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Rays of sunshine traveled through the tall trees as birds fluttered by and a pesky little badger dug its way through the fallen leaves on the ground. The scattered light delicately covered a woman lying peacefully in the grass as a cool breeze wandered through her ash blonde locks. Her bright blue eyes blinked open to the sound of a truck engine making its way down the road. She shot up, dusted off any dirt on her clothes, and hurriedly made her way towards the truck which parked near a rustic cabin.“Daisy!” An older gentleman beamed at her with arms wide open. Daisy dove into his chest and gave a tight squeeze. It had been 6 years since she last visited the place she grew up – Hope County.
“It’s so good to see you, dad.” She pulled away, “Mom’s making her famous pork roast. I know that’s such a treat for you these days since the doc put you on a diet.”
“We’re not gonna talk about that torture now,” Her dad chuckled, “Let’s go on inside and help your mother.”
“That reminds me! She wanted me to take the truck down to the shop to pick up a few things.”
“Alright.” He sighed before hesitantly gave her the keys, “Be careful. There’s been a lot of weirdos around these parts.”
“Don’t you worry, dad. I can handle myself.” Daisy hopped into the truck and began driving down the road.The Whitetail Mountains. One of the most beautiful regions of Montana with its snow-capped peaks bursting through the landscape. It was the perfect place to see all of Hope County and its beautiful landmarks. The Henbane River winded it’s way throughout the whole county while Holland Valley and its farms dabbled the land. Three giant letters stood out to Daisy as she drove through the dense woods and into the open view of the hills. Did that spell out the word “yes” or was she imagining things? She shook her head as she pulled into the small grocery store. As she clumsily made her way out of the tall truck someone bumped into her causing her to drop her keys.“Watch it.” A voice growled at her. Her head twisted around and she scanned the man who so rudely bumped into her. He was incredibly tall compared to her short stature which was slightly intimidating. Sun glistened onto his auburn hair and scarred face as her eyes met with his unexpectedly soft blue ones. Daisy couldn’t help but notice the large hunting knife placed snugly in his thigh holster as he bent down to pick up her keys. She also mentally noted how muscular his thighs looked in the jeans he was wearing.“You new around here?” He interrupted her thoughts as he held the keys out towards her.
“Uh, erm, nope,” Daisy stumbled as she grabbed them from his hand. “I actually grew up down the road. Visiting family for a few days.”
The man stared at her and gave her no response. Growing uncomfortable with the silence, she held out her hand, “I’m Daisy.”
He hesitated for a moment and gave a firm handshake, “Jacob.”
“You remind me of the city folk back in Atlanta, Jacob.”
“Atlanta, you say?” His hand gripped hers tighter.
“Yeah… Are you from there?”
“No,” Jacob finally freed her hand, “but my brother lived there awhile.”There was something off about this man and Daisy knew she had to get out of this situation quick. She let out a nervous chuckle as she said goodbye and proceeded to walk into the store. Peeking a glance over her shoulder she could see Jacob stare her down for awhile until he finally decided to get in his truck and leave. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she gathered the items her mother requested. The cashier gladly accepted her cash and she started to head back to her parents’ cabin.As the sky began to flood with warm colors, Daisy sat promptly on the front porch with a quilt tightly wrapped around her. Her parents joined shortly after and handed her a cup of chamomile tea while a young boy nudged at her to share the quilt. She gave him a funny look before laughing and pulled him in. Born twenty-one years apart, Daisy’s little brother felt more like a cousin than a sibling. He was an unexpected addition to the family shortly before she moved to Georgia for college so she never had a chance to be a real sister to him. Despite all that, there was a special bond between them and he could always make her laugh hard enough to cause stomach pain.Darkness engulfed Hope County revealing the thousands of stars shimmering in the night sky. It reminded her of the city lights she’d gaze at during late nights at the law firm. Being a paralegal was a time consuming yet rewarding job and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Memories of her first few years filled her mind as she finished the rest of her tea. She thought of the time she spent with the lawyer she used to report to – John Duncan. John was one of the best lawyers in Atlanta until he unexpectedly vanished 7 years ago, leaving the law firm in chaos as they searched for a replacement to run the business.“We’re heading to bed, sweetie.” Daisy’s mother whispered.
“That’s a good idea. I’m gonna head in myself.”Daisy folded up the quilt neatly and set it on the porch swing before heading inside. The cabin smelled of firewood and the aroma of the dinner they ate earlier lingered. She opened the door to her old room which still looked like an 18-year-old lived in it. Taking it all in she saw archery trophies and photos of a younger self with friends clutter up the shelves. Educational texts filled the bookshelf near her desk and a worn poster of N*Sync hung near her closet. She slipped into yoga pants and an old oversized shirt with the words “Testicle Festival” on the front of it. Warm blankets hugged her as she fell into bed and shoved her face into the stack of pillows, fatigue finally overcoming her. As she began to fade away into her dreams, wolves could be heard howling outside her bedroom window and she could’ve sworn she heard her parents scream.
