross his arms at her with a displeased scowl in return for his mate's cool and indifferent expression.

'I'll have ya know, human skin is notoriously more delicate than ya would think. It takes practice and careful hands to stretch this way without tearing a single piece.'

Corbin then gives a hum in acknowledgment, but one that's more dismissive nature. This doesn't slip past the Creeper who keeps the same hard expression; nor does his mate's cool snake-like glance towards the shuriken he has in hand. The shuriken in his hand is one of the types he felt especially inspired by given the tattoo design on it, said design is that of a badly drawn tiger wearing a space helmet.

"Poor choice of tattoo that one is though."

Corbin comments with a minuscule curl of her lip in disgust. The Creeper gives a coinciding slight nod with a shrug. She's honestly not wrong as the lines were too shaky and the proportions were off, but he couldn't find himself adding it to his tapestry given how eyecatching the shading is.

'I liked the colors, plus, this one almost gave me a run for my money,'

The corner of Creeper's lips twitches with his eyes sparkling in uncontained amusement as he looks back at a less-than-amused Corbin. The Creeper gives a barely audible rumble from his chest as he hoods his eyes.

'but not nearly as much as you did."

"Flattery doesn't change the fact you made your victims into gruesome trophies."

Corbin crosses her arms and sticks her nose in the air as she gives a huff similar to a hippopotamus. The Creeper catches himself in time from rolling his eyes before busying himself with taking stock of the blades he's carrying including his favored battle ax.

'They're not just trophies, as every bit and piece has use from flesh down to the fat. You don't seem to mind much given yer own little decorations.'

"Nah, those belonged to other beasts."

'Ah yes, not so bad because they're a separate species from you. In case ya haven't noticed, we ain't human.

" I don't use my victim's flesh for sick amusement."

The Creeper gives a snort and grabs the handles of the backdoors, spotting how tense Corbin's jawline is from her, no doubt, grinding her teeth.

'Sure, they're victims in the meats' eyes, but to us, they're just that, meat. '

Corbin starts to see red as she digs her talons into the soft earth under her.

'Disgusting'

Is all she could think to describe the man in front of her. No, not a man, that would imply he's even a smidge of human. What does that barbaric male know! What does he actually know about the worth of life on par with humans? What does that bastard know, when all he does is live an endless cycle of death and sleep?

"It may not be personal to you, but those "meats" aren't just animals! Their compassion for others, their need in pursuit of knowledge, their ability for change, their determination, and hope even in the darkest hours! What right do we have to ruin such lives?"

The Creeper doesn't respond, his back towards Corbin who glares at him with the fury of a thousand fires that he could feel burning into his skull and very essence. The female inhuman isn't able to see nor read her mate's expression. She couldn't even feel his emotions, too fired up by her own.

"You know what I think? I think you're envious of them since you don't know what it means to live."

Corbin hisses with venom lacing her words. Creeper then slams the back doors, yet his mate doesn't flinch. He doesn't move or say anything with his shoulders slouched, not giving away a single emotion as he tries his hardest not to succumb to the flame and venom he's been bombarded with. The Creeper then removes his hands away from the handles, not giving Corbin enough time to see the crushed metal before The Creeper is right in her face. The inhuman woman doesn't back down, however, and returns his seemingly indifferent icy gaze with her embittered redden gaze.

'Do we not also have the right to live? To eat? You're thinking yerself as one of them when yer not.'

Some of the venom begins to dissolve as if a bucket of artic water were dumped on Corbin. She gives just the barest of flinches as her narrowed eyes fly wide open and an old ache, she thought long since buried, starts to make itself known. The Creeper takes advantage of his mate's state, knowing he's hit a nerve. He gives the barest of shrugs.

'It's just a fact. You may have a problem with it, but I am what I am. I shouldn't have ta apologize for it. If it's any comfort, at least our killings are more for survival than just "sick" amusement, unlike other species...'

