You, Hyunjin, Minho, and Felix were huddled in the basement of Felix’s house, flashlights flickering as the wind howled outside. There had been another weird noise in the woods behind your neighborhood—third time this week—and none of you could shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong.

“We shouldn’t have followed those tracks,” Felix muttered, tapping the edge of his flashlight nervously.

“You say that now?” Hyunjin whispered, glancing at the boarded-up basement window. “You were the one who said, ‘let’s check it out, maybe it’s just a raccoon.’”

Minho sat across from you, his knee bouncing as he stared at the walkie-talkie in his lap. “Raccoons don’t leave claw marks in the dirt like that.”

Your hand brushed against his accidentally, and he didn’t move. None of you did. Then—crack. Something above. Heavy. Slow. The sound of boots—or claws.

You all froze.

Hyunjin’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Tell me that was your sister getting snacks…”