upon our land • s. kalivoda

four

"i saw the witch."

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josh hands me a headlamp to wear in the woods as it is close to midnight.

"i can't believe you're wearing that." deena says more to kate than josh and i.

"i can't believe you're above wearing it when we are literally in the middle fo the fucking woods and dead maniacs are after us." she responds.

"touché," i reply. i grab a cigarette out of my pack before lighting it, taking a drag, and running to grab simon's hand.

"hey," i smile and say softly.

"hey," he replies with a smile. god, that smile could put me in a trance.

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"okay, so i fell out of the car here." sam stars, "i was crawling, and my nose was bleeding and then-" she pauses. "i feel something." and then she pulls a chain out of the moss-covered grass.

"chains?" kate asks while getting on her knees, simon and i following. i take another drag of my cigarette before kate reaches over, asking for it. after handing it to her, simon pulls something else out of the ground.

"oh, not just chains." we look down and he was holding a skull. sarah fier's skull. we all let out groans in disgust at the sight, i almost gagging.

"what the fuck?"

"oh my gosh."

"no way." josh then starts feeling around and then pulls out a lock with the word "fier" carved into it.

"it's her. it's her grave!"

"oh, no. no, no, this is bad."

"how are they still here after three centuries? wait, no. dinosaur fossils. i get it." i snatch the cig from kate and take the last hit right before putting it out.

"now she's sending her henchmen after us." josh says and i widen my eyes.

"henchmen? as in every one of those sickos on your wall are gonna be coming after us?!" kate asks in a panic, speaking my mind.

"did you hear that?" josh asks as he stood up. i shake my head and decide to follow him. this time, we all heard it. the sound of a twig breaking.

"guys, i think someone is in the woods. we are most definitely not alone," i say. everyone else's conversations drowned out as i was focused on the woods. something was there. a spirit.

i was broken out of my trance by the camp nightwing killer running full speed at us, axe in hand. simon grabs my hand and we sprint to the ambulance, our hand never leaving the others. simon pushes me in first before hopping in himself, and shutting the doors right before the killer should reach us.

"start the car! hurry! go!" deena yells in a panic.

"that was tommy slater!" i yell. "why was a dead person chasing us with an axe?!"

"that was a bust," kate replies, her eyes on the road.

"well, maybe because it's not like the movies, okay? maybe it's not as easy as putting bones to rest." deena explains, out of breath from our little game of death tag with the camp nightwing killer.

"it should have worked! it always works!" simon yells, grabbing my hand as i move to sit on the ground in between his legs.

"who took her bible?" i mutter.

"who gives a shit, it doesn't matter! how do i not die?" kate yells frantically.

"we! how do we not die!" i reply, and i start biting my nails. a bad habit of mine. simon whacks my hand and grabs both of them before rubbing his thumbs lightly against them.