Celeste Rawlins moved with practiced efficiency through the eastern lot of Millridge State Park, her footsteps nearly silent on the forest floor. The afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the path ahead. After her morning classes had finished, she'd decided to follow up on the unsettling energy readings from yesterday's reconnaissance with Erica.

Traci had initially volunteered to join her, but a last-minute exam in her Thermodynamics class had forced a change of plans. In truth, Celeste didn't mind the solitude. Simple surveillance missions were often more effective with fewer people.

As she approached the area where they'd detected the strange energy signature, she paused behind a large oak tree, making sure no one else was nearby. Satisfied she was alone, Celeste withdrew her Ruby gem from her pocket. The rectangular crystalline stone, about four inches tall and two and a half inches wide, gleamed in the morning light, its deep red facets catching the sun. She held it in her palm, and the stone responded to her touch with a subtle glow, like a backlit screen on low brightness.

The gem activated in scanning mode, its interface customized to Celeste's preferences—sleek, precise readouts reminiscent of sci-fi technology appeared across its surface. Energy readings spiked as she directed it toward the area of yesterday's detection. Graphs and numeric indicators fluctuated, showing residual traces of the strange signature. After analyzing the data, she briefly switched to viewing mode, holding the gem up for a quick direct look.

Through the gem's etheric lens, the ordinary forest took on an overlaid dimension—currents of energy normally invisible to the naked eye became apparent. Where she had detected the strange signature yesterday, tendrils of faint, smoky energy still lingered, dissipating slowly into the ether. She quickly lowered the gem back to scanning mode before anyone could come along the path.

"Interesting," she murmured to herself, making a mental note of the exact location. Lucy would want precise coordinates.

She continued deeper into the park, following the ethereal traces visible only through her gem. According to her and Erica's calculations, the signature had been moving along one of the major leylines, suggesting either deliberate navigation or an instinctive attraction to the natural power flow. Either possibility had concerning implications.

As she approached the central park area, she heard voices ahead—early morning joggers, a dog-walker, normal morning activity. Celeste smoothly tucked her gem away, adjusting her posture and pace to appear like any other park visitor out for a morning walk. She even pulled out her phone and pretended to check messages while keeping her senses attuned to the lingering energy.

The traces grew stronger near the center of the park, then abruptly veered toward the eastern path—one of the less frequented routes that eventually led toward Morgan's Grocery. Celeste followed at a casual pace, maintaining the appearance of a college student taking a morning constitutional.

The trail led her through a section of denser trees before emerging near the grocery store's parking lot. Ensuring no one was watching, she discreetly pulled out her gem again, holding it in her palm. The interface immediately displayed stronger readings, with energy patterns that were clearly fresher and more defined. She quickly analyzed the data on the gem's surface, the customized displays showing movement patterns and intensity levels. For just a second, she switched to viewing mode for a direct confirmation, catching glimpses of vibrant ethereal smoke trails that were barely beginning to dissipate.

The readings were incredibly fresh—whatever supernatural entity had passed through here had done so within the last hour. This was no longer a cold trail, but an active one.

Celeste paused outside the store, weighing her options. Following the energy signature inside a public establishment while actively using her gem created unnecessary exposure risks, but the freshness of the trail meant the entity might still be inside. Better to gather initial reconnaissance first.

She moved purposefully into the grocery store, just another college student picking up a few items before the evening. The afternoon was getting busier, with several customers browsing the aisles—a mother with two children selecting cereal, a construction worker grabbing coffee from the in-store kiosk, and a store employee restocking shelves.

Celeste kept her hand near her pocket, subtly monitoring the gem's warmth and vibrations as she moved through the store. The sensations changed rhythm as she moved further in, becoming more erratic near the beverage aisle. She paused, pretending to browse the coffee selection while discreetly slipping the gem partially out of her pocket. A quick glance at its surface revealed fluctuating energy readings displayed on the personalized interface, with spiking patterns indicating very recent supernatural presence.

The energy signature was strongest by the stockroom doors. Whatever had come through here had likely entered or exited through the back of the store, not through the main entrance. Celeste made a mental note of this unusual behavior as she continued her casual surveillance.

As she selected a bag of coffee beans, Celeste continued her surveillance, maintaining her casual demeanor. She moved through the store with practiced nonchalance, giving no indication that she was there for anything other than routine shopping. Her gem continued to register energy fluctuations—strongest near the dairy section, which suggested whatever had triggered it had moved through that area recently.

She caught a glimpse of a young man stocking shelves in the cereal aisle—lanky, brown-haired, probably a high school student working part-time. The energy signature didn't seem to be emanating from him, but there was something about him that caught her attention briefly. She made a mental note of his face before continuing her sweep of the store.

