Every twig snap had her on edge. All her life she'd hunted theses parks. Hiked the trails. Fished the creeks and river. But only now , after nearly three decades of living off this land, had Kasey Evers ever felt true fear.

Sure, she's been nervous. Hell anyone would be nervous in the middle of the Appalachians. But to be afraid was new. Only twice before had Kasey ever felt this primal, hair raising fear.

The first was when she was nine and had fallen in the creek while trout fishing with her grandfather. As the current swept her away, pulling and dragging her under, she was sure she was going to die.

Twelve years later she had her second taste of fear.

Fresh from university and in an even fresher park ranger uniform, she'd gone to issue a citation for littering to a parked tourist. In a moment, she 'd been slammed to the ground taking blow after blow from a crazed man.

Die! Die! Die! He'd yelled with spittle dripping from his mouth and pupils completely dilated, slamming her head into the asphalt by her hair.

It was the first time she'd encountered such violence in humans. Not to mention the reason she'd shaved the sides of her head, even if her coworkers, and mother, said it made her look "too butch". She didn't care. She had seen the look in the man's eyes as her hair was ripped out.

She had seen the face of death.

Now, she felt its presence again in the middle of the forest, following drops of blood.

Something was watching her.

Something was hunting her.

Her thumb flicked the strap holding her service pistol in place. When she saw flesh moving behind a bush, she drew the weapon.

"ISB, show me your hands!" She yelled, then cursed herself, knowing many didn't know what the investigative service branch even was.

"Park Service! Show me your hands!" She yelled, stepping into the view of the person. Three things slammed into her conscious all at once.

The woman, slightly younger than her, was completely naked.

Two, she looked terrified.

Third and most concerning...she was covered in blood....