The Creeper lets out a displeased grumble before walking off, thinking he's wasted enough time just standing around when he could've been hunting by now. Corbin isn't too far behind after she composes herself and rebuilds her mental barriers before following after the male maneater into the dense forest. They don't speak for about half an hour, remaining in silence, and continue to do so as every forest critter and native avian grows silent, not daring to draw attention to themselves. After about 2 miles of still air filled with the occasional birdsong from one of the Corvid companions, Corbin is the first to speak.

'Anyone ever told you how insufferable your gall is?"

Corbin speaks with her mind, shifting her mentality into hunting mode which means silence is crucial for a successful catch.

'Not really, usually too busy screamin' or chokin' on their blood.'

Corbin snarls as she turns her head towards the larger male beside her then growls in his mind.

'I should've ripped your head off...'

The Creeper then turns his head towards the dark female with a barely audible purr and possibly an attempt at a flirtatious smirk, which more closely resembles a shark grinning at its prey that's just within reach.

'Mmmhh... I love it when ya talk like that, Darlin'. 'Sides, wasn't it enough for ya when you clawed out my eye? '

He then uses his pointer finger and thumb to gently tilt Corbin's chin so the two could see eye to eye. The dark female gives a deep scowl before she grabs the Creeper's wrist with an inescapable steel grip and yanks him towards her where they're standing nose to nose, digging her claws in hard enough to draw pinpricks of his black blood. The Creeper doesn't try and break out of her hold, despite knowing he can do it with little to no issue, initially finding himself more amused at his mate's feisty nature than anything.

'Rest assured, I won't go down like last time since you were foolish enough to bring me up to good health with your bountiful hunting.'

Despite her deep scowl, the corner of Corbin's mouth twitches as if trying to keep herself from giving a manic grin at the prospect of a fight. The Creeper finds himself almost hypnotized by his mate as he caught the same bloodthirsty glint from earlier, one that rivals if not supersedes his own beyond the thrill of the hunt. To think, he proved himself not only skilled and strong enough to gain this lethal beauty's attention, but she, inadvertently, admitted he provides for her well.

'I'm touched you hold me in such high regard.'

The Creeper grins and leans in closer to Corbin to the point their lips almost brush, using his free hand to completely encase her own. For a few seconds, his mate's eyes give off a soft honey-colored glow that matches her taken aback expression before it's replaced with her default irritated one before she pushes Creeper away with a hand. The Creeper obliges with a small hiss of amusement, but his mate gives an unamused roll of her eyes before turning away from him with a dismissive flick of her tail as she brushes past him.

Corbin then climbs up a nearby tree and disappears into the thick foliage before moving forward silently through the branches ahead of the Creeper. The corner of the dark female's lips twitch when sensing some irritation from the larger male below her, reminiscent of their first encounter, only there are no death machines on wheels to hold her back. She takes a sharp turn at a random crossroads with a map and sign, taking a massive leap over the path that separates the treelines before elegantly landing with barely any disturbance to the branches with the exception of a rudely awoken chipmunk.

The Creeper gives a snort as he could see his mate's smug grin in his mind's eye as she demonstrates her superior agility. However, being a professional hunter for most of human history, he's not one to back away from a challenge. He pushes himself to greater speeds across the forest floor, heading in the direction of one of the more spread-out campsites. Corbin is able to sense the Creeper's presence under her, thrilled to finally have some competition again.

'Yer a fast thing, aren't ya?'

Creeper remarks in semi praising/provoking tone. He's only able to keep track of Corbin's position from the disturbances her silhouette made against the natural sunny spots, all while weaving through the dense forest.

'Seems like yer tryna get away.'

'Afraid I'll prove to be a better hunter, Vieux lézard?'

Corbin goads in response to Creeper's paranoia. He gives an amused snort before both maneaters go silent as they hear music being blasted on full volume a few meters ahead of them. Without a word, they move in tandem towards the telltale signs of their prey. The Creeper silently takes to the trees as well, watching through their branches as he and Corbin are greeted by the sight of a group of young adults. They count about 6 of them in total, with two of them off in a tent together with exclusive activity being obvious to the hidden predators by the scent of their arousal.

