Something dark, black like a burn. How has that gotten there? He moved his flashlight hand to swipe at it, losing sight. The patch felt cold as ice. He pulled back swiftly and checked the mirror again. It was still there, but smudged out somewhat. There was a small black circle in his neck.
Below the hatch, someone started running. Warren, crap! Derrek turned, but from the corner of his eye he caught something big and black in the mirror. Another chuckle ran by his ear. It froze him mid-turn. He saw it move in the edges of his vision, like an object passing in front of a light. What is that, my light is steady. Am I going bonkers? What felt like an hour, took only a second, as Derrek pushed himself to look back at the mirror.
White, but no reflection. The sheet which hung loose a moment ago, was back over the mirror. Somehow. WHAT? No way. He heard more footsteps from below and the pull to get out, just increased tenfold. He moved back and turned wildly, knocking over the fake Christmas tree by accident, and made for the hatch. He swung his light left and right, but his mind wasn't able to register anything any longer. There was only one thought.
Run.

NEW CHAPTER - Hallway

Derrek got down the hatch in some quick steps, almost breaking his leg halfway, but he caught himself just in the nick of time. He had pocketed his gun somewhere in his retreat in the attic, but still held his flashlight. He shone it up a final time at the attic, afraid to find something, anything, there except for a ceiling. He got a ceiling.
Behind him, he heard Warren take the final steps from the stairs. Derrek started running again, muscles straining in full now from everything they had to endure during the day. He pushed through the pain. He passed the railing and took the first steps of the stairs. Voices came from downstairs and as he got halfway, he spotted Warren running from the hall beside the stairs. He wasn't wearing his mask anymore, Derrek saw full-on panic in his eyes. He couldn't place the panic, until he saw Chip come out of the kitchen, shotgun in hand. Yeah, you're right to panic at that sight.
Chip saw Derrek and stopped, frowning.
"I got him!" Derrek yelled at Chip, snatching for a breath after the yell and intensive exercise he was going through. His heart beat like crazy. Derrek found the energy to keep going though, this kid wouldn't get away.
Warren passed through the open front door as Derrek jumped the final two steps, he followed through the front door.

NEW CHAPTER - 65 Dry Hollow Road

Warren jumped from the front porch, ignoring the three-somewhat steps. His landing wasn't perfect, winning Derrek a few precious seconds. He used these to pull his rubber gun and aiming down the sights.
"Stop,— or I'll shoot!" He said, breath catching.
The youth was already up again and eyed him. "You tried that already." He said with a grin. You cocky son of a bitch. Derrek pulled the trigger, rubber bullets hit him on the chest. The youth let out a grunt before turning and running again. Derrek descended the stairs, holstering his rubber gun. His hand moved to his real gun as he followed. I made that decision already. I won't shoot these kids. He pulled back his hand and started sprinting in full.
Warren was not heading for the muddy farm road straight in front of them. He went a bit to the left, where both of them had been before. The cornfield.
Warren entered them a good ten meters before Derrek. You don't have your advantage of stealth anymore. No getting away this time. Derrek pulled out his flashlight and entered the corn.

NEW CHAPTER - Corn field
The fields were a lot darker than last time he entered them. He'd had some natural light still left then, good thing he had his flashlight. Derrek entered the same row Warren had taken. As expected, he wasn't there any more. Derrek focused his ears.
Left. Derrek jumped through the stalks, moving forward still, in time to see Warren pass through into the next row. Derrek followed. Damn, I won't gain anything on him this way. Every row slows both of us. Nearest way out is the mud road again or fully back until the forest. Maybe if I can gain some straight distance on him first. Derrek kept his ears open and sprinted down the row he was in, listening until he was about the same depth as Warren.
As he hoped, Warren didn't seem to be listening for Derrek, he was just rushing through. Not far now. Time to go all in. Derrek ran a bit further from Warren's depth, hoping he could catch him as he moved forward. Derrek turned and started crossing the rows. Leaves, corn and stalks hit him in the face as he closed in on the sound. He made a lot of noise now and noticed Warren had stopped making noise. He didn't expect that, got you now. Derrek hurried through the rows toward the location where he last heard the sound. His flashlight caught on something in the next row. Yes! Derrek pushed through the wet leaves.
He almost fell as he came into a clearing. He saw a torch sticking in the mud, the one he'd put out there. In the middle was the wooden pole with the scarecrow. He eyed around, no Warren. No sounds either except for his breathing. Where did he go? I saw his leg through the row, how can he be gone?
Wasn't this deeper in the fields too? I can't have passed that many rows yet. He was in front of the scarecrow now, its head turned to the back from his final visit. The head started turning around. Right, the mechanized head with the sensor down—
The sensor's light wasn't on. The wires seemed cut. His neck grew cold again, he had to flinch from the sudden spike of pain. It didn't hold him back from looking at the scarecrow's face.
He remembered the metallic mask and the red LED blinking eyes from before. Those were gone. A pure straw face looked at him, with shadowy holes for eyes. The mouth another dark hole. It seemed to move. No, no, n—
A chuckle. Every hair on his body stood upright, but Derrek's body choose not to remain upright. With a shout, he fell backward through the corn stalks and dropped on his butt, which sent another shock through his back.
To his right, he heard Warren again, who exclaimed a mutter and started running. Derrek didn't follow. He sat there, staring at the corn in front of him. He'd fallen clean through, he couldn't see the clearing or the scarecrow. No way. What's happening? That was impossible, like before.
Am I… Am I going nuts?