Thia's POV

"Wait, you're leaving me here alone?" I asked in surprise. "By myself?"

"Yes. Look, it's been nearly four days and I've heard nothing. I don't think they're okay so I'm going to go check it out and what's wrong," Mama insisted. The thing was, I absolutely despised the idea. I had no doubt that Mama could take care of herself and she'd done her best to hide her worry these past few days I just did not like being out of the loop.

I didn't like the idea of being left behind and having no clue as to what was going on. It made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

"Let me come with you," I insisted for the third time.

"No. You're staying here." she replied sternly.

"That's not fair! I can handle myself- just let me go with you. I won't get in the way. I promise." I knew it was a senseless argument just by the look on her face. It was that look that all mothers had, the one that indicated whatever argument you were having was over.

"You're staying with Emily, Hazel, and Frank until I get back. I'll be back as quick as I can but you're staying put, understand?" Sighing I stared down at the floor and nodded tucking my hands in my pockets. There was no point in trying to continue the argument. Still, I could feel anxiety claw its way into my heart. "Look, I know it's hard on you when your mom and I are gone, but I'm doing this for your own good. Trust me, please."

"Okay, just please stay safe," I sighed. trying to smile. Mama's features softened. One thing I'd learned growing up was that she could never stay mad at me. For whatever reason it was completely against her nature to do so.

We said goodbye and when she was finally gone the house was eerily quiet except for the sound of three slumbering dogs snoring in the living room. I didn't like the quiet that much. Most of the time it just allowed me to worry and it only encouraged my agitation and inability to remain still.

Stay put. How in the world was I going to be able to stay put? Every atom in my being was urging me to leave. Groaning in frustration I paced about unable to contain my pent up emotions. I wouldn't be able to go after her on my own...heck, I probably wouldn't survive on my own.

As much as I believed in my abilities I wasn't as strong as my parents. I had little experience with battle and could only somewhat handle a blade. If I was going to do anything I was going to need help. Thankfully, I knew just who to ask.

Setting my jaw, I stepped outside and took off down the streets. Passing by pedestrians I made my way to where I was certain I'd find them but on my way I encountered who I was looking for.

"Yo what's the rush?" A familiar voice called. Skidding to a stop I searched for the owner of the voice. "Up here hon."

Lifting my gaze I spotted Leah sitting on the edge of a roof swinging her legs. Without hesitating I climbed up to where she sat. "I have a crazy idea and I need your help."

"I like crazy," she smiled, her interest instantly piquing.

"Good but we need to find Andy and then I'll tell you what my idea is." Leah nodded and asked me to follow her. I agreed without hesitation and she located Andy who was down the street a little ways with his sleeves rolled up to the elbow. His hands were covers in grease as he worked on his motorcycle.

"Take a break, T's got something to tell us." Leah said picking up a dirty rag and throwing it at him. The soft cloth hit him in the face. My immediate concern was the development of T as a new nick name. Shaking my head I pushed the thought aside for now.

Andy's brow furrowed with worry. "What's wrong?"

"I got a plan but I'm gonna need your guys' help. Something bad has happened and I intend to find out what exactly is wrong." I proceeded to tell them everything I knew at the moment. They listened intently, clearly interested. "I can't do it alone. I wouldn't survive a day."

"What good will we do you? I mean we don't exactly have any powers," Leah worried.

"Maybe not but I'm certain we can do this if we work as a team." I glanced between my two friends and they shared a hesitant look. I didn't know what passed between them in their moment of silence but after another pause Andy gave a curt nod. It meant one thing. We're in.

— — —

"Why do I have to sit in the sidecar?" Leah frowned as we raced down the streets. Andy had his helmet on and had given each of us a pair of goggles to keep the wind out of our eyes. He'd attached a sleek black side cart to his bike which Leah now occupied.

"Don't whine," he replied. I kept my arms wrapped lightly around his waist as he jerked the handles to the left weaving between traffic. "It's a long ride to New York. We have hours to go."

"I hope this thing can go faster or we won't get there in time. It's about a two day drive with stops." I informed to which I was surprised to see Andy flip up a cover on his handle bars where a small red button rested.

"I would hang on if I were you. If you fall off, you won't be waking up." Before I could ask what the button did he pressed it. There was a soft click before the bike lurched forward. The engine roared so loud I thought it might bust. I had no idea how fast we were going but I knew one thing, we were probably fifty over the speed limit.

"We can't go this fast! There's too much traffic!" Leah yelled, keeping a white knuckled grip on the side of the cart. Andy didn't respond and I could imagine a glass like stare on his face; one of complete concentration. I got the feeling he'd done something like this before and on more than one occasion.

I was terrified that we would crash at any moment. That a wheel would blow out or we'd clip a curb and die but nothing of the sort happened. I was amazed that when we got to open country our speed picked up even more. I highly doubted this was a healthy experience and could imagine the cells in my body screaming at me for being so horribly stupid. Still, I held on tightly. The terrain flew by too fast for me to really notice much let alone state borders.

We started our journey in the early morning and hours passed as the sun began to dip low in the sky. I prayed we were relatively close to our destination. I had never been on the streets on my own before let alone spent the night out in the open. It was unnerving to think about but if I had to I would.

I only realized we were close when the terrain shifted and merged with wilderness. Only it wasn't the scenic shift that gave it away so much as the black tendrils encasing trees as weeds crept at a slow but threatening pace.

"We're close," I yelled over the rush of the wind. As we rode on, Andy slowed our speed to a cautious and weary pace. Leah kept her eyes peeled and tried to mask her expression of shock.

"What is this stuff?" She asked, shifting nervously. The further in we went the darker it got. Shadows were no longer decipherable and hardly any light seemed to make its way into the impenetrable dark.

