[ warnings ] supernatural/paranormal entity, unsettling sounds, being chased through dark woods, intense emotions, injuries (literally only a rolled ankle and some scratches), frustration between characters, and mentions of a missing girl. Let me know if I missed any!
[ author's note ] whew... I've been gone for a bit but I have a good reason: I got engaged and had to process all that lol but here I am now! ready to write more to this, and hope that I didn't loose the plot in my time away (let's be honest, this had been planned for a bit).
sorry that I had gone MIA after promising a new chapter, everything just kinda happened all at once. but that's okay! I'm back now and am hoping to really push out chapters now that my head is on straight lol. also, soz that this is a tad bit short, but I really didn't know how to push it forward lmao
also, I've been binging all of ethel cain's albums to really feel that southern gothic horror vibes that I really want this book to be.
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UNEDITED. [ last chapter ] [ next chapter ]
WILLA DEAN SHOWED UP, HER TEAR-STREAKED face red. She’d been crying for hours, from the sounds and looks of it. You sat on the couch, the living room light illuminating you all. You had draped one of Mama’s blankets around her shoulders, but Willa Dean didn't seem to acknowledge its weight.
Jeno had pulled up the driveway shortly after Willa Dean had, asking you a silent question. You told him, and Jeno offered to call his dad to report Callie missing.
“No. He won’t do shit,” Willa Dean spat. “He didn’t do shit when Mrs. Carrow went missin’, what makes you think he’ll get his ass out of that office to find Callie?” You lowered your eyebrows, gaze snapping to Jeno. He lifted a hand, mouthing we’ll talk about it later.
You crossed your arms over your chest, watching as Jeno lowered himself onto the couch beside Willa Dean.
“We’ll find her,” He promised. He kept his hands hanging between his knees. Willa Dean shook her head, a fresh wave of tears rolling down her face. “Not because of your dad, Jeno.” She snapped. You moved to the other side of Willa Dean, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
“No, not because of him, we’ll find her.” You reiterated. You pulled Willa Dean into a tight hug. She sniffled, warm tears falling onto your shoulder. “Promise?” Her voice broke. You looked at Jeno, nodding your head. “I promise, Willa Dean.”
“She’ll be back here before you know it.” Jeno agreed. Willa Dean looked up at him, a few more tears rolling down her cheeks. “We need to go out and look for her.” She pushed off of the couch. “Now, wait—” Jeno started, hands held out in front of him.
Your hands dropped to the cushions beside you. “She’s right, Jeno. Sitting here’s not gonna bring her back home. Maybe we can find her if we look now.”
Willa Dean sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “Then, please, let’s go. If there’s any chance that we could find her sooner.”
Jeno shook his head, placing his hands on his hips. “At night? There’s no tellin’ what’s out there, or where she went. Woods’ll swallow everythin’ up, anyways. Our best chance is to wait until morning, come up with a plan. She could be anywhere by now.”
“Anywhere is better than her being dead!” Willa Dean snapped. She whirled towards Jeno, breathing heavily..
The air was heavy with the words left unsaid, with Jeno’s pessimistic retort that died on his lips when you shot him a look. You reached behind you and pulled a blanket tight around your shoulders, thinking—Callie was out there, in the dark, with no one other than the three of you knowing that she was missing.
“We’ll be needing flashlights.” You said, hands trembling. You pulled your gaze from your hands, eyes darting between Willa Dean and Jeno. You rise from the couch, bare feet cold against the wooden floor. “And if we’re going, we stay together. No exceptions.”
Jeno’s eyes caught yours—something unreadable flickering there. He stared at you for a long moment before sighing, dropping his hands from his hips. “I’ll grab the flashlights.”
“They should still be above the china cabinet.” You said. Jeno nodded once before turning away, boots echoing on the wooden floors as he walked into the kitchen.
“Please don’t let him convince you to wait until morning,” Willa Dean said quickly, so softly that you almost couldn’t hear her. “We have to look now, go now.”
You leaned closer, trying to comfort her when Jeno stepped back into the room, fiddling with one of the three flashlights tucked in between his arm and body. He looked up, fingers pausing over the on switch. Willa Dean’s nails dug into the soft skin of your wrist.
“Everythin’ okay?” He asked, slowly walking further into the living room. Willa Dean watched him, her bottom lip trembling. You smiled. “Everything’s alright, Jeno.” You pulled Willa Dean’s fingers from you skin, walking over to Jeno to grab the two flashlights pressed between his bicep and torso.
He watched you, his gaze burning into your back. You handed Willa Dean a flashlight before dropping to the couch, pulling your converse on. You quickly laced them up before standing, fingers gripping the cylinder of the flashlight. You stuffed it into your back pocket before bending down and picking up your phone, slipping it into the other.
“Ready?” You asked them, brushing in between Willa Dean and Jeno before either of them could respond. You stepped onto the porch, the boards creaking slightly. You side-stepped a weak board as you quickly put your hair into a pony tail.
