Blackstone Island

Part 2 - Departure

The group all trudged through the forest. The trees all stood tall, towering over even the tall Cole. "Careful of these darn roots, y'all. Dunno how they're all bustin' outta the ground like that, but mind ya don't go trippin' and tumblin' towards the ground!" Lucas chortled, looking over his shoulder to ensure the group was all still together. Everyone glanced up at the guide, before back down to their feet, carefully stepping over the roots that were bursting from the ground. Some trees had wild branches sticking out, looking as if they could pierce through anything. The group all clumsily shambled through the forest, weaving through the trees and stepping over the roots. Cole cleared his throat, before speaking up. "Aheh, hey uh, whereabouts are you leading us to? Didn't the murders happen in a village on this here island?" The gentle giant asked. "Seems us shambling about in these spooky woods ain't the best for easing everyone's nerves. I mean, lookit poor Suzie! Tremblin' like a leaf in a hurricane!" He gestured to the short, trembling woman who was walking alongside him. Suzie looked up with wide, frightened eyes, as if someone had just yelled at her. "W-What?! I'm just cold, that's all!" she protested, although it was clear her nerves had been shot by this point. Cole chuckled warmly, giving an understanding nod. "Ahaha, right, right. My mistake, I think it's me that's frightened!" The man scratched the back of his neck with a grin. "Here, lil lady. Hope this warms you up." Cole reached up and took his thick wool grey beanie from his head, handing it to Suzie. After a moment's hesitation, the timid girl took it, squeaking out a quiet "thank you", before putting it on her head. 

The group finally made it to a clearing in the woods. There was a few branching paths, although there was two that were clearly intended for the group to follow, as they were more beaten in paths than any others. "Awright, y'all! It's time to split our little party up into two groups! These two paths loop around, so we'll be crossin' paths and looping 'round back to this here clearing! Now, y'all wanna pick your groups, or will y'all leave that to me?" Lucas gave his explanation, before resting his hands on his hips, watching the group with a grin.

Suzie almost instantly looked up to Cole, who met her gaze with a grin and thumbs up. "Stay by me, lil lady." He chuckled. Suzie gave a sheepish smile, showing her braces, before standing close by Cole. Mona slowly looked at the group, before walking over to Cole and Suzie. She took a breath, before speaking softly. "Do... you mind if... I group with you two?" Her tired eyes looked at the two before her. Suzie and Cole exchanged glances, before nodding simultaneously. "Yup yup! Stay by us, ma'am." Cole said warmly, flashing a charming grin. "Right, us three are off down this path!" He announced, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder to one of the paths. He turned on his heel, leading Suzie and Mona down the path.

Lucas turned his attention to the other two group members, Elliot and Ashley. Elliot was leaning against a tree, surveying the clearing while muttering to himself. Ashley on the other hand was staring blankly up at the sky, watching the slowly moving clouds up above. Lucas took a breath, before clapping his hands together. "Awright! Elliot, m'boy, what's on your mind? Share with the group!" He asked with a cheeky grin. The neat man snapped out of his trance, looking up to meet Lucas' gaze. "Ah. I was just thinking aloud, this clearing would make a spectacular spot for a scene in a movie. Perhaps with the proper attention to detail, we could transform it into a cold yet comforting campsite scene." Elliot said thoughtfully, his tone somewhat condescending. Ashley was staring at Elliot as he spoke, not uttering a single word. Elliot met her gaze for a moment, before shifting slightly, letting out a slightly nervous chuckle. "I know I'm attractive, but it's rude to stare, miss Miller." He pushed his glasses up his nose. Lucas let out a hearty laugh, before crossing his arms. "I'm curious. What brought y'all to want to take this tour? I mean, the island is great and all, so I get why. But do ya got a specific reasoning for it?" Elliot briefly glanced at Ashley, before stepping forward with a confident grin. "I'm here to... satiate my curiosity. I heard about the brutal string of murders a while back, and felt a somewhat... morbid curiosity I suppose you could call it. Besides, life is just one big movie, is it not? Call this a behind the scenes look." He finished with a satisfied sigh, crossing his arms. He was clearly pleased to be the center of attention.

