Chapter 3The Thing That Mimics Us

My heart leaped into my throat.

Jess shoved her phone in my face.

She had been browsing local videos for food recommendations, but the top result was a police alert.

[Truck Driver Mailed by Unidentified Creature!]

My pupils constricted.

If I wasn't mistaken, the driver in the video was the same one we had met earlier.

That red jacket... I was sure of it.

Jess scrolled down to the comments.

One comment read: [I drove past there around 2:30 PM. I think something happened to that guy!]

Jess and I stared at each other in horror.

2:30 PM?

That was five minutes after we left.

"Is it another one, or the one we saw?" Jess whispered, her voice trembling.

A chill ran down my spine.

If it was another one, that was bad enough. But if it was the same one...

"It's following us?" I gasped, clutching my chest. "But why? It holds a grudge?"

"We didn't even do anything to it!"

My voice shook with fear.

"Who knows how a monster thinks?" Jess spat.

I checked the time. 5:30 PM.

We had driven three hours since leaving the gas station.

Surely it couldn't catch up that fast.

"Once the car is fixed, we go straight to the police station in town," I said grimly.

The man finished the repair quickly.

We sped towards the town.

An hour later, we arrived and went straight to the police station.

The officers listened to our story, their expressions growing serious.

They promised to investigate and increase patrols.

We found a motel to stay for the night.

"Want to grab some food? We haven't eaten all day," I asked after we settled in.

Jess waved a weak hand. "I'm too tired. I just want to sleep."

"Alright. Shower first, then sleep. We'll eat a big breakfast tomorrow."

We washed up and collapsed into bed.

We were asleep within minutes.

I don't know how much time passed.

In my half-sleep, I heard heavy footsteps.

Like something incredibly heavy walking on the floorboards.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump...

The sound got closer, then stopped.

Knock, knock! Knock, knock!

A knock on our door.

Then, a wave of nauseating stench hit me.

I snapped my eyes open, staring at the door in horror.