The two hunters watch as the rest of the young adults idly go about their day, discussing plans of hiking and fishing while others guzzled down the beer they brought with them in a large cooler. Their laughter fills the air and mixes in with the rock band playing on the radio. Corbin observes one of the men tilting his head back as he lets out another bellowing laugh from something the man beside him said. She notes his short page-boy-like bangs and longer chocolate brown hair in the back, his boyish features, and brown eyes; besides a few differences such as style of clothing, lankier physique, and minor details in his face, he bears a strong resemblance to Darry.

Her eager expression then falls as doubt starts to claw past the edges of Corbin's mind. The Creeper turns his attention to his mate, sensing this change in mood. His brow furrows as he reminds himself of his mate's unusual attachments towards their prey and how, unfortunately, it seems to be enough to make her starve herself. If only he could help her unleash herself and give in fully to her dark temptations, embrace her nature fully for her sake. But, perhaps, he already does know.

'If you do wish ta prove to be better, then why not have a lil' friendly competition?'

He internally grins when his mate glances at him from the corner of her eyes.

'What did you have in mind?'

'A simple bet ta see who can bring in the most meat. Winner is the better hunter.'

Corbin gives a smirk as turns her head ever so slightly.

'Game on, but you can't get caught by campers outside of their group or you're disqualified.'

The Creeper merely concedes with a nod, not seeing too much of a challenge in those last terms. He doesn't want to cause the rest of his possible prey to scatter too far from him, after all.

'Very well, Darlin'. Ya got yerself a hunt.'

The Creeper then looks over to where Corbin was perched, unsurprised to find her to be gone already. He only gives a ghost of a grin before following a woman who exclaimed she'll be back with more beers as she separates from the group.

'This just got a whole lot more interestin'.

...

By the time the sun started to dip below the horizon, both maneaters racked up enough bodies for Creeper to joke about how pretty soon it'll be impossible to move around in the back of his truck. Both were pretty efficient and quick when it came to the actual killing, however, the female of the two pair didn't spend as much time stalking and causing fear. She seems to prefer more to just spare her victims from any unneeded prolonged torture; any survivors that had nothing she needed were spared without injury.

'Shhhhh, cher. No need to panic.'

Corbin curls her tails around a woman, who bore some resemblance to Trisha and achingly reminded her a bit of the woman. She bound the woman's arms and holds her in an upright sitting position, hands caressing either side of the woman's face with all the gentleness of a loving partner. Both the woman and Corbin locked eyes, the woman's hazel eyes entranced by the other calming pulsating glow of the amber ones. Just how long has it been since either female here felt a lover's touch, Corbin wonders to herself. Yet, she already knows how long it's been for her.

...

"Jacqui?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you love me?

Jacquotte shifts in her love's hold to meet her face to face, adoration, and compassion reflecting so brightly in those intelligent eyes that, for a moment, Corbin could've sworn her heart skipped a beat. The copper-haired pirate gently caresses the disguised woman's cheek with a calloused and elegant hand. Corbin lets out a small purr as she leans against the comforting touch, relishing in the affectionate contact; but at the same time, she averts her eyes from the silent request from her dearest's expression. However, she didn't want to deny her captain.

So with a small sigh, her human visage fully falls away to reveal her true monstrous form with a visage reminiscent of a dark dragon. Corbin had no regrets doing so when catching Jacquotte's expression noticeably brightening as her smiles widen.

"There you are, mon ke."

Jacquotte whispers as if going one decibel too high would startle Corbin back to her disguise. Said woman uses her tail to carefully wrap around Jacquotte's right leg as Jacquotte places both hands gently on either side of her face. Corbin couldn't look away from the pirate captain, meanwhile, she mindlessly twiddles wither her hands, as if unsure whether or not her touch would break her beloved.

...

Corbin in the present day mentally swats away the memory, feeling her heart instinctively clench for even touching it. However, it still serves well on what sort of serenity she wants to lure the surviving woman to be under.