"How has no one noticed this?" Andy asked in awe. I knew why, a thin cloud of fog seemed to cling to everything.

"The mist is thicker here," I explained. I would have kept going if I didn't see something that caused my heart to skip a beat. "Stop!"

Andy lesser the brakes and we came to a quick and firm halt. I didn't hesitate to leap off the back of the bike and run towards what had caught my eye.

"Thia wait!" Leah called nervously, but I ignored her comment. As I got closer my stomach seemed to tie itself into knots. It was what I thought it was. Grover was frozen like a statue encased in a sleek black like shell. He was staring intently at something with a look of fear in his eyes. I carefully followed his gaze and sucked in a sharp breath.

"Thia what the-" Leah stopped talking as she noticed what I had seen. "Oh shit."

Panic was the first thing that hit me. There was my Mom just like Grover encased in some weird substance stuck mid stride. Whatever it was I didn't know, but my first instinct was to touch it. To pry them free. Running over to my Mom's frozen form I reached out to help when Andy pulled me back.

"Don't touch it," he warned, eyes scanning the terrain wearily.

"What do you mean don't touch it?! We have to help!" I argued.

"Look, if you touch that stuff you might end up exactly like that." The sound of twigs snapping caused me to flinch and Andy turned around hands raised and fists clenched.

"Thia?! What the hell are you doing here? And what the hell are they doing here? What the fuck is going on? I told you to stay home." My first instinct was to shrink away from the glaring blue eyes of my mother but I didn't.

"I wanted to help." I gave a weak shrug.

"Bad idea. I am so going to ground you for life." Mama didn't get to say much else as a loud roar rocked the ground.

"Awe shit!' Leah cursed backing away from the central location of the noise. "That sounds big and scary."

"You think?" I asked. The sound of loud steps came from nearby. I tried to see what they belonged to but my attention was ripped away by a panicked cry from Leah. I turned just quick enough to see a long thin black spiked arm grip her ankle and drag her into the woods. Andy yelled very much like a girl and scrambled away.

"What was that? What was that?!" I didn't stick around to listen. I sprinted off after my friend without a clue as to where I was going.

"Keep yelling Leah." It was the only way I'd be able to track her. Thankfully, she must have heard me because she continued to yell and shout most of it being profanities. At last, I broke into a small clearing and saw the slump shouldered creature, thin and wiry, dragging her. Scooping up a rock I hurled it at the monster. It must have sensed it coming as it quickly ducked and wheeled around to face me. "Let her go."

I expected it to charge at me but its white eyes narrowed for a moment and I felt fear make my fingertips grow cold. It studied me with its cold hard gaze and roared loudly making my ears ring.

"Don't yell at me! Didn't your mom teach you it was rude?" I glowered. The monster seemed to consider this for a moment. A long silence passed between us and it did the thing I expected least. It let Leah go and tromped off into the trees as if I wasn't worth its time. Leah scrambled to her feet and sprinted towards me.

"I have no idea how you did that but I am not sticking around in case that thing comes back." Leah grabbed my arm and dragged me back the way we had come. I noticed that her arms were rather scraped up and a few of her fingers were bleeding from her nails digging into the ground. The two of us stumbled back to the others.

I was surprised to see that Grover had somehow been freed although he looked extremely pale and had a thin sheen of sweat covering his skin.

"You're alive!" Andy let out a deep sigh of relief. "Kid, that is the stupidest thing I have ever seen in my entire life."

" I couldn't agree more." I glanced up to see Mama studying the frozen form of my Mom. At first I had no idea what her plan was when she sent a powerful electric shock through her hands and into the black substance. It smoldered and seemed to hiss. Not the type of hissing that came from the release of heat but the hissing that belonged to a creature.

I watched intently. The hairs on my arms stood on end. Everything here was just so...unnatural. When the strange black substance finally withered away Mom collapsed to the ground limp and pale looking like Grover.

At first I had the horrible fear that maybe she'd died but then her eyes fluttered open and the first thing she did was lash out in self defense. Unluckily enough her fist smacked Mama right in the face.

"Oh fucking shit. Ow, ow." It was rather humorous except for the blood that ran from her nose.

"Oh crap. Sorry. I'm sorry." Mom sat up and immediately hugged her tightly despite the blood.

"How... romantic?" Andy said with a confused look on his face.

"Oh shut up," Leah snorted, shoving him playfully.

"Come on, we should all get out of here before those things come back l Grover worried, standing up shakily and wringing his hands nervously.

"What things?" Andy asked. "I only saw one."

"There's more than one," Grover explained. "I really don't like this place."

Andy nodded and headed towards the motor bike when the roots from a nearby tree shot up piercing the tires which popped with a loud bang. Everyone jumped back in surprise except for Mama. Loud noises always scared her. Her immediate reaction was to cover her head and curl up as small as possible.

It didn't make much sense to me when I was younger but I figured it had something to do with a traumatic event in the past.

"Um...ride's cancelled,"Leah shifted nervously.

"So how are we getting out of here?" Andy asked worriedly.

"Easy, we walk. It might take a while but we can do it," I insisted.

"Our best option right now is to recuperate. We hike out of here and find a place to stay." Mom was already looking more like herself as she eyed the tree line. "Besides, I don't trust the terrain around here."

"Fine. Let's go. I'm getting bad vibes here." Andy shivered.

So we gathered ourselves as best as we could and Andy grudgingly left his damaged bike behind as we picked our way out to where we thought the exit was. One thing I still couldn't quite figure out was why the monster or whatever it was hadn't attacked me.

It's like it wanted to, but something had told it not to. Shaking my head I cleared my thoughts. It didn't matter. The rescue operation was a success and frankly I was kind of proud of myself.