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 of

your time getting ready.

a sudden?” Jessica asked. “You never struck me as such an

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 and never found the

and Lori looked at each other again,

bring the weed,” Lori

could use

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 safe for me and my friends. They wouldn’t hurt

my friends

been an old wives’ tale, but the general consensus that I found on cryptozoology forums — even those that were mostly frequented by casual

get ready?” I asked, shoving the last

yeah, I guess,” Lori said, pointing to the key

the sink and grabbed

I didn’t have any permits to carry a gun, I didn’t have a lot of money, and I didn’t

on the shop door

the gruff voice

“Mornin’, hun,” she said.

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

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

I kinda gathered that, this bein’ a gun shop and all,” she said with

had no clue what I was doing. It seemed that

defense, huntin’, or both?” she asked, leaning on the counter as I

looking around at the gun

like you, clearly

she wasn’t going to sell

the counter. I relaxed my shoulders and let out a quiet sigh of relief as she scratched her chin