Faceless Instincts

The Truth

The snow was crushing beneath our feet as we walked in deeper into the forest. As beautiful as it might have been in the daylight, it appeared hauntingly eerie at night.

There was nothing to be heard apart from our breathing and footsteps with occasional owl hoots.

"I don't think I am sure about any of it now." I declared as I froze on the ground.

"I kind of agree," Tanner said who was walking with me and sat down on the snow.

The brothers were walking a little behind us and they stopped when they heard our contention.

"It's only a matter of time now Kiara," Nikolai said and I looked at him.

"Damn sure it is," I said nattily and he took a deep breath to reply but then kept his mouth shut.

I was spinning deep into my mind as I tried to resolve everything that has gone down till now.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to run away and I wanted to vanish.

I hadn't spared a glance at Nikolai ever since and walked way ahead of him. Tanner wanted to know what had happened but I was tight-lipped. I didn't want to talk about anything at this point.

As we got deeper into the forest, things started to get unusual. At some point, I thought I saw a shadow go past us, while the men marked it as my ingenuity.

I shook my head in frustration and walked past them.

"I have a question," Tanner said vetoing.

"And that would be?" Nikolai asked.

"How do we know that this cult thing is happening here?" He looked at all of us. "We have been walking for over an hour, and why do we think that they will be doing their rites in the middle of a jungle where anyone can find them?"

"He has a point," I agreed, "how do we know that it's actually happening."

Dorian stepped forward, "I agree, but I don't think we have a choice." He started looking at Nikolai who merely shrugged.

"I mean, why wouldn't people be guarding the area?" I objected and they all looked at me.

"She's right." Nikolai said at last, "it's odd that we haven't come across anyone till now." He moved forward and took the map from Dorian. "If there is indeed a sacrificial rite going on somewhere here then there must be some people guarding the entire forest to prevent people like us coming in."

"Exactly," I said looking at the map. Feeling I was standing too close to Nikolai I stepped away and he flinched as his grip got a little tight on the map, and as if to add salt to th wound, Dorian came and stood between us, "that has managed to hide for over thirty years, it's impossible they don't have people guarding them."

My assumption was substantiated when I heard a choking sound near us.

"Maybe we are just not as close then," Dorian said and Tanner scoffed.

"What if that journalist played us, I mean he was a part of the cult, wasn't he?" Tanner asserted and Dorian gave him a look.

"Anyways, let's go." I said and walked ahead.

Walking for about ten more minutes my legs started to give up, and I crouched down and Dorian came trotting towards me.

"Tired?"

"With all these injuries?" I said looking down at myself, "it does gets pretty hard to keep doing physical activities."

"Your ideal place would be in bed right now." Nikolai said, squeezing himself into the conversation.