'Aren't you tired? You've been running around all day, having so much fun with your sisters.'

The dark female unfurls her wings enough to block the woman's view, should she decide to look behind Corbin and find all her sorority sisters lying dead in a neat row. It's unlikely, but Corbin doesn't want to take any chances as she works her "charm". Sure, what she's doing takes a while as it is a process more than if she were to simply influence, but the inhuman woman decides she has enough time to at least try and minimize the damage she's done. The woman lets out a yawn as her eyes start to droop, her limbs suddenly feeling like dead weight. Corbin gently rubs circles with her thumbs onto the woman's cheeks in a soothing fashion.

"Soooo... tired..."

The woman slurs and she would've had difficulty keeping her head up if it weren't for the warm and comforting being. The woman, Dana is her name, could've sworn she could feel the hums of a lullaby surrounding her mind, practically white noise such as rain for her to sink into.

'Rest now, Dana. Rest your body and mind.'

Corbin removes her hands from Dana as she tilts her head back, gradually falling into a deep slumber. The inhuman woman slowly uncoils her tail and furls her wings as she gently lays Dana on the dirt ground. She then leans forward to whisper into Dana's heavily pierced ear just when the young woman is at the precipice of sleep.

"Forget you saw me."

Dana lets out a barely audible noise of agreement before she then lets out a light snore. Corbin then goes to the deceased sorority sisters to collect all five of their bodies, plus a bag filled with pillaged supplies, hauling two over each shoulder with one more sprawled across both shoulders. She takes one last look at the only surviving sorority sister before making her way to the Creeper's truck. Comparing the two separate piles near the truck, after adding her newest catch to her respective one, Corbin summarizes that she's just one corpse behind Creeper. However, she could secure her victory by one last campsite filled with humans.

Corbin mentally reaches out to her favorite raven while following the rest of the unkindness to the truck, her right eye turning a milky white as she gives her sight to her raven.

'A little help, mon ami?'

'No need to fret. I shall check for any threat!'

Beowulf croaks in assurance to his mistress before splitting off with some of the flock to search the area for anyone that would interrupt her little hunting game with her competitor. The ravens fly overhead clearings that are barely recognizable as campsites due to the gory scenes replacing them. Bodies, including scattered limbs and pieces, are piled on top of one another for later collecting. A myriad of Corvids circle around the clearing with some landing to take a peck at the exposed flesh with their sharp beaks, long having no qualm about the taste of human flesh. Campfires start to smolder into nothing but smoke, as there's nobody to tend to these fires. It's the perfect depiction of carnage in wake of two eldritch predators, Beowulf mused to himself. That is if it weren't for a strange sight to greet him after a 2nd campsite.

Beowulf and a few of his fellow ravens perch in a tree, seamlessly melding with the murder of crows. A few others join the crows in feasting on exposed flesh from the covered corpses, including some toes. Some movement out of the corner of his white pseudo eye catches the old raven's eye, before fully turning around to find the familiar imposing silhouette of the Creeper making his way through the woods and thickets. Beowulf briefly tilts his head with a curious chirp before following the mistress's competition.

The Creeper currently is picking off some extra pieces of gore from his teeth using someone's broken phalange like a twisted toothpick, which he then pockets so as to not waste a possible art project. Beowulf watches as the Creeper then stops midstep without any rhyme or reason, or so it would seem. He then sharply turns his head to his left before looking down at a patch of yellow buttons. Beowulf's mind is suddenly colored with Corbin's bewilderment when the Creeper, who not long ago remorsefully butchered everyone at the clearing behind him with no survivors, kneels down and takes a moment to smell the flowers. The Creeper briefly closes his eyes as the corner of his mouth twitches, as if he were a simple man stopping to smell the roses during his daily walk.

'Out of all the things to stop for.'

Corbin thinks to herself before turning more of her attention back to her own task at hand. The maneater doesn't need to turn around nor look up, already able to feel and smell his mate's presence. He doesn't exactly know-how, but he knows she's observing him in a way. This doesn't upset the Creeper, as it just means he's not alone anymore. He has another companion besides him and the crows, which he doesn't mind much.