"Haha, well, that's surely one way to see things!" Lucas chuckled, before turning his attention to Ashley. "What 'bout you, miss? What brings you way out here?" He enquired. However, as expected, Ashley just gave him a blank, silent stare, before giving a thumbs-up. Silence filled the air for a good moment, before Lucas cleared his throat. "Ahem. Haha, that's a good reason! Haha..." he laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, before nodding. "Anyway, I think that's enough dawdlin'! Let's get movin', ay?" he said cheerfully, gesturing for Elliot and Ashley to begin walking down the path. "I've got plenty of trivia about this island to share!" Ashley and Elliot exchanged a glance, before turning and beginning to walk down the path, with Lucas following behind, almost immediately cheerfully spouting facts about Blackstone's past.

Meanwhile, on the other path, the other three were walking peacefully in their small clique. Cole was doing most of the talking, as the two women were too shy or quiet to hold a proper conversation. However, everyone seemed content with that, as Suzie and Mona enjoyed listening to Cole talk. He turned his head to look at the two women. "What brought you two to an island like this, if y'all don't mind my askin'?" he asked. Suzie glanced at Mona, before speaking up in her soft voice. "I.. I'm writing a horror novel. Murder mystery to be exact. I know that coming here for inspiration sounds a bit.. morbid." she trailed off as she failed to justify herself, seeming to be embarrassed. Mona gave a small smile towards Suzie. "No, this is meant to be an educational trip. You're educating yourself, nothing wrong with that. I can tell your intentions are pure. Your aura is clear." Suzie looked up with a slightly confused smile. "I don't know all too much about auras and things like that... but thank you, Mona." She replied. "What about you? Why are you visiting the Island?" Mona gave a smile, clearing her throat before answering, "I'm an expert in the paranormal! This island's past is rife with otherworldly energy and I am determined to root out the cause." She spoke with a firm gaze, giving a nod. Cole chuckled. "Heh, well, I hope ya can free any lingerin' spirits that may be hangin' around. It'll be real nice to know they're restin' easy after all that happened to 'em." He smiled warmly, before stopping in his tracks. Before the three of them was another three branching paths, all leading down to some stony architecture. Suzie looked up, before gasping softly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "O-oh! I know what these are! These buildings were constructed by the former inhabitants of the island, for various different purposes! I.. hehe, sorry. I got a bit too excited." She took a breath, laughing softly with a soft blush to her cheeks. Mona and Cole smiled at Suzie, before Mona spoke. "No, that was very informative. Thank you, dear Suzie. I believe it'll be best for us to split down the branching paths, hm? We can meet back here after we've seen all there is to see." She suggested with a slight head tilt, before covering her mouth to hide a yawn. "I'll.. take the shortest path. Hopefully there's a bed somewhere." she mumbled, before heading down the rightmost path. Cole gave Suzie a smile, as Suzie returned a sheepish one herself. "Be safe, Cole." she said, before walking down the center path. Cole nodded, before walking down the left path.

Back with the others, they already knew the deal with the three-way split paths thanks to Lucas' passionate ramblings. After slight deliberation, Elliot walked down the right path, Ashley went down the middle, and Lucas happily trotted down the left. Everyone was admiring the old, abandoned buildings with awe, curious about what they could have been used for by the late residents of Blackstone. A few of the buildings still had some decorations peppered about, paintings hung on deteriorating walls and torn curtains blowing weakly with the calm breeze. The murders that occurred on this island happened so long ago that nature had begun to reclaim the land, as moss grew on stones and weeds sprouted through the cobble floors. As silence fell over the island, somebody's sudden yells pierced the air. Somebody was calling for help.