Suit up and head out

Kendrick flips on her favorite playlist—slow bass, slinking saxophone, the kind of music that makes you want to dance like someone’s watching, even when they aren’t.

In front of the mirror, she pulls open the drawer of her makeshift costume chest. Old Halloween pieces, thrift store finds, scraps of faux leather and shimmer. Not exactly an upgrade—she’s still broke—but the Velvet Vixen owns it now.

First, the corset. Then the gloves. The boots. The mask, pulled snug over her eyes.

She strikes a pose. Swivels her hips. Does a sultry spin and gives her reflection a wink.

“Still got it.”

Cape swirling behind her, Kendrick struts out the door, her heels clacking across pavement, glitter catching the moonlight.

Later That Night – The Forest Outside Westville

The air is damp. The woods are thick with fog, tall pines stretching like the spires of some ancient cathedral. Crickets chirp in uneven rhythm. Somewhere nearby, an owl hoots once—and falls silent.

Velvet Vixen stands at the edge of the tree line, hands on her hips, cape fluttering gently behind her.

“Okay,” she whispers. “Five people disappeared here. Probably cultists. Definitely something weird. This is what I trained for…”

She pauses.

“Well. This is what I’ve read about.”

She clicks on a tiny flashlight she borrowed from the junk drawer and steps into the forest.