The hike started off uneventfully. The forest was alive with the sounds of birds and rustling leaves, the air crisp and cool.
The tour guide shouted while we are walking, “Don't go to the off limits zone. Remember, this mountain is full of wolves and other dangerous species.”
Melanie led the way, her pace brisk, as if she had something to prove. I trailed behind, lost in thought, until I felt the empty space around my neck.
My necklace was gone.
“N-No... It can't be.”
Panic surged through me. It wasn’t just any necklace—it was a silver pendant Lucas had given me when I was a child. “A reminder of how much you’re loved,” he’d said. It was my tether to the family I sometimes felt I didn’t quite belong to.
“I’ll catch up,” I called to Melanie, who didn’t bother to stop.
I went back and looked for the slight shimmer of silver on the forest floor. Here, the light looked dimmer and the trees denser. The sounds of nature dwindled as I continued on, giving way to an uncomfortable quiet.
Then came the first howl.
It was distant but haunting, reverberating through the trees. My pulse quickened as I realized just how alone I was. “Hello?” I called, my voice trembling. “Is anyone there?”