After picking up a few items as cover, Celeste headed to the checkout. She paid for her purchases and left the store, her expression pleasantly neutral despite the concerning readings from her gem.

Outside, Celeste took a moment to record her observations on her phone, typing notes about the energy patterns and their movement. The Ruby gem in her pocket had settled back to its usual dormant state as she moved away from the grocery store, suggesting that whatever energy signature she'd been tracking had moved on. She'd have to rely on standard investigation methods to pick up the trail again.

As she headed back toward campus, Celeste went through her mental checklist for the day. Her morning classes were done, she'd completed this patrol, and she still needed to meet with Lucy at five to report her findings before the town meeting tonight at 7 PM. She'd planned to attend the meeting anyway as part of their standard monitoring protocol.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David mechanically restocked the cereal aisle at Morgan's Grocery, his mind racing. His shift had started at 3:30, and it had been quiet so far, giving him too much time to think about Melissa's disappearance and Morgan's increasingly frantic messages. His phone had buzzed twice in the past hour with updates: first that the police were finally taking the disappearance seriously, then that Morgan's father was organizing a search party for this afternoon.

David wished he could join them, but he was stuck at work until 7:30, after which he'd go straight to the town meeting. He'd already tried to convince Mr. Morgan to let someone cover his shift, but with an employee out sick with the seasonal flu, and others already having put off to go to the town hall meeting, there simply wasn't anyone available.

David was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't immediately notice the strange figure emerging from the stockroom. It wasn't until Mr. Peterson gasped "Good Lord!" from the next aisle over that David looked up.

Melissa Altura was standing at the end of the aisle, staring directly at him. She'd apparently come from the back of the store where only employees were supposed to be.

David froze, cereal box forgotten in his hands. She looked... wrong. Her clothes were the same gothic style she always wore—black jeans, dark sweater, combat boots—but they were dirty and disheveled, as if she'd been sleeping outdoors. Her usually carefully applied makeup was smudged and partially worn away, and her hair was tangled with what looked like small twigs and leaves.

But it was her eyes that really unsettled him. They moved with mechanical precision, scanning the store in a methodical pattern that seemed more like a security camera than a human gaze.

"Melissa?" David called, setting down the cereal and moving toward her. "Are you okay? Everyone's been looking for you. How did you get in through the back?"

She turned toward him with that same unsettling precision, her head movement too smooth, too controlled. She stared at him for a long moment but didn't respond, her face expressionless.

"Morgan's been worried sick," David continued, approaching cautiously. "Your parents have been looking everywhere for you."

Melissa blinked once, deliberately, then moved past him toward the produce section. David watched in confusion as she methodically selected several apples, examining each with an odd, detached scrutiny. Next, she moved to the deli counter and pointed at a pre-made sandwich, not speaking a word to the attendant who gave her a strange look before handing it over. Finally, she picked up a bottle of water from a nearby cooler.

"Melissa?" he tried again. "Do you need help? Should I call Morgan?"

She ignored him completely, moving to the checkout counter with the same unnervingly fluid motion. David followed at a distance, unsure what to do. At the register, she placed her items on the counter and pulled out a crumpled twenty-dollar bill.

"That'll be $12.87," said Mrs. Grady, the cashier.

Melissa placed the twenty on the counter, took her food, and walked away without waiting for her change.

"Hey! Your change!" Mrs. Grady called after her, but Melissa was already heading for the exit.

"What's going on with that girl?" Mrs. Grady asked David as he approached the counter. "Isn't that Morgan's sister? And did she come in through the back?"

"Yeah," David replied, watching through the window as Melissa crossed the parking lot. "She's been missing for over a day. I have no idea how she got into the stockroom."

"Well, she certainly doesn't look right," Mrs. Grady said, shaking her head. "Maybe drugs? Lord knows we've had problems with that since they opened that nightclub over in Westfield."

David pulled out his phone, his hands slightly unsteady. "I need to call Morgan." He glanced at Mrs. Grady. "Can I take five minutes? I need to try to catch up with her."

"Go ahead," Mrs. Grady nodded. "That girl doesn't look like she should be wandering around alone."

David quickly dialed Morgan's number as he hurried out of the store, following Melissa from a distance. The call rang several times before going to voicemail.

"Morgan, it's David. Melissa just showed up at Morgan's Grocery, walking out of our stockroom. She's acting really strange—like, beyond her usual weird. She wouldn't even talk to me. Something's seriously wrong. I'm following her now, heading east from the store. Call me back."

He ended the call and immediately texted the same information, adding: "She's wearing black jeans and dark sweater. Looks like she's been sleeping outside."

