You were one of the brightest students Larissa had ever taught. With excellent grades in every class, and equally as amazing performance in your extra curricular, you were the model student – as far as academics went, that was. The catch to your performance was your less-than-exemplary behaviour; you were a pain in the Principal's ass.

You weren't too shy to disobey a rule you didn't agree with, or go against an order you didn't want to follow. Larissa had lost count of the amount of times she'd had to fetch you from wandering in the forest or pick you up from the Sheriff's station in Jericho because you'd been found there without an escort in sight. But it was your latest tricks that had her worried.

During one of your stays in the Sheriff's office while waiting to be picked up, you had bothered Sheriff Galpin about what he was doing. And he, tired of your questions, had told you about the creature lurking in the forests. The one that was killing Normies, and that had hospitalized Eugene. This sparked a morbid sort of interest within you; you'd even spoken to Wednesday about what she thought about it, and now you were hooked onto the case. Just what Larissa needed.

With the intention of finding more clues as to what this creature may be – or who, since Wednesday had told you it was human – you wandered off into the forest. Unknowing that Larissa was following you this time. These woods had been off-limits for good reason, and she wasn't about to let you be the next victim of this creature, whatever it was.

Your venture into the forest turned out to be pretty uneventful, for the most part. No sign of the creature, or of anything that may indicate who it was. Frustrated to be going back empty-handed, you turned, preparing to return to Nevermore – when the sound of rustling caught your attention. Footsteps came next. Heavy and slow, purposeful. The sound of claws dragging across the dirt. You squinted your eyes until you saw the glint of moonlight against teeth, a low growl following.

The creature emerged from the shadows and shrubbery, a vicious snarl escaping its curled lips. Hot saliva dripped from its mouth, its breath heavy and ragged and scented like death. Its silver-grey form approached dwarfed you as it approached, a hunter stalking its prey. You froze in fear at the sight of the monstrosity before you, unable to react as it lifted its jagged claws and swung down for a strike. But she got to you first.

Instead of feeling the searing pain of claws ripping down your torso, you were pulled backwards into Larissa's arms, pressed against her chest. She looked down at you, giving you a concerned look for a brief moment, before the concern was smothered by concentration and protectiveness. She put herself between you and the monster, keeping you behind her.

"Stay back."

Larissa warned you, steeling herself to protect you from the beast in front of you. You watched, wide-eyed as your Principal stood before the monster, with nothing but a determination to keep you safe in her eyes.