The Shadow's Grip • bxb [COMPLETED]

-34-

Dimitri's P.O.V.

"I can't do it"

I try to ignore it.

"I think I'm gonna die"

I can't ignore it anymore.

I turn around and look at Felix who has been whining the whole time. At first, I laughed it off since I got bored and tired too, but now it's impossible to shrug it off.

Not even knowing what to say I just groan and continue walking. Google Maps isn't working and we're in the middle of the forest trying to find that damned house.

We've been walking for more than two hours but something tells me we're going in a circle, not making any progress.

"Wait, I need to sit down" Felix leans against a tree.

"We'll never gonna find it this way" I try to sound angry, but it doesn't work.

"Sorry"

It's even harder to argue with him when all he says is "sorry". I don't know if he says this because he really is sorry or just because he doesn't have the energy to tell me off.

It's frustrating, but this house is the only clue we have at the moment, besides Natalie.

"Basil and his fucking house"

I don't have any energy left, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty and I'm angry because I can't be angry at Felix if that makes any sense. If it would've been someone else in his place, I would've definitely lost it and give up.

He's been telling me how tired he is the whole time, but I can't be angry even if I want to.

"What if Basil's house is made out of candy? And we're like Hansel and Gretel?" Felix says randomly and I don't have the energy to say anything other than let out a weird laugh.

"What if Basil's house is invisible and we're standing right next to it?" I give my opinion on the situation too since it seems fit.

"Wait... Do you smell this?" Felix suddenly stands up and looks around.

I can't help but do the same, but not really smelling anything. Are these those olfactory hallucinations I've heard so much about? We're on our way to the psych ward slowly but surely.

I almost call Felix crazy but then I smell it too. It smells like baked goods, cookies fresh out of the oven, pie and bread. A nostalgic feeling takes me back to my grandma and her little kitchen and makes me sigh out loud.

"Who the fuck is cooking in the forest?"

"The Little Red Riding Hood" I say sarcastically while trying to find the source of the smell, which is probably a house.

Basil's house maybe.

We walk for a while until we finally see smoke, coming out of what seems like a chimney. I pick up the pace, knowing that we're close.

Finally, we see a little house behind the trees. It looks simple, nothing out of the ordinary besides the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere, in complete isolation.

It's clearly made out of bricks, painted white, with a wooden door and windows. The rooftop is brown and there's a path that leads to the entrance, decorated with flowers.

For a moment, I feel as if we really are in a fairytale and there's a witch around, about to appear out of nowhere to eat us.

Unsure, Felix takes slow steps towards the house looking back at me for reassurance. I'm not very sure of what's happening either so I just shrug whenever he glances at me.

Not to be a coward, I follow him too, slowly. There's something wrong, I can feel it.

Almost out of nowhere, a figure appears in the distance and I immediately stop. Felix is still walking, which makes me both confused and panicked. I want to grab his hand to stop him from going any further but it's like I'm stuck.

Slowly, I can make out whatever is coming towards us. It's a human so that's good.

They're wearing a long white dress, walking barefoot with some little forest animals following closely behind. Finally, I tell myself there's nothing to be afraid of and walk up to whoever that is supposed to be.

Their short ginger hair is decorated with freshly picked flowers and butterflies flying around. At first, it seems weird and obnoxious, almost unreal.

I mean, who lives in the forest wearing dresses and walking around talking to squirrels? It's something straight out of a fantasy book that you read to children before they go to sleep.

"Are you looking for something?"

Their green eyes stare right into my soul, sending shivers down my spine. Before I can answer the question, Felix beats me to it.

"We're looking for Basil... Uh... We don't really know anything about who that is..."

"I'm Basil"

"Uh... Well... Here" Felix hands them the leaf he got from Natalie.

Basil flips it from one side to the other, analyzing it for what seems like forever while we're just standing there. A deer sniffs my hand before licking it and I flinch in fear.

I don't know what I'm supposed to expect from this weird house or Basil. Is he like us? Damned for eternity?

Is that why he lives all alone? Now that I'm thinking about it, living in complete isolation without having to worry about society seems like a great idea.

"Hmm... So that's why you're here. You got this from Natalie, right?"

Felix nods.

"Do you know who she is?" he asks.

"Except from a lost soul... Not really... She talked about a brother that she used to have when she was alive. She loved him very much..."

A brother? Maybe Felix knew him? Is that why she's helping him?

"What about The Shadow? Do you know anything about it?"

Basil glances left and right before whispering to us, even though I'm more than sure that we're alone here.

"Let's go inside to talk"

They open the door, Felix following, but I'm still unsure of what to think about all of this. I catch a glimpse of the forest and hot summer sun before Basil closes the door behind us.