Chapter Text
The night air was so cold it was biting, but Alison barely noticed as she stumbled ahead.
The alcohol coursing through her veins kept her chest warm and her head fuzzy, and she could still taste the beer on her tongue. She tried to lick it off, but logistically, she couldn't really do that. Alison settled for some old chewing gum instead. It didn't help much.
The moon glowed big and bright above, watching cooly her as she walked next to the thicket. It felt like it was judging her, somehow, and she threw a middle finger up at it. It continued to be the moon though, disinterested in her rudeness. Alison moved on. She hummed along to the song that had followed her from the pub, refusing to leave her alone.
“-today can last another million years… it's 11:59, and I want to stay…”
A cold breeze rolled by, bitter enough that it cut through the cosy haze of the beer. She shuddered, tugging her jacket tight. If only Mike was here. He'd give her his coat to throw on…if he'd remembered to bring one, that was. He usually didn't. She blew a bubble and popped it.
There was a rustle in the bushes beside her.
Alison continued on, nearly tripping on a corner pavement. Maybe she shouldn't have had that last cocktail. In her defence, it had looked really good, all red and pretty, and tasted phenomenal. She had no idea what it was called though. Maybe one of her mates would...
The lamppost opposite her flickered and went out.
She followed the path to where the houses thinned, leaving behind a few industrial buildings and large swaths of empty concrete plots. Even they began to fade after a while, replaced by forestry. The pavement became slimmer, tree roots wrapping the ground, their leaves engulfing the streetlights. There was no one and nothing there, just her and the distant stars.
Alison stopped walking,
It was quiet, but she could hear something. It was like a motorbike revving- no, that wasn't right. Oh god, what was it? It sounded almost organic. Like it was coming from an animal. Alison glanced over her shoulder and looked down the road, but there was nothing, no one. Just her, all alone. The noise got louder and louder, and louder, and fear crept down her spine, rendering her motionless. She couldn't make her legs move, she couldn't open her voice to scream for help. She was stuck.
Swallowing, she looked to the woods.
The woods looked back.