David maintained a cautious distance as he followed Melissa, who was moving with that same unsettling precision through the parking lot. He debated approaching her directly but worried it might cause her to run or, worse, become hostile. Something was clearly wrong with her, and he wasn't sure how to help.

What troubled him most was how she had gotten into the stockroom. The back door was supposed to be locked, and no one had reported seeing her enter. Had she been hiding in there? And if so, for how long, and why?

He checked his phone again. No response from Morgan yet. He considered texting Tony but hesitated. What would he even say? "Melissa showed up acting like a robot, came out of our stockroom, and now I'm following her"? It sounded crazy even to him.

Instead, he sent another text to Morgan: "Seriously, call me when you get this. I'm following Melissa now, she's headed toward the old hardware store."

Melissa continued walking, maintaining a steady pace that was just slightly too fast to be casual. She never checked over her shoulder, never varied her stride, never acknowledged David's presence even though he was sure she must know he was following her. She moved as if guided by some internal GPS, navigating the streets with inhuman precision.

As David followed, his thoughts raced. First the red light in the park, then the strange dreams, now Melissa's bizarre behavior. It couldn't all be coincidence. Something was happening in Millridge, and somehow, he'd found himself in the middle of it.

The town meeting tonight suddenly seemed even more critical. Maybe someone there would have answers, or at least be taking the strange occurrences seriously. But for now, his focus was on Melissa—on making sure she was safe, and on figuring out what had happened to make her act this way.

Up ahead, Melissa turned down a side street that would lead toward the abandoned strip mall and the old Johnson's Hardware store. David quickened his pace, not wanting to lose sight of her. Whatever was going on, he had a feeling he was about to find out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melissa Altura moved with calculated precision through the eastern section of Millridge, her mind operating on two distinct levels. The dominant consciousness—the entity that had taken residence in her form—was processing and categorizing information with cold efficiency. But beneath that, like a distant echo, the original Melissa persisted, a fading awareness trapped in her own body.

The entity paused near a junction of two minor leylines, sensing the energy flow beneath the surface. This vessel had proven more suitable than anticipated, its inherent sensitivity to supernatural energies making it an efficient conduit for the entity's own perceptions.

What it had observed at the grocery store was unexpected. The human male—identified through the vessel's memories as David Lamb—had shown signs of recognition when he saw this vessel. His reaction indicated potential prior exposure to supernatural phenomena. This required further investigation.

Melissa's body moved toward a secluded area behind an abandoned service station, out of view from the main road. Once certain of privacy, the entity extended its awareness, seeking connection with its superior.

"Report," came the immediate response, a voice that existed only in Melissa's mind.

"Survey of northeastern sector complete," the entity communicated. "Primary leyline junctions mapped and energy patterns recorded. Crystal-wielder activity detected at multiple points, but no direct contact."

"Any complications?" the voice inquired.

"The vessel's identity has been recognized by humans from its social unit. They appear concerned by its absence. No significant threat to operation."

"Continue surveillance," the voice commanded. "Maintain distance from the vessel's social connections. Focus on mapping the crystal-wielders' movements."

"Understood."

The connection faded, and the entity returned its full attention to its immediate surroundings. It consumed the apple and sandwich, the vessel requiring sustenance to maintain optimal functionality. The original Melissa's consciousness stirred briefly at the familiar tastes, a momentary flicker of awareness before subsiding again.

The entity discarded the empty sandwich packaging and continued its journey through town. The primary objective remained gathering intelligence on the Terranauts' movements and capabilities. However, the entity had now registered that the human male David Lamb was following it at a distance. This was unexpected but potentially useful. His behavior suggested knowledge or awareness that could be extracted.

The town meeting tonight would provide an excellent opportunity for observation. According to the vessel's memories, these gatherings typically attracted a significant portion of the local population. The entity could monitor multiple targets simultaneously while maintaining its cover as just another concerned citizen.

But first, it would need to address the human following it. The entity accessed the vessel's memories of David Lamb—identifying him as a potential source of information about the crystal-wielders. The memories indicated no direct connection, but his recent behavioral patterns showed unusual awareness. This warranted investigation.

It planned its route carefully, directing the vessel toward an isolated area where interaction could occur without witnesses. The abandoned hardware store would provide an ideal location—secluded enough for interrogation, yet close enough to populated areas to facilitate escape if necessary.

As Melissa's body moved with unnatural grace through streets and alleys, the entity continued processing and categorizing all it had learned. The town of Millridge, with its network of leylines and strategic position, was far more valuable than initially assessed. And perhaps this human following behind would provide even more valuable intelligence before the day was done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End Chapter!

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