Lexi’s hair into her face as she jogged along the footpath near the woods.
She paced herself so as not to overexert even though she wanted to run until her lungs burst. Running gave her a sense of control and right now she needed every sliver she could get.
She jogged into the woods and took a small path leading to the edge of the bayou where she and Anna came to fish once in a while off an old pier. A generally safe area of the bayou since it was located near the edge rather than deep in the heart of the swampland. Still, an occasional alligator or water moccasin could be spotted floating in the murky backwater, but Lexi had always been careful.
She jogged toward the pier and inhaled. The strong, pungent stench of swamp water filled her lungs. A white heron stood next to the pier while soft waves lapped at the stilts of the wooden plank extending out over the green-tinged water.
Lexi shivered. It would be so easy for someone to disappear in the shadowy water below. When she’d first moved to Gator Bayou, she’d heard all the legends of people suddenly disappearing on the bayou. She’d tried to dismiss them as simply that. Legends. But now, looking into the swamp waters, Lexi could see how someone could easily vanish. By the time the gators were through with them, nothing would be left to find.
Fear gripped her chest. Surely Anna hadn’t wandered down here by herself. Maybe she really had picked her daughter up at two like Mrs. Jenkins claimed. Lexi bit her lip trying to remember the events of that horrible day. She had gotten up early and dressed Anna for daycare. Usually she’d take her meds with breakfast, but the delivery guy had called while she was feeding Anna.
Had she been so distracted with setting up the delivery time for the toddler bed that she had forgotten her medicine? If so, was it actually possible she had picked up Anna at two as everyone claimed and just didn’t remember it? What if she had and then Anna had slipped out of the house without her knowing.
What if…
Stop it! Don’t let the accusations brainwash you. You did not pick up Anna. Someone took her.
Lexi gritted her teeth. The stress of being accused over and over again of hurting her daughter was getting to her. She couldn’t let that happen. She had to stay focused.
Something crackled in the dense thicket of greenery to her right. Lexi held her breath, ears cocked.
Twigs snapped and the sound of footsteps on dead branches sent alarm racing through her body.
Someone or something was out there.
Lexi inched back toward the footpath. No sudden movements in case it was an animal. A gator. A small black bear. A deer.
Or worse.
Lexi swallowed hard.
The local wildlife had never really been a problem in this area of the woods. The animals usually remained deeper in the heart of the swampland.
But there was always a first time.
More twigs snapped.
A whisper of fear crawled through her mind. What if it wasn’t an animal? What if somebody was in the woods tracking her every move?
Lexi took a few more backward steps, keeping her eyes glued to the thicket of pine and live oak trees. She couldn’t see anything, but a shudder rippled through her as the distinct feeling of being watched shivered down her spine.
Another few steps and Lexi made it to the footpath entrance. She turned and sprinted toward her house. Fear prickled the hairs on the back of her neck. She could almost feel eyes boring into her back, but she didn’t stop to find out what it was. Instead, she ran as if her life depended on it.
Lexi slipped inside her house and slammed the door behind her.
Stop being silly. It was just an animal, and it was probably more frightened of you than you were of it.
She gasped for air. Had it been her imagination or had someone really been hiding in the edge of the woods near her house?
Watching.
Waiting.
* * *
The eyes watched as Lexi sprinted toward her house. A bubble of excitement stirred inside. The wait had been a
She paced herself so as not to overexert even though she wanted to run until her lungs burst. Running gave her a sense of control and right now she needed every sliver she could get.
She jogged into the woods and took a small path leading to the edge of the bayou where she and Anna came to fish once in a while off an old pier. A generally safe area of the bayou since it was located near the edge rather than deep in the heart of the swampland. Still, an occasional alligator or water moccasin could be spotted floating in the murky backwater, but Lexi had always been careful.
She jogged toward the pier and inhaled. The strong, pungent stench of swamp water filled her lungs. A white heron stood next to the pier while soft waves lapped at the stilts of the wooden plank extending out over the green-tinged water.
Lexi shivered. It would be so easy for someone to disappear in the shadowy water below. When she’d first moved to Gator Bayou, she’d heard all the legends of people suddenly disappearing on the bayou. She’d tried to dismiss them as simply that. Legends. But now, looking into the swamp waters, Lexi could see how someone could easily vanish. By the time the gators were through with them, nothing would be left to find.
Fear gripped her chest. Surely Anna hadn’t wandered down here by herself. Maybe she really had picked her daughter up at two like Mrs. Jenkins claimed. Lexi bit her lip trying to remember the events of that horrible day. She had gotten up early and dressed Anna for daycare. Usually she’d take her meds with breakfast, but the delivery guy had called while she was feeding Anna.
Had she been so distracted with setting up the delivery time for the toddler bed that she had forgotten her medicine? If so, was it actually possible she had picked up Anna at two as everyone claimed and just didn’t remember it? What if she had and then Anna had slipped out of the house without her knowing.
What if…
Stop it! Don’t let the accusations brainwash you. You did not pick up Anna. Someone took her.
Lexi gritted her teeth. The stress of being accused over and over again of hurting her daughter was getting to her. She couldn’t let that happen. She had to stay focused.
Something crackled in the dense thicket of greenery to her right. Lexi held her breath, ears cocked.
Twigs snapped and the sound of footsteps on dead branches sent alarm racing through her body.
Someone or something was out there.
Lexi inched back toward the footpath. No sudden movements in case it was an animal. A gator. A small black bear. A deer.
Or worse.
Lexi swallowed hard.
The local wildlife had never really been a problem in this area of the woods. The animals usually remained deeper in the heart of the swampland.
But there was always a first time.
More twigs snapped.
A whisper of fear crawled through her mind. What if it wasn’t an animal? What if somebody was in the woods tracking her every move?
Lexi took a few more backward steps, keeping her eyes glued to the thicket of pine and live oak trees. She couldn’t see anything, but a shudder rippled through her as the distinct feeling of being watched shivered down her spine.
Another few steps and Lexi made it to the footpath entrance. She turned and sprinted toward her house. Fear prickled the hairs on the back of her neck. She could almost feel eyes boring into her back, but she didn’t stop to find out what it was. Instead, she ran as if her life depended on it.
Lexi slipped inside her house and slammed the door behind her.
Stop being silly. It was just an animal, and it was probably more frightened of you than you were of it.
She gasped for air. Had it been her imagination or had someone really been hiding in the edge of the woods near her house?
Watching.
Waiting.
* * *
The eyes watched as Lexi sprinted toward her house. A bubble of excitement stirred inside. The wait had been a
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