บท 41: Chapter 41: Clatter

Snuggling in the cozy shelter with Isaac, the storm suddenly felt far away and Alessa's disquiet faded into the distance as she recounted what had happened that afternoon.

"I'm not sure what it was, Isaac. But something was keeping tabs on me while you were gone."

Isaac took a moment to digest that comment, the unease evident on his face. "What do you mean, 'something?' What exactly did you see?"

"It's not what I saw exactly…" She paused, eyeing him uncertainly. "I didn't see much, just glimpses from the corner of my eye. It's what I heard," she clarified, "and… what I felt."

She watched for his reaction in the tangerine glow of the firelight, wondering if she could explain this in a way that made sense. She doubted it - she couldn't even explain it to herself.

Isaac furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Alessa decided to start with the easier part - the howl. "At one point I threw my knife at it, and I think I hit it, because it cried out with this wail…"