'They're good company.'

The Creeper thinks to himself as he spots nearby crows splashing around in a nearby puddle. He takes out some fingers he broke off earlier to toss over bathing crows as if he were merely feeding regular pigeons gobbling up their treat of some bird pellets with the same satisfaction and calm. The Creeper then continues to make his way toward the final campsite for the day and what should be his ticket to winning the little "bet" he made with his mate.

He knows Corbin hates to admit it, and will never say this to him, he is right in one aspect, she still needs to eat what she eats whether she likes it or not. The Creeper could care less about her loathing as long as she's taking care of herself properly; but to be sure, perhaps he'll make sure to slip his mate a few offals. Speaking of internal organs, it seems the next fresh batch is right ahead of him.

"I'm da Stonehenge!"

"Mikey, that's just a rock."

The Creeper hides behind a tree and slowly makes his way up into its branches, completely imperceptible with only his eyes visible between the leaves and branches. Looking down, he first spots a child no older than 8 years old with plenty of baby fat still evident on his face, giving him an endearing boyish look. Surrounding him is a circle of rocks that the boy put together in a crude recreation of the famous Stonehenge. The boy smiles, creating dimple indents in his chubby cheeks as he holds up a rock in front of his eye, proudly showing off his work to an older human. This male human, whose scent tells the Creeper he is an adolescent, is of average height and has long blond hair that stops just under his chin.

The teen gives an amused smile as his younger counterpart holds up a rock in front of his eye, giggling in amusement at his little game. He then turns his head at the sound of an older man announcing that dinner is ready. The Creeper observes as the younger humans drop their game to obey their father. The hidden predator then takes in the scents of two full-grown women who are off to the side, not far from the picnic table as they chatter like two songbirds. As the entire family gathers around to enjoy their meal, the Creeper comes to a decision on the spot.

'They will due nicely.'

He finds himself salivating as he takes in the meats fattening themselves up with more meat sandwiched between bread. The Creeper takes one last moment to take in all of them gathered together before he stealthily makes his way through the edges of the camp, closer to the unsuspecting family. Patiently, he waits for the family to separate once more as he plans on snatching up the one nearest to him, thus farthest from the pack. The hidden predator, in this instance, is in no particular rush for his prey to come to him. He observes his future victims, making note of their relationships and dynamics with one another, and what order he should take them out to optimize efficiency and fear.

Ah, so many possible choices here, and so many good options as well, not just for him, but for his female as well. Not for the first time, The Creeper finds himself tempted to rush his hunt, despite there being no need yet; but as any professional hunters know, all good things come to those who wait. This simple truth is proven when the youngest meat, Mikey, and his older brother, Charlie, are playing soccer when Charlie accidentally kicks the ball harder than intended. The ball first bounces off the picnic table, knocking over some drinks and a handheld radio, before it goes flying into the woods. Right around where the Creeper is camouflaged and eagerly waiting.

"I got it!"

Mikey shouts to an embarrassed Charlie, being the closest to where the woods are. As the youngest male runs off into the woods, completely unaware of the eldritch entity, his mother shouts,

"Mikey, don't go too far off!"

"Kay mommy!"

The child shouts over his shoulder before breaching through the thicket and heading into the general direction of where he saw his and Charlie's ball go off. Mikey goes running through the woods without fear, eager to get back to his game of soccer and kick his brother's butt at it! Determined, Mikey scours the forest ground for the familiar black and white pattern, so engrossed in his task that he doesn't notice just how still and quiet the woods are. Where there are usually birds chirping with the occasional sound of feathered wings flapping, there is none. It's not unusual to be hearing cicadas or crickets making their loud calls around this time of day, but the boy has gotten so used to their noise by now that it automatically registers as white noise. Even the wind seems to still be within the trees. However, Mikey doesn't ask himself about the silence surrounding him, besides the sound of his sneakers thumping against the dirt ground, occasionally cracking a few twigs here and there.

