The two girls spent a little more time by the window. By late morning, a group of villagers returned from the entrance of the reservation, their hands empty.
Seeing this through the window, Everly and Misha hurried downstairs and waited in the living room at Karlâs house.
Soon, Karl and his family of fourâthe group that had led the processionâcame back.
Compared with their tense, serious expressions when they left, they now looked far more relaxed. Everly guessed their trip had gone smoothly, so she casually brought up the livestock deaths at the western farms, reminding Karl to keep an eye on the animals.
Karl wasnât very surprised to hear that another farm had been attacked last night. He listened patiently to Everly, then nodded. âThank you for the reminder. Iâll speak to the villagers.â
Whether Karl actually told the villagers about the blood-sucking monster, Everly didnât know.
But she was certain that later that night, when she lifted the curtain and looked outside before going to sleep, all the nearby Indigenous farmsâincluding Karlâsâwere completely dark, with no sign of anyone standing guard.
The farm produce was the main source of income for the Indigenous people here. Everly didnât think the farm owners could be unaware of attacks on farms just a few kilometers away; after all, this was the information age, and young Winton villagers also used phones and social media, so news couldnât be that isolated.
Knowing the monster was wandering nearby yet not posting anyone for patrolâdid the Indigenous people have some hidden advantage or protection?
Full of suspicion and conjecture, she pulled the curtain closed, turned off the light, lay down, and closed her eyes.
Late at night.
Everly was fast asleep when a strange howl suddenly pierced the night.
Because she was in an unfamiliar environment, she hadnât let herself sleep too deeply. Hearing the cry, she quickly opened her eyes and sat up in bed.
What kind of animal was making that sound?
It was the first time Everly had heard such a sound. It resembled a wolfâs howl, but it was deeper, heavier, and more guttural, carrying a chilling, agonized quality. The cry dragged across her eardrums like a saw, forcing her to frown instinctively, filling her with both disgust and fear.
Although the sound was distant, Everly immediately swung her legs out of bed, tiptoed to the window, and gently drew the curtain aside just enough to peek outside.
After a full day and night of snowfall, the snow had piled up outside. The white expanse brightened the otherwise dark night. Being on the plain with a wide view, Everly used the binoculars from her bag to scan the distance. She faintly saw a farm illuminated as its lights were suddenly turned on, apparently startled by the howl.
The warm yellow glow pushed back the darkness, revealing the farm more clearly.
Under the light, a sturdy man wearing a warm hat and carrying a hunting rifle opened the wooden door of his house. He hurriedly ran out toward the barn.
After he left, a shadow crawled across the roof of his cabin.
The shadow was extremely well-camouflagedâlong, thin, and spider-like, almost perfectly blending with the surrounding trees and their shadows when it crouched still. In fact, if it hadnât suddenly descended along the cabin wall and leapt into the nearby trees, even standing right in front of the house, Everly might not have noticed it at all.
What on earth was that thing?!
Everly was certain it was not human. No human could possibly look like that. Its form vaguely resembled the classic screen monster known as the âSlender Manââtall, thin, with elongated limbs, giving the impression of a figure stretched unnaturally, like a sculpted clay figure pulled too far.
But calling it a Slender Man wasnât quite right. The creature that had descended from the roof was completely nakedâno black suit, no bizarre tendrils sprouting from its back.
Anyway, it just looked really weird⊠so maybe she could just call it the âSlender Monster.â
The Slender Monster moved too fast; Everly only caught a rough glimpse before it vanished into the trees.
After it disappeared, Everly held her breath and stayed by the window for a while longer. She didnât see any movement in the trees, but the previously sturdy farmer emerged from the barn carrying a dead chicken, cursing under his breath. He stood outside, hands on his head, looking utterly defeated.
Well, that farm was definitely attacked.
So the true form of the blood-sucking monster was actually this âSlender MonsterââŠ?
Everly closed the curtain, sat back at her desk, turned on the lamp, and opened her notebook, cross-checking each entry against Rebeccaâs âComprehensive List of Blood-Sucking Monsters.â
No⊠no⊠no⊠She went through the entire list of monsters that prey on livestock, but found nothing that matched its appearance.
Could it be another artificial creature, like Xipe Totec? That would be troublesome. A legendary monster at least comes with some traditional wisdomâways to deal with it documented in texts. But an artificial monster? There would be no rules, no clear patterns. It would require both brains and luck, and one misstep could be fatal. She hoped that before she left, this monster wouldnât reach Tunumo Village.
She was only here to ask questions, not to risk her life to protect the villagers. That was a job for the hero and heroine of the movie⊠assuming there even was a hero and heroine here, though she hadnât met anyone who seemed to fit the role yet.
After that strange howl, the creature hadnât made a sound again. Considering the distance between locations, Everly judged that the Slender Monster was unlikely to reach Tunumo Village tonight.