The night smelled of damp earth and woodsmoke. Somewhere in the distance, a bird sang, it’s call sharp with warning.
“Don’t hear somethin’ like that unless somethin’s dyin’.” Willa Dean murmured, and stepped onto the porch beside you. Jeno followed, his unbuttoned white work shirt shifting in the soft wind, revealing the white tank underneath. He adjusted his grip on the flashlight, letting out a humorless huff. “It’s just a bird.” Willa Dean shot him a look.
“Momma always said that they ain’t just birds. Not ‘round here.”
You swallowed thickly, shining your beam towards the woods. The trees looked taller than you remembered, their shadows knitting together into something more sinister.
“Ready?” Jeno asked, sighing. He didn’t sound too pleased about walking through the woods at night. You pursed your lips, already despising going with Willa Dean’s rash choice. “As I’ll ever be.”
“That’s better than nothin’, I guess.” Jeno murmured before taking off towards the woods, boots crunching in the dirt. “Keep up, y’all’ll get lost quicker than a calf in a briar patch if you don’t.” Jeno called over his shoulder. You turned towards Willa Dean, making sure she started walking first before taking off in a jog to catch up to them.
The flashlight beams cut ragged slices into the dark of the forest, casting dancing shadows in the undergrowth. You stayed close behind Willa Dean, your free hand brushing against the tree trunks. You hoped that it would be a reminder that there was a way out of the endless darkness of the woods.
The deeper you three went, the thicker the darkness grew. Every few steps, Willa Dean murmured under her breath—from what you could pick up, some were bible verses, others were things that her mother had told her. It made your stomach twist.
Jeno walked ahead, shoulders tense, flashlight steady in his grip. “Shh.” He lowered down a bit, looking around.
You and Willa Dean froze, breath catching.
At first, you couldn’t hear anything but the silence pressing in on you. Then, a faint shuffle, a snap of a twig.
“Deer,” Jeno murmured, still tense. “Just a deer.”
Your breath trembled as you looked around the woods, your flashlight bouncing around. The light caught the shape of something on the edge of the path, darker than dark, standing still between two towering pines. Your throat closed up. The thing didn’t move. It watched you from its place.
The shape shifted, tilting into a slow, unnatural lean. The bird sang again, closer.
A loud, wailing scream echoed around you.
It was too long, too raw, to be human. It couldn’t have been.
Your blood went cold, flashlight flickering. The figure lunged forward. You gasped, falling backwards. Your flashlight fell from your hands, blinking out.
Two beams of light illuminated you. You squinted against the sudden light, lifting a hand to block the light from blinding you. “What happened?” Jeno asked, walking over to pull you to your feet.
You dusted your hands off on your jeans. You bent down, picking up the flashlight, face burning. “Nothin’.” You said quickly. Jeno opened his mouth to speak when another screech echoed around them.
“Run, get back to the house.” Jeno’s voice cracked into a growl, grabbing your bicep and shoving you forward. Willa Dean followed after.
Your chest ached as you ran, pushing yourself harder than you'd ever done. You regretted not taking your friends up on their offers of morning runs now.
Branches snatched at your hair, scratched at your face. You panted, breaking through the treeline first. You turned, grabbing Willa Dean by the hand, pulling her towards the house. Jeno followed after, close behind you two.
You was the first to step onto the porch, your ankle rolling. You hissed, quickly flinging open the door. “Come, come on.” You panted, waving Willa Dean and Jeno into the house. Jeno pulled you in with him, the screen door slamming shut behind you. He shoved the door shut, trapping you between him and the door.
“What,” He started. “The hell was that?”
You frowned, ignoring the sharp ache in your ankle. You stayed silent. “______, why the fuck did you get its attention?” Jeno shoved off of the door, running a hand through his hair. He stormed into the living room. “Your time in Raleigh fucked up what you remember about Red Hollow.”
Anger simmered just beneath your skin and you stomped towards Jeno, jabbing a finger into his chest.
“I remember well enough what not to do here, Jeno. My time in Raleigh hasn't done shit to my memory about this place.”
Jeno scoffed. “Really? What was that out there? Huh? You really remember what your Mama drilled into your head?” You shoved against Jeno’s chest, but the action didn’t move him. You stared at him longer before shoving harder, moving past him.
“Don’t fuckin’ walk away, ______!” Jeno called after you.
“Just stop! The both of you!” Willa Dean screamed.
Three loud knocks echoed through the room.
You jumped, spinning towards Jeno. He lifted his finger to his mouth, telling them to stay silent. Slowly, he walked towards where you and Willa Dean stood, whispering softly. “Quietly, into the kitchen, don’t make a noise.”
Willa Dean nodded once, turning towards the kitchen, murmuring to herself. “Momma said not to answer it if it comes knockin’, don’t listen to it, don’t whistle back…”
You stared at Jeno, who stared back. “Go, ______.”
Slowly, you shook your head. “No,” you answered softly. “I’m not hiding from it.”
