Hunting the flame

CHAPTER 4: NOT AGAIN

October 26th, 2013

SILAS

I hated this idea from the start but I couldn't look like a scared little kid so I had to do it. And considering her way of talking and persuading she would probably go alone just to prove her point. Tonight had to be about having fun again, and even though I'm sure it won't end up good, even though I might try fooling myself by playing her games, I still do it. The unsettling feeling I have roots deeper into me with every step we take.

"I don't even know who you are and I'm going in the middle of the woods in complete darkness with you. They I announced some kind of storm on the news today, maybe we should stop" I say, maybe she will give it up.

"Here it is" she completely ignores me so I step ahead of her, causing her to bump into me. She raises her head to meet my gaze.

"Huntress, stop" I say in a demanding voice, trying to hide the panic behind my eyes.

"God, Silas, stop being a coward. Doesn't suit your bad boy image. And it's Maude. Stop calling me huntress" God she's fearless and unstoppable.

"Maude. That's like an 18th century type of name" I smirk, trying to insult her but she doesn't seem to bother.

"Thanks...?" she steps away from me, placing the phone's light ahead of us. "Uhm.. Silas? There's a floating body on the water" her expression shifts.

"What are you talking about? Oh, we're still playing the game." I chuckles in disbelief because I'm sure she's messing around, but as I turn around to look, the image sents shivers down my spine. "..or not?" I feel frozen into the place, staring blankly at the very real body floating on the water.

Maude starts shaking like crazy, but she's trying to call 911, her fingers trembling on the phone. I might know what's coming next and my heart starts pounding against my chest. I really need to take her out of here. This is dangerous.

"Maude we should really get out of here, NOW" my voice steady and demanding as I try to convince her we should really run away before it's too late. He raises her look to me, her eyes soft and worried as she's pacing around waiting for the police to pick up, putting the phone on speaker.

"911, what's your emergency?" she's startled by the lady on the phone and she looks like she can't say a word out loud. She looks at me, panicked, her face pale as she holds the phone in front of her, the dim light playing on her face. I mouth to her "come" and I grab her hand, pulling her towards me, guiding her a few steps away from the river." Hello, is anyone there?" he lady asks and I think she's on the verge on closing the phone call.

"Yes, yes, I'm here" Maude is startled by her voice and finally starts talking "I'm in the woods, I'm-" she gulps down continuously "I'm near the river, on the Lake Pointe road. It's uhm-it's the house at the end of the road" I'm still pulling her towards me, trying to het us both out of here "There's a body in the river" her voice steadier.

"We'll send someone there right now, can you stay there?"

Like hell we will.

"Y-yes, I will" she mumbles before ending the call. "What's wrong with you?" she yells at me, visibly frustrated.

"Maude" I don't even know what to tell her beside what I already did. I press my lips together and I open my mouth again trying to find the right words, but a deafening crack splits the air as a bolt of lightning tears through the sky. The sound of the thunder is so powerful and loud, as if the sky has been torn open. In an instant, the world around us seems to tremble and shake as the booming thunder roars and echoes in every direction, making the birds flap away their wings, chirping loud as a cry for help.

My first instinct is to collapse to the ground, closing my eyes and pressing my hands hard against my ears. I don't know how many seconds have passed because my ears are still thudding, but when I open my eyes Maude is not here anymore.

"Maude?" I yell, my voice echoing in the woods.

I look everywhere, maybe she ran, maybe she hid.

I head towards the river and the body is still here, but no matter how loud I shout and where I look, Maude is not here, and I realize it's impossible to disappear in a matter of seconds like this.

Unless...

It happened again.