Lance slowly walked down the sandy beach. Small waves lapped against his shoes. The sound of the sea should�ve been comforting to him. Instead, it only made him feel more helpless, and a lot lonelier. He and Joey decided that if they split up, their chances of survival increased. Somehow, he�d made his way to the east side of town, stumbled through part of the forest, and reached the beach.
To his terror, the eerie silence was broken by howls.
He walked faster.
In the distance, perched on a tall cliff, he saw an old, dilapidated mansion. Three rooms were lit on the first floor.
A silhouette of what looked like a man stood at the window. Lance felt himself being drawn to the house.
Come to me Lance�come to me�
Lance snapped out of it.
"I must be going crazy," he said aloud.
Come to me Lance�come to me�
Again, he walked toward the mansion. Lance weighed his odds.
"If I seek shelter in the house on the cliff, then maybe I will get help."
"On the other hand, that mansion could be dangerous."
Qualms churned inside his stomach. He felt a tiny voice inside his head speak up.
Stay away�find your friends�leave the beach�stay away�death�
He bit his lower lip.
"Still, it would be nice to find a nice warm place to rest�"
He shivered violently. His bitten shoulder throbbed. The claw marks on his chest seemed to burn.
"Man, what am I gonna do?"