The boy's steps come to a complete halt as he bumps into, what may as well be, a brick wall. Mikey opens his mouth in an attempt to apologize, eyes gazing over tattered boots and coat, but leaves it agape as he looks up at what he would've thought to be a mountain. If it weren't for the said mountain moving to block out some of the sunlight streaming through the canopy using his wide-brimmed hat. The boy immediately recognizes the figure to be something in the shape of a man, yet at his age, some primal part of his brain, tells him this stranger isn't exactly normal. As his eyes adjust to the change in lighting, Mikey's suspicions are made correct as he's finally able to make out a reptilian face.

The stranger's, or rather monster's, face is dark and wrinkled like some ancient mummy but with claws rather than bandages along with some white hair. The monster then gives a toothy smile, showing off every lethal point of each fang that's still stained with, what could be, blood. Mikey can't see its eyes as it's shadowed by the monster's hat, yet he knows without a doubt that they're on him, observing him, probably wondering if he's a tasty snack! The boy's mouth opens and closes much like a guppy but similarly, no words escape. He can't move even! He should run, scream for help as there's a big creepy monster!

The monster then tosses the left side of his coat away, revealing a display of knives made of metal and bone, some with more monster faces carved into them. Mikey could feel his heart pounding so hard in his little chest, that he wonders if the monster could hear it too. He could feel his knees shaking and tears threatening to spill out as the monster in front of him reaches with its large clawed hands for something in his coat. For what, Mikey really doesn't want to know.

'Mommy, daddy, Charlie, please help me.'

Mikey then shuts his eyes tight as the Creeper then retrieves his hand from his coat, not wanting to see the fate that befalls him.

...

Back at the campsite, the young boy's mother keeps glancing in the direction she saw her youngest head in. The mother nods and gives a few murmurs, barely paying any attention to what her sister is saying.

'Where is he? He should be back by now.'

The sister stops mid-sentence about issues with her coworker scratching her car and somehow blaming her, as she takes in her sister's concerned gaze. She lets out a sigh and takes one last sip of the beer her brother-in-law brought for the grownups on the trip.

"Don't you get your panties in a twist, Beth, I'll go get the lil' rascal."

Beth gives a relieved smile as she watches her sister head into the woods after her son.

"Be safe, Yolanda!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

Yolanda waves away as she goes deeper into the forest. Fortunately for her, the farther from the camp she goes, the more she could hear her nephew. What's more, her nephew seems to be talking to someone that Yolanda couldn't quite see, but given Mikey isn't running for the hills and screaming like a banshee, that's enough to be a good sign. At least, so she thinks.

"Are you sure you aren't a dinosaur? Cause you're really old and look like one. Oh! Maybe a dilophosaurus or a raptor! Huh, you don't know what a dinosaur is? How?"

A soccer ball then rolls over to the boy who then rolls it back to the unseen figure. Just as Mikey then receives the ball again, he sees and hears his auntie Yoli heading in his direction. He gives a smile and an eager wave to his Aunt.

"Mikey! Come back over here, you're making your mom worried!"

The young boy picks up his soccer ball and turns his head towards his aunt.

"Now! Come on!"

"Kay! Could I invite my friend here?"

Yolanda raises a brow as she finally reaches her nephew, spotting no one that Mikey could've been talking to besides some trees. It only takes half a second for the older woman to come to the conclusion that Mikey must be talking to an imaginary friend. Yolanda then nods in response with a pleasant smile, deciding to play along for the sake of her nephew's imagination.

"Sure you can, just go on ahead."

The boy starts to make his way back towards the camp, but after only taking a few steps, he stops and then turns around.

"Where are you?"

"I'm right here, Mikey."

"No,"

Mikey replies as he gives a pout before explaining in a tone that a child would take when explaining the obvious to their parents when they're being silly.

"My new friend was just here. He was right there and, huh?"

Mikey stops in midsentence as he looks over to where his aunt is and past her as if he could actually see someone. Yet, this doesn't bother Yolanda as she figures it's part of his game.