Of course, just to be safe, Everly checked the handgun and the protective charms she had stashed under her pillow, making sure she could reach them immediately if something happened.
After checking, she yawned, placed her notebook back on the bedside table, turned off the lamp, and slipped back into the soft warmth of her bed.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Everly woke up naturally to her internal clock and got out of bed.
Once dressed, she didnât head downstairs immediately. Instead, she stood by the window, raised her binoculars, and took a look at the farm where the monster had appeared the previous night.
Several police cars were already parked at the farm entrance, their red and blue lights flashing continuously. The robust man she had seen last night stood with his hands on his hips, angrily discussing something with the officers.
So the livestock had indeed been attackedâŠ
Everly lowered her binoculars and went downstairs.
Just like the previous morning, her grandfather and Karl were already sitting by the fireplace, chatting. Karlâs wife and two sons were busy in the kitchen, energetically preparing breakfast.
But unlike yesterday, when the friendly hosts had asked her if she slept well, Everly didnât respond with polite small talkâshe spoke the truth.
âI slept fine⊠except I was woken in the middle of the night by a strange howl. I got up, looked through the window, and saw a monster on the wall of a farm to the south.â
âA monster?â
The cheerful chatter in the room immediately froze. Every single personâmen and women, young and old, including Karl, who had been talking with her grandfatherâturned their attention to Everly.
âWhat kind of monster did you see?â Karlâs eldest son came out of the kitchen, voice urgent, pressing Everly for details.
Even Karl by the fireplace instinctively leaned closer, subtly showing how much he cared about her answer.
Everly was a little surprised.
The reaction of the Native Americans to the word âmonsterâ was far stronger than Everly had expected. For the first time, she realized that when so many peopleâs eyes were fixed on you, even a gaze could feel thick and heavy, like a tangible pressure weighing you down.
One pair, two pairs, three pairs⊠so many eyes full of vigilance and curiosity bore into her, like searchlights, leaving no flicker of expression unnoticed. Everly hadnât felt such a weight in a long time.
Whatâs going on? Even if they cared about the appearance of the vampire creature, their reaction shouldnât be this extreme⊠This level of concern was almost like they were on guard against something.
Thinking this, Everly became cautious. She didnât reveal everything about the slender shadow she had seen. Instead, she answered vaguely: âI didnât see clearly⊠I just saw a shadow moving quickly in the darkâŠâ
The moment she said this, it was as if an invisible barrier standing between the two groups shattered. The heavy, tense atmosphere instantly lightened.
A few of the Native Americans exchanged glances, their faces showing a hint of relief.
âMaybe you saw it wrongâmistook a tree branchâs shadow for a monster,â one said.
âYeah, it was so dark out there. Either you misperceived it, or maybe it was a wild wolf or something,â added Karlâs two sons in unison, speaking reassuringly as they turned with their plates and returned to the stove.
Old Karl nodded in agreement. âThey all talk about some vampire creature, but in all this time, no one has seen any trace of it. Maybe itâs just a rumor.â
âOh⊠then I probably just saw things half-asleep last night,â Everly said at the right moment, putting on an expression of sudden realization to show she had been convinced.
With that, the warm and harmonious atmosphere returned to the living room. Laughter and chatter resumed as usual.
From start to finish, Old John hadnât shown a single unusual expression. But when no one was looking, he exchanged a subtle glance with his granddaughter. Seeing Everly shake her head slightly at him, the old man finally felt completely at ease.
Everly felt she could hold on a little longer.
Although the Native Americans had given her a strange feeling earlier, they hadnât triggered her crisis alarm, so perhaps things werenât that serious. Besides, the Winton tribeâs priest wouldnât return until tomorrow, and with just one more day, she could get the information she wanted. Everly wasnât willing to give up so easily.
After weighing her options, she decided to stay.
Unfortunately, today seemed destined not to be an ordinary day.
At lunchtime, Everly sat at the table with the Karl family, enjoying a hot meal, when suddenly a commotion arose from the village entrance. Soon after, a Native American villager came running, knocking urgently on Karlâs door.
âSomethingâs wrong⊠White people⊠causing trouble⊠summoned a monster⊠priestâŠâ
Karlâs dining area was close to the door, and Everly, seated near the entrance, caught most of what the man said.
Before long, Karlâs face darkened like water and he returned to the table.
âIâm very sorry. Something has happened in the village. I need to go handle it immediately⊠Tawa, Wolf, come with me.â
With that, the elder rose, flanked by his two broad-shouldered sons, and stormed out of the dining room.
The once lively table was suddenly reduced to just three guests and a few women and children. Fortunately, Karlâs wife held the scene together, and Quilla, quick-witted as always, kept the conversation lively with clever remarks, so the atmosphere didnât become too awkward.