The Forest : Demons in the Mist

Chapter 8: Run

My eyes fluttered awake, the dim light of the sun bouncing from the hatchet into my eyes.

I looked up at Toby who was sprawled out all over the grass, snoring obnoxiously. I giggled and sat up, my hair a bit off a mess, looking around the fall grass that was covered in morning dew.
I pulled away from Toby slowly and started to roll around in the grass, taking in the scent of the forest. I pulled up the hood and tugged on the drawstrings, closing myself in. It was silent except for some birds making noises and the grass under me as I shifted. I sat up and removed my food, looking over at Toby who was peacefully sleeping, a bit of drool escaping from the corner of his mouth. I giggled and stood up, looking around the area.
Almost like I was drawn to something, I hesitantly wandered into the woods. The soft grass slowly turned into dry, dead plants and dirt. I paused and looked back to the meadow, then back into the forest. I tugged on the drawstrings of my hoodie before pushing forward.
It was probably a horrible idea to leave without Toby, but I couldn't stop myself. I twisted around the trees and dead shrubs, squinting a bit to see past the fog.
Then I fell.
Thankfully I didn't roll down a hill but I hit something gross and mushy, falling onto my arms in a patch of dead grass.
"Fucking hell..." I muttered, turning over to sit on my butt.
Immediately I saw what I had tripped over.
A corpse.
I immediately screamed and scrambled backwards away from it onto a tree. I stared at it, catching my breath slowly as I looked around to noice weirdly shaped patches of dry grass around the area. I cautiously crawled over, looking at the half-decomposed face which looked oddly familiar. I stepped around to get a good look.
She was sprawled out on the grass, her neck snapped with a noose around it. My eyes widened a bit, slowly looking up to see a rope dangling on a branch above, freshly cut.
I started to back away slowly, the dead grass crunching under me. The atmosphere was slowly growing cold and dry as I started to realize something was waiting here for someone.
I immediately ran back to where I came from. I got scratched and scrapped from the branches and bushes, panting heavily. I had to keep running, it couldn't have been waiting for me this whole time.
"Ava!"
I started running faster, smiling a bit in relief. I was getting closer, Toby waiting for me.
"TOBY!" I yelled back.
I could hear rustling behind me, a low growl erupting. I kept pushing myself forward, stumbling as my legs were starting to turn to jelly and my heart feeling like it was going to rip out of my chest.
"AVA!" I heard Toby call.
I twisted through a few more trees before running back into the meadow, practically jumping into Toby's arms.
"TOBY!" I panted heavily and squeezed him, letting the situation settle in for me as I tested up.
"AVA! Where...where have you been?!" He asked worriedly.
"I'm...I'm so sorry Toby!" I stammered, tearing up a lot more. "I didn't mean to leave! I...I tripped over a corpse and then something was chasing me and my dreams and I-"
Toby hugged me tightly, shushing me calmly. I clung onto him gently, catching my breath and coughing a bit from running.
"Let's go home Ava..." he whispered.
He adjusted me onto his back and walked into the woods. I clung onto his back, looking over to where I came from. I could've sworn I saw someone but when I looked again, it was probably just a tree behind another one.