"Oh, okay then! He'll follow me but he wants to hang around you Auntie, he says you smell nice."

"Why, thank you Mikey's friend."

Yoli responds to the space behind her, finding the whole thing to be odd but hey she can be a bit odd at times too. Who is she to judge? Maybe she should have judged, just a bit, as she watches her nephew run off ahead of her. Yolanda is then about to follow Mikey, making sure that he's heading in the right direction. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a clawed hand she couldn't see digs its claws deeply into her scalp, causing rivulets of blood to trickle down her head and face. It then tugs her back painfully into the thickets.

Yolanda opens her mouth to let out a scream, barely able to get out a syllable before another larger clawed hand appears to crush her windpipe. Her unseen assailant pays no heed to the woman's weak wheezing as he then drags her further away from the setting sun and deeper into the unknown darkness. The unseen man then throws her to the ground with a heavy thump, not at all fazed when the woman lets out a barely audible cry as she attempts to drag herself away. Tears start to run clean patches through Yolanda's now dirt-streaked face, mixing in with the still-fresh blood from her wounds, as she attempts to get back up on her feet, making her way inch by inch as her nails dig into the ground as if to anchor her right back in the moment.

'Dammit! Why can't I get up? Run! Run! Run, you bitch!'

Yolanda chastises herself as she finally gets back on her feet, only for a heavy boot to then stomp on her spine. She lets out another barely audible yell, that only comes out more of a squeak like a church mouse. The Creeper kneels down and stares at her with his third nostril-flaring, giving a wide grin at the smell of the woman's delicious fragrance strongly hitting him. Yolanda attempts to squirm against the monster's boot, but she may as well be a mouse or roach trapped and futilely trying to outrun the contraption holding them down. She knows this as well as the Creeper who digs his heel deeper into Yolanda's back, causing her to let out a pained whimper but unable to do much as she scrambles with her hands to reach for something to help. A rock, a large stick, anything that could even give her a slight increase of survival.

Yet, this isn't to be as The Creeper takes his right hand to dig his claws deeply into the woman's scalp again, causing more and more blood to spill out as he then slowly pulls back his hand with claws still embedded into the skin. Yolanda could feel her vocal cords start to rub themselves raw despite being unable to make a sound louder than a whimper no matter how hard she tries. Her entire face is left drenched in blood as the Creeper peels back the entire top of her scalp, hair and all, with a sickening wet sound as if he were slowly peeling away a juicy orange's skin.

Yolanda lets out a silent scream of horror as she's blinded by the blood pouring down her face, blinding her and filling her mouth with a strong iron tang that sickened her. The Creeper then turns the woman over onto her back, allowing her to see that her assailant is no man at all but something far worse. The newly revealed maneater doesn't hesitate to grab Yolanda by either side of her head, breathing in her deliciously pungent fear that tells him every little detail about her body including her plump heart as it starts increasing in rhythm as if it were a war drum.

'Her heart will make a nice gift for Corbin.'

He decides before taking out one of his bone blades carved with faces screaming in agony. The Creeper straddles himself across Yolanda's waist. The older woman attempts to scream out in protest as she attempts to use her arms to push off the monstrous hunter, but she may as well have been trying to move a mountain. Said hunter barely takes note as he carefully and methodically cuts open the woman's chest, revealing muscles glistening in the low light. Yolanda gurgles as she coughs off blood and, to her slight satisfaction, spits it out into the Creeper's face.

This doesn't phase the maneater in the slightest, too focused he is on cutting through the muscle in bone with the steady hands of a surgeon. He doesn't want to ruin the rest of the meat too much now. By the time he finally cuts out Yolanda's heart, The Creeper is covered in a thick coat of blood and the woman is put out of her torturous misery. Yolanda lays against the forest dirt floor, her eyes becoming glassy to reflect the life that left her body. Afterward, he tears off some of the deceased Yolanda's clothing to wrap around her still-warm heart before pocketing it into his coat. The Creeper gives a snort of satisfaction as he gives the lump in his coat a few pats before making his way to the woman's camp where the rest of her family is.

