未知の運命 : Unknown Destiny

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈: 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝗏𝗈𝗒𝖺𝗀𝖾

[𝗫𝗶𝗼𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗢𝗩]

The fog surrounding my friends and I was thick, the air muggy and all sense of the world gone. As we walked further into the woods, it was difficult to know both where we were going and when we would get there. Fear was pounding at my heart, but there was no going back. I have to keep going. Me and my comrades, Yohan, Kitsuke and Ian, pushed forward struggling to breathe as we went. The track seemed to be endless.

These sixty-foot trees have been witness to so much history, Over to the right, past one of the shorter apple trees and over the homemade bridge, was a small clearing. We decided to explore it. Nothing was in it. Walking a little further, we tip-toed along the edge of the pond. Looking over the shimmering waters.

Desperate, Looking up, we watched the sun begin to set. Against the dull browns and various shades of green, the sunset was almost violently vibrant. It's orange and yellows splash against the sky like a painting and it was beautiful, even after seeing it for the millionth time. The only thing ruining this moment was the air, it felt heavy felt like a gate, trapping us in.

It's as if, here at the edge of the woods, were full of the spirits of everyone who died. We were amused by it's story, but we feared them too. With the last rays of the sun, we slowly untucked the folded letter we had kept inside my shirt and smooths it out. It was too foggy to read through it.

...

"Guys..we should probably retract, It's too dangerous to continue even further" Kitsuke said.

"You're right, good thing we have checkpoints. If not, we could've been lost" Yohan rise to the bait.

"This is absurd..I thought we'll be able to make one's way in a few moments, how miserable" I applauded.

"Patience, I tell you. You know already, but I remind you, for I have seen far too often the way fear short circuits the frontal lobe and paralyses human decision making; I tell you, the woods are alive" Ian retaliated.

Everyone looked at Ian with a concerned face.

"You say the creepiest things Ian, I wonder what's going on in your mind" Kitsuke said..

"Walk, not run, even if you hear twigs cracking behind you. There are things that smell fear. Walk steadily and swiftly with a purpose in your mind, but Do not run. You do not know what might choose to chase." Ian murmured.

"Ahaha..Let's just retreat for now, this is getting a little odd.." Kitsuke nervously said.

But before we did, I catched a glimpse of a person..Standing on a tree branch. Maybe I was imagining things since it's already dark out..but I swear I saw something.

"Xioa, what are you looking at? Let's go!" Yohan yelled , therefore startling me.

We head back to the cabin we're in.But the figure I saw still bothers me. I couldn't sleep at all..as if it means something. I tried to clear my mind and head myself to sleep. My mind always had a tendency to run around when sleeping.

Until, Someone interrupted the silence. Yohan began to point out something. "What the hell is that?" after looking closely and finally spotting what he was pointing at,It looks like the figure I saw earlier around the woods ,staring at us directly while smiling . There is no question that I could see its features. It has medium length brown-ish hair and very palish skin like a face, but couldn't make out the nose, or chin. As if it was just a figure of pale skin. I'll never forget the feeling that came over me, I got goosebumps while being paralyzed on the inside ready to leave that moment.

But we told ourselves that it was just a weird looking tree..But it's too inaccurate to be a tree. All of us are having the creeps and noticing it wasn't moving one bit, just standing in the same place. We heard a bird chirping from the above and that caught our attention. When we looked back at the figure we saw..was...gone.