My Hockey Alpha

Nina

Somehow, I managed to fall asleep for a couple of hours that night. Those few hours of sleep were fraught with nightmares, but at least I slept. When I woke up the next morning, I knew what I needed to do.

I couldn’t mention any of this to Enzo or Luke, because I knew that I wouldn’t get a truthful response. All of the clues were pointing to them; they had done something horrible to that man who drugged me.

Even though that man was a terrible person who only wanted to hurt me that night, it didn’t mean that I wanted anyone to be killed!

It was around eight o’clock in the morning when I climbed out of bed and started packing. I would need a change of warm clothes, granola bars, a flashlight, a sleeping bag… Anything that would be useful for camping.

I was going to go camping in the forest outside of Newburgh and investigate this murder myself.

But I couldn’t go alone. Not only would it be dangerous, but it would also be too suspicious if I just took off to go camping by myself over the weekend in the exact place that Enzo and Luke had likely killed the businessman from the club.

I had to convince Lori and Jessica to go with me.

When I walked out into the living room dressed in a flannel, sweater, jeans, and hiking boots with my backpack slung over my shoulder and my sleeping bag in my hand, Jessica and Lori both gave me a puzzled look.

“Uh… want a waffle, Wilderwoman?”

Lori said, holding up a plate of waffles that actually looked tantalizing

“Sure,” I said, dropping my stuff on the floor and walking over to the kitchen. I took a waffle and smothered it in butter and syrup while my friends ate in silence, still staring at me.

“You going camping or something?” Jessica asked.

“I was planning on it,” I replied, trying my best to sound nonchalant. “You guys should come.”

Lori and Jessica looked at each other, then at me.

said with a mouthful

can take your

a sudden?” Jessica asked. “You

growing up,” I replied, which was true. Many of my childhood summers had been spent visiting national parks, exploring the wilderness, and getting bitten by mosquitoes. I actually really enjoyed being out in nature, but eventually my dad started having heart problems and couldn’t risk being out in the middle of nowhere for days on end with no hospital in sight, so we stopped going. Then I started college as a premed student

at each other again,

bring the

I could use

that Jessica and Lori would be so willing to come with me made me happy and nervous at the same time. Assuming that Enzo and Luke were the ones to kill the businessman from the club, I knew it would

be putting my friends

old wives’ tale, but the general consensus that I found on cryptozoology forums — even those that were mostly frequented by casual lovers of the genre and not die-hard believers seemed to

can I borrow your car while you guys get ready?” I asked, shoving the last bite of waffle in my mouth.

I guess,” Lori said, pointing to the key

in the sink and grabbed Lori’s keys, leaving my friends still somewhat

I didn’t have any permits to carry a

on the shop door

the gruff voice of an older woman

“Mornin’, hun,” she said.

make out the woman. She was short and stocky, with gray hair pulled up into a neat bun on the top of

I said, sheepishly approaching the counter. “I’m here

gathered that, this bein’ a gun shop and all,” she

that I had no clue what I was doing. It seemed that

defense, huntin’, or both?” she asked,

I guess,” I replied, looking around at the gun displays

like

to tell me that she wasn’t going to sell me a

turning and walking over to the display behind the counter. I relaxed my shoulders and let out a