CHAPTER 3 — The Woman They Buried... Walked Back to Life
The growl echoed through the canyon once more.
Low.
Deep.
Close.
The three hired killers froze where they stood.
"What the hell was that?" one of them whispered.
"No idea," the tallest replied, gripping the flashlight tighter. "Forget it. Find the body."
They spread out cautiously, their boots crunching over broken rocks and fallen branches.
The flashlight beams swept across the ground.
Blood.
Pieces of torn fabric.
Emily's scarf.
But...
No corpse.
Only a trail.
Fresh drag marks disappeared into the dense forest.
"She couldn't have survived that fall," another thug muttered.
"Nobody survives a hundred-foot drop."
The tallest man didn't answer.
Something wasn't right.
Then...
A sharp whistle sliced through the darkness.
Not a bird.
A human whistle.
All three men spun around.
Nothing.
Only endless trees disappearing into thick fog.
Seconds later—
CRACK!
A branch snapped somewhere behind them.
One thug rushed toward the sound.
The others followed.
When they reached the clearing...
The man had vanished.
Only his flashlight remained, lying on the ground.
Still on.
Still shining.
"Victor!" the leader shouted.
No response.
"Stop messing around!"
Silence.
Then...
A scream exploded through the forest.
Raw.
Terrified.
Painful.
It lasted only three seconds.
Then it stopped.
The remaining two men looked at each other.
For the first time since becoming hired killers...
Fear replaced confidence.
They ran toward the scream.
Deep inside the woods, they found Victor.
Alive.
Barely.
His expensive leather jacket had been ripped to shreds.
His face was covered in scratches.
He stared into the darkness with eyes full of terror.
"It wasn't..."
He struggled to breathe.
"It wasn't an animal..."
"What are you talking about?"
"I saw..."
His lips trembled violently.
"A woman..."
"She was covered in blood..."
"And she was standing."
The leader grabbed him by the collar.
"That's impossible!"
Victor shook uncontrollably.
"I swear..."
"It was her..."
"It was Emily."
Before anyone could ask another question...
A powerful spotlight suddenly blinded them.
"FREEZE!"
The forest erupted with voices.
"Federal Rangers!"
"Drop your weapons!"
Within seconds, armed officers surrounded the clearing.
The killers instinctively reached for their guns.
But dozens of laser sights instantly covered their chests.
The leader slowly raised his hands.
"Cuff them."
The officers moved in.
One detective stepped forward.
He wasn't looking at the killers.
He was staring deeper into the forest.
Then...
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Covered in mud.
Her face streaked with blood.
One arm hanging limp.
Emily.
Alive.
Every officer stood frozen.
Even the killers forgot to breathe.
The tallest thug whispered,
"No..."
"That's impossible..."
Emily looked directly at them.
Despite the blood running down her forehead...
She smiled.
A calm...
Terrifying smile.
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"You should've made sure I was dead..."
Before collapsing into the arms of the rescue team.
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