Story Branch
Once
bitten,
twice
shy.
Isabel
murmured
under
her
breath,
staring
out
at
the
darkening
horizon.
The
saying
echoed
in
her
mind,
a
reminder
of
the
mistake
she
had
made
two
years
ago.
The
sun
dipped
lower,
casting
long
shadows
over
the
rolling
hills
and
the
dilapidated
cabin
where
she
now
found
herself.
[p]
Isabel
had
come
to
this
remote
part
of
the
countryside
to
escape
the
chaos
of
the
city,
to
find
solace
in
solitude.
But
as
the
evening
drew
on,
a
sense
of
unease
settled
over
her.
She
had
been
warned
about
these
woods,
about
the
legends
that
spoke
of
creatures
lurking
in
the
shadows.
She
had
dismissed
them
as
superstitions,
relics
of
a
bygone
era.
Now,
alone
and
far
from
help,
she
wasn't
so
sure.
[p]
The
first
bite
had
come
from
betrayal,
not
from
a
creature.
Two
years
ago,
her
closest
friend
had
double-crossed
her,
costing
her
not
only
a
significant
amount
of
money
but
also
her
trust
in
others.
That
incident
had
left
her
wary,
cautious.
She
had
built
walls
around
herself,
keeping
everyone
at
arm's
length.
Yet,
here
she
was,
alone
in
a
place
where
trust
in
oneself
and
one's
instincts
was
paramount.
[p]
As
the
last
light
of
day
faded,
Isabel
heard
a
rustle
in
the
underbrush.
Her
heart
raced.
She
had
brought
a
flashlight,
a
few
supplies,
and
a
sturdy
walking
stick.
She
grabbed
the
stick
and
turned
on
the
flashlight,
its
beam
piercing
through
the
encroaching
darkness.
She
moved
cautiously
towards
the
noise,
every
sense
heightened,
every
step
calculated.
[p]
The
sound
grew
closer,
more