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Daisy, a voiced echoed.Wake the hell up, Daisy! She jolted awake to see her mother frantically shaking her. A panicked look painted her face as she motioned for her to get up. The howls of wolves echoed throughout the cabin and men could be heard shouting outside. Her mother took her hand and placed a revolver in her palm, the one her father gave her when she first learned how to shoot.
“What the hell is going on?” Daisy questioned.
“Shhh!” Her mother whispered, “There are bad people here. They’re here to take us away. Not without a fight though. Jacob doesn’t know you’re here. You have a chance. Crawl out the window and run as fast and as far as you can, Daisy.”
Absolutely stunned in silence, Daisy could only comprehend one thing, “Jacob?”
Her mother pushed her towards the window as the sound of the front door crashed open, “Daisy get the fuck out of here!”Without question, Daisy quickly put on her old pair of boots and crawled through the window. She looked behind her one last time, her mother quietly saying I love you. Men could be seen bursting the bedroom door open and tackling her down to the ground, screams and gunfire echoed through the air. Panic set in and Daisy began to run. Run. Keep fucking running. Leaves and twigs snapped beneath her steps, a branch scraped her cheek, the howls crept closer and closer. Her chest burned as she struggled to pace her breathing but she couldn’t do it. All she could think about was her mother. Her father. Her little brother. Are they okay? What was happening?Pain suddenly surged through her left thigh and she cried out as she fell to the ground. An arrow protruded through her leg, seemingly homemade with a green mist glowing around the tip. Hazy stars began to flood her vision as she struggled to stand up. She knew the arrow had to stay in so she broke it into pieces, leaving a small portion to plug the wound. The howls were so close she could almost feel the breath of the wolves. Peering behind her, a tall man began approaching her with a white wolf by his side. The moonlight highlighted his face to reveal it was the man she met earlier that day – Jacob.Panicking, she begun to drag herself away from him. A tree branch stuck out far enough that she was able to grab it and pulled herself up. Each step taken came with more haziness and stars but she knew she had to keep going. Adrenaline kicked in which allowed her to gain enough strength and clarity to start running again. She could hear the man following close behind her as she approached a river. A small boat sat on shore and she climbed into it. Over and over she attempted to start the motor, Jacob growing closer with each try. Finally the boat started up, leading her down the river towards Holland Valley. She could see Jacob standing on shore with his bow, prompting her to give him the middle finger as she escaped his clutches.The cool breeze of the night kissed her face, drying the tears that spilled from her eyes. Blood began pooling beneath her and she realized she needed to get to a hospital. Holland Valley came into view as she crashed the boat into shore. Gunfire began making it’s way towards her as a helicopter flew overhead. Daisy ducked into a nearby bush as the aircraft crashed into the ground. Voices could be heard cheering and a man shouted to begin the reaping. A woman began screaming, prompting Daisy to peer through the bushes.The man who shouted stood atop a car, his hands raised as his shirtless torso gleamed in the moonlight. Tattoos and scars covered his body, his hair was pulled back, and the yellow aviators he wore reflected the fire that surrounded the downed helicopter. His eyes made their way towards Daisy and she ducked back down as he continued to stare in her direction. She could feel his eyes search for her as the people piled into their cars and trucks.“Father Joseph,” A young man spoke, “The older gentleman is being sent to the Henbane. The younger fellow to the Whitetails. I’m assuming the woman will stay in the valley?”
“Yes, my child.” Joseph said, “She’s not the only woman who will be staying. A vision has showed me a new path. Go now - deliver the harbingers of doom to the heralds.”
“Praise be to you, Father”Footsteps made their way to the bush Daisy was cowering in. She looked up to see Father Joseph staring down at her. Fear overcame her as he knelt down next to her, gently moving the stray hairs away from her face. His hands cupped her face as he touched his forehead to hers. He breathed in deeply as she awaited her fate from the strange man.“It is not your time yet, Daisy.” He finally spoke, “God will bring you to us willingly. He will show you the way.”Joseph stood up, allowing her to stay hidden in the bushes as he got into a black SUV. Vehicles drove off into the night leaving just the sound of the crackling fire behind. Everyone had left and she hesitantly began walking towards the crash, gasping when she realized a dead body laid nearby. The deceased was a badly burned young woman wearing some sort of law enforcement uniform, her junior deputy badge the only thing left to identify who she was.Daisy couldn’t comprehend all that had happened tonight and she needed to find help. Making her way towards the road, whatever poison coated the arrow began taking ahold of her. Green mist surrounded her as she collapsed to the ground. Looking up towards the sky she saw a billboard of a handsome man with the words “We love you and we will take you.” She couldn’t help but feel a familiarity with the man on the billboard and his piercing blue eyes stared down at her, a sly smile seeming to warp onto his face. Her vision began to blur as she faded away into darkness.