Chapter 15: The Blood in the Blue Ridge
The flickering glow of the television set was the only light in the Becker living room, casting long, jagged shadows against the walls. Katherine sat huddled on the sofa, her knees pulled to her chest, staring at the scrolling banner at the bottom of the screen.
BREAKING NEWS: TWO TEENAGE BOYS FOUND DEAD IN COVINGTON CAVE. AUTHORITIES CITE BRUTAL ANIMAL ATTACK.
The names followed, stark and final: Alexander Black and Jackson Byers.
Katherine felt a cold stone settle in her stomach. She hadn't known them personally—Covington High was small, but the social divide between the drama club and the varsity football team was a canyon. She recognized them, though. She’d seen them laughing in the hallways, leaning against lockers, seemingly invincible in their letterman jackets. Now, they were just a headline.
Beside her, her father, Thomas, let out a heavy sigh, his face etched with the kind of worry only a parent in a small town can feel. "An animal attack," he muttered, shaking his head. "We haven't had a cougar sighting in these parts for years."
The shrill ring of Katherine’s phone startled her. She snatched it off the coffee table, answering without glancing at the caller ID.
"Hello?" she murmured, her voice thin.
"Katherine? It’s Noah. From school."
The sound of his voice—low, steady, and strangely grounding—made her exhale a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Oh," she sighed. "Hey, Noah."
"I just saw the news," Noah said. There was a pause, a heavy silence on the other end of the line. "I wanted to check on you. To see if you were alright."
"I'm... I'm okay," Katherine said, looking back at the TV. "It’s just a shock. I wasn't close to them, but I saw them every day. They were just kids, you know? On the football team."
"I wasn't sure if you were friends," Noah said softly. "I just wanted to make sure you felt safe."
"Thank you, Noah. That really means a lot." She traced the edge of a throw pillow, a small, weak smile tugging at her lips. "It’s just crazy. Things like this don't happen in Covington. I mean, I know the world is dangerous, but here? It feels impossible to explain."
"I understand," Noah replied, his tone shifting into something more solemn. "Just... stay inside tonight, Katherine. Keep the doors locked. Be safe, okay?"
"Yeah," she nodded, though he couldn't see her. "You too, Noah."
"Bye, Katherine," he whispered, the word lingering in the air for a second before the line went dead.