Unbeknownst to him, while he was busy cutting open Mikey's aunt, Corbin snatched the boy away during his walk back to his parents. The dark female then hurriedly makes her way away from the camp, away from where the carnage will soon unfold. The boy attempts to let out a scream, only for his mouth to be covered by a dark clawed hand. Corbin gently shushes the boy as she speaks in a low voice.

"Shhhh, cher, shhh. I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise."

Corbin then sets the boy down on the ground, right outside where the public showers and restrooms are. Hopefully, far enough for the child to not hear most of what will transpire. The dark female kneels down in front of Mikey so they can be face to face, even with Corbin's hands over the boy's mouth. He's about to let out a scream through the strange woman's hands, but as he's glancing at the stranger's eyes, all intentions to do so seemed to melt away. He's suddenly entranced by the warm glow of her gaze, somewhat reminding him of campfires whenever he and his family made smores. Mikey's limbs start to relax and the initial fear he felt starts to fade away, feeling much like how he felt when his mother holds him closely during an especially scary storm. He felt sorta warm as if he just drank a nice cup of hot cocoa.

'Maybe she's like my new friend? He seemed scary but he wasn't really. He gave me back my ball and even played with me.'

Mikey doesn't notice Corbin's surprised expression at the boy's thoughts. However, his attention is regained when the older inhuman woman speaks to him.

"I'm gonna move my hand, but please don't scream."

Mikey gives a nod and complies. Corbin gives a smile assuring smile as she removes her hand, relieved to see the boy listening to her.

"Are you good at hide-and-seek?"

"Uh-huh, Charlie says I'm da best seeker!"

The boy proudly boasts, showing off a few of his missing baby teeth.

"That's amazing because we're going to play that right now with a friend of mine."

"Is your friend the dinosaur man in a hat?"

This time, Corbin couldn't help but give a little chuckle, caught off guard by the description.

"Va, he is. He's really good at seeking too, but luckily, I know a good place for us to hide. Follow me."

The taller woman leads the boy into the showers, breaking open a supply closet's lock before leading the boy inside. This is a the best hiding spot for him, the boy thought initially before breathing in the closet smells. Mikey scrunched is nose in disgust at the musty smell coupled with the strong scent of bleach in the closet.

"Stinky."

"I know, just hold your nose and breathe slowly if it bothers you that much. Someone will come eventually, for now, count to 100 and then shout as loud as you can."

"And then I win?"

Corbin eagerly nods her head.

"Va, so remember to be really really quiet. And one last thing,"

The tall inhuman woman hands a piece of folded notebook paper to the Young boy. Corbin raises her index finger to her mouth before giving a wink to the boy.

"Ask for a man named Tubbs and give him this, it contains a super-secret message for him."

'Woah! Like spies!'

Mikey thought in excitement as he tightens his hold on the paper before pocketing the important message into his pocket. He then eagerly goes behind a box as the woman starts closing the closet door. When there's only an inch left of the door, Corbin speaks up again.

"Be brave, everything will be okay."

"Kay!"

Corbin then gently closes the door, pausing when she hears the child giggle to himself, thinking he's oh so sneaky for finding the ultimate hiding spot. At least, the older woman hopes it is; she may not know the exact reasons why the Creeper spared the boy, but she doesn't want the boy risking his life twice at the mercy of a predator that feeds on fear. She may not be able to save the rest of the boy's family, as she made vows with the creature that's no doubt feasting on his family. The least she can do is make sure the child doesn't have to witness the gruesome tragedy that's unfolding.

Yes, this is definitely different from what I originally wrote for such a camping scene. I hope it's a good difference though. The chapter was going on longer than expected and I still have a lot more planned during these events and figured I may as well show what I have finished here. Please comment, share, and favorite, as that helps motivate me into writing more. Sorry, I took so long to update but you know how college can be at times, not to mention I do have other projects to work on outside of writing. Stay weird, my fellow humans :)