Jeno let out a low breath. “You always were too damn stubborn.” He spun you around, pushing against your shoulders to place you into the kitchen. He quietly walked towards the sink, pulling the curtains shut, blocking the dark night out.
Three more knocks echoed from the living room walls. Willa Dean made a small noise, slipping to the floor and pressing her hands over her ears. She started rocking back and forth. Your pulse jumped in your throat.
Jeno pressed a hand against your shoulder, lowering you beside Willa Dean. He knelt beside you, covering your bodies with his. He glanced over his shoulder, turning back to you before slowly pushing himself to his feet.
He carefully made his way back into the living room, barely moving the curtain away from the window. You shifted around Willa Dean, watching Jeno. “Don’t do that,” You hissed quietly. “What if it sees you?”
Jeno leaned away from the window, letting the curtain fall shut. He looked towards you, opening his mouth to speak.
“______…”
They froze. You blood turned cold. Willa Dean whimpered, pressing her hands to her ears. “Don’t listen, don’t listen, don’t listen…”
You chest heaved as you stood up, slowly making your way to Jeno, whatever words you had were stuck in your throat.
Jeno cursed softly, making his way over to you. “Don’t pay attention to it—” He started, but was cut off by the flickering of the lights. You and Jeno looked towards the light on the ceiling before it shut off, leaving them in darkness.
Willa Dean let out a short scream,. “Son of a bitch.” Jeno growled, clicking on a flashlight. “Y’all okay?” He asked. You nodded. You walked over to Willa Dean, helping her to her feet. You both walked into the living room. You carefully lowered Willa Dean to the couch. You turned towards Jeno.
“I think it left.” Jeno huffed. You wrapped your arms around your waist, staying quiet. Willa Dean sniffled, looking at both of them. “Callie’s out there with that… thing.”
“You don’t know that, Willa Dean, she could have just been late to get back home. She’s probably there now.” Jeno tried. Willa Dean was already shaking her head, a fresh wave of tears rolling down her face. “She’s gone, I just know it.” She whimpered quietly. You moved to place your hand onto her shoulder, but Willa Dean pulled away, lying down on the couch, her back turned towards them.
You pursed your lips before grabbing one of Mama’s blankets and draping it over her shoulders. “Y’all should stay here tonight.” You said softly, turning towards Jeno. The beam of the flashlight illuminated the space around you two, but seemed to make his eyes darker.
Your lips parted, looking to the floor. “Just in case that thing is still out there.”
Jeno took a step closer. “That eager to keep me around, Carrow?” He smirked.
You scoffed, rolling your eyes. “I don’t want your dad to question why you were attacked at my house, Lee.” He let out a low chuckle. “Makes sense. Where would I sleep?”
You looked around the room before sighing. You gestured towards Daddy’s chair. "That’s the only place where you can sleep comfortably.” Jeno glanced back at the chair. He shook his head. “I know who’s chair that is, ______. I can take the back bedroom.”
Your heart thundered. “The same room that was destroyed only yesterday?”
“Yes, that same room. The bed is still in there, perfectly fine. You sleep in your Daddy’s chair.”
He didn’t let you argue. He gestured with the flashlight for you to sit in the chair. You chewed on the inside of your cheek, wrapping a blanket around your shoulders. You watched as Jeno walked into the kitchen and disappeared around the corner of the hallway.
The house settled in the darkness, every creak of the floorboards a reminder that you weren’t alone. Willa Dean’s breathing evened out, though her fingers still twitched against the blanket pulled up to her chin. Jeno had gone quiet down the hall, the low sound of his boots against wood fading as he shut the back bedroom door.
You curled deeper into Daddy’s chair, blanket pulled tight under your chin. You tried to match your breaths to Willa Dean’s, tried to pretend the night wasn’t alive just beyond the glass.
Then, three knocks.
Sharp. Even. Against the window this time.
Your heart seized, and you held your breath. You didn’t move, didn’t dare look.
A voice followed, low and slurred, like it had been dredged up from the bottom of a well.
“______…”
Your stomach turned to ice. You squeezed your eyes shut, whispering Mama’s old warning in your head: Don’t you answer, don’t you answer, don’t you answer.
The knocks came again, softer now, almost playful. Then a long scrape of nails dragging slowly across the siding.
Jeno’s footsteps thundered down the hallway. He burst into the room, flashlight beam cutting through the dark. The sound stopped the second he stepped in.
He stood there, chest heaving, jaw tight. “Don’t move,” he said, voice low and hard, eyes locked on the window.
You didn’t. Couldn’t. You clutched the blanket closer, staring at the glass where something lingered just beyond the pane.
The whisper came one last time, almost a laugh now.
we're finally at 10k words of the last Carrow Girl gonna celebrate by eating a bowl of cereal (I would bake a cake, like I normally do when I hit that word amount--I like to treat myself every 10k words--but I'm lazy soooo)
so... I've been mia I know, but I have a really good reason as to why: I got engaged and was just trying to process wtf happened lol, so my bf is now my fiancé and now that I have fully processed that, I can start working on the last carrow girl again!
