There was a distinct crunching of leaves as Marissa wandered through the forest, wrapping her sweater tighter to protect against the late September breeze. She enjoyed autumn for all of its lovely colors and smells, but she could have done without the chillier weather.

Marissa’s only real reasoning for going for a walk in the woods this evening was a desire to see the foliage beginning to change color and fall, and a break from her day to day home life. She knew her mother meant well, but she could be so overbearing, with her constant checking in and trying to guide Marissa’s life to her specifications. It was exhausting.

She stopped abruptly at a creaking sound from above her, followed by a voice. “Hey.”

Looking up, she spotted what appeared to be a boy, sitting on a tree branch, swinging his legs idly. He had sandy blonde hair and an easy smile, and looked to be a teenager.

“Um...hello,” Marissa said hesitantly. “What are you doing up there?”

“Oh, you know,” he said as he slid down and hung from the branch. “Hanging out.”

Marissa didn’t really think to laugh at the attempt at a joke. “Why out here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” he said, letting go of the branch, which had to be at least ten feet off the ground, and landing gracefully on his feet.

Marissa frowned. “I suppose you could.”

The boy regarded her curiously for a moment, then smiled again, scratching his head. “Alright, sorry, this is a really creepy way to meet people, isn’t it?” He extended a hand. “I’m Kody. I just moved to town.”

The tension in Marissa’s shoulders softened a bit, and she shook his hand daintily, dully noticing that it was on the cold side. “Marissa,” she said.

“It’s a pleasure,” the boy, Kody, replied. “Honestly, I came out here thinking I would be alone, except for the squirrels and deer,” he laughed. “Guess I wasn’t the only one with that idea.”

Marissa giggled. “I suppose not. Well, since we’re mutually not alone, you can walk with me if you’d like.”

“I’d love to,” Kody said, setting off next to her.

“So, how long ago did you move here?” Marissa inquired as they walked.

“Last week,” he replied. “I haven’t had a lot of time to get out since, with all the furniture moving and everything.”

“That makes sense,” Marissa replied. “Well, welcome to Ariesville, I suppose. Don’t let the local legends scare you, it’s not that bad of a town.”

“Local legends?” Kody inquired.

“Yeah,” Marissa said, “this place has a bit of a reputation for being on the strange side.”

“In what way?”

“Oh, all sorts of things,” Marissa told him, “People tell stories about angels, ghosts, werewolves, portals to other dimensions...you name it, we allegedly have it here.”

“Huh. Do you believe any of it?” Kody asked nonchalantly.

Marissa shrugged. “Not really. I’ve never seen anything myself. I’ve just chalked it up to the wannabe-rednecks around here being too dumb to tell a coyote from a werewolf.”

Kody laughed. “I guess that’s one way to look at it. How about vampires, any stories about them?”

Marissa thought for a moment. “I don’t think so,” she said. “At least I’ve never heard any. Why?”

“Just wondering,” he said. “I get the feeling that’ll change soon enough.”

Marissa looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

The sandy-haired boy grinned, and Marissa could have sworn his teeth were sharper than before. “Just a hunch.”